Dude, I'm bloody awesome.
Ok, so I know I was ranting about my seething hatred for 4th of July and BBQs. This one wasnt so bad! We got there really late (Ope...missed the food...so sorry about that!! HA!) her family was pretty cool (for the general texas red necky type) and very easily amused....espcially by fire. God, some people are so damn simple.
Michelle and I checked our equptment only to find that one of the kevlar on one of her torches was coming un-done. This was a perfect prelude for the following fire show, for sure. With the wind picking up a tad, we had to nix a bit of choreography. (aww, no dragons breath) Her family and friends begin to gather outside for the aformentioned fire show, all deciding to try and sit as close as possible to us. Two girls spinning large balls of very hot fire at the end of semi-long metal teather.
Wow. Smart. We just continue preparing to start the show. Once those poi are lit, trust me, they will scamper back. (and they did)
Ever hear that old adage "what ever can go wrong, will go wrong"? That was this show. Easily. I should have guessed something less than stellar when I handed them the CD we were planning to dance to-and all i hear is horrible hard rock. Wrong music....by a LONG shot.
Minus one torch stick for two people and attempting to do body contacts (where you put white gas on yourself then lit yourself on fire-breifly) completely failed. Not very art ful looking, I assure you. We gave up. So onto the poi!
I had planned to do fire runway trails on the groung (you pour a mix of white gas and lamp oil in two parallel lines on the ground and strike them with lit poi to create fire race stripes) well....that so didnt work out. So I moved on.
Things were going well...for awhile. Michelle and I would play off of each others movements, rather fluidly, and I begin to relax and slip into my "zen zone" as I typically do while spinning poi. Until my over head weave went horribly wrong.
I felt a rather hard *THWAK* against the back of my head. Yup-you heared me right, I had hit myself in the head with one of my lit poi. And those suckers are HARD! Though, at that time-that was the least of my worries. Looking down at my poi, I notice something very out of place and very concerning. Not only was the kevlar on my poi coming un done, THE ENTIRE OUTSIDE LAYERS WERE UNRAVLED!! This is beyone dangerous. How long had I been spinning with my wicks like that?! I quickly extenguish them.
Smart me should have called it a night with the fire. Sadly, smart me usually dosnt surface when performing. I cut the unravled layers of kevlar off (that wicks size was literally reduced to half of what it was) re-soak my poi, and light up once again to continue on.
Im a trooper like that.
Not taking into accord that now one poi was significantly heavier than the other, I attempt to spin. Though while simple movements were possible, as soon as i attempt my buzz saw (its a poi movement) I realize that its time to put my poor damaged poi away.
On the sidelines, watching Michelle still spinning, I became envious. I wasnt done spinning, damnit!! As soon as the flamed went out on Michelles poi, I snatch them, re-soak them, then decide that any functioning poi would suffice.
Apparently not.
Her poi are constructed completely different than mine. Everything from the finger loops, to the type of teather (mine are wire, hers are ball chain) attached to the kevlar and even the kevlar (the wick-what we light on fire) itself was completely different than mine. Needless to say, they were heavy. Much heavier than I have ever spun before. But the show must go on, right? So I continue to spin anway.
This is where it gets bad.
Spinning her poi, and starting to become comfortable with the weight, my smart ass decides that its a great time to do arm and leg wraps! (this is where you swing the poi to wrap around your arm/leg/torso/whatever and let it un-coil...quickly) Horrible idea. Not being used to the weight of the poi and the type of teather, I attempt to do an arm wrap. Not being used to the weight of her poi, it decided to NOT un-coil from around my arm. Thats right...the poi got stuck around my arm. Lit. I just bite my lip and finnish up the show.
Now I have a very nice ball chain shaped 2nd degree burn around my arm. Lovely. Its already blistering, I wouldnt be shocked if it turns a bit green tomorrow.
Thankfully, this isnt the first time ive done this. Im a pro at taking care of my burns. No worries.
So, onto picture from tonight. I would have taken a video-but my camera died. Her family filmed it and will send me that video, once I get that, ill post it here.
So for now...pictures for you.
And finally: Me blowing fire off of my poi!! (I was so excited that I actually got this shot!)
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Oh, and on the topic of my ED saga for the day: Nope, didnt eat at the BBQ. Only 133 calories for today.
Michelle and I checked our equptment only to find that one of the kevlar on one of her torches was coming un-done. This was a perfect prelude for the following fire show, for sure. With the wind picking up a tad, we had to nix a bit of choreography. (aww, no dragons breath) Her family and friends begin to gather outside for the aformentioned fire show, all deciding to try and sit as close as possible to us. Two girls spinning large balls of very hot fire at the end of semi-long metal teather.
Wow. Smart. We just continue preparing to start the show. Once those poi are lit, trust me, they will scamper back. (and they did)
Ever hear that old adage "what ever can go wrong, will go wrong"? That was this show. Easily. I should have guessed something less than stellar when I handed them the CD we were planning to dance to-and all i hear is horrible hard rock. Wrong music....by a LONG shot.
Minus one torch stick for two people and attempting to do body contacts (where you put white gas on yourself then lit yourself on fire-breifly) completely failed. Not very art ful looking, I assure you. We gave up. So onto the poi!
I had planned to do fire runway trails on the groung (you pour a mix of white gas and lamp oil in two parallel lines on the ground and strike them with lit poi to create fire race stripes) well....that so didnt work out. So I moved on.
Things were going well...for awhile. Michelle and I would play off of each others movements, rather fluidly, and I begin to relax and slip into my "zen zone" as I typically do while spinning poi. Until my over head weave went horribly wrong.
I felt a rather hard *THWAK* against the back of my head. Yup-you heared me right, I had hit myself in the head with one of my lit poi. And those suckers are HARD! Though, at that time-that was the least of my worries. Looking down at my poi, I notice something very out of place and very concerning. Not only was the kevlar on my poi coming un done, THE ENTIRE OUTSIDE LAYERS WERE UNRAVLED!! This is beyone dangerous. How long had I been spinning with my wicks like that?! I quickly extenguish them.
Smart me should have called it a night with the fire. Sadly, smart me usually dosnt surface when performing. I cut the unravled layers of kevlar off (that wicks size was literally reduced to half of what it was) re-soak my poi, and light up once again to continue on.
Im a trooper like that.
Not taking into accord that now one poi was significantly heavier than the other, I attempt to spin. Though while simple movements were possible, as soon as i attempt my buzz saw (its a poi movement) I realize that its time to put my poor damaged poi away.
On the sidelines, watching Michelle still spinning, I became envious. I wasnt done spinning, damnit!! As soon as the flamed went out on Michelles poi, I snatch them, re-soak them, then decide that any functioning poi would suffice.
Apparently not.
Her poi are constructed completely different than mine. Everything from the finger loops, to the type of teather (mine are wire, hers are ball chain) attached to the kevlar and even the kevlar (the wick-what we light on fire) itself was completely different than mine. Needless to say, they were heavy. Much heavier than I have ever spun before. But the show must go on, right? So I continue to spin anway.
This is where it gets bad.
Spinning her poi, and starting to become comfortable with the weight, my smart ass decides that its a great time to do arm and leg wraps! (this is where you swing the poi to wrap around your arm/leg/torso/whatever and let it un-coil...quickly) Horrible idea. Not being used to the weight of the poi and the type of teather, I attempt to do an arm wrap. Not being used to the weight of her poi, it decided to NOT un-coil from around my arm. Thats right...the poi got stuck around my arm. Lit. I just bite my lip and finnish up the show.
Now I have a very nice ball chain shaped 2nd degree burn around my arm. Lovely. Its already blistering, I wouldnt be shocked if it turns a bit green tomorrow.
Thankfully, this isnt the first time ive done this. Im a pro at taking care of my burns. No worries.
So, onto picture from tonight. I would have taken a video-but my camera died. Her family filmed it and will send me that video, once I get that, ill post it here.
So for now...pictures for you.
And finally: Me blowing fire off of my poi!! (I was so excited that I actually got this shot!)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, and on the topic of my ED saga for the day: Nope, didnt eat at the BBQ. Only 133 calories for today.