So, xanga has not been on the top of my list lately.  It's a shame, because this has traditionally been one of my main outlets for my writing.  If I'm not blogging, that more than likely means I haven't been doing much writing in general.  I also haven't been playing guitar very often (until very recently) or training parkour or many of my other hobbies and interests.  I basically have just been working and riding my motorcycle.

I'm trying to branch out more again.  Life needs a little more variety.

For those of you whose blogs I follow, I will be trying to catch up as best I can...

And I will try to start updating my own blog more than once a month... LOL... FAIL.

IHOP was basically laying me off, so I quit and moved back to Chicago and am looking for work.

Last night, I spent three hours at an open gym session trying to get a front flip down.  For some reason, I had a huge mental barrier.  I was the only one who couldn't get it.  Either I would twist, or I would flail, or I would land on my butt, or all of the above.

On the plus side, my diving rolls have gotten much better, thanks to all the bails I kept doing:  Run. Block. Start to rotate.  Lose my nerve.  Hesitate.  Come down head first.  Safety roll.

So, I can dive roll over a fence now.  That's cool and all.  I mean, it was one of my summer goals, but that's not what I was intending on working on last night.  I wanted to get the front flip down.  I'm definitely closer, but I still need to break down that mental barrier.  Once that's gone, it'll be a piece of cake.

I'm hoping that just trying over and over will eventually wear down the fear, and I'll gain confidence instead of just mat burns, bruises, and grass stains.

"Toe pick."

When I was a kid, I had the hardest time learning to ride a bicycle without training wheels.  I had the same mental block then, too.  Part of the problem was that the bike was so tall (okay, I was just that short).  I remember my babysitter taking me across the street to the church parking lot, where she held onto my seat and jogged next to me while I pedaled.  After a few laps, I felt like I was really getting the hang of it.  I turned to say something to her, but when I did, I saw that she was clear on the other side of the parking lot and had apparently let go several seconds ago.

I panicked.  I tipped over.  I scraped my knee pretty bad.

But despite that initial fear and failure, the barrier had been broken.  It seemed a dirty trick to pull, but it was exactly what I needed.  It proved to me that I *could* do it.  I learned very quickly after that.

Now I just need to pull a trick like that on my brain, and the flip will be MINE!  *evil laughter*

PS- Bail videos will be coming soon.  It's pretty epic watching someone attempt front flips.  You'll be glad there were mats...

PPS- Mom, don't watch the video.