Raxie Enters Weirdmageddon

[Cheetah]

Looking good!  I might look into that app; it looks pretty nice.

[Raxie]

On 12/5/2018 at 4:09 PM, Wolfpool said:

 

I've lived in Texas my whole life and still haven't been to Big Bend yet... looks like I'm making that a priority next year sometime . And all this talk about travel and cool trails to hike...it's got me hyped for some reason lol! I want to visit ALL the National Parks!

 

 

Say WHAT?!

 

 

I've got to see that!! Army of Darkness is literally my favorite movie lol. 

 

Crazy week 1 update, Raxie, but you're moving along and getting things done ! Keep it up!

 

P.S. I posted my first chapter of the story on my thread, towards the end of page 4

 

Wolf

 

 

 

You should definitely check out Big Bend! It's SO gorgeous and it has so many different types of trails and ecosystems you can really get it all there.  And it's HUGE which I love, you don't hear cars driving by or see many signs of people aside from other hikers/campers.

 

YAY I'll be heading over to your thread shortly

 

8 hours ago, Cheetah said:

Looking good!  I might look into that app; it looks pretty nice.

 

It is, I love how simplistic it is! Some of the other options are really cool but just do more than I really need them to.

 

 

[Raxie]

Week Two Wrap Up

 

Week two was crazy busy, this upcoming week is probably going to be too. Work's going nuts for people to finish stuff before everyone leaves for the holidays, and I had multiple dance sessions nearly every day to prep for the performance this weekend, on top of some D&Ding and going to see a dance-y circus-y burlesque-y Nutcracker themed show with a friend (WHICH WAS SO GOOD OMG).  This week is more of the same insanity but dialed up a notch, plus I've got two volunteer meetings to attend and some follow up work to do as well. But I'll get there!

 

The enemy: Pyronica

Starting HP: 1200

Friends in Party: Dipper, Mabel, Waddles, Wendy, Deputy Durland and Sheriff Blubs

The Specifics

Spoiler

 

Dance 4x/week = 100 HP damage to Pyronica per friend in my party

PASS! Definitely passed this.  I went to dance 6 days totaling in 1 practice session, 6 classes, and 5 performance rehearsals/lessons.

Results: 6 x 100 = 600 HP damage to Pyronica

 

Lift 3x/week = 100 HP damage to Pyronica per friend in my party

PASS! Lifted M/W/F. I was really tired on Friday and failed some sets but such is lifting.  At least I did the thing.

Results: 6 x 100 = 600 HP damage to Pyronica

 

ROMWOD 6x/week = 1 new friend added to party

PASS! ROMWODed 6 times last week, one was the (brutal) warrior session.  I really needed it though my hip flexors were sad.  I will say I remembered why I sometimes avoid the warrior sessions though - a 3 minute lizard stretch followed by a 2 minute half front split directly into a 4 minute dragon into a 4 minute pigeon all on the same side with no break was quiteeeee intense.

Results: Candy Chiu added to party

 

Forum 3x/week = 1 new friend added to party

PASS! Thanks to my new found use of Habit Bull and tapatalk, I forumed and updated even on days I wouldn't have before.  Hooray!

Results: Grenda added to party

 

 

Pyronica Ending HP: 0/1200

Friends Added to Party: Candy Chiu and Grenda

 

Week Three Planning

This week I'll be fighting Zanthar!

He'll be starting with 1600HP.

 

We'll also be rescuing Soos:

 

And Old Man McGuckett:

 

Gearing up for the big battle next week with Bill!

 

Here's my schedule for the week:

Spoiler

• Monday
  • HRC Meeting
  • Lift (BSQ, BP, BB Row, Calf Raises, Planks)
  • ROMWOD
• Tuesday
  • 1 dance classes & 2 rehearsals (Cha-Cha technique class, v. waltz pro-am, Latin Performance Team)
  • ROMWOD
• Wednesday
  • HRC Meeting
  • Lift (FSQ, OHP, DL, BB Curls, V-Ups)
  • ROMWOD
  • Swing performance team rehearsal
• Thursday
  • 3 dance rehearsals (v. waltz pro-am, latin performance team, cha-cha rehearsal w/ Mr. Raxie)
  • ROMWOD
• Friday
  • Lift (BSQ, BP, BB Row, Calf Raises, Planks)
  • ROMWOD
• Saturday
  • 2 dance classes (jive class & argentine tango)
  • Holiday Showcase performances yayyyyy!!!
  • Hosting an after party for our dance friends & the people who came to watch us
• Sunday
  • 1 dance class (quickstep class)
  • ROMWOD
  • Probably nap forever

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Well done with all the passes!

[starpuck]

On 12/5/2018 at 3:09 PM, Wolfpool said:

I've got to see that!! Army of Darkness is literally my favorite movie lol.  

Just remember, the 'splatter section' is always worth it.   

 

Raxie!  Weeks are being busy everywhere.   Keep doing the thing!  You always rock the thing.

Also man, I love that simplistic habit tracker thingy you got there.  /drool

 

[raptron]

SO MUCH dancing! Yay for the holiday showcase! Sounds like it'll be super fun.

[Mike Wazowski]

Quickstep and Jive???!? Talk about the best week possible of dance classes! (Hopefully you're not like my partner, who hates both of the fun fast dances).

 

Also, cannot wait to hear how the showcase goes, sounds like prep for it is going awesomely so far!

 

Also also, I'll have to look up ROMWOD - that does sound like the type of thing my body would really benefit from from time to time.

[rowan]

RAXIE! You are dancing so much dance! Dance....magic dance? 

[Rurik Harrgath]

You have not checked in since Monday.

 

[Raxie]

Not dead, just dancing all my free time away. I'll have a day off tomorrow!

[Ann of Owlshire]

19 minutes ago, Raxie said:

Not dead, just dancing all my free time away.

 

This sounds like a great way to use your free time, though

[starpuck]

 

[Mike Wazowski]

Excellent way to spend all your free time.

[Raxie]

On 12/10/2018 at 5:37 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Well done with all the passes!

 

Thank you!!!

 

On 12/10/2018 at 7:39 PM, Starpuck said:

Just remember, the 'splatter section' is always worth it.   

 

Raxie!  Weeks are being busy everywhere.   Keep doing the thing!  You always rock the thing.

Also man, I love that simplistic habit tracker thingy you got there.  /drool

 

 

Busy busy busy - I'm glad I just have to click a button and go for my habit tracker! It's Habit Bull if you're interested

 

On 12/11/2018 at 11:09 AM, raptron said:

SO MUCH dancing! Yay for the holiday showcase! Sounds like it'll be super fun.

 

AH IT WAS SO AMAZING!!! Real updates on that below.

 

On 12/11/2018 at 6:06 PM, MikeW said:

Quickstep and Jive???!? Talk about the best week possible of dance classes! (Hopefully you're not like my partner, who hates both of the fun fast dances).

 

Also, cannot wait to hear how the showcase goes, sounds like prep for it is going awesomely so far!

 

Also also, I'll have to look up ROMWOD - that does sound like the type of thing my body would really benefit from from time to time.

 

I KNOW! I love the fast dances.  Quickstep, jive and v. waltz are my absolute favourite.

 

The showcase was so darn fun, I think I pretty much killed it not gonna lie hahah

 

I highlyyyy recommend ROMWOD - they have a 1 week free trial for you to see if it's something you'd be interested in! It's great because it programs everything for you and cycles through body parts and long holds vs short holds over the course of a few weeks to a few months depending so you don't have to think about it at all.

 

On 12/12/2018 at 4:09 PM, rowan said:

RAXIE! You are dancing so much dance! Dance....magic dance? 

 

Slime and snails and puppy dog tails!

 

On 12/15/2018 at 1:37 AM, Rurik Harrgath said:

You have not checked in since Monday.

 

 

Only medium dead! Or not dead at all.  Take your pick.

 

On 12/15/2018 at 12:30 PM, Ann of Vries said:

This sounds like a great way to use your free time, though

 

It for surely sure is!

 

18 hours ago, Starpuck said:

 

 

 

6 hours ago, MikeW said:

Excellent way to spend all your free time.

 

I cannot agree more.

[Raxie]

Week Three Wrap Up

 

Mostly the entire week was focused on prepping for the showcase on Saturday.  It went really really well and I had a freakin' blast.  I'll post more about it later because right now I'm short on time.

 

The enemy: Zanthar

Starting HP: 1600

Friends in Party: Dipper, Mabel, Waddles, Wendy, Deputy Durland, Sheriff Blubs, Candy Chiu and Grenda

The Specifics

Spoiler

 

Dance 4x/week = 100 HP damage to Zanthar friend in my party

PASS! I only danced 4 days last week but each time I went I was at the studio for a few hours so I'm fine with it.  And  I say only as if that is below goal but it's passing hah.

Results: 6 x 100 = 600 HP damage to Zanthar

 

Lift 3x/week = 100 HP damage to Zanthar friend in my party

PASS! Lifted M/F/U. I honestly can't believe I got the Sunday session in I was sooooo beat.

Results: 6 x 100 = 600 HP damage to Zanthar

 

ROMWOD 6x/week = 1 new friend added to party

PASS! ROMWODed 6 times last week, none were the warrior session though and 2 of them ended up being the shortened versions.  But I did the damn thing.

Results: Soos added to party

 

Forum 3x/week = 1 new friend added to party

PASS! Technically I updated here twice, but I forumed on other people's threads 3x last week and since it was performance week I'm going to allow it.

Results: Old Man McGuckett added to party

 

 

Pyronica Ending HP: 0/1600

Friends Added to Party: Soos and Old Man McGuckett

 

Week Four Planning

This week I'll finally be fighting Bill! The grandmaster of Weirdmageddon!

He'll be starting with 2000HP.

 

And I need to finish off what's left of Keyblade who has 267HP.

 

This time around I am not rescuing anyone, instead my two typical rescuing goals will let me hit Bill for an extra 150HP!

 

Here's my schedule for the week. I know ahead of time I'm not going to make my normal dance goal since they straight up aren't offering classes 4x next week from the holidays and I have nothing to practice since I'm done with my showcase and haven't started anything new yet, so for this week I'm lowering it from 4x/week to 3x/week. 

Spoiler

• Monday
  • Literally nothing.  Enjoyed the heck out of it.
• Tuesday
  • 2 dance classes  (latin jazz & cha cha technique class)
  • Dance studio christmas party
  • ROMWOD
• Wednesday
  • HRC Meeting
  • Lift (FSQ, OHP, DL, BB Curls, V-Ups)
  • ROMWOD
• Thursday
  • Lift (BSQ, BP, BB Row, Calf Raises, Planks)
  • ROMWOD
• Friday
  • ROMWOD
  • Holiday party with my college friends
• Saturday
  • 2 dance classes (jive class & argentine tango)
  • ROMWOD
  • Going to see my favourite band from my younger years perform their entire first album!
• Sunday
  • Lift (FSQ, OHP, DL, BB Curls, V-Ups)
  • ROMWOD

 

Happy Monday!

 

[Mike Wazowski]

1 hour ago, Raxie said:

I KNOW! I love the fast dances.  Quickstep, jive and v. waltz are my absolute favourite.

Agree with all of the above. Even V Waltz in international is just so darn soothing when you're dancing it with a highly skilled partner.

 

1 hour ago, Raxie said:

The showcase was so darn fun, I think I pretty much killed it not gonna lie hahah

YESSSSSSS. Do we get to see any of the performance, or is the video a closely guarded secret?

 

1 hour ago, Raxie said:

I highlyyyy recommend ROMWOD - they have a 1 week free trial for you to see if it's something you'd be interested in! It's great because it programs everything for you and cycles through body parts and long holds vs short holds over the course of a few weeks to a few months depending so you don't have to think about it at all.

Hmmmm.....very tempting. And may become a "treat yo' self moment in early 2019!

[Cheetah]

Great job!  Keep up the good work!

[Raxie]

15 hours ago, MikeW said:

Agree with all of the above. Even V Waltz in international is just so darn soothing when you're dancing it with a highly skilled partner.

 

I generally like smooth better than standard for waltz/foxtrot/tango but v. waltz is just so elegant in standard it like takes me back in time and makes me want to go be in a castle.

 

15 hours ago, MikeW said:

YESSSSSSS. Do we get to see any of the performance, or is the video a closely guarded secret?

 

Definitely! None of my family who came to the showcase took video (even though I asked them to *grumble grumble*) so I have to wait for my studio to give me the DVD they had a professional videographer do.  I have no idea when I'll get it, and how I'll get it from a DVD to the internet but I'll make it happen.  In the mean time there are some kinda crappy photos from dress rehearsal that I'll probably share in my next update because why not. There are some professional photos we are supposed to be getting too but with the holidays and all who knows when that'll be.  Honestly I'm dying to see it all because I feel like I danced the best I've danced since I was like, in ballet and 16, and I WANT TO SEE IT GOSH DARN IT!

 

13 hours ago, Cheetah said:

Great job!  Keep up the good work!

 

Thank you Cheetah! And thanks for popping in!

[Raxie]

4.W

An actual picture of me - yes I am both of the Pines twins simultaneously.

 

So my HRC meeting for tonight was cancelled because everyone has holiday stuff to do so my evening is freeeee hooraaaayyyy! After being so busy the past 3 weeks I am really feeling the "let's do absolutely nothing" vibe.  Loving it.  Last night I went to dance class and it was a pretty small group so the teacher went pretty hard on us in terms of technique which I honestly love (the teacher actually apologized for it later and I was like... no you can be meaner next time it's fine XD). Then they had their annual holiday pot luck and it was really nice to hang out with everyone and decompress together after the showcase over the weekend, drink some wine, and eat some good food.  I really adore everyone there so much.

 

And now that I've got a few minutes - here's my summary of the showcase! We will be getting professional videography on a DVD at some point in the future, so I'll share some video as soon as I a) get the DVD and b) figure out how to get the videos from the DVD to the internet.  We also had professional photos taken that I'm hoping will drop soon that I'll definitely share, but for now I'm including some not-that-great-but-better-than-nothing photos some people from the studio took during dress rehearsal.

 

Spoiler

 

Dress rehearsal started pretty early in the afternoon. I was in 5 dances because I'm a complete psycho (most everyone else was in like, max 3 lmao) so I was worried about how quick my costume changes were going to be, but it turned out totally fine with plenty of time between all my numbers (it helped that I was super particular about organizing my costumes in order and with all the accessories attached to the proper hangers etc).  The dress rehearsal went just OK, considering I had never danced on that floor before (it was super rough and bumpy) and I had a bit of nerves to get out I was fine with that. Then my sisters showed up and the show started! There were some seriously amazing numbers in there - my dance friends are so good.  Actually the 2 main instructors who own the studio almost made me cry with their dance, it wasn't even a sad song or anything it was just SO DARN GOOD.  UGH. They're such powerful dancers, and they're married so their connection is like, palpable, it was gorgeous. After the show my sisters and some dance friends came back to my apartment for drinks and games and good times were had by all.

 

So anyway, I never really got nervous growing up with stage shows doing ballet and I was hoping that would continue in my adult hood but I couldn't be sure since it's been over 10 years - and it did! I was pretty happy with myself for my total and complete lack of performance anxiety, though sometimes I think that's a bad thing since I don't get as big of a kick of adrenaline as some people do which probably makes me pop less on stage but it is what it is.  Even though I messed up one thing in my v. waltz, my teacher totally covered for me (luckily it was something while we were in frame and not side by side so I dont think anyone really noticed) and I still feel like I pretty much rocked it. I didn't feel nearly as good about the dance I did with Mr. Raxie because it was cha cha and that's for sure not my best dance (latin in general is not my forte), but we had so much fun performing it and we wore adorable outfits and my family loved it and that's all that really matters. Like I kinda feel like it was a terrible attempt at a cha cha (in terms of our execution & complete lack of technique, even though the choreo itself was great) but it was a great performance if that makes sense haha? Overall I had suchhhhh a good time. All the dances I did were (links are to the songs if you're curious to hear them if you don't know them):

• pro-am viennese waltz to Bound To You
• swing performance team (that I led in woot) to All I Want for Christmas is You
• cha cha with Mr. Raxie to Mele Kalikimaka
• quickstep performance team to Show Me How You Burlesque
• all ladies latin performance team which was cha-cha-ified broadway compilation a bunch of songs, most notably I Gotcha

 

Action shot from my v waltz

 

Mr. Raxie and my adorably amazing outfits for Mele Kalikimaka.  Gotta love a Hawaiian Christmas.

 

Fosse-ing the heck outta this pose in the all ladies latin team (I'm the blurry faced one on the left if you can't tell because the lighting is washing us both out)

 

[Mike Wazowski]

AHHHH  I love the adorable Hawaiian outfits, and the Fosse pose! And I'm soooooo envious of you not getting performance anxiety, I get it often.

 

And SO excited to see some of the vids when you get them and figure out how to share them.

 

Important question: did you call your ladies' Latin group the Fosse Posse? If not, missed opportunity!

 

LOL at "you can be meaner next time" - I often have the same feeling about group class teachers (though my coach is more of a hardass on his serious competitors in class, so I get the meaner version of him than others in technique class).

 

Also, yes, Intl V Waltz instantly transports me to a castle somewhere in Europe in my mind. And I love it for that. Also, now that I've started teaching international, I love nerding out and going deep on it so much that I've started preferring it to smooth (even though smooth looks bad*** when done well in a way that standard can't quite compete with).

[Raxie]

5 hours ago, MikeW said:

AHHHH  I love the adorable Hawaiian outfits, and the Fosse pose! And I'm soooooo envious of you not getting performance anxiety, I get it often.

 

Thanksss!!! Growing up my dance teacher was basically all about Fosse when she wasn't teaching ballet (or sometimes she did both - we did a few jazz numbers on point which were freakin' amazing) so the Broadway number really gave me so much life and gave me the good kind of flashbacks to my earlier dance days. Gosh I LOVE jazz.

 

Well, to be clear this is only for stage shows, probably because that's what I grew up doing and what's familiar to me, plus I know people in the audience came specifically for me and I'm just having fun.  We've done a few performances at outdoor festivals in public and I was HELLA nervous for those before, during, and somehow after.  And I'm sure if (OK let's be real... when) I start legit competing I'm pretty certain I'll be nausea-level-nervous. 

 

Quote

Important question: did you call your ladies' Latin group the Fosse Posse? If not, missed opportunity!

 

OH. MY. GOD.  I will need to tell my instructor this immediately XD

 

Quote

LOL at "you can be meaner next time" - I often have the same feeling about group class teachers (though my coach is more of a hardass on his serious competitors in class, so I get the meaner version of him than others in technique class).

 

I was dance-raised on super harsh ballet realness so him being meaner would probably do me good to be honest haha.  It was just 2 of us in the class and the other woman there does pro-am with him and I've definitely been pretty serious about my dancing so if he ever was going to be mean it would be then - he's just an insanely nice person so I don't think it'll happen.

 

Quote

Also, yes, Intl V Waltz instantly transports me to a castle somewhere in Europe in my mind. And I love it for that. Also, now that I've started teaching international, I love nerding out and going deep on it so much that I've started preferring it to smooth (even though smooth looks bad*** when done well in a way that standard can't quite compete with).

 

I do love how showy and sharp  smooth can be, especially foxtrot with that jazzy flair I love it. But I also think how international has such an elegace to it is pretty great.  I feel like them being named in the categories American and International really make stereotypical sense in that way haha. Like, Americans *would* be the ones to take something European and classy and make it bigger, louder and more crazy and totally take away all the subtlety and finesse . I'm unsure how I feel about standard in general though because there are so few steps, I know it's alllllllllllll about technique but I kinda feel like I need some more excitement.  I've never really danced much of it so I'm not discounting it yet - I do love technique so who knows!

[Elastigirl]

The show sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed it. Impressed that you learned and were able to perform five dances

[Raxie]

1 hour ago, Elastigirl said:

The show sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed it. Impressed that you learned and were able to perform five dances

 

To be fair, it wasn't the full song for each dance.  Most of the songs were cut to be between 1:30 and 2:00.  Except for the latin team dance, that was a compilation so total it ended up being like 3:30.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Those are awesome pics, your smiles in the pictures transmit the fun through the interwebs (I'm assuming you're smiling behind your upraised arm in the first pic).

[Raxie]

1 hour ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Those are awesome pics, your smiles in the pictures transmit the fun through the interwebs (I'm assuming you're smiling behind your upraised arm in the first pic).

 

I may or may not be I don't remember - I didn't smile much during that number actually the music was a little more angsty hahah.  Though I was FOR SURE smiling on the inside