Two Titles- Update 5.0 & Whilst is an Awesome Word

Sorry for the long delay between posts, I was gone for almost two weeks in the bush, and I forgot about it this weekend. But, I'm back!

Still have Hollywood the pigeon, she (I think) looks more like a bird now and less like some freaky sideshow. Doubled in size, double the appetite. Trying to fly, but not quite there. We hung out for a while yesterday in the yard, fresh air and sunlight was good for both of us.

I think I'm done the monks spade, I just need to try it out with my spade (which is significantly heavier) to see if its possible to finish it the way I'm planning. Made progress on it when I was gone and on Friday, but my shoulder is definitely not healing because of it. Progressing wisely is a phrase I need to remember.

Need to play catch-up on my push-ups and sit-ups. Looking forward to this Friday when I have no excuse not to do 1000 of each. Horrah.

Back at work. Bah. I am not one of those people who says they'd go nuts if they just stayed home everyday. I could keep myself busy in our yard for a good two years, in our house for probably three years. And I'm not even kidding about that. If I could find a way to make money whilst staying at home...

Definitely need to get back on track with the diet thing. I have to admit, I lived off of smokies & hot dogs whilst in the bush. I don't think it added to the waist, but I know it didn't subtract either. Also have to admit, had a couple cold bevies that didn't help either. Still managed to drink mostly water though, and less coffee than usual!

And aren't these baby geese cute! View from my momma & papa's house. Momma threw out her back, so get better mommy! I'll mow your lawn for ya!

A Pigeon in a Pear Tree

So I don't know how I get myself into these situations, but it seems that I'll be taking a baby pigeon with me to our annual May long camping trip. Despite my best efforts, I didn't find a home for it yet, although I do have a home lined up for when he's able to feed himself. But, chances are I'll be attached to him and won't want to give him up. He'd fit right in- three stubborn, bratty dogs, two talkative cats and a pigeon (in a pear tree). This counts as one in my acts of kindness tally for sure.

I think most people in the office think I'm completely insane for trying to save this bird, this "rat with wings" as he's being referred to. I'm feeding it every few hours, taking it home at night and I just spent a hundred bucks for a cage, heat lamp, baby bird formula, doggie bowl used as a nest & bird bath spray (all the nests they had were too small). Maybe I am, but I don't care what it is, be it an overpopulated scavenging bird or the last endangered dodo bird, if it needs help I'll do my best. If I can afford the car I drive then I can afford to try and save a life.

On Poptarts & Dentists

I woke up this morning with a memory of a dream, none of which made sense. The one detail I remember most was teaching the kids how to break boards, only instead of using boards they were breaking poptarts. Kung fu sneaks into every part of your life, while dreaming or while awake. And its helpful in so many ways, from catching something you drop before it breaks to having the patience & discipline to wait quietly in the dentists' office. Sometimes this can backfire, like when Sifu Beckett instinctively caught falling knife blades while driving, or this morning when I had a strange craving for poptarts with blue & purple icing. But normally, its all good stuff. It's upsetting when I see a student leave the school. They are walking out on all this good stuff, opportunities that are not going to present themselves elsewhere or with the same frequency. When you see a student leave after years of training is even worse, because they should be aware of what they are leaving. To me, when you become aware, walking out is not an option. I was talking to my mom in the dentists office yesterday about this. She gets upset when I mention a new injury or ache. You have to admit, what we do is hard on the body. I'm starting to have issues with my knees, and my mom is scared I'm going to be crippled soon. The way I see it, I'm happy that it took this long to develop. And no, I will not be crippled. I just have aches and injuries on occasion. But no matter what, she agrees that the benefits far outweigh any chance of injury. Far outweighs.

Proof that 3am Exists!

See what you all are missing? Yes, this was strictly to make you all jealous, and to encourage you all to come by today and see what the Pandamonium is all about! Now I know 3am isn't just a fairy tale. Now to prove 4am is out there too!

Slidy Stabby Slidy... Try to Say That 3 Times Fast

So I'm having more trouble with my monks spade. My shoulder still argues, but we've compromised; it hurts after, and I do it anyways. But now, I'm trying to incorporate slidy stabby slidy motions instead of just poking the guy, but my hands don't want to slide and I end up stabbing myself in the chest each time I try to draw the spade back. I'm going to have to cave and get gloves or something, even though I prefer bare hands. Pandamonium is getting here quick, and I haven't reached my goal of raising $1000 yet. But, I still have hope. My brother is coming over tonight to do some plumbing stuff, and I plan on pulling the sweet little-sister-in-a-bind clause. That'll help. Additionally, I'm looking forward to spending time in the kwoon this Saturday. I plan on getting a lot done on my spade in the wee hours of the morning. However, I'm nervous on how I'm going to perform during the dragon dance after pulling an all nighter. We shall have to see. I gave up looking for a late night course for sign language and bought a couple books (one came with a DVD!). I think I'm learning the dummied down version, but if I can ask where the nearest coffee shop is, I'm happy. I've pulled my bike out of hibernation, which my butt can attest to. I'M GOING TO HAVE MY HOUSE BACK!!! This was a goal from a couple years past, to finally make good progress on our house renovations. Well, I've convinced Nick to let me hire someone. We've finally admitted we don't have the time, so if we want this done it's going to have to be done by someone else. I'll miss the chance to do it ourselves, since I really enjoy working with Nick. Surprisingly, we work well together. But realistically, it'll take a millennium for us to do it alone. Besides, we need a house if we want to start a family, which hopefully will be in the stars at some point. And if anyone can tell me how to get this new blogger format to show the paragraph breaks, I'd be very grateful!