So...hot...

Our air conditioning unit would appear to have bitten the dust. It's not too horribly hot, but not cool enough to go without, soooo...we're going to have to make do with it. I'm not sure if the compressor has died or what!! It's pushing uncomfortable in the apartment and wreaks havoc on our electric bill. SHEESH!
I'm going to management tomorrow to report it. I will NOT live without an air conditioner that works!! This will be the third time it has stopped operating. Even worse, it'll be the second or third time it's had a dead compressor.

I worked today from 8-4:30. We learned about color copiers today. I don't know that I've absorbed it all yet, but...I'm sure that I'll learn more as we go along. It's a new technology for my company. I think I'll be having nightmares or questions about "subtractive color" and "additive color" for a while to come now. Plus, having to learn the codes RGB=red, green and blue while YMCK= Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black. One of the guys who was training us started singing to the tune of "YMCA" and I nearly laughed myself silly. We told him that if he started doing the arm movements to go with it, we were running away.

It has been a very long day. I hope tomorrow will be quiet (cool!) and uneventful. I have a thousand things to do at home and not enough weekend left to do them. LOL!

Starting over...

It's pretty interesting to re-think the way my forms are performed. It's fun to see how another school instructs and guides you through the forms. It's great to have someone take you under their wing and pretty much guide you through what you need to do because you haven't got the Korean. I am feeling confident that I'm going to make Ee Dan because I have fabulous support at BTK. I had fabulous support with DB and ST at USMA, but when things started changing and he switched the curriculum, I felt lost. Up until I joined BTK, I hadn't been seriously practicing. Anything. Now I'm back to working on jumps, especially when I'm wearing slacks at work and I'm the last one at work. Then I have a lot of room and can show off for myself. Nobody will see me look silly. Even if they do, there's one guy there who takes Jiujitsu and will understand my need to practice. He has a tendency to try to knock me down. He always goes after my knees when we spar. I'm learning to watch him for his signals. I think that'll help me with my sparring too.

Isn't it funny that a martial artist is awfully proud of his or her bruises? I have a huge bruise on my left shin that I took in sparring over a week ago. I also have a bruise on the underside of my left arm, courtesy of the young man I spar with at work. He pinched me in an attempt to take me down. The pinch was unintentional, but man! It hurt and is ugly now!! The bruise on my leg is now a pretty purple color. LOL!! I can tell you where each of my bruises is from and who gave it to me. That's pretty sad, isn't it???

Tuesday night, I have a "New Leaders" meeting for Cub Scouts at Starbucks. It's at 6:30, so I'm going to go down there *in uniform*, stay for 30 minutes or so, and then I'll head down the road to BTK and will attend class. I have my sparring gear in the car, my notebook will migrate there this weekend and I'll be set. I don't think anyone at the meeting will freak out TOO much for me attending in a dobahk. If they don't like it, I'll leave earlier and go play with the kids at BTK!
I do believe that I'd be allowed to help out if I wanted to, but until I feel more comfortable in my skin (and that means I need to stop the negative self talking I'm hearing in my head again!), I won't feel like I can adequately demonstrate something. Instead, thank you, I'll be a student. I won't be JUST a student. I will also be teaching myself how to be a better person.

I am proud of this

Preparing to break a board. The person in front of the board is me. I think that was my ahp chagi.




Yup chagi. I broke that on the second or third try, I think, but I broke it!! I think I even have the boards somewhere in the apartment too! LOL!

Fun

This picture was taken at my belt test last year. I've been reminiscing about my test and thinking about how hard I thought it was when I participated in it. I was in a lot better shape than I am now, but...I'll get it there (again). I'm going to class next Tuesday after the Cub Scout Leader meeting I have to attend at 6:30. I've already decided that I'm attending THAT meeting in my dobahk. If they don't like it, well, I'm sorry, but...I owe it to myself to attend class on Tuesday. I've already missed both days this week AND last Thursday. I'll be darned if I'm going to miss it again!!

Success!!

I successfully practiced Pyung Ahn Oh Dan again this morning! I'm getting better, especially putting in the minor "tweaks" that make it unique to BTK. I like it. I have to learn the reasons behind it and need to be able to explain it should Master G ask me WHY I'm doing something. For instance, with the two fist low, you're blocking an ap chagi (that's a front kick), but then you chamber back and block a potential spear to the head with a high 'X' block (Ssang Soo Sang Dan Mahk Kee). At USMA, we would then do a kind of a twist at the wrist, then do a knife hand with the left hand and punch with the right. At BTK, you pull back with the left hand, then do a "3 Stooges" poke to the eyes (Ee Chi Kwan Soo) with the left, then punch with the right. Then it's a turning punch, 3-point check (yes, DB, I listened!!), right hammer-fist, reach out with the left hand to grab someone by the neck, then an outside/inside kick (Phakeso Ahn Uro Cha Ki), bringing the ahp kup (ball of the foot) to your hand. Then you jump, landing in a kind of a crouch, with a two fist low block. (Note: this is not the entire form, nor is it as long as it would appear when it's written out. This is an abbreviated part of the form.)

That was part of what kept messing me up--trying to remember WHERE that went. I spent time texting DB and trying what he was replying with and it finally went on that "hey! I CAN do this!!" Yes, there is a bit that I need to remember, but I'm getting there.

I will miss class this week...I have a Scout meeting on Tuesday and Thursday, Amanda's got a "Tailgate Concert" that she is required to attend for school. If I go, I can actually see her perform! I have yet to see more than last year's Christmas concert at the Freshman Center! I want to go see this!