Exhaustion Equals Photo Post
I've been completely exhausted after spending almost the entire weekend and all last week working on the patio. Fortunately, we had some good help from my in-laws and also from some awesome neighbors who showed up with gloves on to work in the rain with us on Friday. I hadn't even promised them beer or anything, although I have told them they can be our first guests on the new patio. Let me just tell you that it was a lot more fun to play the role of director than having to lift rocks that weighed way more than I do.
Today I spent the entire day working on the planter that is in the interior of the patio. I'm too tired to be funny or to write much of anything. Plus, I have to catch up on The Next Food Network finale and the new Design Star episodes (if I can stay awake), so consider this a photo essay.
Enjoy.
The rock garden walkway. . .
The patio entrance. . .
The patio. . . (ignore the graffiti-like Bilco door. The painters still owe us some work.)
The planter I worked on all day long is in this picture, to the right. . .
I can't even tell you how happy I am that it is finished. From concept to creation, we did much of it ourselves (with help from some awesome hardscapers to dig out the foundation, grade, level and build us our step).
Now I just need some very on sale tiki torches.
As requested below. . .
The Ultimate Patio Work-Out
Last night, Mr. BBM and I started laying the stone for our flagstone patio. My parents came to help for a while and we also had the assistance of my neighbor's dad who's like a visual tetris master. The most challenging part of laying the patio is that the big rocks are ridiculously heavy.
Today I am paying for it big time. Legs, arms, fingers, shoulders and my back are all hurting. Something tells me it will all be worth it when it's over. When I called Mr. BBM at work this morning to ask him how he's feeling, he said he's "fine." He also said, "I've been working out" to explain why he's not sore like I am. Yeah, because his work-outs obviously involve lifting rocks that are hundreds of pounds. He's lucky he was at work when I asked him or else I think I would have given him something to be sore about.
The Classic Landscape guys dug out the foundation and put gravel and sand down. They also did a great job building the step. Now the rest is up to us.
We think we're about 40% finished. Some of the larger joints will get smaller pieces as we find or break ones to fit. Then the joints get filled in with polymeric sand which hardens up after it's wet and then dries. We hope to finish over the weekend (by the weekend would be even more fantastic).
I also spent part of the day yesterday creating a mosaic tile pattern on our old patio table. It's turning out really cool. Today is grout day so we'll see how that goes. I'm thinking much of my back soreness has to do with bending over that table all afternoon.
By the end of the weekend, I hope I can show you my new and improved table on my newly completed patio.
My Daughter Rocks
I have an entirely new appreciation and respect for my daughter. After five years of karate, she quit and started Danzan Ryu Ju-Jutsu, and I have spent the past couple months watching her in class. I honestly didn't think she was going to like it. When the most important component to your training is how to fall properly, you know you're going to be hitting the ground frequently. Yet she has taken it all in stride.
Her most challenging ju-jutsu move to date has been the forward roll fall. Many of you may remember our little incident at tumbling class last summer, so it came as no surprise to me that she was having issues. Her Sensei however, was persistent, along with the other students, and they found ways to get her to learn how to do it properly.
When starting from kneeling wasn't really working, they broke out a giant exercise ball and taught her proper technique by rolling on top of the ball. After slamming her face one night which brought her to tears, I never thought I'd see the day that she would get it.
Last night, she needed no ball for her right side forward roll. She finally has it. She was absolutely beaming.
When Big I's class was over, the Okinawan Kenpo group showed up to have a ju-jutsu session. There were nine of us in attendance, and three ju-jutsu students. We worked on basic break falls first, then roll falls and then moved into throws and some ground-fighting.
During the side-fall, I actually skipped the first one. As I went to bend my left knee, my body had a mind of its own and I just couldn't do it. I've had this problem in karate class too. Sometimes my knee just decides it's not going to cooperate. Once the instructor showed me at a slower pace I was ok, but while doing it, I couldn't help but be in awe of how effortless Big I makes it seem now.
She's also really good at off-balancing. I worked with one of the guys she usually works with, who gives you nothing unless you really have the technique right, and I was absolutely amazed, knowing how I've seen her throw him around and sweep his feet sometimes.
The best part of the night, for me, was learning some of the ground-fighting techniques. I'm going to be helping with a women's self defense class that starts this week, and I know that's a frequent question. "What do you do when you're pinned down?" Last night I was able to put a couple more techniques in my pocket for such a scenario and I'm really excited about them.
I came home last night and told Big I how proud I am of her for finding the martial art that suits her best. I have a feeling she's going to be doing ju-jutsu for a lifetime, and I am so excited to watch her grow and learn. After all, it's only been a few months and she's already pretty awesome.
Stupid Feet
You know you've had a good work-out when your toes hurt.
On Saturday morning, I attended a black belt work-out at the dojo. We usually have visitors from other dojo's come, but I was especially delighted to see Sensei Carla Molinaro attending this one. She is a Goju-Ryu practitioner and she is intense. During summer training camp, I attended a Sanchin seminar with her and I was impressed.
Although a good foot shorter than many of the men she used as uke, she was doing an excellent job of pushing them around. She explained that the Goju style is sort of like a gnat. In your face, constantly bothering and pushing you around. I'll tell you right now that after watching her for a while, I can think of many more men I'd want to tangle with before I'd ever think about making her upset with me.
Hanshi asked Sensei Molinaro to run the warm-ups on Saturday morning and I've never experienced anything like it. The warm-ups combined stretching with striking and conditioning and there wasn't a person who wasn't drenched when we were finished.
One of the things she had us do was a real challenge. She talked about the importance of gripping the floor with your feet and then had us do some foot exercises. We took turns lifting up our big toes while gripping the floor with our other four toes. Then we'd switch and grip with our big toes while lifting the other four toes up. When she noticed some of us were having a bit of trouble (it was quite challenging), she laughed and told us that putting our feet in sneakers makes our feet "stupid."
Next she had us move our bodies forward using only our toes to crawl us along. I happen to have finger-toes so I was ok with this exercise, but each and every one of the warm-ups made your body "think" and work to coordinate and then add power.
I am definitely intrigued by the Goju-Ryu style. The conditioning drills are excellent and watching Sensei Molinaro, there is no doubt they work and work quite well. I am thankful to be part of an organization that incorporates many different styles. Exposure to different styles and new ways of making your body stronger and smarter is something I absolutely love.
Now if someone could just please tell me how to stretch out my toes properly, I'd really appreciate it.
***If you'd like to win some free Chex Mix Bars, go leave a comment at The BBM Review pronto!
Of Insults, Stripping, and Riding Escalators Like Buddy the Elf
I've been solo with the girls since Sunday while Mr. BBM has been on a business trip. Picking up his night time duties like bedtime and feeding the cats has thrown me for a real loop. The first night almost literally, as my cat decided to weave in and out of my legs as I was trying to put his food down and I nearly fell on my butt.
I decided the girls and I needed a change of scenery yesterday so we went out for lunch and then to the mall to cash in some Gymbucks. I should have known it was going to be an interesting day when Lil C whined for a good hour before we left.
However, we got to the restaurant and were having a nice meal. For a change, Lil C wasn't sitting directly on top of me and chose instead to sit on the opposite side of the booth with her sister. This was working out fine until a very overweight woman decided to leave the restaurant. Lil C's eyes locked on the back of the woman and I desperately tried to distract her. I knew what was coming; this wasn't the first time.
"Ooh, look, what's that outside? Is your lemonade good? What flavor is it? What did you color? What a pretty picture you drew there. . . "
And then she said something to the effect of, "Mommy, you are not big like her Mommy. Your butt is not big like that" as I pretty much sprawled across the table trying to physically close her mouth and over talk her so that the poor woman wouldn't hear.
I don't know why she felt the need to reassure me that my butt wasn't big. I mean, it was a nice thought; but clearly my 3-year old is lacking the filter.
Later we went to the mall and there was a woman making pancakes in the department store to demonstrate something they were selling. The girls both ate a pancake while we chatted with the woman. She looked to be only about in her 50's, but that didn't stop Lil C from saying "Yook at the nice yittle old yady. She's a nice yittle old yady Mommy." It was like she was a skipping record or something. I tried to make it seem like she was calling herself a "yittle old yady" and turn it around on her. But she became even more adamant about insuring this woman knew that Lil C thought she was both little and old.
I was horrified for the second time of the day, but the woman was so nice that she just kept talking to us. I was ready to leave but I wanted to check one more store for something.
We walked down the mall and I stopped to look at some sunglasses on the way. I was trying them on and asking the girls what they thought when Big I erupted in laughter. I turned around to see Lil C holding her dress up at her neck and shaking her butt. I instantly flashed back to the night we were taking care of our cats at my sister's house when our house was being built. There was Lil C spinning around a pole in the basement like a professional. Mr. BBM and I just shook our heads. I was having another one of those moments.
I quickly told her she wouldn't be wearing dresses anymore if she couldn't keep her clothes on while Big I whispered that she had also kind of pulled her underwear down a bit to reveal her little butt. Yeah, exactly what a Mom wants while standing at a kiosk in the mall.
We quickly moved to the final location and went up the escalator. On the way up, Big I asked me about whether or not it was possible to have the escalator suck your toes off. I told her "yes" and that she needed to step up and off quickly at the top and bottom. Apparently I scared her, because when we were finished upstairs and coming back down, I turned around to Big I's panicked yelling. There she was, sideways with one foot still on the stationary platform and the other slowly inching away from her as the escalator put her into a full on straddle.
I screamed for her to get her other foot on and she quickly dragged it on, but not before having the edge of the step scrape up the traveling leg. It reminded me of that scene from Elf, where Will Farrell rides the escalator for the first time.
I figured it was time to take my little insulting stripper and accident prone daughters home. This is why I don't shop that much.
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