October 10, 2008
Getting Picked on is Universal
I went to the house yesterday to drop off all my bathroom mirrors. There were three guys there installing my hardwood floors when I arrived. Because it was in the morning, I was thinking that they wouldn’t have much of it done. They told me it was a two day job, so I didn’t bother to take a look before getting to the business of carrying my mirrors inside.
As I walked the first mirror in and went up the back staircase, it blocked my view of the dining room and foyer. After dropping off the first mirror, I headed back down and was greeted with this view.
"Woo hoo!" I yelled, "That looks awesome!" They guys smiled at me and kept working. Whenever I’ve been around them, they are always talking in Italian. I so wish I could speak that language. You just know they’re discussing your butt or the large zit on your forehead (or in my case the mosquito bites, I swear).
I had five mirrors to bring in and I had to bring them one at a time. They are seriously heavy. As I was bringing in the 4th mirror, I heard one of the guys saying with his Italian accent, "Woo hoo, that looks awesome." He kept repeating it at regular intervals and the other two guys were laughing each time. They clearly thought I had left.
I quietly continued taking my mirrors to the bathrooms and when I turned the corner, I almost ran right into one of the guys. With a bewildered look on his face, he started speaking Italian to the other guys. I can pretty much bet he was saying, "Oh crap, she’s still here! Shut-up!"
I smirked at him and said, "You know, you may be speaking Italian, but being picked on is a universal language. I totally get that you’re making fun of me. I’m a teacher. Nothing gets by a teacher." The guys were congregating around me as I gave my little speech and they all started cracking up laughing as they realized they were clearly busted.
I then told them they should be happy I’m so excited, because it means I think they’re doing a good job. The one guy was laughing so hard during the lecture that he could barely breath. Finally, he stopped laughing just long enough to apologize. "No apology is necessary," I told him. "Just keep up the good work!"
They certainly did do a great job. They finished the entire job in just one day and it looks beautiful.
One of my Italian "friends" who was clearly thrilled to be a part of my house building picture portfolio collection.
The dishwasher goes in today. Lights go in Monday and my counter tops go in Tuesday or Wednesday. 10 days to go.
October 9, 2008
Me and My Annoying Knee
I went to the dojo tonight for the early class. I figured if I was feeling good enough, I’d stay for the late class. I wasn’t so I didn’t.
Stretches went fine until we got to the sit-ups. I had no idea that ACL surgery also eliminates stomach muscles, but apparently it does. I haven’t exactly kept up with sit-ups in my months away from karate. I’m going to pay for that tomorrow.
Push-ups went better if you ignore the awkward girl stance I was in with my bad leg out straight and all my weight balanced between my hands and my one good knee. Something tells me my good knee may soon be my second bad knee.
We started off class with some basic moving drills; and they were uncomfortable and nerve-wracking. I wanted to be concentrating on my hip movement, my stances and making my arms do the right things at the right time. Instead, I spent the entire moving drill concentrating on that sink, twist and step out motion that was causing twinges of pain every single time I did them.
We then stood in Nai Hanchi for a while and worked on different strikes. While I wanted to concentrate on my punches, I ended up watching myself in the mirror and the obvious lean I was doing onto my good leg. I kept trying to make myself center up again, but I’d always find myself leaning back to the right side again.
Then I got a cramp in my calf muscle. My leg muscles just aren’t conditioned enough yet. Nai Hanchi stances kills. When we moved on to some kicking drills, I bowed out for a bit. Soon, I was called to go downstairs for Big I’s promotion. She got a promotion and a stripe tonight and another green belt dad and I got to play the role of "yudansha."
Big I thought it was fun to bow to me after she was given her certificate. I was just relieved when I could get off the floor after agonizing in an awkward seiza which was pretty much me kneeling on one knee with my left leg hanging out awkwardly to the left.
When I went back upstairs, they were working on more kicking drills. I don’t have clearance to do that yet, and I was feeling sore and tired so I went home.
Unlike the week before, I didn’t have a good ride home. This knee business absolutely sucks on so many levels. I’m one of those people that wants to do something and do it well. Right now, I can’t do anything well when it comes to karate. I can’t clear my head because I’m always worried about my knee; and I can’t do anything the way its supposed to be done.
I feel like a slacker and a loser and I don’t like it one bit. Maybe it was too soon to go back. Maybe I’m just not there yet. On the drive home, all I kept thinking is that I may not ever get back to where I was before and that is beyond frustrating.
I’m going to try to just get it out of my head. I’m reading a book called "Me, Chi and Bruce Lee" about a guy who attempts to get a black belt, gets a bunch of injuries, and "learns what the martial arts is all about." I’m on Chapter 3 right now and I’m thinking this is just the book I need to be reading right now.
October 8, 2008
Floor and Cabinets and Sinks, Oh MY!
Things are getting exciting people. . .
The kitchen cabinets are in!
We took these when it was REALLY dark outside and we don’t yet have our electric turned on, but I couldn’t wait to show you. When I stop by tomorrow, I’ll get daytime pictures.
My above-the-refrigerator wine rack. This was my idea and the cabinet guy made it custom for a lot less money than one would think he would charge.
Woo hoo! The master bathroom. We just need our tile surrounding the jacuzzi tub now and the tile is done!
This is the hall bath:
Now we just need our countertops, appliances, lights (being installed on Monday). . .
I am bursting with excitement!!!
October 7, 2008
Call the Fashion Police and Get me some Hydrocortisone
I hate to wash new clothing. What fits perfectly in the store always fits differently after being washed. I neglected to pick out my clothes for teaching last night, so I was scrambling in a dark closet this morning. A wash in cold water and a dry on delicate didn’t help. My pants that were previously the perfect length are now an inch shorter. They’re not flood pants but they’re not touching my heels the way I like.
My sweater said "lay flat to dry" but it was put in the dryer by accident. It now shows my puny muscular arms and my lower back when I sit. It’s not at all cool, but not enough of a reason to abandon the outfit altogether.
As I was finishing up in the bathroom, my Mom walked by me and told me that the pocket flaps on the butt were sticking up. I hate ironing, but this was one pair of pants that needed it. Unless I wanted to look like I had wings on my butt, I was going to have to break out the iron. I begrudgingly made my way to the laundry room and worked for a good five minutes to get those flaps flat. I abandoned the mission when I realized that it just wasn’t going to happen. They weren’t sticking straight up anymore, but they definitely didn’t look the way they did when I bought them.
I should also mention that I have two mosquito bites on my forehead. One is dead center and the other is right near the part in my hair. Unless I take the Donald Trump approach, there was just no way to create a sweeping bang that sufficiently covered up the bites. When I get a mosquito bite, it’s very bad. I have scars on my legs from them. Apparently, I am very sensitive and possibly even allergic to them, and I react badly. The forehead is no exception to the swelling and redness that accompanies such a bug bite for me. I’ve been getting picked on by my family for days now.
So, with flaps sticking up on my pants and a heavy sweeping bang, I trudged off to campus this morning, intent on keeping the attention off of me and my obvious fashion and complexion faux-pas.
I felt I had made it and was walking down the steps of the building that houses my classroom after class, when a man with a large camera approached me. He surprised me and asked if he could use me as a model. I didn’t feel like I really had a choice. I sort of nodded and he mumbled that he would be right back. In his place, he left a huge camera case filled with equipment.
A student was nearby studying outside and he said, "Don’t worry. He’s legit. He was in my class taking pictures this morning." So I waited and he emerged with a student who looked as bewildered and unsure as I felt. He instructed us to walk awkwardly close together, down the sidewalk, while he stood about a half block away snapping pictures of us. He instructed us to smile and use hand gestures. I had never seen this student before. Awkward was putting it lightly.
We exchanged introductions as we walked down the sidewalk. Then the photographer had us stop, go back and start over again. This time, he wanted us to walk even more closely together, with more hand gestures. He did, however, tell me that my hair was behaving just as it should. "It’s blowing in the breeze beautifully." "Good," I thought to myself, "then maybe people won’t notice my forehead."
After we had walked down the sidewalk three times, the photographer had us stand extremely close together. He instructed me to stand there and appear interested, smiling, while the student had to use hand gestures. We did this for at least five minutes. We were running out of casual conversation for when you have to stand too close to someone.
When we were all finished, I asked the photographer how these pictures will be used. Apparently, the admissions office will be using them for their website, brochures and other promotional materials (including advertisements) for the university.
At this point, I’m just worried about showing up in the "don’t" column of some magazine. Maybe I’ll get on a makeover show someday after all.
October 6, 2008
Single-Handedly Solving the Economic Crisis
Today, the tile guys were in our house putting in our kitchen and bathroom floors. The stone guys would have finished the exterior this weekend, had they not run out of stone. Things are definitely moving, as well they should be. It’s just two weeks until settlement.
The kitchen cabinets go in on Wednesday and the hardwood goes in on Thursday and Friday. It’s going to be an exciting week. Tonight, Mr. BBM sent me through the family room window so I could make my way to the front door and let him in. We’re officially at the sneaky entry stage.
With the move just two weeks away, I like to think that Mr. BBM and I are helping the economy by purchasing this new house. We are paying the salaries of the builder’s guys and the subcontractors. We’ll also be giving Lowe’s a bump in profits this month. There are so many things to buy for this house!
We decided to wait until we’re actually moved in to figure out blinds and curtains for each room. We will, however, have to get something for the bathroom windows so that we can put them up asap. I was thinking that I might already have curtains for much of the house already. Then I realized something. In the house we sold, we had 11 windows. In our new house, we’ll have 11 windows just upstairs! There are an additional 13 downstairs, plus sliding glass doors.
So far, on our list to help the economy, we have:
- mailbox post
- mailbox
- blinds/curtains for five bathroom windows
- two automatic garage door openers
- bathroom hardware for master bathroom
- trash & recycling cans
- stools for breakfast island (already purchased-you’re welcome Pier 1)
- Under-cabinet lights (We roughed in but decided to do it ourselves)
- Lights for all the closets (We roughed in but decided to do it ourselves)
- New Christmas tree (We threw our mess of a tree away last year after realizing that we could no longer spin the unlit parts around to the back anymore. There were just that many unlit spots.)
- New toaster (We tossed that too when we packed up and moved. We’ve had it since college and it was starting to give us flame-grilled toast.)
- About 1000 other things
So, to all of you fearing that your stocks are taking a hit, that your 401K will never be the same, never fear. BBM is here to single-handedly jump start the economy. Inside trading tip: purchase Lowe’s stock. Do it NOW!
There are some new reviews up at The BBM Review. If you’re interested in winning a Sesame Street K’nex set, don’t forget to leave a comment on that review. There are also reviews up of two new martial arts books.
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