Kumite

On Wednesday nights, Linde and I have been getting on Yahoo IM and going over Master Shimabuku's Kumite. Well, she has been teaching it to me since we don't learn it in our dojo. However, in doing so, I've discovered just how hard it can be trying to learn without seeing the technique performed. I am still not sure if I am doing it right, since I can't see what she is doing, and she can't see what I'm doing. I think, once I get each section down, I'll get someone to film me and put it on YouTube so she can see what I'm doing and make corrections. Then I'll teach it to sensei. That's one thing about my sensei. He's always been open to new ideas, or to techniques we learn at seminars and stuff. Some sensei's aren't like that. Their students, especially kyu ranks, are not allowed to attend seminars, or visit other dojos, or learn from someone of a different lineage. I even knew a lady whose sensei made her leave an e-mail group simply because it was one he didn't belong to. Apparently, she was only allowed to be a part of his group. That's just too controlling, and borders on cultic.

I once went to an Advincula seminar, in which Sensei Advincula made the remark that students come to his seminars, learn the "right" way to do things, then go back to their dojo and right back to doing it the way they had been taught before. I didn't say anything at the time out of respect for Sensei Advincula, but I was thinking, Well yeah. We have to do things the way those who will be testing us want them done.

I have the highest respect for Sensei Advincula, but I am of the Don Nagle/Ken Pittaway/Bill Pogue lineage. I am tested by a board which is certified through Bill Pogue's association. From here on out, I will be board tested. Once you reach 1st kyu, your sensei cannot test you any more. Shodan and above requires being tested in front of the board. I have to do things the way that lineage teaches them.

I did go to the dojo party tonight, and it was rather boring. I was the only adult there. James and Cody were there, but the rest were all little kids. The best part of the party was after everyone had left and sensei and I just sat and chatted for a while. He talked again about starting a black belt class, and I told him I'd be there for sure. If I go, I'm sure I can get James to go, too. I'm not sure about Mr. Tedder. His Crohn's disease has been acting up and he spent much of the last month in the hospital. I'm sure when he gets to feeling better, he might come as well. The worst part? Those people didn't leave me any leftover ro-tel, again!

I had a rather busy day today, including two trips to Wal-mart. I usually go grocery shopping on Friday, but decided to go today since Cody's art class is having a party tomorrow. He wanted to take chocolate chip cookies, only I didn't have any chocolate chips. So I decided to go shopping a day early and get some for him. Ok, so I do my shopping, get home, get all my groceries put away and get ready to start the cookies. Guess what I didn't have? Right. The chocolate chips. After another flying trip in to town, the chocolate chip cookies were made with no further incident.

Because I was so busy, I didn't knit anything but the rest of the December mid month KAL:

The lady who posted about hating sent an explanation to the list. She said it was "hatin", not "hating" as if dropping the g and pronouncing it in vernacular somehow made it ok. She said it was something her kids got from a movie and they say it all the time, so it doesn't mean anything. Personally, I think that if that's the way she feels, she needs to pay more attention to what her kids are watching and saying. But that's just me...

Lou is an artist. She has recently begun doing a painting of the week. About a month ago, she painted this handsome fellow. I was rather taken with this painting. A bit later, she asked me to send her my address because she wanted to send me a Christmas Card. Darned if she didn't send me the cowboy:
He now occupies a place of honor on my computer desk--right next to the ceramic nativity my Aunt and I made some 25 years ago--instead of being piled with the other Christmas cards to be discarded once the holiday season is over. Thank you Lou. He looks even better in person.

I was emptying my bulk mail folder this afternoon. Every so often I glance through the titles and senders before deleting them all, just to make sure a legitimate e-mail hasn't been put in that folder by mistake. It's happened before. I just had to laugh at some of the subject lines:

• Are cankerworm do exuberant


• With resolution to protactinum


• Are cantilever a public


• Her be vapid

Do they honestly think that anyone would regard those as legitimate e-mails? As phrases, they don't even make sense. One was even dated Friday Dec 20, 2002. I mean, come on--how stupid do they think we are?

I guess a few Nyquil free nights have woken my brain up considerable, because I've yammered on quite a bit this evening. Sorry about that...


Today's Pic: Biscuits with home made Alaskan Fireweed Jelly sent to me by my sister who lives in Fairbanks.
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Music

Buck and Lou both have been posting about music recently. I've really avoided the conversation, since I lean more towards liking individual songs rather than any one particular style. I used to be a die hard Country music fan, but country has changed over the last few years that I don't much like it any more. Every so often, there is a good song that comes out--usually put out by one of the older artists--such as George Strait or Alan Jackson. Most of what they put out these days is rubbish.

I do have rather eclectic taste in music. I like songs from pretty much all types except rap/hip hop. Whether those count as music is a debatable point anyway. I'm not much into opera, either, though my dad loved it. But I do like classical music.

Cody has been coming home all this week going on and on about the awesome song they are learning in band now. He just can't stop talking about it. "It's a really cool song, Mom. You need to hear it." Finally, after much searching on the internet, I found it:

In The Valley of The Ancients *

He's right. It's an awesome song. I keep playing it over and over, and can't wait to hear Cody's band playing it.

On a totally different track, this is one of my all time favorite songs. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Now for an abrupt change of subject...I ran into sensei at the post office today. I told him that I was planning on coming back next month, and he said he was planning on working with us--meaning James and me--more. He said things have kind of slowed down at the dojo, and he'll have more time for us. I said that was good because I wanted to participate, and I really missed being there. Tomorrow is the dojo party, and we are planning on going to that.

Here are today's KAL rows:

I'm kind of surprised reading e-mails from the KAL group that so many people are having a hard time with this one. Someone even wrote a message accusing those of us who haven't had any trouble with it as "hating". The exact e-mail said:

Don't be hatin, those of you who got it right the first time. Some of us are just pattern challenged.

I was bumfuzzled when I read that because no one on that group has been anything other than supportive and encouraging. People have gone to great lengths to help the newer knitters figure out the pattern.

According to my Funk & Wagnalls Desk Standard Dictionary Copyright 1926, the verb to hate is defined as To regard with extreme aversion; detest; feel or cherish hatred. Apparently, these days it means to attempt to help someone with less experience than yourself try to figure something out or stating that you weren't having any problem with the pattern. I've also seen it mean to disagree, as in the following fictitious example:

"McDonald's has the best hamburgers."

"I like Burger King hamburgers."

"HATER!!!!!"

Apparently hate has become one of those words that means whatever the user wants it to mean, kind of like truth. As for me, I have to agree with Mayamoto Musashi, who said<

Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is and you must bend to its power or live a lie.

NOTE* Sometimes the link works, sometimes it doesn't. If you have trouble, just keep trying. It'll eventually link to the right page. Also, this is not Cody's band playing in that clip. They will probably perform it for the spring concert, and you can bet I'll post it when they do.

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I'm Free! (Again)

Today was my last day of work until Jan 2. Unfortunately, Cody has school through the rest of this week, so I can't sleep in just yet.

The good news is that my cough seems to be settling down some. The bad news is that I still can't think of a single thing to blog about! It's like my brain has gone dead these last few days. Maybe the unseasonable heat has something to do with that. It is supposed to start raining later this evening, though, and rain all through Christmas. It will cool down a bit, with lows in the 30s and highs in the 50s. Better than it has been being with highs in the mid 70's.

I mopped my kitchen floor over the weekend, but with all the rain, the yard is so muddy it didn't do any good. Within an hour or so, there were so many muddy doggy footprints, I might as well have saved myself the trouble.

I am happy to report that my Christmas shopping is done. Everyone who is going to get a present now has one somewhere--either under my tree or on its way (or waiting to be mailed) except for Cody's Aunt Denise. I was going to draw her one of my winter scenes, but accidentally grabbed Cody's watercolor paper instead of my regular drawing paper. I didn't like the way it was turning out, and I'm going to start over. So it may be a little late that she gets it. Now, where did I put my drawing pad...

Today's KAL rows:
I didn't do another dishcloth today, other than the KAL. I did work a bit on this prayer shawl:

It is going to be my priority until it gets done. Cindy had asked what pattern I use. I found it. It is taken from this blog. There is another "official" prayer shawl pattern in which you cast on in multiples of three and then knit three and purl three until it is done. On the following rows, knit the purls and purl the knit stitches so you don't end up with ribbing. The multiples of three represent the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I am not using that one because it works up better in a chunky or bulky weight boucle, which I don't have on hand. The one I am using works up better in worsted and suits my purposes just fine.

Sensei has invited me to the dojo Christmas party Thursday night, and I think we are going to go. I need to get him to go over sunsu with me, because I think I've forgotten part of it. I hope to be back in the dojo regularly next month. Cody's grades are coming up--well, some of them at least. Science, Social Studies and Career Discovery have all come up since progress reports. No word yet on English and Math.

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Just A Quick Post

before the Nyquil kicks in to bring you todays KAL rows:

and today's completed dishcloth.

Ok, I don't know why this picture won't show up in focus. It certainly doesn't look like that in my photo album. I've taken several shots of this and they all upload this way.

I hope my posts will get more interesting soon, but as of right now my voice sounds a bit like a chain-smoking bullfrog, and my brain is about half asleep. So I'm just going to bed. Goodnight.

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Relief!

After spending the last two days and nights coughing my head off, I finally found my Nyquil and Fisherman's Friend! I'd coughed so much I'd rubbed my throat raw. Let me tell you, Fisherman's Friend may be the worst tasting thing I'd ever put into my mouth, but for a cough drop, it works.

I watched a little football this afternoon, but Dallas played yesterday, and Indianapolis plays tomorrow, so I didn't really have a vested interest in any games. I watched the Saints lose, and part of the Giants game, and part of the San Diego-KC game. It is at the half now, but I am going to bed.

I must put in this word, before I go, though. I have completed my Christmas shopping! I am not buying anything else. I've got almost everything mailed, too. I just have two more packages to mail and that will be done. I also got my Christmas cards addressed--what few I am sending. I'm not sending a lot of cards this year because, for one thing, I can't afford the stamps. Secondly, I'm not sending cards year after year to those who don't send me cards.

I tried to join a blog called Stashalong. It is a team blog designed to encourage people to knit from their stashes rather than buying new yarn. Unfortunately, the blog owner has not switched to beta yet, so I couldn't join. I'll be watching it, though, and when she switches to beta, I'll sign up for it then. Here are today's rows of the Monthly Dishcloth KAL:

And with that, I bid you goodnight.

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Infomercials

I declare, I don't remember the last time I saw so many infomercials on the TV. I guess when football season ends, infomercial season begins. Needless to say, I didn't watch any of them.

What I did do is to finish this Nativity dishcloth

and start the new


I stayed busy all day, but in retrospect, I can't think of a whole lot that I did. So, in order not to bore you to death, I'll just leave you with today's Saturday Sky

and Squeaky, who discovered the house has windows:


Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting.

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Warning

Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry. If you should happen to find yourself in a grocery store whilst hungry, never, but never wander down the Christmas Candy aisle "just to see what's there." Trust me on this one...


Deja vu...before I went grocery shopping this morning, I was planning on getting my packages ready to mail so I could take them into town with me. My packing tape was not at all cooperative and kept tearing. I finally just threw it away and decided to buy a new roll. This meant I would have to make a second trip into town. What's really weird about that is that when I went into town at 4:00 PM, the same homeless guy who was there at 10:00 AM was still standing by the exit ramp. I didn't think too much of that, but as I turned off the highway to head into town, the exact same Christmas song came on the radio! Seriously. If Cody hadn't been in the car with me the second time, I would have thought I'd gone through a time warp or something. It seems my life has been a study in weirdness lately.


I finally got my aunt's prayer shawl mailed after it spent two weeks on the back of my chair. What caused the delay was that I didn't want to just send it off without an appropriate note to enclose with it, and I just couldn't think of anything. Today my creative juices finally began flowing and I dashed out this little ditty:

A Prayer Shawl

This is a simple prayer shawl
Knitted just for you
To show you that I love you
And I’m praying for you, too.

The oddness of the pattern
Is significant, you see.
It represents uncertainties
Life throws at you and me.

May its warmth and softness
Bring to you the thought
Of God’s love and mercy
That always comforts us.

Yet most importantly of all,
I hope you know it’s true:
Each stitch I knitted represents
A prayer sent Heavenward for you.

It appears I was just in time, too. I found out this week that one of my good friends from church lost her mother Wednesday night.



And I still have to do the one for B's friend who lost her husband two days before Thanksgiving.



Sigh, I'm going to be busy knitting for a while. I'd better get to it then...


Brought to you by:
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But First

an explanation for the brevity of yesterday's post.

I was doing fine yesterday until about 9:30 AM when I experienced the phenomenon we refer to as hitting the wall. I just ran out of energy. Started feeling blah, which quickly escalated into feeling horrible. I walked around the rest of the day moaning and groaning about how tired I was and how I just wanted to go home and get into my recliner...

When the workday finally ended and I made it home, I was suddenly beset by chills. I took my temperature, and I discovered I was running a fever of 99.9--pretty high for an adult. I took some TheraFlu and began feeling much better. So much better in fact that I was floating about 2 feet below the ceiling. At that point, I decided it was best if I just went to bed.

I woke up this morning feeling much better, though with a slight sore throat. Nothing gets me down for long, though about 4 years ago I was knocked flat on my back by a nasty virus that was going around. I felt so bad that I called in sick to work--an unusual thing for me to do just for being sick. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Cody, who was 9 at the time, was very concerned and kept checking on me. He isn't used to seeing his mama staying in bed. Unfortunately, with is constant checking, I wasn't able to get much sleep. At one point, he brought me a package of Pop-Tarts for my breakfast. I thanked him very sweetly, but told him I didn't really want Pop-Tarts.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Fried eggs, bacon, toast, and a big glass of milk," I told him. I didn't really want to eat that, but I figured he'd just say that he couldn't cook it and would go away and let me sleep--which is what I really wanted. He left the room and I heard him rummaging around in the kitchen. He got the eggs, bacon and bread out of the refrigerator, took them to B's house and asked her to cook them for me.

After all that, what choice did I have? I had to eat them. What can I say?

I washed and dried the snowman dishcloth that I knitted the other day, and I decided it needs to be a personal use cloth. I must have omitted some rows or messed up somehow, because mine doesn't look all that much like a snowman. It looks more like a demon possessed hoot owl. I think it really must be possessed because the night after I knitted it, I dreamed about it all night. Dreaming about knitting is freaky enough, but dreaming about a dishcloth? It's enough to make you go HMMMM...


And finally, a gift from my friend Patti:

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No Post Today

Going to bed early. See ya tomorrow.

Slider

I posted this picture on Cornsnakes.com a couple of days ago, after someone on that forum introduced his new ball python who was also named Slider. Once I'd posted it, I got a good look at how skinny he was when I first adopted him. I was shocked. That picture was taken two days after he was given to me. I know to those not familiar with boid bodies, he looks pretty fat. But take a look at his spine. See how much it sticks out? That is the sign of an underweight python.

This is what he looks like now.

He has put on considerable length and girth in the 10 months that I've had him, and his backbone no longer juts out. Now, the original deal is that the guy who owned him before me moved, and was unable to keep Slider. He actually moved in with his sister, and she wouldn't allow the snake into the house. I'm only supposed to be keeping him until the guy can find another place to live. I told him, however, not to let me keep him long enough to get attached, then ask for him back. He said he wouldn't do that. If I had him long enough to get attached, he'd just start all over with a new snake.

I've already decided he's not getting Slider back.

On the knitting front, I used some of the yarn Patti sent me to make this little snowman cloth.

I"m not really that pleased with the way it turned out. The face looks all funky and the stitches seem really loose. Maybe it was just because it is white yarn and the stitch definition really stands out. Anyway, I threw it in the dryer hoping it would tighten up a bit. If it doesn't, it'll end up in my bathroom being used instead of in the gift pile.

I broke down yesterday and bought a cone of cotton yarn in ecru. My Walmart only carries white and ecru in solids. The rest is ombre or variegated. That means I have to order all other solid colors online. When I do that, I usually have a specific pattern in mind for that color. Well, I had printed out the list of all the colors needed for the Monthly Dishcloth Knitalongs for the coming year, bagged and labeled the appropriate color for each month. Once I'd done that, however, I realized I had very few solid skeins left. So I bought the cone of solid ecru. I can use that for the months that require any solid color, or a light colored solid. That freed up a lot of my single skeins, plus I'm set for the KAL for the year. I really don't like ordering yarn online, but with Wal-mart having a very limited selection--especially of non-acrylic fibers--what choice do I have.

I've been getting up in the mornings and running a kata or two here lately. It's good to be working out again. Of course, Linde has been wonderful in leading Wednesday Night Workouts on Yahoo Messenger these last few weeks. I'm going to try to start going back to class after the New Year. Maybe I can talk sensei into having a black belt class after regular classes. It doesn't even have to be a full hour. On school nights, a full hour would be too much anyway. But maybe if I can impress upon him that he is running a karate dojo and not a teeny bopper dating club...

Who knows? All I can do is try.

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Sweet Revenge

I've always been an avid reader. I love to read. I wish I had more time to read. I can't remember ever not being able to read. I could read long before I started school. In fact, my mother sent me to kindergarten a year early--at 4 instead of at 5--because I could already read.

My brother is two years older than I am. When he was in first grade, the highlight of my day was when he read from his reader. I would hang over his shoulder and read along with him. This annoyed him to no end. What annoyed him even more was when he didn't know a word, and I would read the word for him. My mother finally had to forbid me from being in the room with him when he was reading. But I couldn't wait until he was done so I could grab his reader and read the stories myself. He hated this with a passion.

To this day, he doesn't like to read. I think in my childish ignorance, I put him off reading forever. He is, however, quite proficient musically.

When he was in 6th grade beginner band, and I was in 4th grade, he decided he was going to teach me to play his band instrument. He was playing the coronet at that time. He later switched to the tuba.

So he got his little sister, his beginner band book, and his horn and we sat down at the dining room table so he could teach me to play. He opened the book to the correct page, pointed to the note on the page, and said, "Play a G".

I didn't have a clue as to how to play a G, but I was willing to give it a try. I pursed my little lips, put my mouth to the horn and played:

"BLAAATTT!"

"No!", said my brother. "Play a G!"

Needless to say, the light of revelation had not struck me in the ten seconds which had passed since my first attempt at playing a G, so I tried again.

"BLLAAAAATTTTT!!!"

"I said," huffed my brother, "Play a G!"

One more time I tried, but the results were the same:

"BBLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT!"

"Oh, you don't know how to do it!," snapped my brother, snatching the horn out of my hands and stomping off to his room.

To this day, I cannot play an instrument of any kind. And that brother, who was so impatient with me...

He is a music teacher in the El Paso, TX school district.
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First Sentences

What you do is to copy the first sentence you posted each month and put them into the following format:

January: Well, the new year started with one good thing, at least.

February: Yes, you see the date on this picture--today's date.

March: Not Bad for ten minutes work.

April: The second annual kickathon at the dojo was a little late because of sensei's surgery last fall.

May: This is the last hat from that particular yarn.

June: Well, we've got things all settled now.

July: While randomly searching for knitting blogs, I stumbled across this idea.

August: First thing we did was to get Cody up to the school.

September: My contracts are in at the mobile home place, so after work, I went down there and signed my name more times than I care to remember.

October: Hurricane Isaac has come and gone, and I missed most of it.

November: Here are some more recent pictures of my nephews Nate (6) and Andrew (1).

December: Winter storms swept the country yesterday and today.

Sixteen

That's how cold it was when I got up this morning. Sixteen degrees. I know for some of you, sixteen degrees is no big deal, but it's almost unheard of for Mississippi in early December. Well, it's certain unusual. Usually about now we are still running our air conditioners and wondering when it will ever cool off.

It was so cold, I waited until after noon to take my Saturday Sky picture:

I got another Lonesome Skein project done:

This scarf was knitted from Red Heart Strata yarn. I also put some of the yarn Patti sent me to good use:

I've decided to limit myself to one dishcloth per day, or I won't get any of my WIPs done. WIP stands for Work in Progress, for those of you not familiar with knitting terms. I've got quite a few scarves started, and need to get some of them finished. I just love doing dishcloths, though, because they work up so fast, and I actually feel like I'm accomplishing something.

I spent the afternoon quite restless. I didn't know what to do with myself now that football season is over--at least college football is over, except for the bowl games. At least I still have Sundays to look forward to.

My latest search query on site meter: male ball python hemipenes.

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It's Cold

Yes, it is cold here. A perfect day for staying in and knitting. Tonight is predicted to be the coldest so far this year--well, this winter--and winter isn't even here yet. The thermometer outside my back door currently reads 23', and it is supposed to be down in the low teens by morning. I'm glad I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow.

So, while avoiding all that coldness, I finished the dishcloth I started yesterday:



I've already learned something new from my Monthly Dishcloths KAL. If you soak your cotton dishcloths in vinegar, then rinse them, before washing them for the first time, it is supposed to make the color not fade so fast. I haven't tried it yet. I think Mr. Christmas Tree and Mr. Rocky Horse will be my guinea pigs. Even if it doesn't work, it certainly won't hurt anything.



This antique car--I don't even know what it is, but it's neat looking--is brought to you by:



While perusing knitting blogs, I've discovered lots of photo sharing rings--Eye Candy Friday, Walk With Me Wednesday, Wordless Wednesday, Saturday Sky, and the like. The only one I participate in regularly is Saturday Sky, but that won't stop me from throwing in an Eye Candy Friday or Wordless Wednesday from time to time. Those come in really handy on days like today when I just can't think of anything interesting to blog about. Oh, I can think of things to blog about, just not while I am sitting at my keyboard. I think of them while at work, or at the store, or in the bathtub...by the time I get to my computer, I've forgotten what I want to say.

And finally, if you can stand just one more band video...

This is the last one, I promise. And I mean it because I don't have any more. Isn't that drumline amazing? Yes, those are all 7th and 8th grade students. I am just awed by these kids and their talent.

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Oh Boy!

Look what came in the mail today:


Not one, but two packages of yarn. The loose yarn is all from my friend Patti, and the package at the bottom left is some cotton I ordered from Mary Maxim. Needless to say, I immediately cast on another dishcloth. I'm going to wait until it's finished to post a picture of it, though.

You know, I sometimes wonder what happened to common sense. Tuesday evening, half of the town was lined up along the parade route.


It looked like this on both sides of the street. Santa was there, along with a turkey and they were giving out candy canes. Veterans were walking up and down giving all the kids miniature flags. Vendors were selling cotton candy, boiled peanuts, and candied apples. The funeral home was handing out free hot chocolate. People were there with their blankets, coats, and cameras singing carols and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Why then would anyone ask, "Does the parade come down this street?"

Ummm, no, we just all like to sit out on the side of the road in the cold...

An interesting thing happened at the parade while I was trying to get a video of the band playing. Do you see the fire truck in the following video?



As I was standing there taping the band, this guy in the cab of the firetruck began frantically waving. I didn't know the guy, so I figured he must be waving at someone in the crowd. He kept waving, and it looked like he was looking at me, so I waved back. I figured, "it's a parade--you can wave at anybody and it's ok." I guess he was waving at me because as soon as I waved back, he stopped waving and sat back down. I turned to the people behind me and said, "I don't know who in the heck that was." They didn't know him either.

I got to work the next morning, and said to one of my co-workers, "the weirdest thing happened at the parade last night." And I told her what had happened. She laughed, and said, "Yeah, that was Jamie" (her son). He had worked a summer at the plant several years ago when he was still in high school. He had recognized me and remembered me. I hadn't recognized him, but then he'd changed a lot more in the last few years than I had, including growing a beard. So I have an excuse.

If you can stand one more video of the band...