So it Turns out I’m a Pack Rat
In anticipation of the holiday season, which will be here before we know it, I decided to organize some closets today. Both closets had a ton of gift boxes and gift bags, bows, and ribbons, and it was a real challenge. I don’t know why it suddenly became urgent to get organized. It reminded me of the whole nesting instinct, except there is no baby on the way. It was probably the coffee, way too much coffee today.
For years now Mr. BBM has been frowning every time I walk in the house with more wrapping paper, bows or gift bags, especially the gift bags. About a year ago, he decided to organize the gift bags. He made a pile of ones to throw away and I put the nix on that and fast. He wanted to throw away my baby gift bags! I don’t throw anything away or give anything away when it has to do with one of my kids. I have every onesie, every outfit, every piece of baby paraphernalia that you could possibly imagine, and yes, that includes the gift bags. My entire neighborhood could give birth to baby girls and I would still have leftover gift bags.
Because my hoard of gift bags has never been organized by me before, I had no idea just how many I had or exactly what I had. So, I’d see a gift bag I liked and buy it. I’m often throwing a gift into a gift bag as I make my way to the party (Procrastinate much? Why yes.) so I have a ton that I swear I’ll use but never do. I never quite understood why Mr. BBM was so annoyed with me about those gift bags.
Today I think I finally get it.
I counted my gift bags, which are all organized now into four bags/categories: holidays, birthdays, baby/wedding, and general. Care to take a guess at how many gift bags I have?
If you guessed 90, you would be correct. I would have had more. I actually threw about ten of them out. What, only ten? Hey, that’s 10%. That’s progress for a gift bag pack rat. Progress, I tell you!
Yeah, I definitely had too much coffee today.
When I was finished throwing out all the trash from the closets (receipts, old gift tags, wrinkled up wrapping paper, bent beyond recognition gift bags), I threw out three full bags of trash. When I decide to clean a closet out or embark on an organization mission, I finish what I start.
Then there are people like my neighbor.
Last week, she decided to clean out her cat’s litter box. She used a hose in her front yard, which is directly beside my front yard. Instead of drying the thing off in the back yard or drying it off immediately and taking it back inside like I would have done, she did this:
That’s her litter box strewn across the sidewalk in front of my house. I had to sidestep in order to get my groceries in the house. This isn’t the first time either, but that’s for another post.
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Balance, Measurement, and Lots of Smiling
Before Big I went to bed tonight, she stood in the living room on one leg, showing me her improved balance. She’s been working on her balance whenever she gets the chance: at the bus stop, while I’m drying her hair, when she’s watching TV. The good thing is that the wobbly pre-schooler who started taking karate a few years ago, the one who couldn’t do a kick without ending up falling on her butt, is starting to really get it.
After she showed me her "amazing balance," her words, not mine, I told her to try a front snap kick. I watched her pull her knee up, extend her foot out with her foot flexed, retract her foot and then set her foot back down. I told her to try a few in a row. She did it. I told her to try it faster and to hold her fists out in front. She did it. She’s really starting to get it.
During class this week, there was a lot of emphasis on basic movements, kicks, blocks, etc. No matter what rank I’ve been, going back to basics has always been an opportunity to pick something back up that may have been lacking in my technique, something that got glossed over. Apparently Big I is having the same revelations.
After she was done showing me her kicks, she wanted to show me her kata. She has the basic pattern down (for the most part). When she was finished, we broke it down into small parts and I helped her with a couple different things. She really listened. She then asked me if I could show her the waza she needs for testing. She never does that. She never asks me to teach her anything when it comes to karate. She’d rather learn it from a 3rd party. She is definitely making progress in more than one department.
She’s not the only one. While Big I was working on the basics of kicking, the brown and black belts were working on kata. I am happy to say that I think I may have the first five or six moves of Chinto. If you know this kata, you know that statement is monumental. In the past, whenever I have been in a class where Chinto is being done, I have been discouraged. In my style, Chinto is needed for Nidan (2nd degree/dan black belt). Along with Chinto is Sanchin. I mean, I might as well just hang up my belt right after Shodan, right?
Not so fast. A couple of our Shodan’s are working on learning Chinto, so the black belt who was teaching today broke it down into smaller parts. There was lots of repetition. Although I used to love to learn advanced kata, I have found that the closer I get to Shodan, the more slippery the kata’s get that I already know, which makes learning a new one a daunting task. If I work on bo and tunfa, then bo and tunfa kata’s feel great. But when I go back to sai, AHHH! I wish I could go to Best Buy and purchase more memory for the brain. It seems impossible to hold it all in there, learn it so I don’t even have to think about it, and then come up with applications for all of it as well. I guess this is why good martial artists know that learning a martial art is not a race; it’s a journey, one that takes a lifetime.
Those couple Chinto moves might disappear over the next few weeks, but it felt really good to actually do a knee kick along with the crowd instead of sort of hopping around and trying to figure out what the heck just happened. In the past, I used to just skip the kick and meet the rest of the crowd after it at some point, usually while shaking my head and laughing at myself. Today, I got it. It’s probably not perfect. It probably needs work (lots and lots of work), but just keeping up was enough for me today.
After that class there was a black belt workout at the dojo. I stayed, along with another brown belt, and we worked out for a good hour and a half using four different weapons and about eight different kata’s. It was about half way through this class, that Hanshi mentioned that he should probably soon measure the brown belts for black belts since it takes a while to get them in (the black belt that I might one day be lucky enough to earn and receive will have my name embroidered on it in Japanese).
He went on to say, and the other yudansha (black belts) backed him up on this, that he likes to have them so that he can bring them out of the office on occasion, just to let the brown belts see it, be around it (like an oasis in the desert, a black belt with my name on it. . . ). Oh sorry, having a little daydream there. Anyway, the fact that I would even be measured sometime soon, and that a belt would be ordered in anticipation of me ME passing my black belt test. . . well, that right there is enough to make a girl smile. . .
a lot
profusely
ad nauseam
I think you get the idea.
Merry Christmas to me (early)
Class tonight was very cool. We worked on bo basics for a while. It’s always good to revisit basics every once in a while. I seem to always learn something new and am able to take something away to add to my kata. After going over basics, I spent part of the first class working with a green belt on Shihonuke. I noticed a couple little things he could do to improve his kata (like trying to keep his bo more level), told him, and he immediately put them in there. It’s amazing how kids just get it. It’s so much easier to learn when you’re younger. Yet another reason I wish I would have started this karate business a long time ago.
During the advanced class, we worked on three bo kata’s: Shihonuke, Chounokun and Suiyoshi Nokun Ichi. I already have welts on the forearms and will definitely have more bruising tomorrow. The bo for me is like a makiwara. Skinny arms are just not cool when it comes to weapons.
After bo, we worked on Odo No Tunfa Ichi. I was called up to lead the kata and "count it out." When you go to test for Shodan, the panel of Renshi kai sits in front of you. They take turns either counting in English, Japanese, or just doing a short kiai so that everyone stays together. I was ALWAYS worried about this since everyone counts a little bit differently. I found out tonight that it is not easy to count (kiai) and do the kata at the same time. Although I made it through the whole thing with only a small mistake at the end, I found I had to use a lot of brain power to make it happen. Yet another thing I need to practice-the list, it continues to grow.
With tunfa, I have always felt that I was at a bit of a disadvantage because when flipping the tunfa back, I could never make them stop right beside my forearms. Guys seem to have some extra meat there and the tunfa always rests so nicely. Since I don’t have that, I have to compensate by using major control to stop that weapon from continuing its arc. It can get very annoying and difficult to do.
At the end of class, Hanshi was discussing how important it is to have the proper fit when it comes to weapons. He showed how his custom made tunfa just fit his grip and his forearms perfectly. I took one look at my tunfa and knew they were all wrong. After class, he confirmed this for me. So, we went into his office and he got out this contraption that actually measures your grip and arm length exactly. The next time I’m in, he’s going to help me pick a type of wood to order and then I’m placing my order for custom made Shureido tunfa. I CAN NOT WAIT to get them.
Hanshi showed me his collection of tunfa, the different types of wood and finishes and I’m going to have some major decisions to make. I was telling Mr. BBM that I wanted to get new weapons, so I figured I’ll start with these and replace them as I go. When I got home tonight, I informed Mr. BBM that he bought me a Christmas present tonight. It will probably take them that long to arrive, so no time like the present to place the order.
What’s with the feet?
I don’t like feet. I mean, they’re all fine and good for getting around on and stuff. They certainly make a nice weapon against a potential attacker when connected to a good kick; but overall, they’re pretty gross. You won’t find me ever giving anyone a foot rub. I don’t expect anyone to do the same for me either (O.k. I’m not counting when I was pregnant-what rational person can blame me?). My husband has the nicest, softest feet I’ve ever seen on any man, yet if he moves those puppies anywhere near me, I’m telling him to move them and NOW. Unless the feet are attached to a baby, they can keep their distance.
A couple night ago, I was checking my visitor stats on this blog. I kept noticing that one particular search was landing one determined person on my site over and over again. This particular person used the exact same search terms and continued to go to one particular post of mine for a good hour and a half. The google search that was bringing this person to my site. . .
"yummy feet."
That search was taking this particular person to the image found in this post, the one where I wrote about my misadventures with a self tanner. Go and take a quick look if you don’t recall. I think most will tend to agree with me that the picture featured in that post most certainly does not show "yummy feet." Seriously, not even close. The most disturbing thing is that this person was doing a google image search, which means he knew exactly what he was getting into when he clicked on that picture of my very discolored feet. I’m thinking someone needs some help.
It’s moments like this that I realize that the internet is not made up of mostly normal people like me, and like those of you reading this right now (most of you anyway). There are truly some weird people out there.
Take for example, the friends requests I get on a daily basis on another particular site from men who seem perfectly normal when they make their initial request. However, one visit to their site reveals a guy with a weird obsession with women’s feet, pictures of womens feet, and even poetry about feet. Needless to say, those friends requests are denied. Frequently. Those feet people are determined people, let me just tell you. I guess I just don’t get why someone would choose feet as their favorite part when there are so many other more appealing parts to choose from. I didn’t realize that being a martial artist would put me out there for all the foot weirdo’s.
To be perfectly honest, I’ll take searches for "mature woman karate" over "yummy feet" anyday. Considering the alternative, "mature" just doesn’t seem that bad.
What’s the strangest search that has landed people on your site?
*I will be launching a new blog soon called "BBM Thinks. . . ". This blog will be home to reviews of all different kinds of books, products, etc. Because I am completely clueless in the design department, I thought I might open it up to my fabulous readers. If you can create an interesting header for the blog, you will receive design credit on the site with a link back to your site and/or email, and possibly searches for "yummy feet" that land on your site (O.k. I’m just kidding about that last part). Interested? Shoot me an email or leave me a comment letting me know.
The Agony, The Ecstacy
You should know that I despise the Dallas Cowboys. I can’t stand TO (drama queen), and for as long as I can remember I just haven’t liked them as a team. It’s practically a requirement when you live where I live. You are brought up hating the Cowboys because they’re, well, the Cowboys. Cheering for them just isn’t done.
For that reason, you’ll have to keep this between us.
Last night, I jumped so high that I almost hit the ceiling when Nick Folk (Dallas Cowboy kicker) nailed a 53 yard field goal, not once but twice. TWICE! You see, when Folk nailed that kick and several others that night, he was contributing to my fantasy football win by exactly one point (73-72).
I had joked the entire day that I needed Folk to have a career night. I needed him to get 20 fantasy points to win, and 20 fantasy points is exactly what he got. I can’t remember the last time I was that happy.
Mr. BBM was laughing at me as I began leaping around my living room, high fiving him, jumping up and down and yelling with excitement and laughter.
This, my friends, is what fantasy football does to you. It makes you cheer for a Cowboy.
In my other league, I’m not faring as well having lost again (102-98). You know you’re having a bad day when your tight end outscores your QB Vince Young (a whopping two fantasy points), LenDale White (a pathetic one point), Deion Branch (one point before leaving the game with an injury), and Jerricho Cotchery (three lousy points) combined. With a combined seven points between those four, my tight end, Ben Watson, outscored them all by 21 points. That’s just wrong.
If I had played Brian Leonard, in place of LenDale White, I would have won. If I had played Derrick Ward instead of White, I would have won. Nothing is more aggravating than that, except perhaps the outscoring issue as noted above.
I’m also surfing the waiver wires for new QB’s. Trent Green is done; so is Delhomme, and I’m just not feeling confident resting all my fantasy eggs in Vince Young’s two-point getting basket.
It seems it has become impossible to win games in both leagues at the same time. It’s just not going to happen. If that does happen, it could be very bad for my ceiling and my head.
Who was your biggest disappointment this week? Who made you want to jump for joy?
***I know I have some design savvy readers out there. I will be launching a new blog soon called "BBM Thinks. . . ". This blog will be home to reviews of all different kinds of books, products, etc. Because I am completely clueless in the design department, I thought I might open it up to my fabulous readers. If you can create an interesting header for the blog, you will receive design credit on the site with a link back to your site and/or email. Interested? Shoot me an email or leave me a comment letting me know.
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