The One on Saw Horses

So this is my favorite handstand picture to date.

It wasn't planned. The "props" weren't positioned perfectly by an art director. Shaina and I were just wandering outside our friend's house (in South Dakota during that big road trip), and she had the brilliant idea of me doing a handstand on saw horses.

At first I replied, "No way! I'll fall and get hurt. Mom and Dad will be mad!" I know them well enough to know they would be upset to have to drive me to an emergency room in The Middle of Nowhere, South Dakota.

But Shaina... you see... she lives vicariously through me. Much to her dismay, she wasn't a gymnast. She got the artistic (she can DRAW! WELL!) gene. I got the gymnast gene, I guess. She was always like, "Do an aerial! Do a back-handspring! Do a back tuck! Do a handstand three feet off the ground on these very un-sturdy, rusty, non-sanded saw horses!" And I complied.

So along with this being my favorite photo, it also ranks as Numero Uno on the "Scared Out of My Mind" Handstand List. :D

I stood on the saw horses in a straddle (legs apart), with my hands in front of me. I pressed my legs up slowly, and to my surprise... I was able to hold it there: straight and not fall over. I mean, I usually am straight and don't fall over. But I guess the only reason I was surprised was because I was three feet off the ground and balancing on two pieces of 2x4. Must admit, while I was up there, I was thinking, "Gosh, this is pretty darn cool."

So up in that handstand I said, "Shaina, did you get it yet?" And she replied, "YES!! And it's perfect!" I pressed back down to straddle and heaved a big sigh of relief. I seriously thought I was going to have to flip over the side. No idea I'd actually come down to my feet like I had wanted. Phew.

I shook off the butterflies, and we went back inside the house. Then we were back on the road... to visit the coolest place on earth... (another handstand photo to follow).