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Travels complete
Jul. 11th, 2006 07:07 pmYay! Passport #2 made it safely through its inaugural journey with me on a too-short but lovely silly trip to Jamaica. Passport #1's usage was subject to intense drama all of the two times I used it during ten years*, so this is a relief. The plan for passport #2 is to use it more, and lose it less.
It was fun--I'd like to go back and travel around more, since this was a pretty stay at the resort and party kind of trip for various reasons that may be more the stuff of a locked post. But I swam, cavorted and goofed off with folks, danced, played beach volleyball, did trapeze things, saw pretty fish with the snorkel action.
And you know it's a good trip that ends when your exchange with the customs agent, after you assure him you haven't brought the ebola virus or mangoes (sadly) back with you, goes thusly:
Customs: What's your shirt say?
Me: Aikido Shusekai. It's my dojo.
Customs: So, you kick booty?
And now we await the Bobsquatch's return from the wilds of NC.
( footnote )
It was fun--I'd like to go back and travel around more, since this was a pretty stay at the resort and party kind of trip for various reasons that may be more the stuff of a locked post. But I swam, cavorted and goofed off with folks, danced, played beach volleyball, did trapeze things, saw pretty fish with the snorkel action.
And you know it's a good trip that ends when your exchange with the customs agent, after you assure him you haven't brought the ebola virus or mangoes (sadly) back with you, goes thusly:
Customs: What's your shirt say?
Me: Aikido Shusekai. It's my dojo.
Customs: So, you kick booty?
And now we await the Bobsquatch's return from the wilds of NC.
( footnote )
In recent weeks, I've gotten into the gym at least twice a week for my 20 minutes bike/25-30 minutes elliptical/15 minutes weight machines for the arms. I've gotten in some softball games and practices (the latter providing much more of an actual workout) also.
But I tried to slide into 3rd two weeks ago, Superman-style (and to my great amusement was tagged out anyway), and bruised my lower right leg sufficiently that I only made it back to aikido today, and then only for 1.5 hours of the usual 3 hour tour. I'm pretty sure that if the slide had been angled more on the left side, I'd now be fine. Curse you, lingering injury!
But I tried to slide into 3rd two weeks ago, Superman-style (and to my great amusement was tagged out anyway), and bruised my lower right leg sufficiently that I only made it back to aikido today, and then only for 1.5 hours of the usual 3 hour tour. I'm pretty sure that if the slide had been angled more on the left side, I'd now be fine. Curse you, lingering injury!
That's good advice
Feb. 28th, 2006 08:16 pmOverheard at the Downtown Oakland YMCA: "Y'know, the key to longevity... is not to die." Maybe it was just something about the delivery, but spontaneous chuckling broke out all around.
So I was sick again last week, belying my best intentions from my last post, but this week is pretty good, except for the minor panic attacks I've been having about my upcoming third kyu test. The sickness has not done wonders for my ability to train in the last month or so, and as the excellent 3rd kyu testers from this weekend's testing binge observed, there's a heck of a bunch of stuff on this here test. Having Bobsquatch around helps though; I can do stuff like panickedly ask him "What's going on with 16-17 again?," and after first wondering why I want to know about the early 17th century at 9:30pm on a Monday, he helps me get through those moves on the weapons (excuse me: wooden training sticks) kata.
Work is also pretty good, but I think that's the stuff of a flocked post. Suffice to say: affordable housing is getting built, and we are inches away from officially selling a shopping center we've been trying to sell since 1997 (I've only been involved since mid-2003, so I'm feeling good about taking some of the credit for helping move this along at what is relatively breakneck speed).
And, we get a visit from our dear friend Hell next weekend (for those of you who are local, this means you get to ask her embarrassing questions about our high school days)! Friday and Saturday are thus likely to be chock full of fun, and I think we might be able to talk her punky self into getting on the (aikido) mat for the beginner class on Sunday.
So I was sick again last week, belying my best intentions from my last post, but this week is pretty good, except for the minor panic attacks I've been having about my upcoming third kyu test. The sickness has not done wonders for my ability to train in the last month or so, and as the excellent 3rd kyu testers from this weekend's testing binge observed, there's a heck of a bunch of stuff on this here test. Having Bobsquatch around helps though; I can do stuff like panickedly ask him "What's going on with 16-17 again?," and after first wondering why I want to know about the early 17th century at 9:30pm on a Monday, he helps me get through those moves on the weapons (excuse me: wooden training sticks) kata.
Work is also pretty good, but I think that's the stuff of a flocked post. Suffice to say: affordable housing is getting built, and we are inches away from officially selling a shopping center we've been trying to sell since 1997 (I've only been involved since mid-2003, so I'm feeling good about taking some of the credit for helping move this along at what is relatively breakneck speed).
And, we get a visit from our dear friend Hell next weekend (for those of you who are local, this means you get to ask her embarrassing questions about our high school days)! Friday and Saturday are thus likely to be chock full of fun, and I think we might be able to talk her punky self into getting on the (aikido) mat for the beginner class on Sunday.
A world of doofus
Sep. 14th, 2005 11:36 pmWe were about halfway through tonight's aikido class when Sensei asked folks taking their fifth kyu (for us, the second test) this weekend if they had any techniques they'd especially like to work on. The woman to my right mentioned a technique that she's having trouble performing against smaller attackers. Sensei then turned to me and called out my name.
The gears in my head began turning, almost audibly. Was I going to be asked to take the fifth kyu test over? Do I have techniques from the test I'd like to work on?
Crunch, crunch go the rissy-brain.
Finally, Sensei says, "Well, there aren't very many other folks shorter than me on the mat right now."
Comprehension dawns. The gears suddenly catch, and I finally get up to be demo uke. Yay! It's been over two years since I've been demo uke. And duh, I'm a totally huge dork.
I apologized later, and explained my confusion. Sensei's cool; he totally started giggling. [ETA: semicolon--the grammar choice of champions!]
On the plus side, one of the guys in the dojo told me my toenails were pretty cool.
The gears in my head began turning, almost audibly. Was I going to be asked to take the fifth kyu test over? Do I have techniques from the test I'd like to work on?
Crunch, crunch go the rissy-brain.
Finally, Sensei says, "Well, there aren't very many other folks shorter than me on the mat right now."
Comprehension dawns. The gears suddenly catch, and I finally get up to be demo uke. Yay! It's been over two years since I've been demo uke. And duh, I'm a totally huge dork.
I apologized later, and explained my confusion. Sensei's cool; he totally started giggling. [ETA: semicolon--the grammar choice of champions!]
On the plus side, one of the guys in the dojo told me my toenails were pretty cool.
