I knew that it wasn’t going to be a good day when my brother said on the phone, “I need to tell you that Mom’s OK…but she was in a car wreck this morning.”
Holy Crap!
As it turns out, she was on an icy overpass, about to exit, and a semi rear-ended her, sending her slamming into a concrete divider and flipping her car. She suffered three fractures to her left arm (the word ‘shattered’ was used), one in the shoulder, one in the forearm, and one in the wrist. Other than these minor inconveniences, she escaped with minor cuts and bruises.
To say that she was lucky isn’t really accurate. I mean, if she were lucky, the semi would have missed her, right? However, she was very fortunate to have not suffered major injuries, or even death, at the hands of a stupid truck driver who was going a bit too fast.
She’s still around, though. And as you might expect, I’m thrilled that she’s going to be OK. I’m also glad that it wasn’t her right arm that was broken…doing certain things really requires your dominant arm sometimes, and she’s already frustrated enough with one arm out of action.
So we’re glad to be heading up north to give her a hand for awhile. It’ll be good to see my family again, and Christina and I both need a rest from some things here at home. I’ve even written up some workouts that I can do in Mom’s basement (where we’ll be staying for the duration of the trip).
There’s more to talk about, including our Graduation Ceremony yesterday, and the SWAT party that Amy and Shawn held at their house today, but I’m actually kind of tired. I did a killer workout today that involved pull-ups, pushups, box jumps, deadlifts, kettlebell clean-n-presses, and the like, and I’m just whipped. Later.
40 Questions
1. Where were you 1 hour ago?
At Amy and Shawn’s house…they had a great party for the Jade Mountain instructors.
2. Who will be your next kiss?
That would be my wife.
3. Do you kiss a lot of people?
Nope.
4. Are you wearing socks right now?
Lemme check….yep.
5. When was the last time you went out of state?
That would be last Christmas, when we went to Indiana to see my folks.
6. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
No, but we did see The Golden Compass last week.
7. What was the last thing you had to drink?
A Coca-Cola at the party.
8. What are you wearing right now?
Amazingly, I’m still wearing jeans, socks, shoes, and a red shirt. I usually strip immediately upon returning home at night.
9. What was your last purchase?
I picked up some Subway sandwiches for lunch.
10. Last food you ate?
Probably some of Renee’s fabulous stuffed mushrooms.
11. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
Brian.
12. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
Nope…but I’m planning on using Amy and Shawn’s generous gift to get some new running shoes!
13. Do you have a pet?
Just one little Beta fish named Willie.
14. What did you do last night?
We had a Graduation Ceremony at Jade Mountain, then we ate at Pho Mai, courtesy of Amy and Shawn. Man, they’re just awesome!
15. Are you a vampire?
What? Um…not really, no.
16. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?
To be honest, I’d love to be asleep on the couch. And that’s where I’m headed after I’m done here.
17. What is the last thing you purchased online?
Ross Enamait’s new conditioning book and dvd, Full Throttle Conditioning. It’s really great!
18. One thing you hate about yourself?
My lack of self-discipline. As a martial arts instructor, I hold myself to a very high ideal, both in my training, in my relationships, and in my life in general. Even so, I must constantly keep myself on track to do the things I know that I should do. I’m just as human as the next guy.
19. What's your favorite soup?
Pho Mai’s pho tai, without a doubt.
20. Do you miss anyone?
Why yes, I have many friends and family that I don’t see very often.
21. Last movie you saw?
Stardust.
22. What are your plans for the day?
My day is nearly done…resting on the couch, then cleaning the kitchen and maybe some laundry before bed.
23. Did you have fun today?
As a matter of fact, yes I did. And had a fantastic workout as well!
24. Who is your last text message from?
Christina
25. Were you an honor roll student in school?
Yup. Graduated in the top ten percent of my class.
26. What do you know about the future?
I know that it’s approaching rapidly…and I know that it has the potential to be wonderful.
27. Who rode in a car with you last?
Monkey.
28. What is your all time favorite band?
I still have a huge crush on Cathy Dennis, but I love lots of music.
30. How old do you want to be when you have kids?
I was 32 when Monkey came along. I may be nearly 40 when and if we have another.
31. Did you meet anyone new today?
Yes, a new fellow came by to visit the school.
32. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
Nope.
33. How do you like your soda?
Coke over ice with lime wedges.
34. Do you like hot sauce?
Yes, in spite of the hot-potty issues that come with the hot sauce.
35. What are you doing tomorrow?
Cleaning house and preparing for a trip.
36. What day is tomorrow?
Sunday
37. What is your current mood?
Cheerful, but a bit tired.
38. Are you someone's best friend?
Yup. I have some really great friends.
39. What did you get for Valentines day?
I’m sorry to say that I have no idea. My hippocampus is simply not big enough to hold that kind of info for very long.
40. Someone who last bought you something?
Christina, Amy, and Mark. Thanks!
***
Happy Holidays to you, everyone!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
20 Deep Questions
1. What is more difficult for you, looking into someones eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someones eyes when they are telling you how they feel? I don't shy away from eye contact when talking to someone, but if I had to choose, I'd say the first one.
2. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. Why were you angry? When we went to help my wife clean out her things from her former workplace. It is only because I have a responsibility to set a good example for my students that I did not punch her former boss in his smug little face.
3. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get ONE phone call. Who would you call?The in-air fire department? Traffic control? The moron next to the sink in the rear calling his wife and doing nothing? I'd be frantically trying to put the fire out...come on, SOMEONE needs to step up! Didn't anyone read those safety cards?
4. You are at the doctor's office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. (1) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? (2) What do you do with your remaining days? (3) Would you be afraid?
1) I'd tell a few close friends and my family.
2) I'd get my affairs in order, spend time with my family and loved ones, and also spend time meditating and finding peace in my situation. Oh, and I'd still be training.
3) I'm sure I'd have moments of concern, not so much for myself, but for my family.
5. You can have one of the following two things- trust/love. Which do you choose? I think trust. Love can be created, and nurtured, but without trust, it won't work.
6. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. Do you save the dog? I am the boss. I'd save the dog.
7. If you could tell one person how you really felt about them right now would you? Sure.
8. If you could go back and be with your first love, would you? Although I have fond memories of my first girlfriend, I'm certain that we'd be a horrible match nowadays.
9. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give one year of your life. Do you do it? As much as I'd like to be generous, an hour just isn't worth it. I'd give them that whole year, though. And they'd damn well better make good use of it.
10. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend? Yup. At least, I think so!
11. Does love = sex? There are far too many types of love for this to be true. I have many friends, whom I love dearly, and I don't have any desire to have sex with them.
12. Your boss tells your co-worker that they have to let them go because of work shortage, and they are the newest employee. You have been there much longer. Your co-worker has a family to support and no other means of income. Do you go to your boss and offer to leave the company? Again, I'm the boss.
13. When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you feel? My darling wife and I had a heartfelt discussion last night, but that's commonplace for us. We share our feelings very openly.
14. What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or tell them you hate them?It would definitely be harder to tell someone I hate them.
15. What do you think would be/is the hardest thing for you to give up? My family. Everything else can be replaced, one way or another. My job would be a close second.
16. Excluding family love, when was the last time you told someone you love them? Probably to one of my best friends a week or so ago.
17. If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? Man, I go round and round about this sometimes. In the end, I have to think that my entire lifepath has led me to this moment, and this particular situation. It's where I want to be, so I wouldn't want to jeopardize that.
18. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside. What are you doing? Reading, surfing the net, or watching training DVD's.
19. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying? Sure.
20. If you could do anything OR wish anything, what would it be? I'd give my wife the power to grant wishes!
2. Think of the last time you were REALLY angry. Why were you angry? When we went to help my wife clean out her things from her former workplace. It is only because I have a responsibility to set a good example for my students that I did not punch her former boss in his smug little face.
3. You are on a flight from Honolulu to Chicago non-stop. There is a fire in the back of the plane. You get ONE phone call. Who would you call?The in-air fire department? Traffic control? The moron next to the sink in the rear calling his wife and doing nothing? I'd be frantically trying to put the fire out...come on, SOMEONE needs to step up! Didn't anyone read those safety cards?
4. You are at the doctor's office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. (1) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? (2) What do you do with your remaining days? (3) Would you be afraid?
1) I'd tell a few close friends and my family.
2) I'd get my affairs in order, spend time with my family and loved ones, and also spend time meditating and finding peace in my situation. Oh, and I'd still be training.
3) I'm sure I'd have moments of concern, not so much for myself, but for my family.
5. You can have one of the following two things- trust/love. Which do you choose? I think trust. Love can be created, and nurtured, but without trust, it won't work.
6. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. Do you save the dog? I am the boss. I'd save the dog.
7. If you could tell one person how you really felt about them right now would you? Sure.
8. If you could go back and be with your first love, would you? Although I have fond memories of my first girlfriend, I'm certain that we'd be a horrible match nowadays.
9. Think of the last person who you know that died. You have the chance to give them 1 hour of life back, but you have to give one year of your life. Do you do it? As much as I'd like to be generous, an hour just isn't worth it. I'd give them that whole year, though. And they'd damn well better make good use of it.
10. Are you the kind of friend that you would want to have as a friend? Yup. At least, I think so!
11. Does love = sex? There are far too many types of love for this to be true. I have many friends, whom I love dearly, and I don't have any desire to have sex with them.
12. Your boss tells your co-worker that they have to let them go because of work shortage, and they are the newest employee. You have been there much longer. Your co-worker has a family to support and no other means of income. Do you go to your boss and offer to leave the company? Again, I'm the boss.
13. When was the last time you told someone HONESTLY how you feel? My darling wife and I had a heartfelt discussion last night, but that's commonplace for us. We share our feelings very openly.
14. What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or tell them you hate them?It would definitely be harder to tell someone I hate them.
15. What do you think would be/is the hardest thing for you to give up? My family. Everything else can be replaced, one way or another. My job would be a close second.
16. Excluding family love, when was the last time you told someone you love them? Probably to one of my best friends a week or so ago.
17. If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? Man, I go round and round about this sometimes. In the end, I have to think that my entire lifepath has led me to this moment, and this particular situation. It's where I want to be, so I wouldn't want to jeopardize that.
18. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside. What are you doing? Reading, surfing the net, or watching training DVD's.
19. Would you give a homeless person CPR if they were dying? Sure.
20. If you could do anything OR wish anything, what would it be? I'd give my wife the power to grant wishes!
Ho, ho, ho...
And the holidays are here! Christina's got the lights up, and we found a nice tree, which is decorated very nicely. Monkey picked out the tree, and I must say that it's a good one. It does lean a bit to one side, but otherwise, it's great!
There's been much turmoil around here lately, and it's unfortunate that I can't really get into it here. Suffice to say that my wife's former employer was not at all what he purported to be. He, and others in his employ, proved themselves to be petty, manipulative, underhanded, and mean, and they have caused my family a lot of sleepless nights, frustration, anger, and despair. And so we enter our holiday season shaking our heads, and wondering how some people can live with themselves. It's truly amazing.
So, on a brighter note, it's been great having my wife home all day. She's been super-busy while she's organizing the house and trying to sort through the clutter around here. I'm just trying to stay out of the way and help out where I can. We get to hang out together and watch shows that we enjoy, and just enjoy each others company. She'll most likely be working again in January, so I'm enjoying her while I can!
So now that we're recovering from things, we're able to look ahead to our trip up North. I always enjoy heading up there to see my parents, brother, and extended family, and this year is no exception. When we're there, we stay in Mom's lower level (she's got a three-level home plus a basement), so we can nap anytime we like, and I'm really looking forward to that! They used to have a parakeet down there that enjoyed squawking at us every chance it got, but I hear that he's moved on to a better place. I'm surprised to find that I'll miss him a bit, even though I'm almost certain that he'd have enjoyed trying to peck me to death, given half a chance. At least there's still Rico, my Dad's little dog. He's a silly little thing, and spoiled rotten.
So that's about all for now. I'm planning to rest on the couch while I review some technique videos before heading out to class. I hope I don't strain myself. ;-)
There's been much turmoil around here lately, and it's unfortunate that I can't really get into it here. Suffice to say that my wife's former employer was not at all what he purported to be. He, and others in his employ, proved themselves to be petty, manipulative, underhanded, and mean, and they have caused my family a lot of sleepless nights, frustration, anger, and despair. And so we enter our holiday season shaking our heads, and wondering how some people can live with themselves. It's truly amazing.
So, on a brighter note, it's been great having my wife home all day. She's been super-busy while she's organizing the house and trying to sort through the clutter around here. I'm just trying to stay out of the way and help out where I can. We get to hang out together and watch shows that we enjoy, and just enjoy each others company. She'll most likely be working again in January, so I'm enjoying her while I can!
So now that we're recovering from things, we're able to look ahead to our trip up North. I always enjoy heading up there to see my parents, brother, and extended family, and this year is no exception. When we're there, we stay in Mom's lower level (she's got a three-level home plus a basement), so we can nap anytime we like, and I'm really looking forward to that! They used to have a parakeet down there that enjoyed squawking at us every chance it got, but I hear that he's moved on to a better place. I'm surprised to find that I'll miss him a bit, even though I'm almost certain that he'd have enjoyed trying to peck me to death, given half a chance. At least there's still Rico, my Dad's little dog. He's a silly little thing, and spoiled rotten.
So that's about all for now. I'm planning to rest on the couch while I review some technique videos before heading out to class. I hope I don't strain myself. ;-)
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