Proposing Insanity (Also 14 Days)

Two weeks until the Hartford Feis! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

I still can't believe that we are nearly here. I feel like its been something far away we talked about since I came back. I've had a count down for a while and I remember when it was still over 100 days away...Like, I'm having trouble wrapping my brain around it.

Today was a slip jig day and I always try to head into my private with Christian each week having some kind of idea of what I want to work on. Last week I picked a few things I wanted to drill, but the thing that has been making me the most nervous has been my stamina. So today after we did each step alone and worked on some knit picky things (I'm so pleased that we are at this stage!), I proposed insanity.

Me: So you are probably going to think I'm crazy, but do we have time for a ladder? 

TC: If you want to do a ladder, I'm not going to stop you.

Not sure if anyone that reads this is an Irish dancing Muggle or your TC calls it something else, but pretty much, you build up from one step, to a full dance, and then back down again with short breaks in between. In the pre-baby before times, the word ladders would strike fear into the hearts of everyone including myself. Back then, I only had 2 steps so the "full" would usually be a hot mess as I pulled something out of my butt for that last step.

If I were going to class like everyone else, I would be doing ladders right now anyway, so I figured why not?

It ended up going pretty well. Obviously, I lost sharpness as I got tired, but I swear it used to feel so much longer back in the prizewinner days. I never had to stop (I had a few flubby weird things, but kept going.) I didn't feel like I was going to throw up or die when everything was finished so I consider that a win too. Even better, when I did do a full at the end, it was legit the best full slip jig I've done since coming back. Again, it's not perfection, but it shouldn't be yet. If the slip jig I dance in two weeks is similar I'll be happy (I know, I say this every week) All the work I've been doing seems to be paying off.

That being said, I'm not sure I would be having as positive of a entry if today had been a hard shoe day. LOL. Even my TC said he anticipates soft shoe placing higher right now. Again, it's not time for it to be perfect yet though this amuses me greatly.

Next week is my last lesson before the feis. With Memorial day and not wanting to be sore the days before, we both think it's wise for me to take the week before off. That means May 28th will be my like a dress rehearsal where I'm going to run both rounds. I'm bringing my dress to see if operation socks not tights was accomplished or not (I'm down another pound this week). I've also got all my hair and make up things now, so I may even do my wig and whatnot as a dry run. I've been smiling more while I dance, but it will be time to picture Carey Price, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin as my three judges so I can be extra smiley. (If you know, you know LOL)

I had something else to report that is tangentially Irish dance related, but this has already become lengthy, so I'll do a separate post soon.

Kay