Finally back on the volleyball court for the first time in about 2 or 3 months. I took it easy and did not do any spikes. We managed to eke out a win in one game against a team that had a number of players from an old competitive league team of mine. Glad to be back on the court.
Friday
Lunch at Magnolia Cafe and Bakery. Tried to have lunch at 2 Brothers Pasta, but they have closed. Much sadness.
Aikido
Saturday
Blueberry muffins
Aikido
Made reservations for some upcoming trips
Went to Office Depot to get some stuff ordered for next year's WorldCon. Found they would not take my credit card because I'd just put all of the trip charges on it. Luckily I had enough cash to cover the orders, but not enough to buy the stuff that did not have to be ordered.
Made a Sour Cream/Citrus Pound Cake
Grilled out steaks
Football
Sunday
Nap
Football
Moved my mom's mattress to the curb
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Marvin, and Brad
Ukemi:
Did most of the usual warm-up falls. Did not do the twist-around falls.
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
Worked with Marvin. Did my releases and then he did his.
Techniques:
Worked with Marvin on 1-3. Brad came in around this time and worked with him on Gedan-ate.
Worked with Trey on 1-14 of Koryu Dai Yon No Kata. These are starting to be enjoyable and I'm getting lighter with my reactions.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Sal, and Marvin
Ukemi:
I actuall took a couple of warm-up falls, but then spent a lot of time with Troy working with Sal on correcting and issue with his falls.
The Walk:
Twice, as usual, with Sal and Marvin.
Releases:
I worked with Sal and Marvin on their set.
Techniques:
Tim worked with Sal and Marvin on 1-4.
I worked with them and with Troy and Trey as explored Kata Otoshi for most of the two hours. It was frustrating, but we did have some success. As Trey was saying, we get to work on it about once every three months and each time, it takes us most of an evening to re-acquaint ourselves with it. It really is a cornerstone technique in the Big Ten. If you can nail Kata Otoshi, the Gurumas should be a piece of cake.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Aikido players: Troy, Kim, and Sal
Ukemi:
None tonight.
The Walk:
Not on Thursdays
Releases:
Not tonight
Techniques:
We did "monkey-in-the-middle" with Kim and Sal working on Oshi-taoshi and Ude-gaeshi.
Troy got some time with me working on Kata-otoshi. We had no success (either with me as uke or as tori), but it's the toughest and most exacting technique in the Big Ten. It seems the simplest, but everything must work well and at the right time.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Friday lunch, was just a short jaunt up the feeder to Taqueria El Nopalito. They've taken over an old diner, similar to Denny's, and repurposed it for Mexican food.
The chips were thick and hefty. I don't usually like them that way, I'm more of a thin and light person, but these were pretty good. They brought out red and green salsa, both of which were tasty, with the green beeing the spicier of the two.
I ordered the special of the day: parillada (mixed chicken and beef). The meat had a decent flavor, but it had been grilled over a flattop instead of a flame, so substantial points off for that. The tortillas were good, as the guacamole, tortillas and other fixings.
Friday
Lunch at Taqueria El Nopalito.
Rehab
Aikido
Saturday
Blueberry muffins
Mailed out an Artfire sale
Aikido
Worked on Art Show Helper
Started batch of Italian bread
Sunday
Mowed some of the back 40
Football
Made the Italian bread
Tuesday:
Left H-Town bright and early with a 8 a.m. flight into Chicago. Landed and caught the Orange Line to State and Lake and walked to the Hyatt from there. Left K to work Logistics while I went and worked Art Show build
Dinner at Giordano's - good pizza
Wednesday:
Breakfast on my own at the hotel restaurant - expensive buffet!
In to the art show for more work
Dinner at Giordano's again
Thursday:
Breakfast with K. at the Corner Bakery cafe. We were trying to eat at Heaven on Seven, but they don't open for breakfast until 9 a.m.
Back into our respective worlds.
Dinner at Sweetwater Tavern and Grille, just a block or two from the hotel
Friday:
Breakfast at Houlihan's $10 buffet.
More con work. Actually got to a reading by Kristine Smith and got an autograph from Geoff Ryman.
Dinner at Houlihan's
Saturday:
Breakfast at Houlihan's $10 buffet.
More con work. Got to a reading by Juanita Coulson and grabbed an autograph from Ben Bova
Dinner at the Elephant and Castle
Sunday:
Breakfast at the Toni Patisserie and Cafe (Houlihan's was closed)
More con work. End of art show silent bidding, art show live auction, lots of folks settling their tabs from the art show.
Dinner at a restaurant that I did not use my credit card, so I can't remember what it was. Ah, it was Billy Goat Tavern the place immortalized by John Belushi on SNL in the Cheezborger skit.
Monday:
Breakfast at Houlihan's $10 buffet.
Folks settling their tabs at the art show, artists checking out and the disassembling of the Art Show.
Dinner at P. J. Clarke's
Tuesday:
Breakfast at Houlihan's $10 buffet.
More disassembling of the Art Show.
Caught the Orange Line to Midway and chilled for several hours before our flight. Attempted to catch an earlier flight, but would have flown standby the entire way and it would have gotten us into town just 30 minutes before our planned flight.
I had a good time at the con, did not get to many panels, but did not expect to. I was glad to have my wife along, it made for a much more enjoyable adventure.
Aikido players: Tim, Marvin, Liz, Charles, and Hussein
Ukemi:
None for me today
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
Worked with Hussein on his releases. We spent quite a bit of time and made it through 7 of the 8.
Techniques:
Worked with Marvin on Ushiro-ate and Oshi-taoshi. Managed to get him to be a little lighter on Ushiro and tweaked the armbar on Oshi to be a little more effective.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Sal, Liz, and Charles
Ukemi:
None for me tonight
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
I worked with Charles on his set
Techniques:
Worked with Sal on 1-10 right-sided. We actually made it through all ten without much of a delay at any one particular technique.
Aftermath:
Took more falls than I have in quite a while, things are looking up with the rehab.
Aikido players: Troy, Kim, Brad, and Sal
Ukemi:
None tonight.
The Walk:
Not on Thursdays
Releases:
Not tonight
Techniques:
Kim and Brad worked on Ushiro-ate all evening
Troy and Sal worked on 6-10.
Aftermath:
None of note.
Friday:
Lunch at Durango's
Rehab session
Aikido
Saturday:
Blueberry muffins
Bank errands
Aikido
Picked up cupcakes at Rise Cupcakes (too much icing)
Roast Beef stew for dinner
Sunday:
Lunch with the family to celebrate birthdays. We went to Phoenicia in town and had a nice lunch. Picked up some "Herbs de Provence" and some Mediterranean spice combo.
Nap
Football
Ongoing concern:
Will Isaac come and visit us or will he hit New Orleans instead.
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Brad, Liz, Charles, and Hussein
Ukemi:
None for me today
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
Oversaw Liz and Brad working on their releases.
Techniques:
Helped minimally with Troy and Trey's final rep before demonstration. Took a couple of falls in a Blum-line of Brad and the white belts.
Sat on the board for and filmed Troy's demonstration. He was demonstrating for Nikkyu, but we had him work through the techniques for Ikkyu. So, once he has time-in-grade for Ikkyu, he will be awarded that rank.
He did a fantastic job on the demonstration. Trey played a little with Troy's mind to ease up the tension. Trey would call out the technique and side just before starting the attack. Troy works better under those conditions than in the more traditional in order list for a demonstration.
Aftermath:
Took me several reps to remember how to tie my hakama.
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Marvin, Gale, Liz, and Charles
Ukemi:
None for me tonight
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
I worked with Marvin on his set
Techniques:
Oversaw Troy and Trey working on Troy's demonstration techniques. He has a demonstration on Saturday.
Worked with the others on some of their techniques. I specifically remember working with Marvin on Ushiro-ate. He's still using a lot of power, but I did get him to lighten up on one rep, at least.
Aftermath:
First official Rehab session this afternoon. Some tough exercises.
Aikido players: Troy, and Sal
Ukemi:
None tonight.
The Walk:
Not on Thursdays
Releases:
Not tonight
Techniques:
Troy and Sal worked their way down from Waki-gatame down to Ushiro-ate on the left side, in deference to Sal's sore right arm. Troy had some initial issues with Waki-gatame, but I think that was "lots of work, little sleep" brain. Once he got warmed up, he did well.
Sal did well, he's having some issues foot work on the 3-step that he's having to learn.
Aftermath:
Had my PT evaluation today. Icing the knees tonight, actual therapy session tomorrow.
Friday
Lunch at Chester's Deli with K.
Worked on Art Show Helper
Aikido
Saturday
Blueberry muffins
Walked the dogs
Aikido
Grilled out burgers, chicken,. and salmon for dinner with K. and K.
Watched "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"
Sunday
Slept very late
Watched Little League World Series
Made a batch of "War Bread"
Worked on ArmadilloCon checks
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Marvin, Brad, Gale, Liz, Charles, Jim, and Hussein
Ukemi:
None for me this afternoon. Helped Gale with her backfalls.
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
I worked with Marvin through his set.
Techniques:
I worked with Brad, Marvin, and Gale as a set as they worked through Oshi-taoshi and Ude-gaeshi. We demonstrated hiki-taoshi and ude-hineri so that they would have some exposure to them.
Trey and Troy worked on 1-17 for the last hour of class.
Aftermath:
Still the knees.
Aikido players: Tim, Trey, Troy, Liz, and Charles
Ukemi:
None for me tonight
The Walk:
Twice, as usual.
Releases:
I worked with Charles on his set
Techniques:
Worked with Charles on 1-3. My knee started complaining after a couple of reps on Gyaku-gamae-ate and so I bowed out of uke work. Charles is looking pretty good on his first five.
Aftermath:
Diagnosis from the doc after seeing the MRI: sprained ACL, MCL and Patellar tendinosis. Going to be getting some rehab. I think I'll be staying away from sand volleyball
Aikido players: Troy, Kim Sal, and Brad
Ukemi:
None tonight.
The Walk:
Not on Thursdays
Releases:
Not tonight
Techniques:
Kim and Brad both worked on Oshi-taoshi, Ude-gaeshi.
Troy and Sal worked on Oshi-taoshi, Ude-gaeshi, mainly with Sal as left-sided uke because of pain in his right arm.
Aftermath:
Knees.
Friday
Lunch at Burger House
Aikido
Olympics
Saturday
Blueberry muffins
Olympics
Aikido
Olympics
Dinner with K. and the in-laws at Cullen's American Grill - my food was over salted. I don't expect to go back
Olympics
Sunday
Worked on another bread recipe
Olympics
Nap
Olympics
Grilled out some salmon
Olympics
