The musings of a weary mind. Conversations on aikido, gardening, cooking, travel and, maybe, woodworking.
Friday:
Lunch at Hubcap
Saturday:
Blueberry muffins
Close up the dojo
Mow the rental
Dinner at El Centinela
Texas Hold 'Em with D, C, and K
Sunday:
Lots of sleep catching up from Sasquan
Baseball
Football
Re-arrange some paintings
Aikido players:
Tim, Phillip, Dan, and John
The Walk:
Once.
Releases:
Not today
Techniques:
Not today.
Commentary:
We had to clean out the dojo space as the building had been sold. The owner, Curtis, had been losing money for a while and put the building on the market without letting us know. We probably could have come up with the money to purchase it, had we known. Whether we would have wanted to is a good question as it had all sorts of water issues.
Where we go from here is an open questions. We're looking for space to lease or buy. I'm not certain a lease is financially viable. With a purchase, at least we'd have something of our own at the end. Got to figure out finances.
Our first date at this location was 12/14/07, so we spent a total of 7 years, 8 months and 15 days at the Bonin Dojo. My first day of aikido was 1/17/2006. I thought I'd spent more time at the League City dojo.
Aikido players:
Tim, Dan, and John
Ukemi:
None tonight
The Walk:
Twice
Releases:
Dan and John worked together most of the evening
Techniques:
Dan and John worked on Shomen-ate
Commentary:
Found out our building has been sold (I wish I'd been told it was for sale, I'd probably have bought it), now we have to find a new place to practice.
Opponent: Like We Give a Hit, 9 p.m.
First game we won handily. Second by about 3 points. Lost the third by about 4
Tuesday:
Up at 3:55 a.m. for an early flight on Southwest.
1st leg to Denver, got the extra leg room seat. Second leg to Spokane, for the extra legroom seat.
In Spokane, grabbed my checked bag and hopped the city bus to the Davenport Grand Hotel. They were able to check me in around 11 a.m. I then headed over to the convention center to help the Art Show set up. All of the spines were set up, so I helped organize the control area.
Picked up my registration packet.
Dinner was at the Saranac, nice beer, good food.
Wednesday:
Breakfast at Frank's Doodle a decent walk from the hotel.
Back to the convention center
Dinner at Hill's with Tomi and Kerry
Thursday:
Breakfast at the Satellite Diner. Ben Yalow was eating there before the DH meeting.
Back to the convention center
Afternoon trip on foot to PaperPlus for some cardstock. About a 3 mi round trip.
Changed into my Steampunk Samurai outfit
Chesley awards, where I presented the Gaming Illustration. I also received a Hero award from LSC3. The award is a bronze sculpture by Vincent Villafranca. Gorgeous.
Grabbed some food at the reception
Stopped by the Texas party afterwards. Couldn't stay too long. Too bloody warm in the room.
Friday:
Breakfast at the Satellite Diner. Ben Yalow was eating there before the DH meeting.
Back to the convention center
Dinner at the Steelhead Bar with Kerry, Tomi, Gretchen, Jessica, and Dennis (Darrell? I'm not certain I ever got his non-fannish name). Did not enjoy the dessert, gave up halfway through.
Stopped by the New Orleans party. Too hot, but had a nice conversation in the hall with Debbie Hodgkinson. Found out she lived in El Lago for a while
Saturday:
Breakfast at the Grand. Satellite opened at 8 and that was too late for my schedule.
Back to the convention center
Auction Day aka Hell on Credit Cards
We managed to get out of there around 7:15 and managed to get the Bid Sheets sorted by then.
Dinner with the rest of the staff at O'Doherty's
Sunday:
Breakfast at the Grand. Satellite opened at 8 and that was too late for my schedule.
Checked out of the hotel and reserved a shuttle to the airport
Back to the convention center for more sales. Today was a steady pace, but no horrid rush.
Shuttle to the airport.
1st leg to Las Vegas, second leg home. Arrived at 1 a.m.
Home at 1:30 a.m.
Up for work at 5 a.m.
Friday:
Lunch at Andiamo
Dinner with K. at 888
Saturday:
Blueberry muffins
Haircut
Banking
Off to Gill's to try to get a part - fail
Aikido
Military surplus for camo pants
Meeting with person about ASH usage
Back to Gill's for part
Dinner at El Centinela with K.
Sunday:
Repair mower
Load/unload at rental
Nap
Work on kolaches
Golf
Baseball
Aikido players:
Tim, Trey, Mario, Dan, and John
The Walk:
Twice, as usual
Releases:
Not today
Techniques:
We started off with Shomen-ate. We did not get very far before we diverted into an afternoon about movement and falling instead of walking.
Commentary:
None of note.
Aikido players:
Mario, Dan, John, Mavin, and Kim
Techniques:
Shomen-ate: John/Me.
Ushiro-ate: Kim/Mario
Oshi taoshi: Marvin/Mario
Commentary:
None of note.
Aikido players:
Tim, Mario, Marvin, Dan, and John
Ukemi:
Got in my now regular set
The Walk:
Twice
Releases:
Marvin and Mario, Dan and John worked together
Techniques:
Mario and Marvin worked on 6 and 4.
Dan and John worked on Shomen-ate
Commentary:
John's back from his summer in Florida.
Friday:
Lunch at Springbok
Dinner at Joe's with K.
No aikido. Changed the schedule so there was no regular class for the first time in about 6 years.
Mailed ArmadilloCon checks
Paid bills
Refreshed sourdough starter
Saturday:
Blueberry muffins
Retrieved riding lawnmower from Gill's
Fixed Flex's light
Sourdough bread
Pet store
Aikido
Framing
Dinner at El Centinela with K.
Sunday:
Sourdough bread
Updated aikido website
Work on John's Nikkyu video
Nap
Dinner with the in-laws
Dropped cupcakes off at Val's
Aikido players:
Tim, Mario, and Dan
Ukemi:
Took none today. Very bruised arm from Thursday
The Walk:
Not today.
Releases:
Mario and Dan worked on them for about an hour and a half
Techniques:
Mario worked on Gedan-ate
Dan worked on Ushir-ate
Commentary:
An awful long time spent on the releases..
Aikido players:
Mario, Dan, Mavin, Gale, and Kim
Techniques:
Ushiro-ate. Marvin/Me, Dan/Gale, Kim/Mario.
Switched off to Mario/Me, Gale/Marvin, Kim/Dan.
Switched off to Dan/Me, Gale/Mario, Kim/Marvin.
Commentary:
Toward the end of the evening I was having a tough time attacking. My forearm took so much abuse from everyone contacting it with their wrist bone instead of the flat of their forearm. I'm going to have some nice bruises for a while. That area is tender to the touch this morning.
Aikido players:
Tim, Trey, Mario, Marvin, and Dan
Ukemi:
Got in my now regular set
The Walk:
Twice
Releases:
I worked with Mario. Dan and Marvin worked together
Techniques:
Mario, Marvin and Dan worked on 1-5, I think.
Trey and I worked some more on Ushiro Kubi Shimi. (This is a counter, or interception, of a rear naked choke) I nailed it once, but generally had the tendency to drop my hands at the end. If the hands stay in my center and my waist bends, that's ok. If my hands drop out of my center, not as good.
We need to work with Trey as tori and see if there is something causing me to take back falls instead of front falls.
Keys:
Do the 5th release properly
Stretch but shrink
Arm nearest uke - curved shoulder
Maintain connection as you drop your center a long distance along the leading edge of uke's leading foot.
Commentary:
We've made a schedule switch. We were Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Since the judo folks did not pay their bill, we have access to more nights. We did not take more nights, just different ones. We are now Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We dropped Friday and picked up Wednesday.
I'll have my first Friday with no class on the schedule in about 7 years this week.
Friday:
Lunch at Flying Saucer
Aikido
Started refreshing sourdough starter
Saturday:
Blueberry muffins
Refresh sourdough starter
Aikido
Work on ASH
Dinner at El Centinela with K.
Refresh sourdough starter
Sunday:
Refresh sourdough starter
Replace faulty board on the deck
Nap
Baseball
Work on ASH
Refresh sourdough starter
Aikido players:
Tim, Trey, Mario, and Marvin
Ukemi:
Got in just a portion of my set
The Walk:
Twice
Releases:
Mario and Marvin worked on them for about 45 minutes
Techniques:
Mario and Marvin worked on Ushiro-ate
Trey and I worked on Ushiro Kubi Shimi from Koryu Dai San.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Aikido players:
Tim, Trey, Mario, Marvin, and Dan
Ukemi:
Got in my now regular set
The Walk:
Twice
Releases:
Circular between the 3 folks
Techniques:
Mario, Marvin and Dan worked on Gedanate
Aftermath:
None of note.
Check out directly from here. Fast. Secure. Simple.
