Update#5 The Flying Squirrel—aka Road kill.

No, I’m not talking about a poor innocent creature hit while driving.  I’m actually talking about the experience Jason and I had during our first Trapeze class.

Neither one of us had EVER done this before.  Natalie and Jon (and gage/asher) gave us a gift certificate for a class as one of our Christmas gifts.  Jason and I didn’t even know classes for that existed!!  It was TOTALLY awesome, though.  It was like, nerve-racking and yet such a rush at the same time!!!!!

The bar that you have to hold on to is super heavy. It has to be heavy so that it can pull you from the platform and swing you through the air so you can do tricks.  When you are in the air, you don’t notice that it’s heavy because you are just holding on (for dear life… haha ;) ). 

You have to climb up to the Platform (about 25 feet) and then after you climb off the ladder and onto the platform they put on your harness. The workers hand you the bar in your right hand, and you are holding a rope in your left hand (so the bar doesn’t pull you off ofthe platform) leaning forward with your toes over the edge. The Ring Leader, essentially, screams out the call and you jump up off the platform and while you are in the air you grab the bar with your left hand…so you jump off holding on with your right hand only, then grab on with your left hand.  Totally freaky the first time, but it gets easier. Then while you are swinging through the air you have to listen and follow the commands that are called out RIGHT when they are called out.  If you don’t do it at the right time it can totally ruin the trick and throw off the momentum. …..

Like this time. 

 I didn’t hang on tight enough with my knees.  I’m literally mindlessly flying through the air like a torpedo enjoying the adrenaline rush… and then begin thinking---oh wait, was I not supposed to let go with my knees yet?—SMASH.  Ouch.  Sorry Mister.  Sorry I’m an idiot. Guess that’s what you get, and partially expecting, when working with amateurs like myself.

Our Nephew Gage saw it and said I was a Flying Squirrel.... Jason and I think it looks more like "road kill."  Jason literally watched the video several times in a row, hysterically laughing each time.  I was thinking, Okay honey—that's enough. lol. 

And then there was this time when Jason almost hit his head on the platform..... And then almost landed on his head on his dismount. haha.

                                   

The good news is ALL of the other stunts went well (but we're only gonna post two more videos so you don't have to watch a million). 

I love how you can hear people in the background on this video talking about how much his form improved over the course of the evening.  Way to go honey!!!!

And we received certificates for successfully completing the class. We're now  Flying Trapeze Artists. Yes!

Totally.Awesome.Experience.  I recommend a trapeze class be on everyone’s bucket list.

PS--for those of you receiving this blog update is email form, you will likely have to come to the actual blog website to see the videos. www.jdubandladyd.blogspot.com