Mental Preparation! The Tournament Is Nigh!
Yeah, I shouldn't take this seriously, but at heart, I'm a competitive person.
Last few days, I've been aggressive about it. To the point I've asked for a little training. Not just doing crossovers and that mess, but reading on 1x. A sheer pain in the ass, but already I can read a lot better.
Point being that I somehow picked Orion .78 -- the fast one -- on my first song, STANDARD (an decent 8) and almost AA'd it. Like, a few away. Next song was Dam Dariam on Heavy... almost got a AA. The last song was Broken My Heart, in which it was a suggestion. It was a low-middle 9. I wasn't expecting the crossover towards the middle, and thus, I couldn't deal with them by the time I got to the step-jumps. Technically, I could've cheated with just jumping the whole time, but my mind didn't really register that.
I don't know if you have noticed, but I really hate crossovers. Particularly if they are the ones that are half-spins thrown in there for good measure. It's not that I'm not good at though, but because I am short, I have to twist my body a little more. I don't twist that much. Maybe that's why... anyway, to help with THAT problem was playing Era -- a mid 8. Not that it has crossovers, but there is a lot of twisting and stream. But, I had to do it on 1x... no Solo, so I was pretty much forced to reread the whole thing. And I'm still not used to that soft pad of his -- even though we switched out the soft foam for the hard foam. It was harder on my ankles, and I got tired a lot faster.
Long story short, I still don't know how to make my steps delibrate, but I just need to stop sliding my foot so much. Playing flat footed is a lot harder and ironic; I do have flat feet, but I tend to play on my toes.
Toes = faster response but sometimes inaccurate
Heels/Flatfoot = slower response but more accurate
But, I am feeling a lot better about myself than the beginning of this week, as I did pass a really... tiring nonstop round. I think it was 321 Stars, My Heaven is a 57 something, and Sync... I know I had to push through sync because I was just so tired... but after the minor crossovers and towards the end, I got through that. The last song was My Sweet Darlin', and I called it quits and asked Okami to finish it for me. Clearly I was winded, but I powered through 3 8's in a row, and not a wuss 8 either. But, whatever, I got through it.
I'm no longer hacking and I feel much better in energy terms, and I think I have a legit chance of placing high in the girls' bracket -- Cedric informed me that some girls play Standard, but he hasn't seen any that plays Heavy. At least, not consistently anyway. Or, unless that girl is there.
Anyway, we had to work some kinks about traveling. Apparently, I was the only one that was gonna bother coming back to Auburn right after the tourney was over (hint, pretty much everyone is from Bham)... that also meant that I would have to drive to and fro -- by myself, and with zero energy. Oh, and in the dark on the interstate. But, I didn't want to impose on staying overnight (or the weekend for that matter). T-kun actually didn't want to go in the first place -- the only person in our group not to go. Of course, we bugged the shit out of him (particularly Alex). So, last night he decided to go, plus I could stay at his house overnight so that I'd didn't have to go right back to Auburn.
I just told my parents that I was gonna be back around mid-Saturday, which sounds about right anyway. Don't worry, there's no shenanigans between us.
I got the little speech from Poppy... I don't know that I've mentioned this but he has paranoia tendencies, being in the Army for almost 23 years, 2 wars, Grandpoppy being in a gang (yes, that is seriously true and very awesome at that)... so, I need to at least give him names and cars for 'just in case' that something goes down and he needs to call on the calvary. But, I've got good friends so, there's no need for that type of thinking.
Yes, he's that type of person, but it's not as bad as you think.
...but if SunKiss Drop comes up, I am gonna be in some serious trouble. >_
Last few days, I've been aggressive about it. To the point I've asked for a little training. Not just doing crossovers and that mess, but reading on 1x. A sheer pain in the ass, but already I can read a lot better.
Point being that I somehow picked Orion .78 -- the fast one -- on my first song, STANDARD (an decent 8) and almost AA'd it. Like, a few away. Next song was Dam Dariam on Heavy... almost got a AA. The last song was Broken My Heart, in which it was a suggestion. It was a low-middle 9. I wasn't expecting the crossover towards the middle, and thus, I couldn't deal with them by the time I got to the step-jumps. Technically, I could've cheated with just jumping the whole time, but my mind didn't really register that.
I don't know if you have noticed, but I really hate crossovers. Particularly if they are the ones that are half-spins thrown in there for good measure. It's not that I'm not good at though, but because I am short, I have to twist my body a little more. I don't twist that much. Maybe that's why... anyway, to help with THAT problem was playing Era -- a mid 8. Not that it has crossovers, but there is a lot of twisting and stream. But, I had to do it on 1x... no Solo, so I was pretty much forced to reread the whole thing. And I'm still not used to that soft pad of his -- even though we switched out the soft foam for the hard foam. It was harder on my ankles, and I got tired a lot faster.
Long story short, I still don't know how to make my steps delibrate, but I just need to stop sliding my foot so much. Playing flat footed is a lot harder and ironic; I do have flat feet, but I tend to play on my toes.
Toes = faster response but sometimes inaccurate
Heels/Flatfoot = slower response but more accurate
But, I am feeling a lot better about myself than the beginning of this week, as I did pass a really... tiring nonstop round. I think it was 321 Stars, My Heaven is a 57 something, and Sync... I know I had to push through sync because I was just so tired... but after the minor crossovers and towards the end, I got through that. The last song was My Sweet Darlin', and I called it quits and asked Okami to finish it for me. Clearly I was winded, but I powered through 3 8's in a row, and not a wuss 8 either. But, whatever, I got through it.
I'm no longer hacking and I feel much better in energy terms, and I think I have a legit chance of placing high in the girls' bracket -- Cedric informed me that some girls play Standard, but he hasn't seen any that plays Heavy. At least, not consistently anyway. Or, unless that girl is there.
Anyway, we had to work some kinks about traveling. Apparently, I was the only one that was gonna bother coming back to Auburn right after the tourney was over (hint, pretty much everyone is from Bham)... that also meant that I would have to drive to and fro -- by myself, and with zero energy. Oh, and in the dark on the interstate. But, I didn't want to impose on staying overnight (or the weekend for that matter). T-kun actually didn't want to go in the first place -- the only person in our group not to go. Of course, we bugged the shit out of him (particularly Alex). So, last night he decided to go, plus I could stay at his house overnight so that I'd didn't have to go right back to Auburn.
I just told my parents that I was gonna be back around mid-Saturday, which sounds about right anyway. Don't worry, there's no shenanigans between us.
I got the little speech from Poppy... I don't know that I've mentioned this but he has paranoia tendencies, being in the Army for almost 23 years, 2 wars, Grandpoppy being in a gang (yes, that is seriously true and very awesome at that)... so, I need to at least give him names and cars for 'just in case' that something goes down and he needs to call on the calvary. But, I've got good friends so, there's no need for that type of thinking.
Yes, he's that type of person, but it's not as bad as you think.
...but if SunKiss Drop comes up, I am gonna be in some serious trouble. >_