...Well, no news.
Actually, I think it's fairly safe to say that if I haven't heard from Top Shot yet, I didn't make it through the application phase. The next step is the Final Casting that begins this weekend in LA. Pretty certain if I had been chosen, I would have heard already.
It's kind of bittersweet. I really do want to compete on Top Shot, but I also know that my application and video weren't up to par. Tara's got me convinced to apply again and not be so rushed - take some time with my application and video instead of just slapping it together.
I'm relieved because I feel like my life has been on hold - I couldn't make any summer plans because I didn't know what was in store. Honestly, I have great bosses who would not have had a problem with the time I would have needed to take off, but it's a lousy time for me to be gone. One of our medical instructors just got another job and is leaving next week; an adjunct instructor just informed us that she only wants to teach one class a mod and no directed studies; and the list goes on. It would have been doable for me to be gone next week, but it would have been tough.
Six weeks through August and September? Again, doable, but it would put an enormous strain on my co-workers and that's not fair.
The plan is to re-group, put together a dazzling application and submission video, and give it another go. I know I can go and compete well.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Want to improve your shooting?
By: GunDiva
If you read my other blogs, you know that I have a serious love affair with the Bosu ball. My trainer has had me on it since February and I've seen a drastic change in my riding confidence (not to mention a 4" loss from my waist). From the first moment I laid eyes on the Bosu I've been dying to use it as a shooting platform. A strong core will make a world of difference in speed and accuracy when shooting.
So, for months I've been telling myself I was going to buy a Bosu. I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...
Well, finally, last week I got one and couldn't wait to try it out. Here's what I learned from shooting from the Bosu...
It's absolutely unforgiving. You get off balance and you pay for it. It can teach you a lot about your weaknesses. For instance, I didn't realize that when I reholstered, I was shifting my weight ever-so-slightly forward until I tried it on the Bosu and almost fell off. Shooting from the Bosu requires that you keep your knees soft and your core tight at all times.
I knew going in that I was going to love shooting from it, as I had already seen drastic results in my riding from it, so I dragged it out to the range and let Tara shoot from it. It's tough, but the grin on her face after just a couple of rounds was worth it. She agreed that it was a handy dandy training tool. We decided that the Bosu was going to be a part of our shooting gear.
Having made that decision, I hauled it out with me today to go shooting with Mez. It was the same story - some hesitation, followed by a huge grin. In fact, Mez got two rounds into it and declared that he was going to buy one for himself. It says a lot (to me at least) that two shooters I highly respect find it such a great training tool.
It is most definitely not for beginner shooters - anyone who wants to shoot from the Bosu should be comfortable with safe gun handling to the point that they practice it without thought. Both Tara and Mez came off the Bosu at one point this weekend, but they kept the guns pointed in a safe direction with their fingers off the trigger as they came off.
If you read my other blogs, you know that I have a serious love affair with the Bosu ball. My trainer has had me on it since February and I've seen a drastic change in my riding confidence (not to mention a 4" loss from my waist). From the first moment I laid eyes on the Bosu I've been dying to use it as a shooting platform. A strong core will make a world of difference in speed and accuracy when shooting.
So, for months I've been telling myself I was going to buy a Bosu. I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...I'm gonna get one...
Well, finally, last week I got one and couldn't wait to try it out. Here's what I learned from shooting from the Bosu...
It's absolutely unforgiving. You get off balance and you pay for it. It can teach you a lot about your weaknesses. For instance, I didn't realize that when I reholstered, I was shifting my weight ever-so-slightly forward until I tried it on the Bosu and almost fell off. Shooting from the Bosu requires that you keep your knees soft and your core tight at all times.
I knew going in that I was going to love shooting from it, as I had already seen drastic results in my riding from it, so I dragged it out to the range and let Tara shoot from it. It's tough, but the grin on her face after just a couple of rounds was worth it. She agreed that it was a handy dandy training tool. We decided that the Bosu was going to be a part of our shooting gear.
Having made that decision, I hauled it out with me today to go shooting with Mez. It was the same story - some hesitation, followed by a huge grin. In fact, Mez got two rounds into it and declared that he was going to buy one for himself. It says a lot (to me at least) that two shooters I highly respect find it such a great training tool.
It is most definitely not for beginner shooters - anyone who wants to shoot from the Bosu should be comfortable with safe gun handling to the point that they practice it without thought. Both Tara and Mez came off the Bosu at one point this weekend, but they kept the guns pointed in a safe direction with their fingers off the trigger as they came off.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Defensive Pistol 6-5-11
I'm a week late in getting this posted, I had hoped to post these videos much earlier.
Last week was the monthly defensive pistol match at Colorado Rod and Gun Club. It's pretty much the most fun you can have for $10 and 200 rounds of ammo. I was excited when we did the walk-through and found that we'd be shooting prone. While I've certainly shot from a prone position before, I don't recall doing it with a handgun. I love the challenge of doing new things (or doing old things in new ways).
The stages just got better and better and I got more and more excited to shoot.
Then we got to the bowling pins.
Bowling pins are my kryptonite.
(Unless you're from Top Shot and reading this. If that's the case, I love bowling pins. Oh, and you might want to skip this video.)
I only deflated a little bit at the bowling pins, because they had the Texas Star set up. There's no middle ground with the Texas Star - you either love it or hate it.
Once you hit one of the plates, it falls off and sets the star to spinning. It's fabulous and I love it - you can never shoot it the same way twice, as you can never predict how it's going to move. Of course, I got so excited about the Texas Star stage, I forgot to ask Mez to film it for me. I can tell you that I was the first in our group to shoot it clean and complete (and then, not to be shown up, Mez shot it clean with a damn five shot revolver).
I don't remember what this stage was named, but it was fun. We had to leave our gun in one area, our magazines in another and start while sitting at a table. I almost slipped and fell on my arse coming around the table, but recovered and managed not to make too big a fool of myself. Well, I mostly didn't make a fool of myself. I kinda shot a no-shoot target. Oops.
My Para's been acting up. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know she's kind of finicky and has had some temper tantrums, but I was able to keep her going with little office visits to the gun doctor. A hundred and forty-five or fifty rounds into the match, she gave up the ghost.
I broke her.
She didn't jam, she didn't booger, she didn't goober.
She broke.
I haven't taken her apart yet to look at the extent of the damage, but I can tell you that a free-swinging hammer is not a good sign. I can't say I didn't expect it, because I know she had parts that were wearing out and I was just being too cheap to buy new parts and have her overhauled. She does have something like 10k rounds through her.
However, because I knew she was on her last legs and might booger up on me, I threw RockCrawlinChef's gun in the car - just in case. It's a good thing I did. Once the Para went belly-up, I went to the car and swapped out guns. RCC shoots a S&W M&P 9mm. Lucky for me it's an M&P, because I easily swapped out the backstrap to the small size and it fit my hand beautifully.
So, off I went to shoot the last stage with a gun I'd never fired before. The shooting gods were with me on that stage, as I shot it well. I was more than a little pissed at the scoring, which you might hear on the video. I got penalized for a missed headshot, when, in actuality, the target didn't rebound in time to catch my second round.
I argued a bit, but decided to just go with being pissed. Whatever. I shot the stage well and did it with a gun I had never fired before. Guess I'll just have to be happy with that. There is a big difference between shooting a .45 and a 9mm, though. It's a lot harder to see the holes in the target, which is why I shot at the far target four times - I just couldn't see the holes in the cardboard.
So - a question for my fellow GunDivas (and GunDudes) - do you enjoy new challenges? What is the most challenging thing you have done shooting?
Last week was the monthly defensive pistol match at Colorado Rod and Gun Club. It's pretty much the most fun you can have for $10 and 200 rounds of ammo. I was excited when we did the walk-through and found that we'd be shooting prone. While I've certainly shot from a prone position before, I don't recall doing it with a handgun. I love the challenge of doing new things (or doing old things in new ways).
The stages just got better and better and I got more and more excited to shoot.
Then we got to the bowling pins.
Bowling pins are my kryptonite.
(Unless you're from Top Shot and reading this. If that's the case, I love bowling pins. Oh, and you might want to skip this video.)
I only deflated a little bit at the bowling pins, because they had the Texas Star set up. There's no middle ground with the Texas Star - you either love it or hate it.
Once you hit one of the plates, it falls off and sets the star to spinning. It's fabulous and I love it - you can never shoot it the same way twice, as you can never predict how it's going to move. Of course, I got so excited about the Texas Star stage, I forgot to ask Mez to film it for me. I can tell you that I was the first in our group to shoot it clean and complete (and then, not to be shown up, Mez shot it clean with a damn five shot revolver).
I don't remember what this stage was named, but it was fun. We had to leave our gun in one area, our magazines in another and start while sitting at a table. I almost slipped and fell on my arse coming around the table, but recovered and managed not to make too big a fool of myself. Well, I mostly didn't make a fool of myself. I kinda shot a no-shoot target. Oops.
My Para's been acting up. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know she's kind of finicky and has had some temper tantrums, but I was able to keep her going with little office visits to the gun doctor. A hundred and forty-five or fifty rounds into the match, she gave up the ghost.
I broke her.
She didn't jam, she didn't booger, she didn't goober.
She broke.
I haven't taken her apart yet to look at the extent of the damage, but I can tell you that a free-swinging hammer is not a good sign. I can't say I didn't expect it, because I know she had parts that were wearing out and I was just being too cheap to buy new parts and have her overhauled. She does have something like 10k rounds through her.
However, because I knew she was on her last legs and might booger up on me, I threw RockCrawlinChef's gun in the car - just in case. It's a good thing I did. Once the Para went belly-up, I went to the car and swapped out guns. RCC shoots a S&W M&P 9mm. Lucky for me it's an M&P, because I easily swapped out the backstrap to the small size and it fit my hand beautifully.
So, off I went to shoot the last stage with a gun I'd never fired before. The shooting gods were with me on that stage, as I shot it well. I was more than a little pissed at the scoring, which you might hear on the video. I got penalized for a missed headshot, when, in actuality, the target didn't rebound in time to catch my second round.
I argued a bit, but decided to just go with being pissed. Whatever. I shot the stage well and did it with a gun I had never fired before. Guess I'll just have to be happy with that. There is a big difference between shooting a .45 and a 9mm, though. It's a lot harder to see the holes in the target, which is why I shot at the far target four times - I just couldn't see the holes in the cardboard.
So - a question for my fellow GunDivas (and GunDudes) - do you enjoy new challenges? What is the most challenging thing you have done shooting?