Frank Sinatra Lives

[xXLoss_of_ControlXx]

We'll pick you up on saturday at around 8am at your place since its like a minute away. It'll take a bit to get to Union Station(i figure about 25 depending on traffic) and we gotta pick up our tickets and find the right train. Get your stuff packed and i'll call you before i leave and when we get outside your place. Reid's going to pick us up when we get there.

Thats it.

[Frank_Sinatra]

Where did you get that picture of me?

Three sessions since the last post. Me and my arrows:

Feb 18 - 90 minutes solo at the Y

20 consecutive weak clippers
50 infinities took 20 minutes
almost an hour on clipper/butterfly
18, 20, 20 contacts tiltless
19 consecutive legovers to end the session

Other than that, I dropped a lot of legovers and I felt like I couldn't crank my flip clipper enough most of the session. No noticeable change on mirage. But, I weighed myself, & I'm back under 140 pounds.

Feb 20 - 90 minutes solo at the Y

19 alternating clippers
flip ss butterfly
50 infinities took 17 minutes
symp pixie> symp pixie
clip set symp mirage BS - that shit is hard
butterfly> paradox mirage> repeat to 9 contacts
far guay (paraguay, if you will) BS

Had some hip pain & I stopped. Apparently I've learned when to quit in the last month & a half. Progress.

So just to be clear, I drill infinities like so: toe set flip butterfly> op butterfly, and just keep going. Every other contact counts as 'one' infinity. Yeah, nobody cares.

February 22 - w/Josh at the Y for 2 hours

24, 23 contacts tiltless
drifter BSOS
11 contacts butterfly> pdx mirage> repeat (I win?)
symposium whizz (first time)
flip ripwalk (first time)
barrage> terrage BS
symp mirage> terrage BS
smear BSOS, various flip pixie shit

I loaned Josh my Cody Carter bag to fix a funky funky eyepatch. I mean stitch.

My posture is definitely slipping. Poor me.

Wine and cheese this weekend. Hip hop hooray.

[Frank_Sinatra]

I think this weekend deserves a narrative rather than a summary. I now present you... wine and cheese, the director's cut.

After Friday's session I went over to La Raza to hang out with Zach & Henry for a bit. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much. At about 2am I headed out from there & expected buses to still be running. Foolish. I should have just taken a cab, but instead I walked the approximately five miles home. Took about an hour and a half.

Then after like two and a half hours sleep I woke up, Fred picked me up, and we headed to the train station and then to Champaign - Urbana.

We went to this upscale restaurant and got really excellent service as soon as we got in. They must have known we were footbaggers. Then Reid, Eric, Fred & I had a session. I didn't take really detailed notes of the session like I usually do, so I'll just lump the highlights together at the end. Anyway, these sessions, and the one on Friday, have been more like shred sessions than I've been doing lately. I think not being all that lucid helped, I wasn't like planning out the entire run in advance like I do when I kick solo/drill. I definitely agree with Bob & others that always drilling leads to unsatisfying shred.

And then I ate cheese.

Then this morning Reid made breakfast and we had another session. A little over two hours, though Eric had to take off about halfway through. Jumble o' highlights:

pdx whizz - both sides
plo > terrage both sides
terrage > symp mirage
pixie op whizz
ducking toe x 3

Pdx whizz & toe set whizz are easy to do with a mirage dex instead of a whirling dex. Gotta be vigilant.

I need to get back to playing on my toes. Fixing form is hard... there's always something on an almost subconscious level that you have to start noticing and improving.

It was a lot of fun coming down & kicking/hanging out with Reid & Eric. FTB FTW! Definitely coming down for the next jam, hope we can bring a kru from Chicago. Its really cheap if you get your tickets a couple weeks in advance. So some planning required. fucking freestylers

I'll be in late this evening, then tomorrow I really gotta do some chores, pay bills, etc. Next session will be Wednesday at the earliest.

[Reid]

ducking toe times 3 X several times

[HG]

this guy's like FRANK SINATRA over here

[xXLoss_of_ControlXx]

Shark week!? Better finish ironing your shirts!

[Not-so-ripped Warrior]

We went to this upscale restaurant and got really excellent service as soon as we got in. They must have known we were footbaggers.

Nice man.


Thanks again for coming down it was excellent.

[The Actual Sized E]

[CIC flurry]

money

[Frank_Sinatra]

Thanks for all the comments, guys.

Haven't blogged for a couple weeks because I didn't want to come in here and just rant rant rant - it would have been real easy to do so about a variety of subjects.

I guess on the footbag front the big thing is I just wasn't playing much, only 11 days in February. My schedule has been kinda tight (as you can see from Reile's post above) so when I did have a free night it was like "I have to kick" rather than "I get to kick tonight." Not a good mindset to get into for something that's supposed to be fun. I have this tendency of getting too driven with my hobbies, too caught up in trying to be excellent at them all the time, and slowly squeezing them to death like a boa constrictor. Oddly, I have the same tendency with rodents. Weird how that works out.

Also, after some thought, I think 11 sessions a month would be fine if I had been happier with how I played. But I mostly wasn't. On a positive note, my last four sessions have been really enjoyable & I have at last felt like I'm making progress in some areas. I added around 10 grams of weight (guessing) to my footfighter and its really a pleasure to use currently.

Ok, I've kicked seven times since my last post. Bust a recap in yo ass:

Feb 27 - two hours at the YMCA w/Josh & Jake
29 contacts tiltless
Dimwalk> Barrage> Terrage

This was a pretty bad session for all three of us, though the second hour was better.

Mar 1 - two hours (I think?) at the YMCA w/Jake
39 contacts of atw> pixie> repeat
44 contacts tiltless
butter> pdx mirage> symp mirage> repeat
paste> PLO> butterfly> pdx mirage> symp mirage> PLO> butterfly (new guiltless personal best for non-drill string)
Dimwalk> whirl> pickup> butterfly> whirl> run w/diving clipper

The second half of this session was a big improvement over the first half. Was happy w/ the long tiltless string, but so exhausted afterwards.

Mar 2 - 2 & 1/2 hours w/ Tom, Josh, Jake, & Fred outside at Welles
whirl> infinity drilling
some 20 contact tiltless strings
Smudge w/verified cleanliness
ducking toe x4
chunkin some thrices midstring - PLO, butterfly, pdx mirage, symp mirage

Mar 5 - solo at the Y for just under an hour
shorter warmup (10 mins instead of 20) which I liked
50 infinities in 17 minutes
remaining 25 mins on flip mirage

This was the first session with my improved footfighter, and it felt pretty terrific.

I had a goal of three consecutive sessions where I really intensely worked on my flip mirage, this was the first. I worked on a variety of drills, also on pdx & symp mirages, and on shred w/ lots of mirages thrown in.

Mar 7 - solo at the Y for 1:15
clipper was a little off; short infinity practice; spent rest of time on flip mirage
flip mirage x20; strong mirage x19
mirage> mirage> butterfly> mirage> mirage> pixie> rpt
PS mirage first try strong; eventually hit on weak after many tries
flip Smear

Mar 8 - solo at the Y for an hour
infinities to 10 contacts (completing one of Reid's challenges)
28 infinities took 9 minutes
mirage session #3 - 35 mins
strong mirage x21; flip x18
symp mirage> butterfly> pdx mirage> rpt
flip Smear about half a dozen times
wanted to kick more, just tired

Mar 9 - 1:20 at the Y w/Fred
pdx illusion (strong side - first time)
butterfly> pdx mirage> DATW> butterfly> pdx mirage
run w/flip osis & refraction
DATW BSOS
flip ducking butterfly
dimwalk BSOS
Barrage BSOS
Stepping legover BSOS
hit almost all of the flip pixie moves that I can hit
31 contacts tiltless to end the session

On the 30th contact of that last run my legs just started to burn. And that was pretty much it for the day. Fred showed me how to do squats. I can totally see the benefit in lifting. Didn't mean to leave without you, Fred. I was just kind of out of it. I'm sorry.

Good session, though. I felt like I started off really strong, but then for the second half I kinda got sucked into trying one move at a time & stopped thinking about stringing. Fred hit diving osis BSOS (tits!) & had a lot of really good runs. Props.

So all in all, my last few sessions have me feeling better about footbag. But my schedule is probably gonna remain tight until it starts getting warmer. Flip mirages still have room for improvement but I'm done w/ them for now. I can come back to them later. Next up to work on: flip pixie.

[Rieferman]

wow, great highlights! That DATW bsos was particularly nice - weak DATW is really deceivingly difficult in my opinion.

Also, I give your blog the 'best dry humor' award. I always laugh at a couple of your offhand comments when I come in here.

Actually, I haven't visited recently, so forgive me if you've answered this already >> any chance we can see a vid of your progress sometime soon?

[xXLoss_of_ControlXx]

Didn't mean to leave without you, Fred. I was just kind of out of it. I'm sorry.

No, it was clearly my fault, i took too long in the weight room.

[Reid]

Mar 8 - solo at the Y for an hour
Arrow infinities to 10 contacts (completing one of Reid's challenges)
Arrow 28 infinities took 9 minutes

[Zac Miley]

44 tiltless? Mad props!

I can't wait for NYJ next year...

[Frank_Sinatra]

What the fuck? I have a blog?

Thanks for the comments & props guys.

Zac: My goal is fifty tiltless... it is my white whale. Once I got to 48, dropped on pickup (really? pickup?) and then kind of collapsed.

Reid: I should work on some of your other challenges.

Fred: Let's never argue again.

Bob: Since I don't own a camera, any video would have to be a collaboration with other freestylers. A collaboration in which they have most of the responsibility and do most of the work. So I'm not ruling it out entirely, but odds seem slim. Thanks for the best dry humor award!

So, I'm still not playing very much or very consistently. Pretty much entirely due to work. I feel that my job is changing my life in ways that I knew I should expect, but somehow figured I could wriggle out of. I feel a mid-life crisis coming on. Time to test drive that Lotus!

But I did play some since my last post. The arrows mean you can skip this part:

Mar 12 - solo @ the YMCA for one hour
warmup + 50 infinites = 30 minutes
5 minutes on Osii
10 minutes on flip PLO
PLO x3
10 minutes on flip Smear - hit fewer than 10
legover x 30 to end the session (personal best)

Mar 14 - solo @ the YMCA for 70 minutes
infinities make me feel like a leprechaun
warmup + 50 infinities = 35 minutes
PLO> pixie muted clipper both sides
pixie muted clipper> pdx mirage> repeat
pixie muted clipper> paraguay
dimwalk> stepping legover
pixie ss clipper practice to end the session

Mar 15 - solo @ the YMCA for 75 minutes
warmup + 50 infinities = 30 minutes
infinities to 14 contacts (personal best)
flip PLO> strong clip> pickup> repeat - 20 contacts
PLO x5 a couple times
Smear> pixie ss mirage
hit some flip Osii, were way better than usual but then kinda disappeared again

Mar 16 - solo @ the YMCA for 70 minutes
ducked a flip clipper set for the first time
50 infinities took 13 minutes
PLO> butterfly> infinity> pdx mirage> repeat
PLO> symp mirage> repeat
20 flip smears took 14 minutes
10 pixie ss clipper took 5 minutes
dimwalk> pdx mirage> repeat

Notice the consistent play? The improvement? The illusion of progress? Yep, that all went down the shitter the next week. But these sessions had me feeling good about footbag. Then I had a 50+ hour work week including a 15 hour day, and working on Saturday. And mostly it just makes me want to yell at all you goddamned kids. Doing whatever you damn well please, staying out until all hours... well, so long as you're in my blog, you're gonna live by my rules! Soon as you turn 18 you are out of here, mister, and then you'll see that the real world won't put up with your dangly hair. Don't come crying back to Frank Sinatra when you find the real world isn't nice and cozy like this here blog, either.

Guess I'm filling the Chris Miller role in his absence. Was this comment uncalled for?

Mar 22 - solo @ the YMCA for 70 minutes
triforce drill - completed the fourth level
10 flip clip> 11 strong clip> flip clip> drop
butter> pdx mirage> repeat to 11 contacts

Mar 23 - w/Tom & Josh @ Independence Park for one hour
it was fucking cold
fairy op clipper (first time)
pdx illusion weak side (first time)

Mar 24 - solo @ the YMCA for 85 minutes
long warmup + 50 infinities = 40 minutes
20 minutes on PLO
20 flip smears took 10 minutes
10+ pixie ss clippers on each side = 10 minutes

Mar 26 - solo @ Independence Park for one hour
long dexless warmup (by dexless I mean 'dropping clippers')
50 infinities took 12 minutes
15 minutes on flip PLO
pixie op guay both sides, don't know if I've hit this before
pixie ss clip> pickup> pixie muted clip> pickup

These four sessions I just highlighted all kinda sucked. Basics had to be re-established. Flip ankle crank and/or clipper form had degraded again.

Mar 29 - Millennium Park w/ Fred, Tom, & Grant Mooney for two+ hours
yes, gMoney made it out to Chicago
30 contacts tiltless
datw> symp mirage
symp mirage> terrage
lots of mid string PLOs
lots of trouble w/flip double dexes & whirl
backside Smear

It was good to meet gMoney. I wish it had been just a little bit warmer. Hopefully we can do it again this summer.

In addition to trouble w/individual moves on my flipside, I just had a hard time thinking of what to do. Tried some shit for fun - paradon, flurry. Close-ish to those but no cigar yet.

Mar 30 - solo @ the YMCA for 75 minutes
last day of spring break + birthday party = lots of little bastards being little bastards + me calling them little bastards
20 minute warmup
infinities to 4 contacts, ten times
PLO x5
ss butterfly> pdx mirage> far butterfly> pdx mirage> repeat

Did I mention the little bastards? This session sucked it hard. Switched up my infinity drilling, to encourage better stringing.

So there you have it. One week I feel great, the next two weeks I want to pay people to pretend that I am better at footbag than they are. To those who read this far - that hour of your life is gone. I'm sorry.

[Frank_Sinatra]

Had a few more sessions.

April 2 - Tom & Josh at IP for about one hour.
Too cold to kick, played bad & didn't enjoy that very much.

April 4 - solo at YMCA for an hour & 10 minutes
entire session on clippers & butterflies
triforce level 4

April 5 - two solo sessions at IP, first was 90 minutes
triforce level 3
infinities to 8 contacts
practiced flip DATW & flip osis

second session that day - one hour
more clipper drills - ss clip> op clip> rpt to 12 contacts
DATW BSOS
Terrage BSOS
Terrage x3

April 6 - Welles w/Zeke, Ronnie, Andre, Josh, Jake, Vince, Cary, Javier, two of Javier's friends.
more flip DATW practice
too windy

I also played some squares. Wow was I rusty. I was actually pretty pissed off at the end of the day (I know, surprise surprise) from some shit in foursquare. Basically, a player was out but wouldn't leave the square. If he had just asked for a hack off right away, I probably would've given him one. But instead he kept concocting these different scenarios in which he wouldn't be out, and basically just wouldn't leave the square. And I have no patience for that kind of shit. So when I told him to go to the back of the line, of course, everyone yelled at me. Because somebody else was being a dick. Thanks guys!

[Zeke]

I don't think I was playing during all that. If I had to guess who it was, I would say it was one of Javiers's friends, the taller one. I vaguely remember playing with him back in the day and he was mad shady back then too.

[gMoney]

It was good to meet gMoney.

[Frank_Sinatra]

Kicked some more.

April 7 - 45 minutes solo at the Y. I was still sore from the last few days of kicking. I didn't drill anything specific after my warmup, just screwed around and had fun. I tried fairy same butterfly - maybe soonish. Soreness got the better of me & I called it quits early.

April 9 - one hour solo at the Y. Screwed around, had fun, had some highlights.
butterfly x9
near refraction
dimwalk> stepping legover

The refraction was sooooo fine.

Today - kicked at the pier earlier with Zeke, Andre, Vince, & Oakes. Hacked, played some squares, freestyled a little, all total around three hours for me.

Hadn't hacked in a long time. It was pretty fun. Played some squares, won three games. Three sloppy wins though. Freestyled for around 30 minutes over the day, had a few 10+ tiltless runs, one with smear BSOS, stepping legover, plo, and some bops.

I'm taking a break from drilling. Not sure how long it will last.

[Frank_Sinatra]

I just got home from an entire day of riding my bike and playing footbag. What a great day. But first, recaps:

April 14, Kicked w/Tom

So, weird thing is I was going to play at the Y, but forgot my footbags. Like a fool. As soon as I got home, Tom called and wanted to kick. What fantastic luck. So we kicked in this school gym where a friend of his can play basketball. I don't think I had any highlights, pretty much every session I hit one or more new 3>3 links, but usually my strings are 4 or fewer contacts long. Unless I bail into a tiltless drill, which I have nothing against.

I was happy that I got to kick with Tom & hang out before he headed to Greece. I'll miss kicking & hanging out with him for the next month.

April 16, solo at Millennium Park

I bailed after about 30 minutes because it was too windy. I hit atw> terrage> repeat. A little bit of infinity drilling. Still giving flip DATW & Terrage a lot of attention.

April 18, solo at IP

I got a 40 minute session in before dark. Some infinities, some flip DATW.

April 20, all over Chicago

I left my apartment about 11 am & biked to Welles. I freestyled for about 20 minutes. Ducked under a few flip clippers. Then Zeke & I rode out to Montrose beach. Nothing was going on when we got there, but we played some two square. Zeke won the first series 2-1. Those games had great defensive battles. One of them must have had 30 to 40 returns, it was amazing. The games were all pretty even.

Then we played two games with an altered set of rules we wanted to test. I won both but they were close. The new rules are kind of fun, they change the pace, and add a new dynamic to offense and defense. Seems like whoever serves can rack up points too quickly.

We biked back to Welles, and played games six through ten. Zeke won all of them. Two were straight up - Zeke & I were tied at game point for a while in game six before Zeke got the win. In game seven I had him down 7-0, then he scored ten straight points. Ooof. Another collapse, or just Zeke turning it on? Then Zeke won three games of Gamma pretty handily & I figured I just collapsed.

Andre & Ronnie showed up, and we played some foursquare. Zeke won the first game. Marty, Cuba, Meinard, & Josh all showed up sometime around then or afterwards. I won the next three games of foursquare. Then I freestyled with Josh & Meinard. I hit ducking butterfly> barrage. Josh was playing really well.

By now, my hip was killing me. I stopped freestyling & went back to squares. I won another game, then Zeke won a game, and people started to head out. Zeke, Marty & I were the last to leave, we bullshitted some but it started getting cold. I rode back to my apartment. Two different drivers almost opened their car doors right in front of me! Sociopaths.

Anyway, if I don't kick tomorrow I'll kick Wednesday. I may or may not go back to drilling clippers and infinities. Right now enjoying footbag is more important than improving at footbag.

Happy holidays!