Frank Sinatra Lives

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 20 May 2007 07:17

Zeke wrote:
Frank_Sinatra wrote:without shoving a bunch of unsolicited advice down your throat.
Hehe, I tend to do that. If it ever gets overbearing feel free to let me know, I won't hold it against you. I feel if I can help someone out with something in hopes of more efficient progress, I'll go ahead and say it. I can respect people who want to work it out themselves too.

Just don't ask about whirl... FUCK that move

Yea, Zeke's advice for whirl, and even blender too, are kick your ass clipper or kick your ass osis!
see ya later shatstorm!

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 20 May 2007 07:24

LOL! Now that I think of it, that advice only ever worked with Tom

I like the pic... fits the blog... and the current weather

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 21 May 2007 05:43

I like to name my Shitstorms, hurricane-style.

I'm taking at least a week off from footbag. My ankle is not fully healed, and I've got plenty of moving-related-things I should be doing.

So basically almost all of April and almost all of May have been a wash, freestyle-wise, after a really good March with lots of progress.

Wah-waaah.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 22 May 2007 18:57

I was watching the news the other day...

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 23 May 2007 08:56

Well shit, time to run from the law. Hope I don't have to jump off of any dams en route to proving my innocence.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 29 May 2007 06:04

Moved this weekend. I am exceedingly pleased with my new apartment. Next time you guys see me you'll be

at how

I am.

Kicked yesterday with Freddie at Independence Park. Could not believe how fast the time went. Highlight for me:

Ducking symp. mirage

Booyah. Had some decent tiltless strings, hit a few things midstring that I'm not used to, such as symp. mirage. Also came close to pixie same side butterfly & flipside terrage... soon.

Freddie had some nice strings, could tell he'd been schooling his BOPs. Its so cool that Freddie lives close by, and there's a good park so close. Now we just have to get everybody else to move.

xXLoss_of_ControlXx · Post by **xXLoss_of_ControlXx** » 29 May 2007 14:53

Now youre reppin' the 60618!!!

Only if Marty freestyled too.

and i think you only live 3 blocks away.

CIC flurry · Post by **CIC flurry** » 29 May 2007 18:03

I spilled some of my drink in Miami for you and the other homies that weren't there.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 29 May 2007 18:07

xXLoss_of_ControlXx wrote:... Only if Marty freestyled too.

You can lure him with a 2/4-square court!!!!! I just so happen to have the material to make such a trap.

And before I forget, here's the Bike Shop database. It's a decent place to start.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 30 May 2007 05:50

Sweeeeet.

Session with Freddie yesterday. Zeke also came out for about a half an hour - freestyled a bit in his Nikes. Always impressive. Yesterday was a stringfest. Had a 15 contact tiltless string, some other strings around ten contacts or maybe more, and almost had atw> pixie> atw> pixie> atw> pickup> atw> pickup> mirage> legover> mirage> legover but I dropped the last legover. Of course.

Hit flapper & swirl again - both for the first time since the injury, I think. Hit flip PLO midstring, bsosed PLO the day before now that I think about it. Freddie was once again hitting good strings, drilling bops, and throwing in some whirls & symp. mirages midstring. I had my first really good dex of a whirl, on my flipside, so that gives me some clues into hitting this.

Then we wound down with some leet hacker moves to bust at Blues fest. I hit pendulum> heel delay and had pendulum> sole delay for a second but had no idea where to go with it.

New move: Pixie Dragonfly. This will be perfect for Blues fest. Not quite 18-point font cool, but its always nice to hit something new. I think hitting a new move is the most satisfying part of freestyle (to me at least). Confidence builder, too.

Toe wall is ripping off. I need to get some nail polish remover, take off the previous layers of shoe goo, then reapply. Also need to buy a wrench, but that's irrelevant.

Not playing tonight, gotta run out to my old apartment and pee on the rug.

Zjeezy · Post by **Zjeezy** » 30 May 2007 05:57

im glad to hear that your kicking with freddy a lot. It sounds like your a lot better since when I kicked with you last.

I agree that hitting a new move is one of the most satisfying things in footbag.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 30 May 2007 06:10

fetusmaster wrote:It sounds like your a lot better since when I kicked with you last.

I hope so. Thanks man!

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 31 May 2007 06:28

Another session in the 60618. I didn't think I'd have time to play yesterday, since I had to run out to my old apt. first. Somehow the CTA came into alignment and all of my transit was on time and waiting for me, so to go from downtown to Edgewater (with a fucking Cubs game to boot) back down to Buena Park and then over to Irving Park only took like an hour and a half, instead of the expected 2+ hours. Oh yeah.

So Freddie, Tom, Kamil, Reile, Zeke and myself all came out. And everybody freestyled!

We even had two circles going on at the same time throughout most of the session, it reminded me of some of the sessions from the first summer I knew these guys, but I enjoyed it a lot more because I didn't suck goat ass through a crazy straw.

Hit atw> pixie> atw> pixie> atw> pickup> atw> pickup> mirage> legover> mirage> legover. Pretty happy about that. Also had like a 16 or 17 contact tiltless string, and a few strings in the 10+ contact range, so progress towards longer strings is feeling real good right now. Next goal is 20 contacts.

Hit datw, both inward and outward, in the same string, which was also a first. Tried to hit PLO back to back but dropped a lot of the LOs. Also tried double fairy, seems possible. But its also like just another 2-dex move I can almost hit and I need to dedicate some serious time too... add it to the list:

DLO (EDIT: Have now hit this strong side)
Flipside Terrage (EDIT: Have now hit this)
Flipside DATW (EDIT: Have now hit this - both directions)
DOD (EDIT: Have now hit this strong side)
Magellan (EDIT: Have now hit this strong side)
Parkwalk (EDIT: Have now hit this strong side)
Double Fairy
Phoenix (EDIT: Have now hit this strong side)

As it got dark, Zeke & Kamil started to play frisbee, so we condensed into one circle. Pretty much just went for Phoenix for the rest of the session. Came agonizingly close a number of times, but no seal. I attempted it at least 75 times and it started to feel better towards the end of that, so even though I didn't hit I feel like I made some progress. And of course Freddie hit it, so major props (and jealous hater sentiment

) to him for that.

Got my gear with me today. I'll try to play but the where & when is undetermined. I've already played for 5+ hours these last three days, after taking nine days off to try to recover fully. Back with a vengeance.

Ankle is like 99.5%, which might be as good as it ever gets. Tweaked it once yesterday but no swelling or steady pain. I read in the Pain of the Disco Ninja article that ankle sprains have up to 70% reinjury rates, and that is not a pleasant statistic. Logically I should be playing less, but I feel like I need to play more to make up for lost time.

That's all I got. Might see some of you wild and crazy guys later, if schedules work out.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 04 Jun 2007 08:04

Two sessions in the last three days:

Friday - with Freddie at Independence Park, about 2 & 1/2 hours.

Double Legover

Spent most of the session going for atw> pixie> atw> pixie> atw> pickup> atw> pickup> mirage> legover> mirage> legover. Finally hit it after over an hour, but it was really ugly. Well, the positive side of that is I'm making myself work on longer strings, so now getting to 8 - 10 contacts is not unusual. Objectively, that's a huge improvement in string length from the start of the season. Subjectively, I feel like there's no reason I can't do better. Maybe I'm being too hard on myself.

After that I just wanted to make sure I hit all my 2-dex moves, which is something I hold myself to every session. Like if I'm walking home and realize I forgot about pixie pickup, I can't let it go.

Couldn't think of anything else to do after that. Felt like I was having a really uncreative session, basically. Partially because I couldn't do any ducking or diving (my neck & shoulders were fucked up from carrying potting soil the day before).

But then it started to rain, and I was like "well, guess I don't have to think of any cool moves to do." But then it started to pour, like sheets of rain, so we took cover by the field house. We still had enough room to play, so Freddie started drilling Legbeater & I started drilling DLO. We both hit our moves after god knows how many attempts. So satisfying. I've been trying that move for almost three months, and have been so close so many times. Take that, yahweh!

Sunday - Zeke, Reile, Ronnie, & Freddie at Welles Park, about 2 hours.

Fairy same side Osis
PLO> PLO (first time)
Symp. Mirage BSOS (first time)
DLO again
Almost Ducking Symp. Mirage again

I wasn't sure if anyone would show up, because of the shitty weather. It stopped raining just before I got to the park, and I just started stretching & warming up when Zeke & Reile showed up. Ronnie was there like seconds later. Freddie got there a little later.

Reile & I freestyled for a little bit, I can't remember what he was going for (atomic DOD? Some kind of DOD) but his leg motions were so fast that I couldn't tell if it was clean or not. I just kept working on that atw> pixie> etc. tiltless drill. Didn't get through all twelve contacts, got to like 7-8 contacts a number of times & occasionally more. Also had a hard time with Pixie Pickup for some reason.

This was only yesterday, but the middle hour of the session is basically blank to me. All I remember was the heat/humidity/blinding sun combo. It was pretty nasty weather. I think most of the highlights above would have been during this time, definitely PLO> PLO, I remember that much at least. And hitting DLO for the second time (after not too many attempts) and that also felt really good, since sometimes I'll hit a new move once, then it'll be like four months before I hit it again. Also tried flip DLO... not yet, but it'll get there.

Reile headed over to the 2square court Zeke had set up, and Freddie & I kept freestyling. I tried symp. mirage BSOS for a little bit, finally hit it in a really ugly string (not tiltless). Tried some Phoenixes, probably another 30 attempts or more, had a couple that came close. Then the Footbag muse whispered "Fairy Osis" into my ear, and I hit it. Yay!

Then my friend Ash from Wisconsin showed up, so we headed off to hang out and have crazy adventures. All in all, a very good weekend, shredwise and otherwise. Although I did forget Tom's birthday, like the asshole that I am.

So, to recap my glorious return to footbag, in the last seven days I've:
Played for 9+ hours
Hit 4 new moves
Drank 5 smoothies, ate 2 power bars
Improved string length
Hit my 12 contact tiltless drill twice
Hit new BSOS & back to back stuff
Cursed god and laughed in his face

Thatz allz I gotz.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 05 Jun 2007 08:38

All of our technological infrastructure at work is failing today, so I keep coming back to modified to kill time. I've been busy all morning but haven't accomplished anything. OK, enough cubicle talk.

Had a 60618 shred yesterday with the Freducator (always schoolin). We were playing in front of the field house at Independence park, under an overhang, but the rain wasn't too bad & eventually let up so we played on the sidewalk. Right between Eurasia and Australia.

There were all these kids watching us play, which eventually got to be really distracting & annoying. At first they were impressed, but this one annoying little bastard started to hate on us after a while. I need Zeke to teach me his Southern Midget Fist technique for these occasions. Here's a comment I always hear:

"Aww, he footworkin!"

Two seconds later:
"Oh. No he aint."

On a side note, wtf is footworkin? I mean, I think I kinda know what it is, but so many kids have used it that I figure it must have some distinct meaning... and like all white people, I must understand, imitate, and ultimately co-opt black culture at every opportunity.

Then an older dude who works at the field house came out and kicked for like five seconds. His suggestions: that we work out our upper bodies, take karate, and play soccer. Yep, let me get right on that. Not that I haven't thought of working out my upper body (to get laid) but its kind of a personal thing to say to someone IMO. But I guess people just have differing ideas about how to relate to others. Karate and soccer would just be time away from footbag, and I don't think footbag skill would translate into soccer skill, anyway. And I would just abuse my ass-kicking skills gained from karate. I would beat up children.

Somebody asked who was better, me or Freddie. Honestly, I'd have to give it to Freddie right now - he's got a wider variety of tricks, just more tricks in general I think, and he's actually had guiltless strings to my tiltless. So though there are aspects of each of our games that are a little further along than the other guy's, I think on balance it would go to Freddie. On the other hand its not productive for me to worry about being better than anybody or worse than anybody. Its all about being better than I was last session, last week, last month.

I'm feeling grouchy today. So here's something positive - highlights:

Magellan
Illusion (yeah you take that and you like it!)
18 or 19 contact tiltless run, including 12 contact tiltless toe to toe drill.
Plo> Plo again

I also tried PS Mirage a little, I think I've got the footwork, but don't have the set quite right just yet. Tried DOD & Parkwalk, dunno if I'm getting any closer or not. Didn't hit DLO this session, but its really new to me so that's OK. Once I've hit it like five times it'll become part of my regimen. Tried some random new strings - pdx mirage to symp mirage, stuff like that.

Might try various combos of fairy or pixie set & butterfly kick or dragonfly for Blues fest. Hopefully the weather will be OK, but last night's forecast said T-Storms (Ts falling from the sky! RUN!!!!!) on Thursday afternoon.

And to round out this looooooooooooong post, my left hip now feels the way my right hip used to. Which hopefully just means that the muscles are getting exercised in new ways as I work on balancing out my strong & weak side. But my right hip hurt after sessions for about a year before it stopped, so I'm kinda hoping I can find a way to not repeat that. We'll see.

Planning on kicking tonight with Freddie. Maybe give Eurasia what-for.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 06 Jun 2007 06:37

Session yesterday was really lazy but fun. I couldn't even stall the bag on my left side without pain, so I avoided drilling a lot of stuff. And just kind of ran out of ideas eventually. But I did hit:

Pixie ss clipper
Pixie ss osis (not very controlled, though)
And some hack circle stuff - pixie set fliers. Weren't as easy as I thought they'd be.

We also hacked over the tennis court net for a few minutes. That could be fun - 2 person teams, playing across the tennis net, defending their squares. The smaller squares near the front of the net, not the whole court. That would take like a six person team.

So I'm doing a little research on the ol' hip. I looked in the Health & Injuries subforum yesterday but it was worthless. I wish there was a place we could all get really accurate footbag health info, if there is such a place anyone can direct me to I'd appreciate it.

Anyway, my pain is in the area of the inguinal ligament/lliopsas muscle on my left side. There's some swelling, particularly after a session, and like I mentioned there is pain, but no bruising or discoloration. Guessing it could be that I haven't exactly injured myself, I'm just exercising a muscle a lot. That area also contains the upper part of the femoral nerve, so I'm wondering if its possible that swelling in the ligament or muscle could be pinching the nerve?

My best guess is the increased work on my flipside is causing inflammation or enlargement of the lliopsas muscle, which is putting increased pressure on the inguinal ligament and/or the femoral nerve (or maybe receiving increased pressure from the inguinal ligament? Hmmm...).

But then again I'm just a guy with an internet connection... and the internet tells me it could be a whole lot of things, from the slightly unpleasant (inguinal tendinitis) to the very unpleasant (partial femoral head dislocation, femoral head fractures). But I doubt its anything seriously dangerous, since I had the same thing on my right side but now it feels fine.

Anyway, I'm gonna try to ice it tonight & after every session until it starts to feel better.

Not playing tonight, though it looks like a gorgeous day. I'll do my best to be pain free by Blues fest.

EDIT: Freddie hit a crazy new trick yesterday, but we don't know what it's called. I'll let him tell you about it, but I just wanted to send some props out to Mr. Fredison. He also invented the

(har har har)

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 11 Jun 2007 06:31

Blues fest was so much fun. I wouldn't even know where to begin writing up everything that happened, so I'll just skim over some of the highlights.

"Battling" Tom in the drunken frat boy circle. OOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!

Shred at end of Thursday, everyone was playing real well and giving out props, very positive environment. A photographer from the Tribune was videotaping us, I've still got to contact him & find out if the footage ever made it online. Of course I had to ruin the atmosphere by leading on those Girls Gone Wild hoochies.

Crashing circles all Friday evening. Some stoned high school kids seemed to be trying to one-up me with their stalls. Uh-uh bitches. But the one who stuck around in the circle and actually interacted with people he didn't know wasn't a douche like his buddies. Maybe we can get him into freestyle if we run into him again.

Playing with some people I haven't seen in a while, meeting one of the original CIC members (BJ? I think his name was BJ).

Kicking way, way, waaaaaaaay too much on Sunday, crashing every circle I saw, finding some really good ones with cool people (the Chicago Longboard crew, the tattoed dudes with matching sunglasses). Lets not even talk about the shitty circles...

Tried to stay in a two or three trick then pass rhythm, especially on Sunday. Hit lots of ducking butterfliers, and fliers in general.

Walking out of every circle that Matt Churney (sp?) showed up in. I don't hate the guy, I just hate what he does to a circle. I want to put my foot down his throat every time he starts giving me, or anyone else, advice on how to play. And he has shitty style. And he hogs the bag. Its like he's a combination of the worst footbagger tendencies and the worst hacky slacker tendencies... a frankenstein's monster of suck.

Just about every other Chicago freestyler noticed my improvement & had very positive things to say. Even Scott Davidson!

Feels pretty good.

Apparently I missed a pretty good Saturday, but I still had a freestyle session with Freddie in the 60618. New moves: Symposium Pixie & Parkwalk. Hit all my two dexes, even DLO & Magellan which are really new to me. Not so much with the long strings, but that's fine.

Sore as hell today, not gonna kick. Might take a couple days off? I'm Ron Burgundy?

quadgun · Post by **quadgun** » 11 Jun 2007 09:17

Hey Nathan ... we should play today.

Frank_Sinatra · Post by **Frank_Sinatra** » 11 Jun 2007 09:31

You so crazy.

Zeke · Post by **Zeke** » 11 Jun 2007 11:06

Frank_Sinatra wrote: Walking out of every circle that Matt Churney (sp?) showed up in. I don't hate the guy, I just hate what he does to a circle. I want to put my foot down his throat every time he starts giving me, or anyone else, advice on how to play. And he has shitty style. And he hogs the bag. Its like he's a combination of the worst footbagger tendencies and the worst hacky slacker tendencies... a frankenstein's monster of suck.

They're more like orders than than advice...
But you do like his poetry and his clever humor, don't you?