Training Days

Ok so I should know when you get invited to perform for the Original Houdini Seance on October 31 and you decide to do a water escape, you might have to deal with cold right but snow?  Hey, I know training in New England to expect anything but snow before Halloween?  Really?  So here I am going over prep for the show and I wake up snow.  Three inches of the white stuff. I really had no choice.  I had to go in and practice.  Why?   Few things in life are truly life or death but being  locked and shackled underwater is.  I work with the shackles and locks as much as possible to try and limit any mistakes.  Now that said things happen.  Locks jam so I have to prepare all the time or the unthinkable can happen.  So there I was Sunday morning, while all the other wives and moms were making coffee or getting a little extra sleep, I was literally getting "tanked".  What a bad mom (lol).  

More next time on the Houdini Seance escape and catching up on this amazing year.  As always spread the work about me as I would love to do a show for you.

Extremely Yours

Alex

The Queen of Extreme and a "Moderrn Day Houdini"

I just found this really cool picture of the seance I will be at tonight.  Can't wait to perform my tribute to the master of escapes Harry Houdini on the anniversary of his death 85 years ago.  I am doing a water escape in his honor and as you can see in the earlier posting one that tries to go beyond what Harry did.  I have never performed on Halloween so I hope I am not tempting fate here.  And of course things seem to be not going well as the tank was to be filled with warm water.  With all the power outages we have had the service that was to fill with water has no power. It looks like I might have to do the escape in tap water which around here ranges in the mid 40's gulp!  

A bit here on what I might be dealing with.

Hypothermia is a physical condition that occurs when the body’s core temperature falls below a normal 98.6° F (37° C) to 95° F (35° C) or cooler. Think of hypothermia as the opposite of heat stroke. Cold water dangerously accelerates the onset and progression of hypothermia since body heat can be lost 25 times faster in cold water than in cold air. Hypothermia affects the body's core – the brain, heart, lungs, and other vital organs. Even a mild case of hypothermia diminishes a victim’s physical and mental abilities, thus increasing the risk of accidents. Severe hypothermia may result in unconsciousness and possibly death. 

What is the torso reflex?
The torso reflex (also known as the gasp reflex or inhalation response) is a physiological reaction – an involuntarily gasp – that happens when a person suddenly enters cold water. The reflexive sucking in of air is a way for the body to rapidly increase oxygen intake into the lungs as a means of increasing survival.
Some reported drowning victims don't die as a result of poor swimming skills or the effects of hypothermia, but from the torso reflex. Occasionally the torso reflex causes victims to inhale water. A person can also die from cardiac arrest brought on by sudden entry into cold water.

Ok that Torso Reflex thing doesn't sound good.  It is not what I need when I am forced underwater in a bulletproof tank with my chains shackled and the tank padlocked shut. 

Performing for Houdini?

Tonight I have the honor of performing at the Official Houdini Seance  I will attempt to honor Harry in a way befitting the master of escape on the 85th anniversary of his death.  I will perform my full version of the classic Houdini Milk Can escape.  Mine involves not a can but a clear Lexan (bullet proof) tank.  I do mine without a curtain so all can see my escape.  Harry used to say "Failure means a drowning death".  If I am successful in my escape called The Underwater Cell (UC) than I get a chance to go to the table to connect with the Great Houdini in the seance.  Of course, if I am not successful, I may actually meet Harry before any of them do on "the other side".  Here's hoping I get to the table.

    

Catching Up

This is Alexanderia the Great on Today on NBC.  This is me with Amy Robach from the Today Show.  I was on a couple of weeks ago. Ok I know I have managed to "escape" from my duties here in updating you.  For that am I sorry.  Maybe I could use the excuse that I have been "tied up" but that would be way to corny right?  It has been a crazy year.  The media I have received has been simply amazing.  I am so grateful to all.  So let me try and recap.  When last I posted we had just done the New England Cable News (NECN) shoot ( a CNN affiliate).  Ally Donnelly was the lead reporter who also found my story was so sweet.  She could not have been nicer.  The shoot was such fun.  She was the first media person to try on any of my restraints actually putting on my strait jacket.  The look on her face when she got it on was priceless.  The was back in January.  From there it starts to become a blur.  What I will try and do in this post is list what has happened by way of media since January.  I will follow up in the coming weeks to fill in the details of the shoots and look to the future and what is next for me.

February

• The Boston Globe puts me on the cover of their G magazine ans says my escapes are"edge of your seat stuff"
• Greater Boston with Emily Rooney (on Boston's PBS channel 2) does a feature and in studio interview and says "she can get out of practically everything"
• The CBS Evening News does a feature piece as Steve Hartman makes me his Assignment America story.  He calls me the "Housewife Houdini" and calls my story "inspirational"

March

• Itricks.com a magic web site which writes on all magic news does a nice story on me as an escape artist.  They feel that CBS only focused on my story and did not do justice on the level of escapes and how dangerous they are. 

April

• Fox 25 Morning News does a story on me and invites me in studio to do an interview and an escape live. 

May

• Ivanhoe Productions comes and does a feature piece on me for their web site Smart Women.

June

• Jordan Rich radio show on WBZ Boston.  We spent an hour talking and did an escape live in studio 

July

• A story on my Houlton Fair show in Maine
• Local press on my charity event for the Mason Pool in Roxbury where I did my Underwater Leap Faith 

August

• My Smart Women story runs on over 300 news stations across the country
• Yahoo Studios comes to do a feature story on me for their award winning series Second Act.

September

• Fresh off my Yahoo story Amy Roboch sees it and show the rest of the Today Show crew.  They call and do a feature story on me and fly me down to appear live.

October

• Style Boston WCVB TV (ABC Affiliate) will be doing a story on me to air on Oct 30th.
• The original Houdini Seance contacts me to perform and be at the table when they try and connect with Harry Houdini on Halloween on the 85th anniversary of his death.

Ok so we have lots to talk about as I need to caught you up.  A wild ride and I think it might get wilder.  Stay tuned.

Extremely Yours

Alex

http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com

PS if you want to see any of the pieces go to my web site and clip on the links.

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TV Feature on me tonight

New England Cable News (NECN) does a feature on me tonight 9pm and again at 10pm.  http://www.necn.com  They covered me during my training and then we there at my latest show where I performed my newest escape The Underwater Cell (UC). Thanks to Peter Alachi for this video he shot at my latest show.

Bone Chilling Escape

This is the single sec clip of me in the Underwater Cell (UC). Last night I performed my version of Houdini's Milk Can escape. I did it in a show called Lydia's Carnival Sideshow. The show as in Salem MA and was covered by the Boston Globe and New England Cable news as it was the first time a Houdini Milk Can type escape as been done in a clear tank without a curtain. I survived the escape but I had to do it in 52 degree water as the venue's hot water heater broke. Talk about a challenge. Doing the escape alone is difficult enough as th escape requires me to be submerged underwater long enough to get out a shackles and pick the lock hold the cover down. Add TV and a major newspaper flashing light in my eyes and then try holding you breath in bone chilling water. Not a combination for success but I used mind over mater. If I don't mind it don't matter to get out. I will post video as soon as I get it.

Photo Shoot with the Globe

It is funny I do death defying escapes for a living but I can more nervous for photo shoots and interviews than the actual escapes. I think it is about control. In the escapes it is me battling my restraints. Now granted when I let the audience restraint me like I do no two escapes are alike but I still feel like I have more control than in interviews and photo shoots. Today is the Boston Globe. The reporter and a photographer are going to follow me around and shoot me training and do an interview. They contacted because they have seen my escapes and are also interested in my latest escape the Underwater Cell (UC). The Boston Globe is renowned and I am so honored and excited they decided to do a feature on me. We are going to do a pool shoot and then go to my gym to watch me work out. it should be fun and though a bit nervous I am so looking forward to this.

Getting ready for the Boston Globe Shoot and UC

Snowy day in New England. I worked at the gym as I usually do but today was different. Today I got my routine in place for my interview and photo shoot with the Boston Globe. They contacted me to do a feature piece (how cool). Now it is to bed so I can get up early and get in a few o2 and Co2 tables to be sure I can get my best breath holds as I will do some lifting and underwater escapes for the Globe reporter. Wish me luck. Night all.

The Underwater Cell (UC)

Hi All,
Ok I have been really bad with updating this blog. I promise that will change. I am going to try and take you through my training for my upcoming escape. This was the official write up of the escape that I posted on my facebook page.

Alexanderia the Great is about to tempt fate again by attempting to escape the deadly Underwater Cell (UC). See me padlocked and submerged underwater in a small tank made of Lexan (bulletproof material). I must escape shackles that the audience will put me in and while trapped underwater somehow escape the padlocked tank before I drown? As Houdini said in his Milk Can escape "Failure means a drowning death". Come see me literally as I will be in a clear tank and will do this without the aid of a curtain so if I am successful you will see how I escape at Lydia's Carnival Sideshow at Life and Death located in Salem’s Museum Place Mall on Jan 15 @ 7:00pm in Salem MA. For ticket info click the link below. http://www.lydiascarnivalsideshow.com I promise this show will be breathtaking.

So what do you think of the escape? Post something here or go to my guestbook on my web site http://www.alexanderiathegreat.com/Guestbook.php or catch me on Facebook at Alexanderia Thegreat.