GROUNDED!!!!

The good news is that I got to see my awesome orthopedist Dr. Callahan, Medical Director of the Women's Sports Medicine Center at Hospital for Special Surgery. The bad news is this was not a social visit. She grounded me off the Trapeze Bar until further notice.

What I thought was just a sprain from a bad catch during my last SHOW class turned out to be a bit worse. It seems I've got a crack in my wing and one the cables (i.e., ligaments) keeping my infrastructure aligned tore from the bone and rolled up into my forearm "like a cheap window shade". (To quote Dr. Callahan.)

It looks gross and hurts as bad as it sounds! I took this so Angie can "kinda" see the freakish mass of tissue...


Thank Heaven for Advil. I made the mistake of forgetting to take it last Sunday while in New Mexico and sure paid the price. By afternoon, I was miserable but didn't realize the cause. A firm handshake finally brought me to tears.

I know what you're thinking...our Jen?...TEARS?

Yup! Good friend Mike and new pal Nick can attest. I tried to be tough but in the end I cried like a little girl! They took good care of me...patiently understanding that like a wild animal, when I'm hurting I need to go off by myself until I am strong again. (Or in this case, until the Advil kicked in.) They let me go alone but followed close behind to ensure I got back to the hotel safely. It's nice to have friends who would do that. I am touched and truly grateful for their kindness.

Can't fly so I'm off to Grasshopper's class for some intense cardio...I'll keep you posted.

Family Visits are the Best!

It's so nice to have family in town!!!!! Angie, Jeff and their boys came to visit this week. Technically we're not "blood family" but as I've gotten older I've come to realize that genetics aren't the only criteria for family. I've known and counted on Jeff since the 9th grade. I'm so blessed that he met and chose to marry Angie and we became best friends too! They are my people...

When asked if they wanted to go to a water park or to visit Auntie Jen in New York City, without missing a beat Benjamin and Cameron both said "Visit Auntie Jen, Murray and Ira and the Statue of Liberty!!!"

They arrived later than expected Wednesday night so I met up with everyone for breakfast at the hotel Thursday morning. I was really nervous that Cameron wouldn't remember me because the last time I saw him, he was only 3 months old. (And we had that whole diaper fiasco!) Here are some photos from my last visit to their house.

The moment I entered the dining room...there was Benjamin, arms waving high in the air "Hi Auntie Jen! It's Auntie Jen! Hi Auntie Jen!". And I looked over to see the biggest smile on Cameron's face and heard his sweet little voice say "Hi Auntie Jen!" It was music to my ears. They absolutely stole my Heart! Again!

We gobbled up breakfast and made a quick stop in the room. Cameron and Benjamin, now ages 3 1/2 and 5 3/4 respectively, are big fans of Rocket Racing and they were so excited to receive their official Rocket Racing patches and pendants. They proudly wore their pendants all weekend. We had "Mission Briefings" before every outing and the boys behaved like good little future Rocket Racing pilots!

First on our agenda was Lady Liberty. Here's Ben, Cam and me riding the subway down to Battery Park. During the ride, Ben explained to us how bad it is to litter.

Here are a few shots of Ben taking in the sights...

Cameron was a little camera shy. Everyone got a bit sleepy on the Ferry back to Manhattan and Cameron napped in my arms; drowning my shoulder in little boy drool. Needless to say, I was in Heaven. It's not often that I have little ones around and I am a total pushover for these guys.

We took another subway ride up to Grand Central Terminal (GCT). Ben and Cam told me all about how the animals escaped from the zoo and ran around GCT in the film Madagascar. Here we are in GCT. Cameron didn't want his picture taken so he hid behind me.

I had to take a few business calls so we split up for a couple hours and agreed to meet at our little rig in Brooklyn. It was Thursday and I had my SHOW workshop. Here's me up on the Board with Jeff S. and Maryam climbing up...

Words can not express how much it meant to me to have Ang, Jeff & the boys there to watch me fly and to meet my trapeze family. It filled me with joy to be surrounded by people I love, who love me back and allow me to share my passion. Ben and Cam quickly became the darlings of the evening. Flirting with all the ladies; they learned every one's name and cheered us all. It was delightful! Jeff took video and in it you can hear them all cheering.

In this video of my Swing OOL, you can hear Ben counting the number of times I go back and forth. He was my toughest critic and an absolute joy.



You might notice that the tempo of my Swing OOL is getting much better. Thanks to the feedback from Randy in the last class, I am finally finding balance in my swing. In fact at one point, I was flying SO HIGH...I scared myself. I was afraid I would hit my head on the rafters like Dino once did. A silly notion I know, but I got really high! It felt effortless and I loved every moment.

Next I threw my Split with Half-turn to the mat. I'm working on taking my Split OOL and need to convince my instructors that after I release, I will turn and fall to my back safely. This skill is hard to practice in lines , as we often get tangled up, but I'm finally getting it. This is the best one I've done so far...



Taking Allegra's place tonight, Ben kept the class moving by reminding me of my place in line and he always made sure I chalked up before each turn. On to my Cutaway practice. This one looks really funny; like I land on my face and "eat mat". Actually, this is a skill we learn on the trampoline. It's called a chest drop and I don't fall on my face at all. If I were in a net, I'd bounce right back up.



Time for catches and I threw Randy my Split. We got really high in the Apron and I almost made it back to Jeff S. on the Board...



But when I got there I didn't like being back in his arms so I decided not to let go of the bar.

On our next catch Randy and I made a solid lock on the right but couldn't connect our left. We didn't release in time and flew into the Apron twisting together from one arm. A very bad and painful thing to do. I cranked my shoulder and sprained my wrist. It was a freak accident. If we hadn't had such a solid lock on the right, we likely would have immediately called "no catch" and released.

Living my Bliss...sometimes I'm going to get hurt. I was more scared than anything but quickly climbed back up the ladder, threw Randy my Split again and round tripped it back to the Board. This time I made sure I had enough force out over the Board to easily remount without needing Jeff S. to scoop me up in his arms. (It's a trust thing!)

A future trapeze artist...here's Ben on the low bar.

What a fun night! We took a car back to the City for dinner and said our good nights!

We met up again around Noon on Friday...hung out at the M&M store, ate $10.95 grilled cheese sandwiches, walked the streets in search of the Nascar store and ended up at Nintendo. After playing around a bit, it was time to head back to the hotel and pack up the boys for a sleepover at Auntie Jen's house.

Ben and Cam were excited and ready for the adventure. No hesitation at all. Jeff looked forward to a night on the town with Ang. Ang was a little worried Ben and Cam would misbehave. And me? Well, not having spent much time with little kids, I wavered between keeping to my plan of activities or putting the apartment in lock down and wrapping the boys in bubble wrap for the next 16 hours.

I took a deep breath, opted for the former and everything turned out GREAT!!!! Just a few minor mishaps...

Cameron rolled off the chaise and landed in Murray & Ira's water dish; getting soaking wet. He now tells people he went swimming at Auntie Jen's house in New York City.

Even though he was told not to, Benjamin tried to swing on the "Fire pole" and knocked it down with a big, loud thunk.

Despite Ben & Cam bringing them toys and treats, poor Murray was so freaked out by these "little people", he spent nearly their whole visit hiding in the closet. And sweet Ira came out for treats but would race back inside the chaise whenever Cam would chase after him. Cam would say..."Auntie Jen, I saw Ira and he tried to bite me so left him alone."

And that was just in the first half hour!

Fortunately we found our vibe and all major crisis were averted. We took a field trip to the grocery store where the boys got to pick their favorite ice cream and all the toppings they wanted. (A tradition I learned from my Grandy.) We all got into our PJs and made big ice cream sundaes for dessert!

The biggest hit of the night was playing with the Rocket Racer model. These little guys couldn't keep their hands off it.

Cameron always kept the Rocket Racer on its stand and asked to have his picture taken with it on every turn.

And Benjamin, he made up elaborate race scenarios...



It was time to settle down and I told the boys they could select a DVD to watch for a little while. They picked Return of the Jedi. Now before anyone starts questioning my parenting skills (or lack thereof) both Ben and Cam were able to successfully describe the first half hour of the movie with great accuracy. So I knew Jeff and Ang had let them watch it before. Cameron couldn't contain his excitement. Hear him say "Return of the Jedi" and "Thank you TV!"



Here's Ben watching the movie...

We watched about 15 minutes and then it was time for bed. I had one last surprise for the boys. I brought the universe into my little NYC apartment and we all laid down on our backs to count the shooting stars...

The boys were so good and went right to bed. I told them that if they were really quiet, Murray and Ira might come out to sleep with them. The kitties did venture out to sniff but then they would spook and run back into hiding. We all had a good night's sleep and Cameron was the last to get up Saturday morning.

When he finally did, he found that Ira started to feel more comfortable. Here's Cam petting Ira.

Angie and Jeff arrived Saturday morning and it was time for them to get ready to leave. But not before a few more poses with the Rocket Racer...


I don't know if I'll ever make a very good mommy or not but according to Benjamin and Cameron, I'm getting really good at this Auntie Jen gig.

Thank you for coming to visit. From the bottom of my heart, it meant the world to me to have you here.

Meet the man who changed my life...

...well, changed my swing! Here's me and instructor Randy...

During our Tuesday 10/16 Catch & Return Workshop, Randy filled in for Dino this week. He was an instructor in my Sunday IFW Summer 2006 and a great motivator. Randy's flown for 11 years and spent this past Summer flying with one of Trapeze's best. He's currently working on his double layout and it looks amazing. We spent a fair amount of time on the low bar fine tuning my swing. I can't explain it but, I finally "get it"; I know what it's supposed to feel like and now I just have to keep practicing. My swing improved ten fold in just one class. That's the great thing about working with so many different instructors...each brings a different perspective. And sooner or later...something just clicks!

Here are some candids from our class...


Kristin, Emmanuelle, Allegra & Lori (with Leslie on trampoline with Matt instructing).

Here's our Manny in the catch trap...

Sunday Night IFW Reunion - 10/14/07

Several of us from our Sunday IFW got together to take advantage of the few remaining days at TSNY's outdoor space. Here's me, Amanda, Lidia & Colleen...
It was fun, but it was cold. Here's Amanda, Instructor Hal and me...

"Kiwi" Rob was on lines and Adam worked the board. It was nice to have one last Hooray on the TSNY outdoor rig!

I'm looking forward to flying with them on the Santa Monica Pier in early 2008!

Spending time with my friends, doing something I absolutely love!

I just love my Thursday night Trapeze workshop. It was so good to see everyone. Thais is finally back from China and great fun to fly with. This amazing group of individuals can always lift my spirit. (Not an easy task lately.) Here's Allegra and me...

My instructor "Dream Team" - Jeff, Dino & Manny - was back in full force for the first time since early September. Due to conflicting schedules, "big brother" Jeff and I had not seen each other since he coaxed me out-of-lines (OOL) at GetAway last month. And you know what the first thing he said to me was???? "Jen, you got fat!" Here's Jeff pointing out my "flaws"...


OK, I'll admit it, my safety belt was cinched a bit too tightly...creating a very unattractive skin belt. Leave it to Jeff to call it out. Sheesh...Thanks Jeff...missed you too!

Our boys picked on us girls pretty hard tonight...Allegra's catch & return OOL, Thais's 1/2 turn & remount OOL, Lisa's catch & return OOL, my take-off & swing OOL. Pushing us past our comfort zone; they keep telling us that we are already doing these things on our own and have a false belief that they are "doing something" for us while we are in lines. They tell us in truth, we are flying on our own power. The only thing preventing us from throwing these skills OOL with confidence are the barriers we've created in our own minds.

But as I tried to explain to Jeff on the Board...we HAVE to be smart, strong, confident, independent, successful and responsible for our own safety in ALL other aspects of our lives. Trapeze is the one place where we can go to push our minds and our bodies in an environment in which we feel completely taken care of; safe and secure in someone else's strong hands.

I told him that we'll each keep striving to meet our full potential...that's just who we are. It's how we're made. But some days, it's just really nice to come to the rig, to let go and to allow ourselves to allow someone else to take care of us; to be our safety net.

We worked our basic skills - Swing, Half-turn, Board Remount, Half-Half. For catches, I threw my whip to Dino. We made our first catch despite my looking down. On the second, I managed to whip open and look for him but we still missed. However, I did kick the bar with both Achilles and got to experience a whole new level of pain! Enough, I threw my split and we caught & returned like we've been doing it for years!

Here's my swing OOL...



That's Jeff on lines doing my calls and if you look closely, you can see me look down at him and smile as he corrects everything I'm doing wrong. But I don't care, it's just good to have him back.

I absolutely love it up there. I feel so free...balancing my feather.

If I could find a way to stay up there and fly forever...I'd never come down!

I am truly blessed!

If it's Thursday, you'll find me at our little rig in B'lyn...

throwing myself into the arms of a cute boy! Tonight it was our sweet Manny with his REALLY cool tattoo of a panther face on his left shoulder (and his nose ring).

Another great night. Here's Lisa, Tanya, Manny, me, Dino, Emily and Maryam...

We start each class working the basics. Dino let me take my Swing out-of-lines (OOL) for the first time on this rig. It felt amazing! Next up was my Half-turn with Board Remount...



Reached out with the wrong hand and grazed Dino's forehead on that one. Oops, sorry Dino! (Supposed to reach my right across my body to grab the left rail thus avoiding punching the guy on the Board.) I tried my Half-Half for the first time and it wasn't scary. I did get a wicked "Cross my Heart" rope burn from the safety lines...



I'm OK. It was sore but quick to scab over and well, I just don't think you're playing hard enough if you don't come away with at least a mark or two.

So then, I decided to further the torture and practice my half turn to the mat off my Split.



Yeah, I've still a lot to learn about staying tight and not piking my Fall. Manny likes to keep loose lines - makes for a rougher fall but that's how we learn to take responsibility for our own safety. A little thing we call TOUGH LOVE!

Enough abuse, it was time to practice my Cutaway Half. The Cutaway Half is a back layout with a twist. Dino explained to me, a person is either "Naturally Twisty" or they are not. Guess which category I fall into?

Apparently, I'm not "Naturally Twisty". So to help me turn, Dino suggested that when he calls my "Hands" release, I slap my thigh real fast, causing my shoulder to shift and initiate the twist.



Well, I had a perfect chalk hand print on my right thigh but as you can see...there was no twist. All I got was a face full of mat. I'll try again next week.

Since my Cutaway Half isn't catchable yet, I threw my "Go To" Split to Manny...



We had great apron work in this video but I was too quick off his hands to make the return. I didn't get the other two catches on film but arguably made both returns. Dino says my sideways, one-handed return doesn't count. NEVER take a one-handed return, a flyer can really mess up her shoulder. That was the first time Dino yelled at me...EVER!!! I know better but sometimes I just can't help myself...I want that bar!