Weekend update

Friday:

Got out of work early and drove into town to "sur la table" for some canning jars in which to store my starter.  then went to "Cricle Saw" to pick up a palm sander.  Got back home just in time to take Strider to the vet where he was pronounced healthy, if just a bit high in the cholesterol department.

Aikido
World Series
Started a loaf of Sourdough Rye bread

Saturday:

Blueberry muffins
Sourdough Rye bread - it was far too loose of a dough.  I used 1 Cup of starter instead of 1/3 Cup
In the shop working on pens and boxes
Aggie football
Aikido
Grilled out steaks
Started another loaf of Sourdough Rye

Sunday:

Sourdough Rye - still a little too loose of a dough.  Next time I'll change from 1-3/4 Cup of water to 1-1/2 Cup and see what happens.
In the shop working on pens and boxes
Football
Dinner at Joe's with K.
Football

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 10/29/11

Aikido players: Tim, Dan, and Marvin


Ukemi:

Full set


The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Dan. We had the usual problems on 5 and 7.

Techniques:

We did a dry run green belt demo with Dan.  It could have gone a lot better than it did.

After that, we worked on Ushiro-ate for Dan and Shomen-ate for Marvin


Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 10/28/2011

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Sal, and Dan

Ukemi:

Full set

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Dan. We had the usual problems on 5 and 7.

Techniques:

We worked on Hiki-taoshi for Sal.  Trey and I showed our different interpretations.

We worked on Ushiro-ate for Dan

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 10/27/11

Aikido players: Sal

Ukemi:

Full set of falls

The Walk:

Not on Thursdays

Releases:

We had the usual problems on 5 and 7 for Sal

Techniques:

Tonight was spent working on Hiki-taoshi on the right side.  We spent a lot of time on the footwork, no time on the armbar at the end.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Volleyball, 3-0

We did fairly well last night.  We won by a large margin in the first game, by two points in the second and a decent margin in the third.  We played a team that had not won a game yet, so this was the result I was expecting.

Weekend update

Friday:

Aikido

Saturday

Blueberry sourdough muffins - not worth making again.  But it was the first use of my sourdough starter (aka "Charlie"), and it seemed to do what it was supposed to

Errands around town to find a brass latch for a shop project.  I stopped by: Woodcraft, Bering's, Buffalo, Southland, Settler's and back to Woodcraft

Aikido

Dinner with K. at Durango's
World Series

Sunday

Waffles
Sleep
Football
World Series
A little time in the shop.  The mosquitoes are just too vicious to be outside much.

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 10/22/11

Aikido players: Tim, Brad, and Dan


Ukemi:

Full  set of 12.  Rolled up on right-sided rolls to reduce impact


The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

Brad and Dan worked together.  We had to correct back foot twitching on a number of the releases, but we may have had a light bulb moment with Dan.


Techniques:

Dan and Brad ran through 1-5 of Ju Nana Hon Kata


Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 10/21/2011

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Sal, Marvin, Gayle, and Todd ( a new student )

Ukemi:

Full  set of 12.  Rolled up on right-sided rolls to reduce impact

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

I worked with Gayle.  My releases were horrible.  I had to work with Trey on some to pick apart my issues.  Gayle got through all of hers

Techniques:

Marvin and Gayle worked on Shomen-ate and Aigamae-ate with me as uke.  They did ok.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 10/20/11

Aikido players: Sal

Ukemi:

A couple of falls

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

I worked with Sal.  I had a couple of issues on mine tonight.  We had the usual problems on 5 and 7 for Sal

Techniques:

We worked on Waki-gatame.  Sal made some good progress tonight.  We did it step-by-step and he nailed it.  At the end, we did a brief run through of 1 through 4 on both sides. 

Aftermath:

None of note.

Pen commission

I've received a commission from an author friend of mine to turn two pens for her.  I sent her 5 pens to hold in her hand and get a feel for which ones felt best to her.  Her decision was that the Cigar style was most comfortable due to the minor arthritis she has in her hands.

So, I'll be making two Cigar style pens with a satin gold finish.  The wood she's chosen is a two tone Box Elder Burl in violet and gold.  The supplies are en route to me and I hope to get working on it this weekend.

Volleyball, 2-1

Another night on the volleyball court in the Rec. league.  We did fairly well.  The first game was close, the second seemed a little easier.  We lost the third pretty convincingly.

Weekend update

Friday:

Hopped in Gandalf and headed for Lewisville, Tx.  It took me about 6 hours to get there and find the hotel and the dojo for Saturday's seminar.  If you go to Lewisville, don't stay at the Econolodge.  Ugh.

Saturday:

I got to sleep in and read some of Esther Friesner's "Thread and Flame".  Headed off to the dojo for Russel Waddel's seminar on accentuating off-balances.  A bunch of fun folks there from Oklahoma, Killeen and other places.

Lunch at a Chinese buffet.

Another seminar session and then the drive home.  Made it home around 10:45 p.m.

Sunday:

Time in the shop working on a commission
Football

Aikido Thursday Night - 10/13/11

Aikido players: Brad and Sal

Ukemi:

A couple of falls

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

Watched over Brad and Sal

Techniques:

We worked on Waki-gatame.  Sal indicated it was the first time he'd worked on it.  Somehow that does not seem right.  We made progress on it.

At the end, I added another technique into the mix: hiki-taoshi.  I think that was a mistake.  In the future I plan on just working on one technique per night on Thursdays.  There's just not enough time to do a credible job on multiple techniques.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Saturday Afternoon - 10/8/11

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Brad, Marvin, and Gayle

Ukemi:

Left-side
The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

Worked with Brad.  He did fairly well

Techniques:

Worked with Brad on no. 8.  He made some substantial improvements by the end of the class.

Worked with Marvin and Gayle on Shomen-ate.

Worked, as tori, with Trey on the offesnive jo portion of Koryu Dai San

Worked, as uke, with Trey for the kneeling portion of Koryu Dai San.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Friday Night - 10/7/2011

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, and Sal

Ukemi:

Did left-sided falls.  Left ankle is still a little swollen.

The Walk:

Twice

Releases:

Trey and I worked with Sal, one of us uke'ing for left the other for right.

Techniques:

We spent most of the evening working on 6 and 7 from Ju Nana Han Kata.  At the end of the evening, Trey and I attacked Sal at a fairly brisk pace letting him respond however he saw fit.  He did really well.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Aikido Thursday Night - 10/6/11

Aikido players: Kim. 

Ukemi:

A couple of falls

The Walk:

Not tonight

Releases:

Not tonight

Techniques:

We worked on defensive and offensive jo work from Koryu Dai San, with K. as uke.  We made it through all of the defensive portion and a couple of the offensive jo.  It made quite a bit of difference working with someone that light.  I've got to ramp down the energy and just use uke's.

Aftermath:

None of note.

Weekend update

Friday:

Aikido

Saturday:

Blueberry muffins
Off to see a local Car Show and Craft Fair.  I've got to look through my photos and see if anything interesting turned out.
ALAMO Board meeting.  I got elected V.P.
Dinner with K and the in-laws
Football

Sunday

In the shop working on dovetails.  I made some good progress on the commissioned box.
Off to Tookie's for dinner
Baskin-Robbins on the way home for dessert
Football

Aikido Friday Night - 9/30/11

Aikido players: Tim, Trey, and Sal

Ukemi:

Did left-sided falls.  Left ankle is still a little swollen.

The Walk:

Once

Releases:

Worked with Sal

Techniques:

We spent most of the evening taping  a video for new students, a study guide you might say.  We mentioned the strong position, did the Walk, Releases and the first 5 techniques of Ju Nana Hon Kata.

Now I just need to process the video and get it onto DVD.

Aftermath:

None of note.