Our Second Day in NYC

So on our second day, we got up, grabbed breakfast from the deli on the corner, and walked over to 353 West St, on the Pier 40 roof at Hudson River Park.
What, pray tell, is there, you ask?
I'll tell you.
But... you won't believe me.  =-)



We went to Trapeze School New York!


...don't ask me why.

My sister wanted to go, and since Kitty had seen it on Sex and the City, she was game.  She thought it would be "fun".

It scared the Bejeebees out of me!

Seriously!

I've done lots of things. 
I've been in the Air Force, so that means i've also been to Basic Training for the military (6 weeks in San Antonio Texas in July/August!). 
I've been to  Survival School in Washington State in October/November, which included POW Training Camp, among other things. 
I've been to Water Survival School at Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. 
I've taught Chemical Warfare to flight crews in the Air Force.
Hell, i grew up the youngest of four children, so you know my 2 older brothers picked on me and tricked me and did their best to scare the crap out of me.
I was in a serious wreck in a little tiny Toyota versus an 18-wheeler on my wedding day, and the seasoned State Trooper said he had NO idea how the two of us walked out of our tiny little car!

I've been seriously scared before, trust me.

But Trapeze School was the most scared i've ever been.  Seriously!

But, through the magic of the Internet, i'm going to share my experience with you.  =-)
I hope you enjoy it...

And i hope you don't feel like throwing up...      
Like *I* felt during the entire experience!

It looked benign enough, didn't it?

Me and Kitty, before i really knew what i was in for...

We had already been "suited up" with our harnesses (for safety)

This picture is to give you a small idea of how FREAKIN HIGH that platform really is!

Here's Kitty, practicing before going up the ladder

(the ladder that went on forever!)

Here's Kitty getting ready to "jump"

Now she describes this as "Wheee!"

She says she was scared, but not as scared as she thought she would be.  =-)

As i stood on the "ground" below and looked up at her,

my youngest daughter,

waaay up there on the platform,

i could only think...

"Oh CRAP!!!  Now that she's up there, there is no way i can *not* go up."

So i forced myself up that ladder.

Trust me, once i got to the place where the ladder is "doubled", i had to keep talking to myself:   "Breathe."  "Just breathe."  "I'm not gonna die today."  "Just breathe!"

I kept telling myself that i had no *logical* reason to be scared.

I was hooked up to a safety rig at all times. 

I *knew* i wasn't really gonna fall or anything.

But logic and my mind were NOT friends that day!

But Kitty had already gone, so i HAD to do this.

I knew that i would never get over

being disappointed in myself

if i didn't give this my best try.

So i forced myself to continue up that ladder.

And i had to also continue telling myself to BREATHE.

That's Marina up on the platform.  She works there, and she was up there to help us.  But she is smaller than my daughter!  She's almost as petite as my oldest daughter, Bunny!   

Here Marina was trying to calm my fears a bit, albeit unsuccessfully.

Marina said, "Put your toes over the edge, and just lean your hips forward.  I've got you."

And i was thinking,

"You've got me?!  Are you kidding?! 

You're just a tiny little thing! How do you think you've got me?!"

And i was STILL reminding myself to BREATHE!

I grabbed the bar.  "Shit! It's heavy!"

I don't know why, but i didn't expect it to be so heavy.

(You'll notice i *still* wasn't ready to lean my hips forward... yet.)

My sister was able to take so many pictures because i couldn't just

climb up there and jump.

Marina said "Ready?" and i said

"Hold on!  Let me breathe."

But i did jump.  =-)

Don't ask me if i breathed, though.

I  have NO IDEA!

I swung up to the other side, and Roger (the man on the ground with the safety  rope) told me to put my legs up.

No problem.

But then Roger said, "Let go"

and i just

COULDN'T!

I have no idea why i couldn't let go...

But i had no problem getting my legs back down, and then letting go and landing down on the net.

But i certainly was shaking!

And i felt like crying.

And puking!

But i made it over to the edge of the net...

...and flipped down.

But i *still* felt like crying

...and puking!

Here i am with my sister Suzanne.

She couldn't believe how much i was shaking

inside AND out!

She's showing her hand because we had to "chalk up" before climbing up the ladder.

Here i was, trying not to cry and puke,

and Suzanne is as happy as a clam!

I wish i had thought to put on sunscreen

before we left the apartment that morning!

I got *burned*!

I won't bore you with more pictures of the same things, but i went up that ladder again, telling myself to breathe, and reminding myself that i wasn't gonna die from this, and yet, once again, i couldn't let go of the bar when my legs were up over it.

I think i was afraid that my legs wouldn't hold me up there.

I honestly don't know why i "couldn't" do it.

And i went up there AGAIN

and i couldn't release my hands AGAIN.

After everybody had taken three turns, Eric (the tall guy in the red shirt above with Kitty practicing) went up on the other swing to "catch" us.

And i knew i just HAD to do the catch!

I don't know *why*, but i just HAD TO!

So when i went up that ladder a fourth time

(still having to remind myself to breathe)

(still having to talk myself out of quitting

when i reached the half-way place on the ladder)

(still telling myself that i wasn't gonna die doing this)

I stood on that platform,

jumped,

put my legs  up over the bar,

and...

SUCCESS!!!

But Eric wanted me to do it

ONE MORE TIME

before he would try to catch me

so...

I went up the ladder

(still wanting to cry and puke and needing to remind myself to BREATHE!)...

I stood on the platform...

I took a deep breath...

I jumped...

I put my legs up over the bar...

I actually let go of the bar...

A-N-D...

TA-DAH!!!

It's not a good picture, but it's the only one i have! 

I actually released my legs from the bar and straightened  up my body. 

The camera caught me between those two stages, sort of.

But even after alllllll that

i STILL felt like i needed a good cry

and to puke!

But before you begin to think it was all Fun & Games



And today, over a week later, it looks even WORSE!

I had no idea at the time, but my legs are all bruised up on the back.

My right is much worse than my left.

(Apparently, along with being right-handed,

i'm also right-legged and right-footed.)

And i hurt my right elbow the first time i was flipping off the net...

But i didn't hold it against anybody!  =-)

(Here's Kitty, Eric & me)

And here's Kitty, Roger, Me and Suzanne.

Notice she's STILL tickled with this whole experience.

And that was my experience at the Trapeze School New York.

I hope you enjoyed it...

and didn't feel like crying...

or puking!

I'll tell you more about my trip later (hopefully tomorrow!).

=-)