"free falling"

I'm sure y'all are familiar with Groupon, LivingSocial, Flockmaster, and all of those other "discount" websites.  one day Yelp was having a deal for a High Falls Stunt Class, courtesy of  Hollywood Stunts.  so for shits and giggles, my friend, we'll call her Hollywood, and I signed up.  it turned out to be one of the coolest things I have ever done.

before we were able to do any of the jumps, we had to practice on this small platform first.  they told us, just jump and land completely flat with all of your body parts landing at the same time.  surprisingly not an easy task, since I am pretty sure instinct tells you not to slam your head on anything when you fall.  but in reality (after a few tries) it hurt way less to land like they said - a.k.a. no whiplash.  I was even excited during this practice session because I was the only one who got a "perfect" from the instructor.  :)  (let me gloat a little)

then it was time for the big guns.  the first jump was about 20 feet or so.  when the instructor asked who wanted to go first, I grabbed Hollywood so fast and said we would do it that I don't think she even had time to react.  it wasn't until we were up on the platform, 20 feet above the ground about to jump into a giant air bubble/blob thing that she even registered what was going on.  the instructor was a little flabbergasted because he said that he never had girls literally rush to be first in line (what can I say?  I was really excited to try this :) )

(it's weird for me to be posting an "almost" picture of myself because I semi wanted to remain anonymous on this blog, but there I am.  climbing up the scaffolding so I can jump off it 2 minutes later)

funny thing though - I was absolutely terrified waiting up on the platform to jump.  we were essentially just standing on scaffolding and if you fell off (not in the direction of the bubble/blob) well... it would hurt.  a lot.  as soon as it came time to actually do the free fall we had been taught I didn't have a moment's hesitation.

free falling is A-MAZ-ING.  I've done my fair share of cliff jumping in my life (around the Cornell campus in NY and in Italy), but it was always into water.  so really it was just jumping off a giant diving board (with a few jagged rocks here and there).  this was something else entirely though.  I can't even really describe that feeling of just falling - the moments between when you jump and when you land.  when you feel like you could float in the air forever.

all I can say is that I am definitely ready to go back and sign up for the next level!  :)

I am a little monster

a friend of mine, we'll call her Ms. CT, texts me randomly one day that she has an extra ticket to the Lady Gaga concert and would I want to go.  to which I replied, "can a Jew really pass up anything free?" so within a week's time, Ms. CT and I were meeting at her uncle's restaurant for pre-concert drinks and appetizers.  well like any uncle I imagine would do (at least I know mine would) he totally picked up the bill for everything.  it was very, very nice of him.  I even somehow got a free hat for the restaurant out of the deal too!  the food itself was so delicious (don't get me started on the crab cakes), so if you have a chance you should check it out - Statler Grill.

(before the concert started - kinda obvious)

(right as the concert was starting)

(please excuse the bad quality of these pictures as they were taken with my iPhone)

the concert itself was what a concert should be.  it wasn't just "here are a collection of my songs," but instead she told a story.  it was a show, not just a concert.  a performance.  which honestly made it much more exciting to be at rather than a regular concert that is essentially a grown up version of a girl/boy scout sing-a-long.  what also made the concert was the fact that almost everyone dressed up.  honestly, Ms. CT and I felt a little out of place because we weren't dressed up (it was too short of notice to put together the most amazing Gaga costume, especially since I have this tiny detail of work getting in the way).

(one of the stage sets)

(it was the Monster Ball after all - so here's your monster :) )

but the truly amazing part was the huge respect I had for her, as both an artist and a person, after the concert was finished.  she sang every single one of her songs.  no lip-synching whatsoever. and the girl can SING.  she played a few slow numbers on her piano and I didn't know she had that voice in her!!  almost makes you wish she would stop coming out with all of the pop-y songs and sing actual ones that really show off her talent.  or more so that people would be receptive to it enough for it to be played on the radio.  and last, but not least, you could really feel the appreciation she has for her fans (not sure if being in NYC made her more nostalgic).  I've never experienced a concert where the artist had THAT much gratitude for everyone in the audience.

(I know this probably isn't the best video quality, but hopefully you can still hear her singing)

p.s. - turns out the concert I was at was the one they used for her HBO special.  :)

running through the streets of NYC

I'm not sure how many of you will understand how much of a big deal this was - me running the NYC Half Marathon - but let me tell you, from a girl who used to not even be able to run a mile (seriously) to finishing 13.1 with no breaks was a pretty big deal.  yes, I used to not be able to run at all.  I remember in high school my dance coach would make us run a mile before practice, to which I would respond "Coach, if I wanted to run I would have joined to the track team."  oh she definitely thought it was funny and laughed - but she still made me run that damn mile. 

but slowly through the years I've started to enjoy running more and more.  and the only reason I got into it really is because the best friend forced me to do so (I will be forever grateful to her for kicking my ass and making me run).  over the years I have done mostly 5Ks and randomly a 10K here and there (a big deal at the time mind you).  it wasn't until after cheering Fabulous on in the 2010 ING NYC Marathon that really made me want to run as well.  it was an amazing experience to watch 40,000+ people running 26.2 miles through the streets of my city.  I followed Fabulous first in Brooklyn, then the UES and then finally on the home stretch at mile 23.  it was fun because at each place I got to see some of the people I cheered on at different spots over and over again.  I'm not sure if many of you know this, but a lot of runners in the marathon write their names on their jerseys so while they are running people will just shout their name for encouragement.  it was really cool when a couple of times I would shout someone's name at mile 23 (which also happened to be a hill) and I literally could see their pace pick up a little.

(spectator view at mile 23)

I really was inspired by this, so I decide to run in the 2011 NYC Half Marathon (baby steps - marathon will be next year).  I ran for a charity - The Children's Tumor Foundation: NF Endurance - which honestly help me stay motivated to stick with my training schedule more.  and at the same time, I raised money for a great cause and ended up raising $1,000+ more than I actually had to (thanks to my wonderful friends)!

(the weather I had to train in)

after months of training race day finally arrived.  it was cold (it was in March after all) and it was early, but I was still there.  I think what got me through most of it was the "runner's high."  or it could be due to the fact that the first half was basically my normal run - so I was used to that - and the second half of the run was through the streets of NYC.  I cannot explain how amazing it was to do that.  I love this city so much, but to see it from that perspective - the roads closed down for you, being able to see things head on instead of always from a sidewalk, having random strangers cheer you on while you are running mile after mile - it's an experience I'll never forget.

(my jersey and number  :) )

view while running towards Times Square (please excuse the bad photo, but I was running after all)

can't wait until next year when I do the full marathon and get to experience that in all FIVE boroughs of the city.

the starting line for the race (where I was NOT located)

Mermaid Parade

the best friend and I took a little trip down to Coney Island for their annual Mermaid Parade.

not much of a parade honestly.  but some of the BEST people watching I have seen in a long time.  and I'm not just talking the people walking in the parade.  Coney Island seems to bring out the best sort of people to gather in one area - think carny kinda folks.  now while I have pictures of those walking in the parade, I don't really have any of those not walking in the parade, but spectating rather.  this is mainly due to the fact that I was very afraid of what these folks might do if I just snap a photo of them without their knowledge.  however, now that I think about it I probably just should have asked them and I'm sure they would have been delighted to pose for a picture (maybe even 2 or 100, depending on the individual).

however, before the parade began the best friend and I had to get a Nathan's hot dog.  so we had our dogs and downed them with some good ol' Coney Island beer while hanging out at Beer Island.  good times all around and who knows... I might even dress up next year for this thing.  ;)

 the Coney Island beer I had at Beer Island

 starting this kid's pimping skills early

 Ursula.  couldn't you tell?

I saw way more boobies at this parade than I ever expected to