February has been one busy month, exactly as I knew it would. And I've got two more weekends of travel coming up back-to-back starting with my flight to Atlanta this Friday. So from the eye of the storm, here's a report on what's been going on.
The month started off with a quick weekend in Providence, a few days of business as usual in NYC, and then a looong trek down to Florida. Amazon Annie's gotten very revved up to do more traveling lately, so she joined me on both trips. Providence was nice, but Florida was quite the epic.
To start with, we drove. Non-stop. Through a blizzard. And when I said Florida, I meant south Florida -- five extra hours after you first cross that Sunshine State border. And to cap it off, we had planned to have four drivers on this trip -- me, Annie, our videographer, and another friend -- but our videographer stayed home sick, so the rest of us took longer shifts. But then we arrived!
It was a good trip for sessions, but it was a great trip for videos! I got to have a match with Ziggy, something I was very excited about since I've heard so many fans speak so highly of her ever since I started wrestling. It was definitely a pleasure to meet and fight her.
We were stuck using the hotel room as a studio, but with (quite a lot of) remodeling, we turned it into a pretty decent wrestling space. And Annie got to discover her filming talents. It was a terrific, very even match, and I'm especially proud of the third round where we amped up the intensity despite the fatigue! And best of all the video is coming out on the Doom Maidens site TODAY!
Then on a stop in Sarasota, I went in for a shoot with Grappling Girls. That one was really neat because my opponent brought his wife along, and she even participated in the video (heckling him from the sidelines, poor guy!) Very fun, and since I meet so many men who tell me their wives or girlfriends aren't into or don't understand wrestling, it always gives me warm fuzzies to meet a couple that enjoys it together. And, appropriately, this shoot was on Valentine's Day!
There was a little free time before we headed back north to meet up with some friends for a picnic at the beach. It was little chilly, but nothing could stop Annie from diving straight into the water. The rest of us (all grapplers) hung about for a bit discussing how sand is a horrible! surface for wrestling, until someone showed up with a volleyball, and we got sporty that way. Managed to get a little sunburned, and it says something about how starved for summer I am that I was happy about it!
Then the drive north. From headquarters back in the city, our videographer had managed to connect with Southern Belles Wrestling in NC and arrange a video stop for Annie and me along the way. Great way break up the trip and stretch not just the legs but everything! Annie and I did a match together, and then we each did a match with one of Southern Belles' regulars Tyler. Tyler was great to fight and to see in action. She's a very accomplished, athletic pro-style wrestler, very pretty, and has a totally savvy, with-it personality that made her great to work with.
It was quite interesting to see and feel how everyone's different styles interacted in this set of matches. Annie and I paired up to give a classic submission grappling perfomance -- of course! I felt like my match with Tyler was a sub grappling meets pro-style concoction, and Tyler and Annie got fully into pro-style with A LOT of lifts and scissors. And then back on the road.
I spent most of this past week resting up after the big adventure but took a definite break from resting for the Rumble in the Jungle party on Thursday. Annie masterminded and hosted this party in true Amazonian style -- she even hooked me up with a Poison Ivy costume of her design. I'm told there are some pretty terrific photos floating around that I must see. The party's going with a scheme where regular guests are going to present their own theme parties this spring. In March, Hanz Vanderkill and Clobberella present: Das Wrestlefest! I'm psyched and also incredibly amused.
And like I mentioned, looking forward it's going to be Atlanta this weekend. Then Columbus for the Arnolds Expo the next. Looking forward to a bit of a wrestling reunion at the Arnolds with the crew from Madison, and also very excited to finally be competing again!
More to report soon!
The month started off with a quick weekend in Providence, a few days of business as usual in NYC, and then a looong trek down to Florida. Amazon Annie's gotten very revved up to do more traveling lately, so she joined me on both trips. Providence was nice, but Florida was quite the epic.
To start with, we drove. Non-stop. Through a blizzard. And when I said Florida, I meant south Florida -- five extra hours after you first cross that Sunshine State border. And to cap it off, we had planned to have four drivers on this trip -- me, Annie, our videographer, and another friend -- but our videographer stayed home sick, so the rest of us took longer shifts. But then we arrived!
It was a good trip for sessions, but it was a great trip for videos! I got to have a match with Ziggy, something I was very excited about since I've heard so many fans speak so highly of her ever since I started wrestling. It was definitely a pleasure to meet and fight her.
We were stuck using the hotel room as a studio, but with (quite a lot of) remodeling, we turned it into a pretty decent wrestling space. And Annie got to discover her filming talents. It was a terrific, very even match, and I'm especially proud of the third round where we amped up the intensity despite the fatigue! And best of all the video is coming out on the Doom Maidens site TODAY!
Then on a stop in Sarasota, I went in for a shoot with Grappling Girls. That one was really neat because my opponent brought his wife along, and she even participated in the video (heckling him from the sidelines, poor guy!) Very fun, and since I meet so many men who tell me their wives or girlfriends aren't into or don't understand wrestling, it always gives me warm fuzzies to meet a couple that enjoys it together. And, appropriately, this shoot was on Valentine's Day!
There was a little free time before we headed back north to meet up with some friends for a picnic at the beach. It was little chilly, but nothing could stop Annie from diving straight into the water. The rest of us (all grapplers) hung about for a bit discussing how sand is a horrible! surface for wrestling, until someone showed up with a volleyball, and we got sporty that way. Managed to get a little sunburned, and it says something about how starved for summer I am that I was happy about it!
Then the drive north. From headquarters back in the city, our videographer had managed to connect with Southern Belles Wrestling in NC and arrange a video stop for Annie and me along the way. Great way break up the trip and stretch not just the legs but everything! Annie and I did a match together, and then we each did a match with one of Southern Belles' regulars Tyler. Tyler was great to fight and to see in action. She's a very accomplished, athletic pro-style wrestler, very pretty, and has a totally savvy, with-it personality that made her great to work with.
It was quite interesting to see and feel how everyone's different styles interacted in this set of matches. Annie and I paired up to give a classic submission grappling perfomance -- of course! I felt like my match with Tyler was a sub grappling meets pro-style concoction, and Tyler and Annie got fully into pro-style with A LOT of lifts and scissors. And then back on the road.
I spent most of this past week resting up after the big adventure but took a definite break from resting for the Rumble in the Jungle party on Thursday. Annie masterminded and hosted this party in true Amazonian style -- she even hooked me up with a Poison Ivy costume of her design. I'm told there are some pretty terrific photos floating around that I must see. The party's going with a scheme where regular guests are going to present their own theme parties this spring. In March, Hanz Vanderkill and Clobberella present: Das Wrestlefest! I'm psyched and also incredibly amused.
And like I mentioned, looking forward it's going to be Atlanta this weekend. Then Columbus for the Arnolds Expo the next. Looking forward to a bit of a wrestling reunion at the Arnolds with the crew from Madison, and also very excited to finally be competing again!
More to report soon!
