As for footbag, we were still able to play outdoors well into December with the added bonus of the playing at The Shop for the rest of the winter. I'm quite satisfied with where my skills are at and what I'm able to do on the courts. My main goal is to see how far I can push myself and have as much fun as I can for as long as my body can handle it. I'm extremely thankful to have lost weight, and avoided serious injuries and have an indoor space to keep playing. I would go absolutely fucking nuts if I have to suffer though another long god damed winter with no camera, pc and footbag too.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Zeke Bitches About Net, Winter 2009
So, Fall of 09 didn't start off so good for me. Lost my Canon S5 digital camera then my PC got fried. I was pretty depressed about it all but fortunately we were still playing net to some degree and I could vent my frustrations on the bag. As you can imagine, my ability to document, brag or bitch about my sessions have been seriously hindered. Work has been shitty (but to be honest I'm happy to have a job) and my hours have been cut but I use the computers there to post when I have the time. I have also moved out of Lincoln square and moved into Albany park. My new roommates (and their pets) are pretty cool.
As for footbag, we were still able to play outdoors well into December with the added bonus of the playing at The Shop for the rest of the winter. I'm quite satisfied with where my skills are at and what I'm able to do on the courts. My main goal is to see how far I can push myself and have as much fun as I can for as long as my body can handle it. I'm extremely thankful to have lost weight, and avoided serious injuries and have an indoor space to keep playing. I would go absolutely fucking nuts if I have to suffer though another long god damed winter with no camera, pc and footbag too.
As for footbag, we were still able to play outdoors well into December with the added bonus of the playing at The Shop for the rest of the winter. I'm quite satisfied with where my skills are at and what I'm able to do on the courts. My main goal is to see how far I can push myself and have as much fun as I can for as long as my body can handle it. I'm extremely thankful to have lost weight, and avoided serious injuries and have an indoor space to keep playing. I would go absolutely fucking nuts if I have to suffer though another long god damed winter with no camera, pc and footbag too.
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9-21-09
Sunday, my camera (along with 4gig sd card, lens adapter and wide angle lens) somehow fell out of my backpack during my bike ride to a net session downtown. It's gone.
I'm past denial and currently in the numb phase
10-7-09
Net Net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net Net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net TAKRAW net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net Net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net Net Net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net Net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net net
10-7-09
I'm down to 140 pounds. This is the lightest I've weighed since about 2002. I think I've lost more weight this summer alone than I have in all the years I jogged combined! Ok, maybe not. Close. I dunno. Whatever. Anygay...
My knees don't ache as much after paying net. I'm getting more height on my jumps due to a combination of less weight & being more comfortable getting sideways in the air. Overall, I'm slowly getting more consistent. Serve returns are still my weakest skill. My touch on digs & bumps are getting more reliable. I'm very happy with my offense. I hardly ever serve out since I have all but stopped dinking and bringing the heat. I really like Toe Jams. It's my favorite spike at the moment and a very strong option for my right side where I previously had nothing to reply on. I'm liking bitch slaps when placement over power is needed. Side axe is still strong and jumping sunbacks are making more and more appearances on the courts. Left side is still pretty vacant. I mean, I can hit the occasional toe reverse, scuff and shtataff (thats got to be the most gawdawfull name in the history of gawdawfull names) but I don't have anything reliable on that side yet. I definitely want to add a flying pulldown to my game.
11-30-09
So....
I'm still playing net. No weekday sessions since the weather has sucked, it gets dark too early and I have no motivation. We have still managed to play at least one session on most weekends with 2 solid teams on the court. I feel I'm playing fairly well for this time of year and the lack of mid week practice to keep my skills sharp. Consistency is slowly setting in and most of the sessions have been enjoyable whether I come out with a winning record or not.
My serves are very solid. If I'm not trying anything tricky (dinks/line placement) or strong I will serve 'in' 19/20 times I swing. My offense has exploded earlier this summer and I'm much more confident at the net these past few months than I've ever been. I don't net foul as often and I don't set gaze as much. There is still plenty of room for improvement but I am very satisfied with what I can do with a set at this point. Toe Jams have been my weapon of choice while my side axe has taken a backseat. Standing Bitchslaps are getting more reliable and Shtataffs are finding their role on a far left set. Speaking of left, I still don't have a strong reliable option on that side but my scuffs are decent. I've all but stopped trying sunbacks and sweeps.
My defense has been improving but has not grown as fast as my offense. Serve returns are getting more solid but is still a skill I need to train harder. I rotate effectively on defense. More often than not, I'm in a good position for a dig at any given moment of a play. I'm able to bump most easy shots on my right to continue the rally but left side is still unpredictable and I'm lucky to just bang it over and in. Cory has helped me a lot, defensively, and is always giving tips when we play together.
No takraw in weeks. Jeff, the organizer of the Takraw group will only be in Chicago until next June and is handing me the reigns when he leads back east permanently. At this point I'm only interested in whether or not Jia Jia will be sticking around as well. With no other solid takraw players, I'll try a bit harder to convert her to net. I could use a partner that wants to set me
I'm still slowly rebuilding my PC and learning more about all this scary computer stuffs (water cooling, really?!?!?!?!). I've learned quite a bit. It's just like when I learned to upgrade and maintain my bike, but more expensive, lol.
12-22-09
Session just south of Busse Woods about a month ago. It was cold wet rainy and the field was covered in goose poop. Vince was in Town. It turned out to be a really great session... despite the conditions. Oddy enough the poop didn't really bother anybody too much. I was playing well defensively and got a couple big toe jams. Ronnie dropped me off at my parents afterwards so I got to see my nieces too!
Last weekend we played indoors, for a couple hours. Had a fairly solid session partnering with Tommy. We took 2 straight against Cory/Scot then they finished by taking 3 wins straight against us. Everyone was playing good defense and we had a few long rallies. Made a few too many errors and would have like a few more sets from Tommy but still a pretty good session. We probably wont be playing again until after Christmas.
There have been more sessions than these posts suggest and they've all been fairly enjoyable. Some highlights include:
Stuffing Cory
Tattooing Tommy
AYATOLLAH! 11-14-09
Gilfs
Some really nasty shtataffs
winning a joust over Tommy & Greg
winning a few jousts over Cory
Tommy & I beating Ted & Steve
12 locals at Ted's Spike and Shoot Saturday Shindig
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