Construction update 9/27

Let's see. Where are we on the construction?

My projected date for completion, back when we started this, was Sept. 15. Uh. We're not done yet. My new guess at a date for completion is Thanksgiving. Kim's guess is Jan. 1.

Status:

Exterior still needs:
final paint
light fixtures
ceiling fans
speakers

Shop still needs:
Sink
Outlets
Light fixtures
roll-up doors

Apartment still needs:
Final coats of paint
floorboards
linoleum
cabinet doors
countertops
cabinet stain
appliances
lights
outlets
door hardware
closet shelves
A/C
Sewer connection
speakers

Garage still needs:
water heater
washer
dryer
ramps to doorways
garage door opener

Wednesday Night at the Dojo 9/26

Aikidokas: Tim, Kim, Trey and Brad

We've got two new white belts in the dojo! Awesome!

Ukemi: I only took backfalls this evening. Once my physical therapy gets me comfortable with my shoulder's range of motion, I'll start getting back into the grove of rolls.

I helped Brad get introduced to the forward roll.

The walk: Ran through this twice, slowly since we've got two newcomers.

Releases: I helped Kim and Trey work through the first two releases.

Aftermath: Shoulder gave me some twinges throughout the evening, but no serious pain. I took some ibuprofen before bed and slept great. No issues in the morning.

It's good to be back on the mat.

At the movies

Bee Season: 4

Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche. I think Juliette did a fabulous job acting in the movie.

The plot hangs off of a progression of spelling bees, but it's not really about spelling bees. It's a story about family dynamics, hidden hobbies and spiritual discovery.

Cleared!

Dr. cleared me to ramp my activity level back up. I'll be doing some physical therapy for a couple of weeks, but I'm cleared to get back on the mat.

I'll be on the mat tonight. I'll limit what I do, mainly backfalls and the Walk. Beyond that, my shoulder will dictate.

WooHoo!!

6 days to Dr.

And, maybe, clearance to get on the mat.

At the movies

The Last King of Scotland: 4

Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy did a great job with their roles. A good movie with insights into the environment surrounding a maniacal leader. The story is told through Idi Amin's personal physician (played by James McAvoy).

I disagree that Forest should have won the Oscar for Leading Actor. He should have won for Supporting Actor. MacAvoy is the lead, imo, in this movie. But, I'm sure that's just Hollywood politics.

At the movies

Kate & Leopold: 2

Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan in a science fiction romantic comedy. Meg does not stretch her abilities in this one at all. I don't see her working much more than she did in "Sleepless in Seattle" or "You've Got Mail." Hugh did a passable job. The science fiction sub-plot was treated with disdain.

At the movies

Gone in 60 Seconds: 4

It may not be much acting-wise, or plot-wise, but it's a fun movie to watch. I saw this in the theater and just purchased it for the library this past weekend.

Kim had forgotten most of it, so we watched it last night.

I'd watch it again just to see Eleanor. But I love Mustangs. If I could just fit into them.

At the movies

A History of Violence: 4

Viggo Mortensen in another fantastic role. Limited, but intense, action. Viggo does an amazing job transforming from one identity into another.

At the movies

Just Friends: 1

Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart. High School friends meet again after 10 years and "Chris" (the guy) has lost about 150lbs.

At the movies

The Good Girl: 2

Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, John C. Reilly. A nicely acted story of infidelity. I didn't enjoy the story, but did enjoy the acting.

At the movies

Firewall: 3

Harrison Ford starring as a Networking Guru for a bank. His family gets held hostage in order to get him to steal $100 million from the bank for the kidnappers.

Most of the movie could have been avoided if he written a note and handed it to somebody either before he avoided the video pen and just after he handed it off.

Still, a fun movie.

At the Movies

Million Dollar Baby: 3

Stellar acting by Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood and Hillary Swank. The ending was not what I was expecting, based on the DVD cover/posters. Good flick.

At the Movies

On the Waterfront: 3

A classic Marlon Brando flick. "I coulda been a contender!"

At the Movies

Napoleon Dynamite: 1

We sat through this one since a number of folks quote lines from this movie. I wish I had the time back. Ugh.

Shoulder update 9/6

Went back to the doc for a follow-up on the separated AC joint. It felt like it was healing well and the x-rays and the doc confirmed my feelings. No surgery necessary to make certain it heals well.

He wants me to baby the shoulder as much as possible until he sees me again in about 3 weeks (I could get an appointment for 10 days or 3 weeks. I chose 3 weeks.). In the sling would be nice, according to the doc, so in the sling I shall try to keep it.

No heavy lifting overheard, etc. I didn't even ask about aikido.

I'm afraid I may run out of movies at the local library at the rate I'm plowing through them.

At the movies

The Interpreter: 3

Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn in a story about a U.N. interpreter who overheard something she should not have. I think they both played well in their roles.

At the movies

Final Cut: 4

Robin Williams in a drama. I tend to enjoy his work in dramas. I thought this might be a cross between "Minority Report" and "One Hour Photo", and I'm not sure I'm wrong.

Robin plays a kind of futuristic funeral director, editing a person's recorded history for viewing by friends and family at a "rememory". This gets him in trouble in more ways than one.

I'd figured out the reveal during the intro, but I hadn't realized that I'd figured out the reveal.

At the movies

Ed Wood: 3

This was a tough call. Is it a bad movie, or a good movie about bad movies? I went with the latter. I enjoyed it, but I expect reactions to be all over the map.

At the movies

Adaptation: 1

I sat through the first 5 minutes of this movie and turned it off. I couldn't stand all of the internal dialog.

At the movies

Constantine: 3

Lots of demons on screen. Keanu's well-established microscopic dramatic range.

I had very low expectations for this film, but it was fun.

Promote Three Meme

I've been tagged by Mr. Patrick Parker with the Promote Three Meme, so I'm doing my part to follow through, even if I am a little late.

My Three choices:

Uchi Deshi - I have a hard time believing this blogs is below mine. I save this blog to be read last when it's updated. It's a great glimpse into the life of a live-in student.

So, You Want To Start Aikido? - I just found this one while looking for candidates. Any blogs by starting aikidokas are likely to get my attention.

Johndo - Another glimpse into Pat's dojo is always welcome.

Now to send them all a note.

Weekend update

A long weekend. Our first in many, many months without any hard and fast commitments.

It was a joy. We didn't really do anything.

I did even less than that, since I'm resting my separated shoulder.

Went by the dojo Friday night to just chat. Then out to dinner with the spouse.

Kim worked on Saturday, so it wasn't really a long weekend for her. I sat around the house, walked the dogs and watched some movies. Dinner at DoubleDave's

Sunday we were lazy again. I watched some U. S. Open tennis while Kim watched the inside of her eyelids.

Monday some more lazing around. Then we met my mom and sister for a small belated b'day celebration. I also solved her internet connection issue. We also went scouting around for a new TV for her. Convinced her not to buy Right Now.

We then dropped by the dojo to get Kim some mat time. I chatted with Sensei Raymond while she and Sensei Randy were on the mat.

At the movies

The House of Sand and Fog: 3

It's impressive how many of the cast die in this movie. Not the actors themselves, but the characters they portray. It's amazing the ripples that a $500 screw-up by a county government can cause.

I was impressed by the performances by Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly.

I was annoyed by a couple of things. One of them I remember at the moment: Lester was drinking on duty.

At the movies

Pollock: 3

Another character study, but a biopic this time about Jackson Pollock, the American artist. As presented on screen, he definitely had some mental issues.

At the movies

Lost in Translation: 4

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. A character study of two Americans adrift, however briefly, in Japan. Not a strong plot, but I still found it quite enjoyable.

At the movies

The Tuxedo: 2

A Jackie Chan vehicle. Unfortunately there was only one nice stunt sequence without a bunch of wire work. It was at the beginning. A pretty worthless movie otherwise. Without that one sequence, I would have rated the movie a 1.