Take it Like a Champ

I never thought that I was a soft individual, but I'm realizing that I'm finally growing a spine. I can be stubborn about things I believe, but to vocalize them is another matter. Working in project management is not something I ever saw myself doing. I can't stand egotistical or arrogant people, and now I get to butt heads with them on a nearly daily basis. And finally, now after over a year, I have the spine to tell them to smarten up and don't try to pass the blame, just fix it or make the call or whatever, just do your job.

Alternately, I also get to rub shoulders with some of the best people in this field. I'm working with good people, and the company I work for actually has a conscious, trying to do the jobs as safely as possible, following and surpassing the legislation requirements. And, I can have my act-like-a-child moments without ridicule! Just this morning I threw a (small) eraser as a fellow project manager, just because, and he took it like a champ!

Warm Fuzzies for Everybody

Its days like today where I wish I could go back and change where my life went. With 5000 barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico every day, I wonder what I can do to help. I wonder if I had changed my concentration at University, maybe I could be down there doing my part instead of sitting here hearing about it.

Then there is the flood in Nashville. Nick, my parents and I were watching CNN last night, and its unbelievable how fast devastation can set in. Many people lost friends, family or pets, or did not have flood insurance... where does that leave them now?

Additionally, what do you do to help the wife and mother of the two girls and their father who were killed when their vehicle was hit by a train? I could never imagine the grief she is going through- one stroke and her family is gone. I had a scare once. Nothing happened, it was just a scare. A fellow named Nick who worked for my brother was killed two years ago in a car accident, and through a miscommunication my dad briefly believed it was my Nick. Just the thought of it after the fact was enough to throw me mentally for the rest of the day. I was a mess, and nothing had happened to my Nick. Again, the grief that the young man's family and friends had to endure...

It comes down to be grateful for what you have, be conscious of those around you and count your blessings for knowing those people. Things happen so fast, its scary. I'm grateful to know all of you, no matter if I've only read your posts, trained with you once upon a time, known you for years or days or have never personally met you. Go home, pet your dog, kiss your loved ones and be fully conscious of what you have. Never take it for granted.

Super Pine! (Not a Cleaner)

So, I met a blackbelt's worst nightmare last night. An unbreakable wood board. I had a parent of one of my kids come to me and ask how the kids are expected to break these boards if even he couldn't. My response was "huh?".

The board was made from super pine. It must been the superhero of the forest as light as a feather, but as dense as ironwood. Either it was a superhero, or perhaps just a very slow growing tree from up north, where they grow dense. I think it was a superhero, personally.

My hand hurts now. Two hits and my hand is black and swollen. I left dents about an eighth of an inch deep with my knuckles (at least that was a bit impressive). My fall back technique has always been an elbow, and even that didn't do it. Bugger. What was cool was you could see the pattern from my uniform in the dent left after the elbows. That was pretty nifty, I thought.

Glow-In-The-Dark Vikings

So I'm sitting here, watching an episode of Corner Gas, all about blogs. And strange, I felt like blogging. Although, I still don't know what to write about. It seems easy on the show, all about Stretch Armstrong and how impressive glow-in-the-dark objects would be to Vikings. But as amusing as it is on the show, I somehow doubt that posting about Vikings would be very beneficial to anyone.

I had a good time at class tonight. It felt like we accomplished a lot, and one of my white belts earned a stripe. We've been working on push-ups quite a bit, and its really showing. I'm not sure if the students realize how far they have come since September, but I'm telling you, you have all come a long way, and you make me proud. Its extremely humbling to see people grow, and doubly so when young kids become the leaders in the class. I love it when someone asks me a question and I can say that I had never thought about it, good question. It goes to show that there are always questions to be asked, no matter how long you've been training, how well you know a technique, or how hard you practice. You can always learn more.

Several weeks ago I sat out and just watched the black belt class. I always knew that you can learn from watching, but that night I was able to absorb so much I was amazed. It was invaluable to be able to watch how each of the black belts move differently, and how each interpreted the lesson and technique. I felt that even though I didn't do the technique once that night, that I was able to take more from the class, and as a result was able to grasp the technique better when I did finally perform it. Everyone learns differently, and the more ways you can train yourself to learn, the more beneficial each lesson can be.

Sweet Dreams (Sarcasm Intended)

I'm really starting to feel the pressure again. Its to the point where I dream of push-ups and blog posts. I've been stressing out because I've missed the last two weeks of journal entries, and last night I had a dream that I finally got a post up. I felt relief when I woke up, up to the point where I realized it was a dream and not reality. Odd how a dream can work as a reality check.

Writing these posts is a bit of a stress relief for me in so many ways. Number one, I have completed a weekly goal, which always feels good and I feel relief for the rest of the week. Number two, it makes me think about everything going on in my life, and although I may not write about most of it it still brings everything into awareness. It really is a valuable tool, albeit not necessarily my favorite one.

So hopefully I don't dream about posting tonight. I'll probably dream of push-ups though, since I have some serious catch-up to do at the moment...

I Now Know the Title to my Blog is Inaccurate... Oops.

This post is really just a muffled jumble of words- just a heads up.


I've always though infinity and finite measurements to be perceptions. Case in point- you paint yourself into a corner. You shrink, you paint yourself back into the corner, you shrink, you paint yourself back into the corner. To you, it will never end because when you shrink, you and your paintbrush shrink while the unpainted surface does not. But to an observer, you and the unpainted surface disappear, therefore its finite to an outsider and infinite to you.

You can sell anything if you put it on a stick.

Right now, I'm eating pickles off a stick.

Have you ever noticed that your handwriting reflects your mood? Another reason computers and texting are so impersonal.

I can have a full conversation with my cat.

I still think the timer on the coffee maker is a nuisance.

There are two types of people in the world. Those who think I'm named after a bike and those who think I'm named after coffee. :)

According to my friends t-shirt, there are three types of people in the world. Those who can do math and those who can't.

Even with all the windex and vinegar in the world, I can't get my dog's nose smudge marks off the patio door.

Oatmeal Packet Wisdom-
Don't be afraid to ask your inner child to come out and play.
When you start the day with a smile, it'll most likely end that way too.

Kona Makes for a Good Coffee Too...

I've posted before about the stray dogs I see on the side of the road, and I finally get to share a good story about one of them. The following is an e-mail that I received last week. Its pretty well self explanatory...

"Hi Khona,

You and I met about two years ago when you delivered a dog into SCARS' care. I met you in the parking lot of the St. Albert mall and picked up a very malnourished dog that looked like she had just had pups, but was now on her last legs. Thank goodness you and your mom had fed her for a few days prior to our picking her up.

That dog is the SCARS calendar dog for March in the 2010 calendar. If you have not received a copy of the calendar please let me know. I would hate to think that you didn't have a calendar with a copy of the picture of the dog you saved. We intended to foster her for a short time until she could find a permanent home. The problem was that she became a very fast member of our canine family, and we adopted her. Her name (although spelled differently) is no accident. We wanted to honour you, another family dog with the same name, and my late mother's association with her Hawaiian birthplace. So Kona is the March calendar page on the SCARS calendar.

Please let me know if you don't have a copy and I'll be pleased to mail you as many as you'd like.

Thanks again so much for rescuing Kona. You made a huge difference in the lives of Kona and her human, canine, and feline family."

I'm excited to see her again (if only in a calendar). The only picture I have of Kona is from the first night I had her, and I have to admit she didn't look her best. Its just an example of the effect your actions can have on the lives of others, even if the other is a dog...