1996-2010
I haven't updated my blog in forever, but here I am sharing. We lost our Toby The Cat the day after Christmas. I was able to keep him home (he hated the car and the vet more than anything) wrapped in his favorite blanket on my lap by the pellet stove. In a house with two other cats and two dogs, it feels rather empty without him.
Promotion test today. I seriously do not test well. Started off with blanking on my terminology, but recovered well enough to move along. Moved along to forms where they messed with my head by asking for them out of order. Lucky for me the master instructor corrected this before it totally threw me out of whack. I did manage to get some air for my flying kicks, but was on my toes too much during sparring. Guess I tossed the male person a little harder than he cared for during take downs. Alana usually doesn't stress during testing, but today it was board breaking that did her in. Just lost her focus. Ofcourse, I was the one with the ice pack on my hand. What on earth possessed me to do a right handed break? I never use my right hand. So now we are at our last belt at the intermediate level. Beginning our internship and teaching will be around the corner.
2010 Harley Davidson Road King
After reading Patti's blog post about her new, hot sunglasses, I said to myself (see, Patti, I do that too) "self, you should share your new, pretty stuff".
Some of you may be unaware of my like of nontraditional pretty things. I believe I have done a post in the past about my new, sparkly gear.
After having my ribs broken...twice in six months, my physician became rather more insistent that I wear some type of rib protection while sparring. Something about healing slower as you age, early risk of osteoporosis, blah, blah, blah. The master black belt instructor took him more seriously.
My sparring nights now had me wearing the bulky, cumbersome, not so pretty tae kwon do chest/rib protector. I was bubble boy. I adjusted.
Time came to order new gear to supply the dojang. The big boss has become more serious about raising the bar for protective gear. Head gear with face shields are now being worn by some...and I have new, pretty gear. *sigh* If it only came in sparkly purple.