Monday, January 31, 2011

Peer Pressure is the new black

Accomplishment of the day: Cartwheel on the balance beam.

Brought to you by: Male peer pressure.

Here's the thing. I've been working on a handstand on the high beam forever and ever. I still can't manage to get it perpendicular, but I'm not too worried about it because most my classmates are still only attempting it on the low beam (typical law student--measuring my own accomplishments by how well others are doing).


I should start by saying that after the women's gymnastics class at 9, there is a men's gymnastics class at 10. Our coach lets a few girls stay after and practice as long as it doesn't interfere with the dudes. Well dudes don't do the balance beam so I had it all to myself. Ok, so....

I got bored trying and I asked the coach what other skills we would be required to finally complete on the balance beam by the end of the semester. Cartwheel? Optional. An advanced skill that we could include in our routine but didn't have to.

So I decided that, to mix it up, I would alternate trying a cartwheel on the low beam and trying a handstand on the high beam. (PS--the low beam is not a competitive apparatus; it's just a practice apparatus that helps you feel more comfortable doing the skills on the regular beam). So I started doing cartwheels on the low beam. It's an accomplishment to not only attempt a cartwheel, but to actually land it and not fall off when on the low beam. So after completing it a couple times and getting pretty emphatic cheers from a couple dudes who were around and telling me there's no way they could do it, I decided to head over to the high beam and try a handstand. But the boys who were just watching me and cheering me on said, "Oh man, you're going to try it up there. That's crazy awesome." Or something like that. They thought I was going to do a cartwheel up there.

So I couldn't disappoint the boys, right? So I got up on the scary high beam--not even able to do a 45 degree angle half-A handstand, and I attempted a cartwheel. Nope. Fell off. Tried again. Did it and landed it! Tried again. Nailed it again!

Not to brag or anything, but I'm just kind of proud of myself for being able to do a hard skill that we won't even need by the end of the semester. Yeah whatever, I just need something to overcompensate for my incompetency on the uneven bars.

In other news, I completed probably about 10 standing back handsprings (haven't been able to do those in almost ten years) and one round-off back handspring on the floor. Pretty happy about that, but now I've got killer bruises and my back is totally jacked.

Success.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Anyone want to hold my hand?

My hand...after I finally conquered one uneven bar yesterday:

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Celebrate the small things

I am proud of myself for a few very small accomplishments. If I record my progress, I think it will make me try harder and reach my goals faster.


First, I completed three back hip circles without any spotter or assistance in my gymnastics class. They look easier than they really are, I promise you. Most of the girls cannot do it in the class yet. Of the ones that can, many have to still use spotters. Here's what one looks like: Back hip circle

(By the way, my hands and upper quads took quite the beating from repeatedly practicing this. I will upload pictures of my jacked-up hands later; I'll spare you the pictures of my bruised up legs.)

Second, I completed and landed a level handstand on the low beam and had the guts to repeatedly attempt it on the high beam. This is what it's supposed to look like: Handstand.

Last, we watched video clips of each member of the class running. One of BYU's running coaches said I could be an Olympic middle distance runner based on the way I run. I know that won't ever be true, but the good news is 1) I have really good form to run and run fast, and 2) I don't need to buy special running shoes to get good speed, distance, or form. It's built in to my genetics. Thanks Mom and Dad.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

18 Strong

I decided to give up sweets--THIS ENTIRE YEAR.

I'm 18 days clean and counting.

It's super insane. I'm not really a sweets-a-holic; I'm just a social sweet-eater. But when you live in Utah, every social event highlights something sweet (seriously Mormons, couldn't we have made "wrapping everything in bacon" our treat of choice?), so I made this a New Year's Resolution so I would consciously avoid sweets.

Can I just tell you how hard this is? I mean, it's pretty hard. Definitely a lot harder than I thought it would be. I have a heightened sense of awareness when I see a picture of a cupcake---or a lamp that looks like a cupcake. Or a chocolate store--or a person whose sweater is "chocolate" brown. Mmmmmm. Yum.

I attempt to satisfy this hunger by: eating cereal, eating peanut butter, and eating lots and lots of carbs. It doesn't help too much, but it at least makes my body not feel so bad. After eating cake, I'd feel so gross. After eating 2 1/2 bowls of frosted flakes, I feel like I can still party.

I just wanted to tell you all that. I saw a cupcake today and asked myself the question Professor Wardle so thoughtfully asked in a book once: "What's the Harm?"

FINAL THOUGHT: Not to get all churchy and stuff, but I think the biggest motivation to keep going is not just because I "promised myself" I'd do it, but because going without sweets gives me the same benefits as fasting. By going without something for a prolonged amount of time, it helps you focus on things that really matter and draw you closer to other better things in your life. You know, like frosted flakes.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

WSJ and The Onion...Separated at Birth

Don't get me wrong--I love the Wall Street Journal more than any other newspaper in the world. But today's "most popular stories" looked more like headlines from The Onion than from a reputable news source.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT

This year, I have clocked more hours on the phone with the staff of continental.com (including that annoying automated message that repeatedly boasts of the airline's "congress of chefs and sommeliers) than with any and all of my family members combined--and I have 25 family members. Why? Because of their ridiculous change fees. It costs $50 - $150 to change my flight to any other flight but the ones I want. The policy sounds pretty reasonable, but the practical application is almost entirely useless...kind of like reading someone his Miranda rights.

I wish I weren't so pleasant with customer service people. I'm pretty sure if I had complained that would've given me what I wanted. Instead, here am I with a midnight flight to Salt Lake and missing the BEST CLASS IN THE UNIVERSE:: Intro to Music Business.

On that note, I am willing to pay $30 and dinner to anyone in Utah who is willing to video record the lecture for me. (I already have a volunteer who will tape record it for free, but I'd benefit much more from a video recording, even a really shoddy one on an iPhone or camera. Any takers?

Monday, January 3, 2011

YEAR IN REVUE

Sure it's a little late but get over it. I still need to have my postmortum with one of the most interesting years of my life: 2010. You were good to me.

Highlights

* I officially became a groupie and went to more concerts this year than I ever have in other years combined. Among my greatest groupie feats was getting invited back to the hotel with the keyboardist of a national band (don't worry--We only went into the lobby) and having the keyboardist of another band prank call me.

* I underwent two elective procedures on a complete whim--one of which involved a clamp and flaps, the other of which involved a doctor pushing my head back against a kitchen wall and coming at me with a needle while his toddler son ate Little Caesar's pizza three feet away.

* I narrowly escaped kidnapping from a Mexican drug cartel on the U.S./Mexico border during the 4th of July when I went out for a seven-mile jog that went horribly, horribly wrong.

* I biked 10 miles to my boyfriend's house, only to find that another girl had taken my place, the kind of stuff Simon and Garfunkel warned me about. But they didn't warn me that the same girl would start a very public verbal slaughtering of me before leaving the festivities. One of the better memories of 2010, indeed. :)

* I pulled off the greatest April Fool's Day in the world, leading my parents to believe I was marrying an unemployed young boy with no direction, leading a guy I went on a date with to believe I was actually married when we went out, and leading both my ex-boyfriend and my roommate to believe that someone had stolen their cars...leading me to never want to top that April Fool's Day.

* I attended the only university other than BYU: University of Utah, which ended up being a refreshing change of scenery and allowed me to meet some really cool people and learn what it's like to have a separation of church and books.

* I lost one of the best friends I've had in the most epic way possible, while also losing some of the best friends I've ever had in pretty much the same way I've lost them since I was five. The latter wasn't shocking and is pretty much written into the emotional budget plan; the other was so unexpected but so entertaining that it was totally worth it. I think.

* I dated the youngest boy I've ever dated and also took the moral high ground by refusing to kiss him until he went on, and completed, his mission.

* I negotiated my rent for the first time and won big time!

* I completed my first 5K, and my recorded time was 23 minutes and something seconds.

* PROM FIASCO: Probably the most memorable part of my year and quite possibly the best fodder for the next teen angst/drama box office HIT but not quite distant enough to explain via an open, online portal.

2010, I loved you so. How in the world could 2011 compete?

Future... what the heck do you want from me????