A good day
Today was a good riding day. I wasn’t as nervous as I was the other day. I didn’t panic every time I had to stop. I did good. There weren’t even any dogs to chase me. I did have a close encounter with a UPS truck that rattled me just a little, but that was all.
I’m a complete dumbass when it comes to HTML codes and stuff, so I’m having a hard time posting the BBM Challenge blogroll on my sidebar. Actually, I don’t think it has so much to do with me, more so to do with wordpress not really letting you edit your sidebar so much. I’m working on it though. Until then, I’m going to atempt to post it within every message I post about the challenge.
How it all began
A post over here reminded me of how I got started in karate and other physical activities.
Growing up I was the least athletic person around. I was a pro at getting OUT of gym class. Got a male gym teacher? Just tell him your having cramps. He doesn’t want to hear any more and will dismiss you from class. I also kept an ace bandage on my book-bag and was forever “hurting my ankle”. Wrap it up and limp a bit, along with a knack for forging my mom’s signature, and I’m out of that class. I did take a year of dance in high school, but that was more about performing and less about being physical. My dance teacher hated ballet and refused to teach it. Score!
When I was a kid, I knew a lot of other kids who took karate. My friends brother’s mostly. I would watch class in awe of these kids and really wanted to tr y a class. I never did because my extreme shyness overwhelmed me. I didn’t want to be the only person out there that didn’t know what they were doing. Also, the ‘Kiai’, totally brought attention to you and I was all about blending in with the background. “Please don’t look at me” was my personal motto.
I met my husband at age 19. Shortly after, I met his brother. His brother had been in a really bad car accident years before and was told he’d be lucky if he walked again. It was during physical therapy that he took up karate, then akido, and judo, and tae kwon do, ju-jitsu, etc. Before long not only was he defying the Docs who said he may never walk, he held a black belt in 5 areas of martial arts. He’s just gotten better in the 12 years I’ve known him.
My first visit to Texas to see him and his wife, he took us to his class. I didn’t make it through eth warm up, but was fascinated just the same. I told him that I would love to get into it but “Just didn’t have the time”. That’s when he said something that stuck with me all these years. “If you want it bad enough, you’ll make the time”. He was right.
At age 25, I walked into a karate dojo to sign my 6 yr old up for classes. While there, I was told that they also offer a fitness kickboxing class I might be interested in. I blew it off for a while and just took my son to class. Eventually, I started the kickboxing class, and immediately fell in love with it. The kickboxing instructor was also my son’s Sensei so he incorporated a lot of karate into the class. Two years later, at age 27, I was a white belt in the beginner karate class.
Now, at age 31, I’m a red belt looking forward to testing for my Red/Brown (halfway between red and brown). I would have never guessed I would get to this point all those years ago when I was faking an injury to get out of gym class, but I’m so glad I’m here.
Wow, Three posts in one day!
I know! I’m surprised too. But, I had to post this. It rings so very true:
Day one
OK, apparently when I fell last week I did more than just bust up my knee.
I got dressed this morning and ready to ride. Hopped on the bike and headed out. All was well until my first stop sign. I unclipped my right foot and went to put it on the ground, but wobbled a bit to the left. Panic struck! Oh No, I’m going to fall again!. I didn’t, but that little wobble un nerved me for the rest of my ride.
I fell short of my 20 mile goal today. Sometimes getting back on the horse (or bike) is easier said than done. Hopefully tommorrow will be better.
Can you teach me to throw?
I have no doubt in my mind that my husband loves me. It’s the way he shows his love that I have issues with.
Perfect example is this weekend. He was 2 hours away. I met him halfway on Friday to take some stuff to him and have dinner. I asled if he needed to work this weekend or just figured it was easier to stay and head to the other job site on Monday. He said he didn’t need to but “didn’t see any reason to come home”. I didn’t say anything and he responded with “what? you see a reason for me to come home?” My only response was “It depends on where your priorities lie and they have always lied with work so of course it makes sense to you not to come home.” And that is it in a nutshell. He shows that he loves us by working…all the time….for us. We’ve had the conversation a million times and it just doesn’t matter. He is who he is and it’s up to me to decide what I can live with. Some times I can live with it, other times I can’t. Sometimes I see myself holding on until the youngest is out of the house, sometimes I see something and it makes me thing that we will grow old together. I just don’t know anymore.
Ironically, his dad was the same way. Worked all the time for the betterment of the family. It wasn’t until he was retired and getting sicker and sicker that he wanted his boys close and wanted to “be a father”, but by then it was almost too late. The boys had families of thier own. One of my husband’s favorite songs is “Cat’s in the Cradle”, he thinks the song reflects how he grew up. What he doesn’t see is that it’s exactly how he is too. Planes to catch and bills to pay. And I know that one day he is going to look back and see what he has lost and I wonder if I’m going to be around to even care.
The challenge
Black Belt Mama is issuing a challenge to all her readers. Do one thing to inprove your health. Any one thing will do. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further from the store entrance, whatever, but write about it. Tell us what your doing, how your doing it and how it makes you feel
For me it involves the bike. I slacked off a bit this week and I can feel it. If I wa nt to ride 150 in 2 weeks, I hav eto step it up. I plan to log 20 miles a day on my bike from Monday the 28th until Sunday the 3rd. I’ll post about my ride and how many miles I did per day.
I’m up for the challenge, are you?
Won’t give up the search for the ghost in the hall*
OK, as promised, my ghost story.
My FIL died 7 1/2 years ago. He was buried the day before my daughter’s 2nd birthday. Unlike my MIL is was a wonderful man. In fact, I think much of my MIL’s issues stem from loosing him. She is probably seriously depressed, but there is only so much you can do for a person when they wont help themselves. But, this story isn’t about her, so we shall move on.
Shortly after my FIL death, my husband had a dream. In the dream his father came to the door and asked him to come for a ride. He had a shiny new sports car, he was healthy and full of life. He kept telling my husband to come with him. My husband said “I can’t, you’re dead” and that was it. The dream was over and he woke up. That was the last dream about him he had.
It was shortly after this that my husband started working on the road. Everytime he would leave town, I would wake up at night with a sense that I was being watched. I could just feel eyes on my back. To the point where I slept on my wrong side just so I could face the door. I always felt like someone was coming up behind me. When my husband was home, the feeling left.
On Saturday morning I was feeling particularly lazy and didn’t want to get out of bed. The way our house is set up, I can lay in my bed, look through my open door through my boys’ room. All the kids were in there playing, I could hear them, but the way I was laying with my knees pulled up and pillows around me I couldn’t see the door.
I got this ‘feeling’ that someone had walked in the door, and I quickly shut my eyes. I thought it was my little one coming to get me out of bed and hoped that if he saw I was still sleeping, he would leave me alone(gawd I’m sooo selfish). I “saw” him (in the sense that I could feel were he was in the room) walk through the door and around my bed and stand beside me. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder and knee and it pushed me. I kinda sighed and thought, “well that didn’t work” as I opened my eyes, and…no one was there. Now, this all happen in a matter of seconds. There was no way one of the kids could have done it and left the room in the time it took me to open my eyes.
I said outloud “Ok, I get the hint, I’m getting up now”.
I choose to believe that my FIL is hanging around and looking after us while my husband is away. I’ve told my husband this and he doesn’t understand why he never feels a presence. I told him he had his chance but his logical side shut down any reception to it.
I think my youngest (who wasn’t born when my FIL died) used to talk to his grandpa. He would lay in his crib for up to an hour at a time baby talking. Babbling away and laughing. I would stand outside the door listening, and he would be content to just lay in there. It was sweet. Even up to a year ago he woudl make comments about “daddy’s dad”.
So, that’s the ghost story. Some people have been really freaked out when I tell them. They ask why I don’t move. I don’t think moving would do any good since I believe it to by my FIL that’s visiting us. He would just move with us, lol. Besides that, I’ve never felt threatened by this presence. It always feels watchful, never menacing.
I think I’ll keep him
*bonus points if you know where the title of this post comes from.
OMG!
It’s Snakes on a TRAIN. Yes, that’s right…A TRAIN!! Before they went airborne they hitched a ride with the locomotive.
http://www.theasylum.cc/cgi-bin/showMovie.cgi?id=120
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Under a powerful Mayan curse, snakes are hatched inside a young woman, slowly devouring her from within. Her only chance for survival is a powerful shaman who lives across the border. With only hours to live, she jumps on a train headed for Los Angeles. Unfortunately for the passengers aboard, they are now trapped, soon to be victims of these flesh-eating vipers. |
The only thing they are missing is Sam Jackson to rescue them.
Adventures in Cycling (and other stuff)
Today I strapped on my heart monitor, put on my road Id, my new cycling shoes, my shiny helmet, clipped into my pedals and headed out for a nice leisurely ride. Only thing was it was neither nice nor leisurely.
The wind, oh the wind…she was a beast today. I was in head winds and side winds. Winds that blew me into the center of the road (not good when cars are using that part) At one point a semi drove by and I was certain that the side wind, accompanied by the draft blowing off him was going to push me right under him. Scary.
Dogs. Dogs are a HUGE pet peeve of mine. Tie your dog, get a fence, even an underground one will do, but do SOMETHING to keep your dog in your yard. Loose dogs are a menace, and not just to me. I was chased by 2 dogs today. One came barreling at my right side and chased me for as long as I was in front of his yard. I can deal with that. Then, I’m strolling along and I see a mama boxer crossing the road with her babies. I though “Great, she’s gonna go all mama dog on me”. I though maybe I could lessen the surprise (I was coming up behind them and she hadn’t seen me yet) by saying “Hey puppies” in a nice calming voice (some cyclist do this and it works). Mama turned, saw me and went nuts. She chased me, right on my heel, for about a half mile. I tried all the little tricks that had worked in the past when being confronted with dogs. I stopped pedaling and just let myself coast (sometimes it’s the leg movement they are chasing). That stopped the barking but she was still right there, and eventually I had to pedal. I tried saying “No” in a firm, stern voice. That dodn’t work. I guess she finally figured out that in chasing me she has left her babies and she turned around to go tend to them. Great, got rid of her, just in time to find a good sized copper head (snake) crossing my path. With a car coming up behind me and a ditch to my right, I had to just go and hope I didn’t hit it. I didn’t, but I’m pretty sure the car behind me did. I didn’t look back to find out.
AT about 6 miles from home I look up to see a dog trotting towards me on the right side of the road. She didn’t see aggressive, or like she wanted to chase me, she was just trotting along and we happen to cross paths. My strategy on this one was to stop several yards in front of her and wait for her to get to me all while talking in a friendly voice. She was a gorgeous, friendly Golden Retriever. She came right up and started licking me. She had collars, but no tags. I tried to get her to follow me home (so I could try to find her owners) but she had places to be and people to lick. I haveto go out in a bit, I might drive by where I was and see if she is still out. She’s just to sweet to be left out wandering.
I finally made it home, and my left shoe wouldn’t unclip. Perfect end to today’s ride.
Other stuff:
Thanks to everyone who has commented or emailed to tell me my MIL sucks. I know, she does. She is a horrible person and everyone in the family knows it, but she is the family martyr and there for untouchable. I’ve stopped talking to her and pretty much cut her out of my life as much as possible. I don’t see her, I don’t talk to her on the phone, email, nothing. If she wants to see the kids, she has to make arrangements with my husband to see them. She is not welcome in my home and I have no intentions of going to hers.
Other, other stuff.
I’m considering starting Jujitsu classes next month. It’s traditionally a man’s martial arts, but I’ve been interested in it for years and a place finally opened up that is offering it. I have to do more research on the Sensei before I do it though. I’ve learned that anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves “Master”, but that doesn’t mean they know their stuff.
Next post will be a la Rockstar Mommy (www.rockstarmommy.com I can’t seem to get hyperlinks to work either. I’m hip, I’m with it I tell ya!) and I will discuss the ghost in my house. Until then, go check her out, she does a mean Samuel L. Jackson and she is tired of these Mother*bleep* ghost in her mother*bleep* attic
No Idea
How comments got turned off or how to turn them back on. I’m so with it.
