I'm working on Chatanyara No Sai in class now. All of the adult black belts are working on this kata and I've noticed that a lot of the new black belts are really struggling. The advanced group has already learned Kusanku Sai so we've had experience already with that weapon. Personally, I do a lot of basics with it on my own too.
If the only time you touch a new weapon is when you are in class, kata is going to be hard for you. You will be worried about the weapon in your hand and its most basic use rather than the overall kata. The net effect, if you're wondering, is that you'll spend all kinds of time practicing the kata in class but none of it will really stick.
That can be frustrating and lead you to second guess yourself at the time you're most vulnerable, after getting a new belt.
The squad of squirrels actually consisted of five of the little buggers and they did move across the street like they had business on the other side and weren't just trying to avoid being run over. I've never seen squirrels in a group like that before and noticed it even more after seeing that episode of Scrubs.
And here you thought it was going to be a sequel with the naked coeds running away from squirrels while on Spring Break!
I was driving through downtown Durham yesterday afternoon when I saw a squad of squirrels making their way across the street to a nearby oak tree.
Scantily clad coeds jumped up from their blankets, where they innocently sat and rubbed suntan oil on each other's nubile form, to flee from this onslaught. Some future kindergarten teachers were in such a hurry that they neglected to tie their bikini tops and ran bare-breasted through the town!!! Several accidents were caused as onlookers stopped to watch the nymph-like forms run in slow motion across the lawn.
Who knew that a squirrel army could wreak such havoc!
We warmed up with 50 jumping jacks, 25 pushups, and 25 crunches. We broke out into small groups and did our first four katas and after each kata did the traditional bunkai (application) of that kata.
That went well until we got to Wansu. This is the first kata that has a side kick in it, to the knee, but most people pivot their hips and do something like a front kick instead.
Sensei decided she had enough of it being done wrong so we all "practiced" doing the kick the right way...100 times with each leg. I had a partner and I'd do 100 with one leg, then he went, and then I did 100 with the other leg. I definitely broke a sweat and it was a great workout.
Youngest Daughter played a soccer game yesterday afternoon. Her team did a great job dominating the game. The other team only got two shots on goal and were visibly frustrated in the second half.
One player on the other team started getting out of hand. If one of our girls ended up on the ground it was because of her. At one point she tripped Youngest Daughter and before YD could catch herself the other player pushed her from behind too. YD went flying in the air and came down hard on her hip.
The coach came running out and I could her YD crying from where I sat on the sideline. All you can do, as a parent, is sit there and wait to see if it ends up being serious enough for the coach to call you over.
What you want to do is run out there and scoop your kid up in your arms and comfort them.
The ref did a poor job with that game. She didn't call obvious trips, pushes, hand balls, etc. There's always a bit of bumping and pushing off when someone is crowding you. However, the other team got to the point where they were pushing with both hands for no other reason than frustration.
Good Friends with Two Kids hosted the latest wine dinner. It was a great meal with some great wine and conversations.
I mentioned that we tried some scotch and Crown Royal Drinking Aunt said, in a voice reminiscent of the aunts on The Simpsons, "If it is single malt scotch you should drink it all even if it kills you!"
I tried, and thought there was some interesting tastes in it, but if I did drink it all I think I may have then been drunk enough to drink the big glass of wine that was poured for me and then it would have been another bucket night!
I was feeling good when I got home and was able to make it in the door under my own power without bouncing off of anything while going through the house. I think the kids, who waited up for us to come home, were disappointed.
Fizban still makes dashes for the door and freedom. She got out today and stopped right outside the front door. Just as I went to grab her she caught sight of a chick-munk on the stone wall. She went running over there and disappeared over the stone wall. I went back inside to get shoes and hoped I'd be able to find her.
I looked over the wall and there she was, her head buried in the wall looking for the chick-munk. She pulled her head out and gave me a "did you see where it went" look and then stuck her head back in the hole.
She's sitting in the window and composing her "the one that got away" story that she's going to send off to Catnip Spectator.
CEO probably seemed like a great idea at the time.
Beautiful Wife is having an unplanned, unexpected battle with cancer. The good news is that she's apparently winning the battle. Until we hear the results for the blood work and she has the CAT scan we can't say she's 100% out of the woods yet so it is still a difficult time.
She went back to work after having the surgery on her leg and had to deal with a co-worker who was mostly upset because Beautiful Wife didn't take her out to dinner for her birthday a couple of days after the surgery.
No concern, no call, no card just an attitude because she "blew her off."
Of course, I end up having to hear about it all and it gets me pissed off.
I firmly believe that you can never have enough flashlights or knives but haven't bought any recently.
That's going to change today after I heard about the Quick Switch. It is a flashlight that lets you use any size battery (C, D, AA) just by flipping a switch on the battery. How cool is that?
I got a phone call from the doctor yesterday about the "thing" he removed from my back. He got the lab report back and said that it was normal and that there is absolutely nothing wrong.
Now for my orthopedic visit on Monday to check out the cyst on my thumb. I'm falling apart!
I heard from the surgeon today because he called here (I'm working from home) and Beautiful Wife is still at work.
He said that the results from the lab came back and the only thing they found was scar tissue from the prior surgery and cauterization and normal tissue with no signs of melanoma in the surrounding flesh. The surgeon said that of all the possible outcomes, this was the best.
Everything gets sent to an oncologist now for their opinion. We also have the CAT scan on the 20th to see if there really is a mass in her lungs as was shown in the x-ray but this was definitely much needed good news!!!
Beautiful Wife is on pins and needles today as she waits to call and get the biopsy results from the sizable amount of skin and flesh removed from her leg last Tuesday.
She noticed yesterday that along with the normal stitches she has a criss cross pattern over the are that had the most skin removed just to keep it all together.
I told her that she'd likely be in pain and it will be difficult to walk until the stitches are removed.
She went back in to work today. We'll see how she does since she's basically been on the couch, with her leg elevated, for the last six days and now has to sit at a desk for eight hours.
It sounds trite...but I wish it was me that could take this pain and fear on for her.
One of the most difficult things to get over when you get a black belt is the feeling that you really aren't good enough to have it or that you don't "feel" like a black belt.
The most important thing to remember is that you know more than any white belt.
I am much more comfortable teaching now than after I first got my black belt three years ago. I know that there are people in the dojo that may kick better than me or be more flexible. I also know that I'm good at self defense and that I do a good job of teaching others.
There are people in the dojo that I taught when they were white belts. I can see my stamp of teaching on them when the do basics and some of the early katas. The thing that keeps you working on improving is when you see them perform something wrong because you taught them wrong. LOL
My back was a little sore last night, but I had more pain from a tattoo than the tiny surgery so I just sucked it up. It was also hard to complain knowing what Beautiful Wife is going through with her post-op stuff.
I've noticed that I'm eating a lot more and not eating healthy...must be the stress. I need to stop that and do some more physical fitness stuff instead.
I went to the doctor's office at lunch time to have a "growth" removed from my back. I've had it for a while, it keeps getting bigger, and it itches. He removed it and said it looked like a benign growth. Of course, he's the one that thought Beautiful Wifewas over-reacting...
Anyway, he removed it and they're sending it to the lab. I'm sure my back is going to hurt once the pain killer wears off.
I also have an appointment to have a cyst on my left thumb looked at. It bothers me when I do karate and will likely have to be removed.
Sheesh...I sound old...
Wow, was it coming down this morning. Of course, my first priority was to see if there was any water in the basement and to see how the gutters were performing. I did a quick dash out on my deck, in my underwear, to see that they were doing fine. The basement was nice and dry too.
I won't be able to go on my deck in my boxers once the leaves fall off the trees. Once Fall ends we can suddenly see into our neighbor's windows, though they are around 250 feet away. During the Summer you can't even see their house through the trees.
Beautiful Wife had the melanoma removed from her leg yesterday. She expected that she'd end up with a couple of stitches and be done. Instead, in order to take out enough of the area around the cancer, she ended up with an incision that is about 4-5 inches long. I was amazed how deep they went and what that translated into in terms of how thick it was with the skin only being a small part of the total thickness.
I had to go in the room with her after it was done since she was feeling a bit woozy after seeing her own flesh in a lab specimen container. After seeing it myself, I don't blame her at all.
She's at home today, along with her Tylenol 3, recovering from the procedure. We will get the results from that biopsy on Monday.
Son and I borrowed father-in-law's extension ladder so I could check out our gutters. One gutter was overflowing and nothing was coming down the drain. Son held the ladder while I climbed up to check it out. It turns out that a bird had built a nest made of mud and pine needles right in the drain. I cleared it out and then ran water down the drain to make sure it was clear.
We moved the ladder to the other side of the fireplace and I climbed up on the roof. I wanted to check out the chimney and make sure that it wasn't clogged in any way before we used the fireplace.
We have a great view from on top of our house and it would be a great place to lay and look at the stars if it wasn't for the whole climbing up in the dark thing.
I noticed that several branches from the maple tree in front of our house were starting to hang over the roof and gutter. Son climbed the tree and cut down those branches and that really changed the look of the house. I'm used to looking up and seeing leaves overhead when I walk out the door and now it is open to the sky.
Beautiful Wife went to the dermatologist yesterday and got examined head to toe. She says that the doctor used a special magnifying glass and didn't find anything else that was even questionable.
Next stop, surgery to remove the rest of the mole on Tuesday...
Son had his wisdom teeth removed today. He's laying on the couch right now with a specialized ice pack wrapped around his face and fastened over the top of his head.
Of course, the couch is in the living room right across from my desk so I'm front and center for all of the post-operative care. I also had to address the no tv or movies while I'm working rule.
The Three Princesses all returned to school yesterday. I am working from home today and it is nice to not have the regular interruptions that went along with them being home.
However, Beautiful Wife doesn't return to work until next Tuesday so I still have to wait until next week to have actual peace and quiet while I work.