It seems that I have been "tagged" by Ciar Cullen. Gosh I feel so special to be part of the game.....
Here are the rules:
A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
1. I don't know 8 people with blogs to list at the end of this.
2. I used to manage a clothing store and now feel compelled to refold items (even ones that I didn't touch) when shopping.
3. I don't shop often, thankfully - see # 2.
4. I sometimes rearrange my basement "lair/office" space and then feel as though I've gotten new furniture.
5. My job at the Paper Mill ROCKS!
6. My first job was working in the bakery section of a "butcher shop" - I made hundreds of cookies. mmmmmmm.....
7. Please don't ask me to make cookies now, unless you want 90 dozen and have a very large mixing bowl.
8. Ciar Cullen is still my friend, even though she tagged me. :-)
I am tagging Hope. My only other blogging buddy that I know of.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
To Terry, Sandy, and others who have gone before me
Once again, I sit and work on my Black Belt written test. I have put much thought into it since the last post, but have not had time to actually work on it. Right now, I am taking a break from the hard thinking and am attempting to enjoy the beautiful weather outside in my backyard. I say "attempting" because of the ridiculous number of mosquitoes that quite enjoy my "sweetness". So much for sitting in my "thinking garden".
Now, perched on the deck swing, I shall explain my title......
First of all, it is important to note that those mentioned in the title are still physical entities on this Earth. Where they have gone before me is on the same journey which I am now experiencing. As I prepare for the upcoming big day, I can't help but look back over the past few years of training. (The view is an interesting one.)
Training for this test has been a great adventure thus far, and help along the way has come from numerous sources. This opportunity is something that I have anticipated for many years. Although I may not have been fully aware of it at the time, my training for this test began at least six years ago when I first entered our school. Many life changing events have occurred outside of my Martial Arts career, but I now am beginning to understand what was happening the first day that I stepped into the Dojo.
It was, if I recall correctly, one week (or so) prior to a Black Belt test. I was there to complete my registration form and pick up a uniform. As I completed my little tasks, the doors to one of the training floors opened and out came a bunch of very sweaty, very exhausted people. Something more than the sweat and fatigue caught my attention, however. (that is, aside from the thought of "Holy S*#T! What have I gotten myself into?") I noticed that this group of people of varying ages and walks of life appeared to have a certain bond with one another. I recall overhearing conversations about what they were going to have for breakfast the following Saturday and what they should eat the night before. There was a particular "energy" about them that I did not recognize as well as a certain amount of "aloofness". (I mean this in a good way.) (I came to find out moments later that they were preparing for a Black Belt test which was scheduled for the following week.)
Up to that point and for some time after, I must admit, I had thought of Martial Arts training as simply a class that people attended. Nothing more, nothing less. (Of course, I knew that historically speaking there was much more to it than that, I mean, I did see the original Karate Kid!) I just didn't expect to experience the "more".
I officially met Terry at my very first class. She was one of the people in that group that I mentioned earlier. I had the honor and privilege of learning the "rules" and proper basic techniques from Terry. I have not stopped learning from her to this day, although she is not presently training with us. I am frequently reminded of little "Terryisms" during my own training, and they are invaluable! Although I miss her fine tutelage at our school, I feel quite fortunate to be able to continue to receive the "isms" through the cyber world and such. ;-)
Another member of the aforementioned group was young Sandy. Sandy has also since moved on to more pressing endeavors at the present time, but as with Terry, I continue to learn from the lessons that Sandy taught me nearly two years ago.
What I am really trying to say is, I am now beginning to understand that "fog" that those sweaty, exhausted people seemed to have around them. It was a fog of knowledge and understanding. It was a fog of realization that we all have limitations and that in order to get past those individual limitations, we have to rely on those around us. It was also a fog of energy and intent and the ability to manifest things that we never thought possible before. (It was also the fog of stress, pressure and a boatload of information floating around inside a human brain.)
So, Sandy, Terry, (and the others) Thank you for being there at the beginning of my journey and for providing me with many of the tools that I need now as I approach the steepest part of the climb. I am truly grateful, and am thrilled to have this opportunity!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Greetings, Earthling it's all a BIG TEST
Do you ever get the feeling that you are from a different planet?
I have been convinced for many years now that some day, "my people" will come back to get me. Maybe it has something to do with the dreams I had as a child of the space ships in the sky just beyond our neighborhood. Just thinking about it, although it is more than 20 years later, gives me a feeling of awe and excitement. In reality, I think that either "my people" forgot that they dropped me off, or this is all some cruel joke. Today, I feel quite sure that whether or not I am actually from another planet, it appears to other "Earthlings" that I am.
All right, here is the background on the alien thing. Bear with me....I'll get to the point in time.
The day began as any other non-work day. I got up, had coffee, walked the dogs, read the paper, etc. The plan for the day was to work on the written portion of my Black Belt test which is due in a couple of weeks. Now those who know me, and especially my fellow classmates (current and former) know well how consuming this testing experience is. The preparation in and of itself is enough to make you feel alienated from the rest of society. So, after my initial morning activities, I hunkered down with my test, laptop, and a few other resource materials and dove into the typing. This lasted for approximately 20 minutes before I got antsy and began exploring the ins and outs of the new laptop. Then, I built a new bird feeder and removed icky bugs from the window overlooking our backyard and new bird feeder. (Yeah, I was like this when I was actually in school too. It's amazing that I have a degree!)
With all of those necessary activities out of the way, I felt able to truly concentrated on the test materials.....so I made an egg burrito. It was one of the best darn egg burritos I have had in a long time!
Procrastination finished, I plopped back down and actually finished one question. (Essay questions, not the True/False jobbies) Actually, the questions are interesting and thought provoking and fun to research. So, being that they are such fun to research, and research can be done with books, and books can be found in a book store, it seemed high time to head off to the book store! Lady M and Baby Ruth also thought this seemed like a good idea, so off we went! (I did take along the test and laptop with the intention of working on the material in the cafe.) The next big decision was which store to go to. I chose Borders because, although on the other side of town, the cafe' is roomier and the whole place has a better feel to it. Of course, I inadvertently began heading towards the local Barnes and Noble and had to turn around to head back to Borders......should have followed my instinct, though. We arrived at Borders and braved the rain only to find that the Cafe' was closed (I assume for renovations based on the large tarp around it.....otherwise, I don't want to know why it's closed.) So, off to Barnes and Noble we go, but not to the one that I initially drove towards. This one is inside a little mall. Perfect for Lady M and Baby Ruth. They trotted off into the mall and I headed straight for the cafe' area for some coffee and a scone.
(This is where the "from another planet" thing comes into play)
I patiently awaited my turn in line, mouth watering over the coffee with soy milk and the blueberry scone that I was about to devour. The experience went something like this:
BARISTA 1: [mundane look on his face] "Can I help the next customer?"
ME: "Yes, could I have a grande coffee of the day with a little bit of soy milk, please an"...[he interrupts]
BARISTA 1: "OK that will be $1.87" *ka ching* goes the register
ME: [annoyed with being interrupted AND potentially missing out on that mouth watering scone that I shouldn't be eating anyway but now MUST order] "Uh, AND a blueberry scone, please."
BARISTA 1: [begrudgingly adding it into the total] *sigh* "blueberry?"
ME: "Yes, blueberry. Sorry, guess I didn't say it fast enough." (OK, uncalled for, but give a customer a chance to order, will ya? I had my scone, which was not spit on because I watched it the whole way to the counter and I slid over for my coffee which I witnessed being poured into the cup. Barista 2 placed the 3/4 full cup in front of me and placed the lid on it saying, "you wanted soy?"
ME: "Yes, please"
Barista 2 nodded and cocked his head toward the 3/4 full cup of very dark liquid.
ME: "Oh, is it in there already?" I asked while removing the lid and gazing curiously at the dark coffee.
BARISTA 2: "Yeah, it's in there."
ME: "Oh, uh, really? Uh, could I add a bit more, perhaps?" (my inner alien is saying, "it's in there? are you f-ing kidding me? I just watched you pour the coffee into the cup and it's just as black now as it was then, besides the fact that I just paid nearly $2.00 for a cup of coffee that isn't even full!")
BARISTA 2: "You want to add more?" (apparently he speaks inner-alien, because he sure gave me an odd look!)
ME: "Yes, could I?"
[BARISTA 2 gets out the soy mild and pours a few globs into my cup]
ME: "Perfect, thank you very much" - trying to sound pleasant.
Again, BARISTA 2 looks at me like I just came out of a steam room and forgot my robe.
ME: "Heh....gee...(yes, I said "gee") I feel like I'm from a different planet today."
BARISTA 2: [no smile, not even a smirk] "yeah, like us all, some days"
ME: [thinking, OK, now we are on the same page] "Heh heh....I just wish I remembered the trip, I bet it was a good one"
BARISTA 2: absolutely no comment, grin, smile, or other indication of amusement as he turns his head and looks at me as though I just turned green and began to beam up right in front of him.
I never did get beamed up, but I did have another interesting experience before we left the store. I met a lovely young man in the martial arts book aisle who was looking for a particular book. Prior to us speaking, I pulled a book off of the shelf to read the back cover. He glanced at it and said happily, "Oh, that's the one that I was looking for." I handed it to him and said,"looks interesting, enjoy". I had to convince him that I did not want to buy it because I was looking for something by Prof. Wally Jay. He inquired as to who that was and what sort of book I needed, so I proceeded to explain Small Circle Theory Jujitsu in 30 seconds or less. (This was good practice for me, as I need to talk about it on my test.) He then realized that the book he now had was not what he was looking for, but rather one with a similar title. I happened to know the book well ("The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman) and informed him that he would have better luck in the fiction or Spiritual sections. We ended our chat, he went in search of the "Peaceful Warrior" and I levitated over to the Bargain books where I soon came across a bargain copy of "Peaceful Warrior" and "Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior" combined under one cover. What a deal, I thought, as I grabbed the book. I must find that guy and give him this book!
Utilizing skills learned from watching The Secret, I found the fella sitting with a lady friend at a table. He had a new copy of "Peaceful Warrior" and I happily presented him with the bargain that I found. It occurred to me only after a brief exchange and a couple of silly comments on my part that it must have seemed very odd to his lady friend that a stranger came trotting over to their table and presented her beau with a book that he had been looking for earlier and had, in fact, already found. (oh well)
Finally, once again utilizing skills learned from The Secret, I managed to "manifest" and empty table and sat down to answer another question on my test. It was just about that time that Lady M and Baby Ruth showed up and were ready to check out.
So, here I am, twelve hours after beginning the work on my test, still trying to finish it...........Today's experiences reinforced for me the need for patience, kindness, and the importance of helping one another even in the most unlikely of ways. Also important virtues in the world of Martial Arts.......I think I just answered another question from my test......
I have been convinced for many years now that some day, "my people" will come back to get me. Maybe it has something to do with the dreams I had as a child of the space ships in the sky just beyond our neighborhood. Just thinking about it, although it is more than 20 years later, gives me a feeling of awe and excitement. In reality, I think that either "my people" forgot that they dropped me off, or this is all some cruel joke. Today, I feel quite sure that whether or not I am actually from another planet, it appears to other "Earthlings" that I am.
All right, here is the background on the alien thing. Bear with me....I'll get to the point in time.
The day began as any other non-work day. I got up, had coffee, walked the dogs, read the paper, etc. The plan for the day was to work on the written portion of my Black Belt test which is due in a couple of weeks. Now those who know me, and especially my fellow classmates (current and former) know well how consuming this testing experience is. The preparation in and of itself is enough to make you feel alienated from the rest of society. So, after my initial morning activities, I hunkered down with my test, laptop, and a few other resource materials and dove into the typing. This lasted for approximately 20 minutes before I got antsy and began exploring the ins and outs of the new laptop. Then, I built a new bird feeder and removed icky bugs from the window overlooking our backyard and new bird feeder. (Yeah, I was like this when I was actually in school too. It's amazing that I have a degree!)
With all of those necessary activities out of the way, I felt able to truly concentrated on the test materials.....so I made an egg burrito. It was one of the best darn egg burritos I have had in a long time!
Procrastination finished, I plopped back down and actually finished one question. (Essay questions, not the True/False jobbies) Actually, the questions are interesting and thought provoking and fun to research. So, being that they are such fun to research, and research can be done with books, and books can be found in a book store, it seemed high time to head off to the book store! Lady M and Baby Ruth also thought this seemed like a good idea, so off we went! (I did take along the test and laptop with the intention of working on the material in the cafe.) The next big decision was which store to go to. I chose Borders because, although on the other side of town, the cafe' is roomier and the whole place has a better feel to it. Of course, I inadvertently began heading towards the local Barnes and Noble and had to turn around to head back to Borders......should have followed my instinct, though. We arrived at Borders and braved the rain only to find that the Cafe' was closed (I assume for renovations based on the large tarp around it.....otherwise, I don't want to know why it's closed.) So, off to Barnes and Noble we go, but not to the one that I initially drove towards. This one is inside a little mall. Perfect for Lady M and Baby Ruth. They trotted off into the mall and I headed straight for the cafe' area for some coffee and a scone.
(This is where the "from another planet" thing comes into play)
I patiently awaited my turn in line, mouth watering over the coffee with soy milk and the blueberry scone that I was about to devour. The experience went something like this:
BARISTA 1: [mundane look on his face] "Can I help the next customer?"
ME: "Yes, could I have a grande coffee of the day with a little bit of soy milk, please an"...[he interrupts]
BARISTA 1: "OK that will be $1.87" *ka ching* goes the register
ME: [annoyed with being interrupted AND potentially missing out on that mouth watering scone that I shouldn't be eating anyway but now MUST order] "Uh, AND a blueberry scone, please."
BARISTA 1: [begrudgingly adding it into the total] *sigh* "blueberry?"
ME: "Yes, blueberry. Sorry, guess I didn't say it fast enough." (OK, uncalled for, but give a customer a chance to order, will ya? I had my scone, which was not spit on because I watched it the whole way to the counter and I slid over for my coffee which I witnessed being poured into the cup. Barista 2 placed the 3/4 full cup in front of me and placed the lid on it saying, "you wanted soy?"
ME: "Yes, please"
Barista 2 nodded and cocked his head toward the 3/4 full cup of very dark liquid.
ME: "Oh, is it in there already?" I asked while removing the lid and gazing curiously at the dark coffee.
BARISTA 2: "Yeah, it's in there."
ME: "Oh, uh, really? Uh, could I add a bit more, perhaps?" (my inner alien is saying, "it's in there? are you f-ing kidding me? I just watched you pour the coffee into the cup and it's just as black now as it was then, besides the fact that I just paid nearly $2.00 for a cup of coffee that isn't even full!")
BARISTA 2: "You want to add more?" (apparently he speaks inner-alien, because he sure gave me an odd look!)
ME: "Yes, could I?"
[BARISTA 2 gets out the soy mild and pours a few globs into my cup]
ME: "Perfect, thank you very much" - trying to sound pleasant.
Again, BARISTA 2 looks at me like I just came out of a steam room and forgot my robe.
ME: "Heh....gee...(yes, I said "gee") I feel like I'm from a different planet today."
BARISTA 2: [no smile, not even a smirk] "yeah, like us all, some days"
ME: [thinking, OK, now we are on the same page] "Heh heh....I just wish I remembered the trip, I bet it was a good one"
BARISTA 2: absolutely no comment, grin, smile, or other indication of amusement as he turns his head and looks at me as though I just turned green and began to beam up right in front of him.
I never did get beamed up, but I did have another interesting experience before we left the store. I met a lovely young man in the martial arts book aisle who was looking for a particular book. Prior to us speaking, I pulled a book off of the shelf to read the back cover. He glanced at it and said happily, "Oh, that's the one that I was looking for." I handed it to him and said,"looks interesting, enjoy". I had to convince him that I did not want to buy it because I was looking for something by Prof. Wally Jay. He inquired as to who that was and what sort of book I needed, so I proceeded to explain Small Circle Theory Jujitsu in 30 seconds or less. (This was good practice for me, as I need to talk about it on my test.) He then realized that the book he now had was not what he was looking for, but rather one with a similar title. I happened to know the book well ("The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman) and informed him that he would have better luck in the fiction or Spiritual sections. We ended our chat, he went in search of the "Peaceful Warrior" and I levitated over to the Bargain books where I soon came across a bargain copy of "Peaceful Warrior" and "Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior" combined under one cover. What a deal, I thought, as I grabbed the book. I must find that guy and give him this book!
Utilizing skills learned from watching The Secret, I found the fella sitting with a lady friend at a table. He had a new copy of "Peaceful Warrior" and I happily presented him with the bargain that I found. It occurred to me only after a brief exchange and a couple of silly comments on my part that it must have seemed very odd to his lady friend that a stranger came trotting over to their table and presented her beau with a book that he had been looking for earlier and had, in fact, already found. (oh well)
Finally, once again utilizing skills learned from The Secret, I managed to "manifest" and empty table and sat down to answer another question on my test. It was just about that time that Lady M and Baby Ruth showed up and were ready to check out.
So, here I am, twelve hours after beginning the work on my test, still trying to finish it...........Today's experiences reinforced for me the need for patience, kindness, and the importance of helping one another even in the most unlikely of ways. Also important virtues in the world of Martial Arts.......I think I just answered another question from my test......
Friday, June 01, 2007
Welcome Beni MLK Bu
Please join us in welcoming our new friend, Beni MLK Bu! (Pronounced "Benny milk Boo")
Baby Ruth (18 months in a couple of days, for those who have been out of the loop for a while) received a gift card from her aunties K and L, and we made a very special trip to Build A Bear today. It was a very difficult decision as to who to stuff and bring home. The finalists were Shrek, Winnie the Pooh, and the little guy in the picture. Obviously, the turtle won in the end and is now enjoying his new home on our living room floor.
The whole experience went rather well. Baby Ruth was enthralled by the stuffing machine and very much enjoyed collecting the little hearts that go into the animals. You're really only supposed to put ONE in the critter, but we sure tried for more. Then, of course, there were the shoplifting attempts. Apparently, according to Baby Ruth, anyway, a turtle just can't have too many skirts and "Hello Kitty" tank tops. Lucky for us, we found them in the bottom of the stroller before leaving the store. (My previous retail career taught me to always keep an eye on those "empty" strollers - now I REALLY know why.) It's the toddlers that you have to watch out for!
As it turns out, skirts really don't fit well on turtles - sort of makes them appear to be in "drag". We, therefore, opted for the "overall" look instead.
After the outfit shopping, it was time to name the little fella. Baby Ruth didn't want to say his name aloud, so she typed it right into the computer. The actual spelling was "BEN I,,,MLKB U", but we were able to translate.
Once again, Beni MLK Bu, we welcome you to our humble abode!
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