Emily Williams - what ARE you wearing?!

*tsk tsk tsk*

How can one NOT be distracted...?

Outlook for study tonight: distracted.

(DIE YOUTHGROUP DIE!!!)

300th POST (not all that) SPECTACULAR (really)!

Here it is! Something different - some participation from The Hun!

I emailed them to him, but he chose to answer them laying on the couch instead - here's my question, his answer, and my online rebuttal.

The first one is eay - What is my favourite colour?
BROWN! Brown.

This is a "joke". I told him last night that I wanted him to answer some questions for me, such as 'What is my favourite colour' and he joked that he'd say brown because I own a lot of brown clothes.

Which I can't deny.

But my favourite colour is purple, hence why my talky parts are done in purple!

OK - What is my favourite thing to eat?
Based on tonights performance I would say Soy Good Icecream.

This is a fair call. I fled the house for ice cream after pushing him around the kitchen for 5 minutes pouting and asking for it - he then said all of a sudden that he'd go out and get it, then preceeded to hide on the front stoop with his carkeys for the count of ten before rushing back into the house proclaiming 'NO! OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO GET YOU ICE CREAM!!!'. Everybodies a comedian.

(PS - I also bought him some Magnum's while I was down there!)

What do I do too much of?
Not clean.

Touche.

What do I do not enough of?
Not clean.

Un Touche - surely this double negative means that I DO clean?!
What is my favourite memory of us?
Movieworld *laughs*

Surely I told you guys about this? THE WORST DAY OF OUR COMBINED LIFE?!?!?! Wanna start two world wars in a four day period? Tour the themeparks as someone terrified of all rides (so is just there for the ambience) with someone who insists on pushing you to go said terrifying rides and chuck a SERIES OF THE WORLDS WORST TANTIES. Unfortch I think this means I'll never get to see Disneyland... but at least we're in the place where we can look back on it and laugh now.

What do I want for Christmas?
At last count? There was that jewellery thing you went and saw and said you wanted - what was that thing? What was it? I can't remember.. a bunch of stuff. You want a stereo for the garage.

Hint: White gold letter charms with three diamonds at Zemmels.


What is my plan for the future?
Engaged by 25, married with kids by 30, retire and live off my squillions that I earn.

Good - he's been listening.

What is more likely to happen in the future?
I'll buy you a cubic zirconia when youre 43, after you've had seven children and we're living in a caravan.

All his recent cubic zirconia jokes are starting to worry me...

How did we get together?
You wooed me with PlayStation - Britney Spears Dance thing.

Also true - after a valentines night of drinking and dancing, he came back to the Chifley House where (while gf2 slept in my room) we played lotsa Britneys Dance Beat on the PlayStation (I'm the QUEEN of that game!) and then some other game too... he slept on the floor of the loungeroom, I believe... His copious amounts of tickling me were APPARANTLY 'the moves' - I had to invite him out again the next week for anything to ACTUALLY happen...

What is my favourite photo?
The one with the glasses, isn't it?

Hooray! On our first day of holiday warring (at Seaworld) there were still moments of joy - he was thinking I'd finally go on some rides at Movie World so he relaxed a bit, and we took this photo inside the 3d theatre. It is my favourite.

I included this one just for Lulu - have two yellow heads!

This is filler

.. as The Hun wants to do post 300 LIVE!!!

Y'all know how it is...

You go into uni and find out that you're on 49% (total) for one of your classes, with 40% still to come in, so you can stress a little less.

And then you find out that you're on 10% (total) for the other of your classes, with 80% still to come in, so your stress is back up or mebbe even a lil higher.

And then you go into work that lil bit more relaxed because you realise it's the last week you're gonna have to be absent for most of a Tuesday and a bit of Wednesday.

And then your co worker sends you an email to inform you that your bosses husband is outta town so there should be a party at her house because he never lets her have any fun.

And then you all engage in an afternoon of frantic emailing where you all seem to compete to see who can seem the most convincing that there actually WILL be a party at your bosses house that night.

And then the co worker leaves and both you AND your boss are trying to decide whether or not the co worker is serious.

And then you get home and check your mobile that you left at home and you realise that the co worker went to the effort of smsing you while you were at uni to suggest said house party.

And then you message the co worker to admit that you aren't sure if they were serious about the house party but you're in if it is.

And then quite quickly it's past midnight on a Tuesday and you've drunk almost half a bottle of vodka and you're watching channel E displaying the hottest models of all time and you're having the <3s for Tyler or Tyson someone or other WHO IS TEH HOTTNESS and talking about how your co worker is planning to get engaged in March and no, your cravings for salty potato chips doesn't mean your pregnant and yes you plan to get married and some stage and you're not really sure if you're curious about marijuana or not and perhaps if you dropped the weight and practiced the walk then you too could be a supermodel

And then you have muse time in the shower about how drinking mostly causes you to hear the things that you don't want to hear as well as not hear the things you should hear.

And then you ask - WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR MY 300th POST SPECTACULAR?

Oops - it appears I require another follow up post!

In all the 'excitement' of this and this, it seems I forgot to followup about this:


Heh heh - oops!

Nayways, I got my new little beast sometime between here and here (I bought 2007 for my organiser and had to take 2006 so far out and it's to tricky to dig through to get the exact date) after only a lil stress - scheduling blah blah, make an appointment, salesman on leave, me going on leave - but I managed to get youngest bro to pick me up from work and take me for a 'long lunch' out to pick it up!

Fair enough to say, it's not QUITE as quick as the 200 and doesn't have a sunroof OR a massive punchy sik subwoofah... BUT it's black with the legalest darkest tints, has lil foglights, plays mp3's and is suprisingly roomy! It also proudly displays my martial arts school ad sticker and one of these:

(from here).

Take THAT tailgaters - hows about some guilting to match your road raging?!

HONK IF YOU LOVE ANIMALS!

Heh heh.

At last!

I signed a contract for the sale of the car today.

AT LAST!!

This car has been 'on the market' for almost two months now, and I haven't had any competition - just interested parties that go bad... The guy who called from Sydney then never came... the guy that offered $14,000 but then didn't return my message... the guy who wanted a nice car for his brother but would only give me $10,000 cash... the guy who would but 'my mum wants me to put a deposit on a house'... the guy who would but 'insurance is HOW much?!'... the guy who would but 'I'd need to get a loan organised'... the girl from work who never called back... the guy who scrutinised it for 20 minutes then tried to offer me 12.... and then the girl who decided to buy.

She called on tournament Sunday and said she could come over first thing on Monday afternoon. When I told her that a guy (the scrutinising one) would be there at the same time, she said she didn't mind. She only gave it a quick look over and asked the girly questions (which suited me!) and then said that whilst she was looking for a series II model, she'd give me a call tomorrow after she'd had a think about it. She addedthat she was planning to come back with a mechanic friend, then tried to post the 'oh, if I decide I like it' on the end - before sitting in her car outside my house with her boyf for 20 minutes. I took this as a good sign.

She called on the Tuesday to say that she couldn't get her friend to come around during the week and would Saturday be ok? I told her tween 10 and 12 would be good as I would tell the other girl (from work that never called back) to come between 12 and 2.

At 11:30 yesterday she called to say her friend was AWOL and what was the latest time they could come past? "4:30 I guess - I hafta take my partner to a bucks night" - at 4:15 (after a whole day of me sitting around and napping as I couldn't leave in case she came past) she called to say he was still missing and could she come around at 12 on Sunday.

Today at 11:30 I got a call asking if it was ok if she took the car to see a mechanic in the city - it'd only take about an hour - This is when I was getting ready to just pack the whole thing in. I told her I'd come along as the car was no longer insured and then sat around and bemoaned the fact I'd hafta waste ANOTHER day for it and she didn't want to talk about price until the mechanic, blah blah blah.

She rocked up at about 12:30 with her emo boyf and a mechanic friend, who said that it'd had damage on the front and back and blah blah blah - then took it for a test drive and did all sorts of things to the engine. I'd thought he was just there to pay out on the car and drive the price down, but when she recomended she'd pay $13,000 depending on the results of the mechanic, he recommended $13,500 (v helpful as you can tell I'm OBVIOUSLY not a good negotiator!!).

We drew up a contract making her liable for any damage occuring to or by the vehicle while in her possession and she dissapeared for two hours with my baby and $300 for a deposit.

The result? She signed it for $13,500 and has plans to turn my little beast into a showcar - which is nice, because I really did miss it after being taken in another test drive! Tho I'm glad it's gone to a girl and will be loved.

And once I return $9,200 to The Hun (he paid the residual of the lease to cover my poor ass) I've got plans for my newly 'found' $4000.... Want a hint?!

Uh-oh, the fight - perspective?

So, in retrospect, it wasn't so big a deal. But in the middle of what was our longest 'fight' (even if not really about anything) it felt like a whole lot more than that.

With the dan camp, seminar and tournament looming, I'd obviously been coming under more stress - stressed Enny is not a bundle of fun (you all know hormonal Enny is also not fun) but I'd hafta say I had no idea how cranky I'd be getting in the middle of it.

The entire seven days (Tuesday - Monday) were spent with a pain across my shoulders - some days it would ride right up into my neck and down my spine, other days it was nothing more then a noticeable tension - this is where I carry my stress.

The seven days were also a collection of 5 hour sleep nights, dreams of tournaments, fleeting moments of panic before dawn where I'd grope around my bedside table for clarity on the bedside clock to double check I hadn't slept in and had set the alarm. I'd come home late in the night, prepare everything for the next day (uniform, food bag, check the to-do list), shower and go straight to bed without much talk to The Hun in between.

Part of the organisation of our tournament including organising helpers - people selling food, taking the wife of the Grand Master out sight seeing, selling merchandise, operating the sound equipment - and I'd asked The Hun to be at the hall at 8am on the Sunday to sell the merchandise. I'd also asked Mumsy and Dadsy to be there as The Hun didn't want to miss out on anything I was doing, and figured they could manage it between the three of them.

Sunday morning at 3:30am, The Hun crawled into a bed after a day /evening / night / morning LAN at a friends house... "Is it ok if I'm not there at 8 tomorrow? I'd only get 4 hours sleep...." "Yeah, sure, that's fine".

NOTE FOR BOYS: THAT NEVER MEANS IT'S FINE.

I got up early and left quickly on the Sunday and proceeded to run around like a headless chook all morning. The parents were also late (8:30/8:45ish) and I think The Hun got in just before 9.

I will admit that I wasn't really THAT angry at the time - I was too stressed and busy with other things to really think about what I was feeling, but I knew he would be in trouble later, and I knew he knew it, and he knew I knew he knew and so on.

The day was deemed a success, we packed up, I got changed in the car in front of where the priest guys live and Magf, the Grand Master, his wife, my senior instructor, my next senior instructor and I went out to dinner. Then Magf and I went onto drinks with others from around the place, getting home 20 hours after I first left the house and promptly fell into bed.

The next morning he took me into work with him as I had to pick up my car - it all seemed fairly fine, and I met up with him for lunch after dropping my seniors at the airport. All also seemed fairly fine that night night, tho there was some tension as he made some digs about my veganism at my parents house, causing them to arc up on me about how it's bad for me. Then talk turned to my plans for the next day (Me: QUESTACON!; Everyone else: DO YOUR ASSIGNMENT). You should all be fairly aware that questacon won out.

Back at home that night was when (more) reference was also made to the fact that he was glad as I was back as there was no food in the house as well as some other 'special time' references. Being totally exhausted I crashed out almost straight away...

The next morning I made some reference to him about how he was in trouble for not being on time - I lost my cool a bit, but sent him an email apologising for being snappy at him, with no reply. He came home that night and it was almost like I hadn't said anything, until the time I went TOTALLY NUTS that he'd LEFT THE HOT WATER TAP DRIPPING AGAIN (please note, this is my pet hate) and I went to sleep in a bit of a major rage.

The NEXT morning (Wednesday now, ppl), some more tense words were exchanged. It was then that my moment of 'brilliance' came about and I reeled off a massive email to him at work about how the tap pushed me over the edge, I resented the way it seemed he only wanted me back for groceries and 'special time', I resented the way he didn't respect me enough to turn up on time and I resented the way I didn't feel that I was special to him.

No response.

And when he came home late that night after sports? No talk.

And when I asked if he had anything to say? Nothing but a snappy no.

That's when I posted what I did and stayed up until 3am.

Thursday morning he got up without a word and STILL wasn't talking. It wasn't until Patch Adams was on Sunrise talking about how everyone should just love that he came up and gave me a hug.

And it's been great again since then.

The morals of this long winded story?

It's a hard one.

I HATE people being late - to me it is disrespectful, discourteous and a plain old insult. The Hun feels no such urge - he is a late bunny.

I HATE feeling taken for granted. I have no doubt that this is also proddly due to the proximity of the dan camp, seminars and tournament - you don't spend a week having close to 100 people answer your every beck and call and your seniors praising your hard work, to sliding back into real life where you're just 'one of us' without feeling some culture shock.

I HATE the way I compare everything to everyone else - watching the way my Grand Master ALWAYS opened and closed doors for his wife, let her order first, listened to her every word (You woulda loved him D'jen!) made me feel that I was pretty special too and should be treated so - and I didn't feel that I was.

I HATE the way that him turning up an hour late and not missing anything STILL wasn't good enough for me. He was still there for almost 9 hours...

His main issue seemed to be the same as mine - feeling unappreciated.

And on the one hand I could see that, but on the other two hands - Surely he coulda got up an hour earlier or finished earlier the night before when it was something I'd been planning for two years AND would I have even appreciated it had he been there on time?

Food for thought....!

Tournament Wrapup!

Thanks for sticking round guys, and thanks for the support on my last post - I PROMISE to go into that one a bit more because I'm curious.

So here's my wrapup from the last time you properly heard from me!

Tuesday 10/10/10: The daytime was spent cleaning out the hall where the 3 day camp was to be held, sorting and filing papers, picking up instructors from the airport and dinner with all the 3rd, 4th and 5th Dans.

Highlights:

• Catching up with all the guys from all over Australia;
• Lovely Turkish from Pide House in the City; and
• Seeing the keyrings we ordered and getting one before anyone else!
  

Lowlights:

• Arriving only JUST on time at the airport and having to run through the terminal as we mistook the carrier for another;
• Standing in a wardrobe sized room that is to be for your GrandMaster in less than 24 and realising it's packed full of rubbish, mould and rat turds and stanking of RAT P!SS!!!
• Being told by the Grand Master to 'just relax' after you get into the lift last and realising you're staring at everyone, so turn around quickly but not quickly enough that the don't see you cringing bright red.
  

Wednesday 11/10/10: Up at 6:30 for first day of Dan Camp - got kicked AGAIN in shin bruises! Long day, fell asleep on the couch at The Hun's parents house and so left at 9 - only to find a possum someone had hit and left abandoned in the middle of the road.

Highlights:

• Being inspired by the Grand Master; and
  
• Yummo vegan patties at The Huns parents.
  

Lowlights:

• The kicks in the shin bruises that caused me to hobble straight away;
  
• Finding the dying possum in the middle of the road with it's dead baby nearby, and watching it for 20 minutes alone while waiting for my old boss (who works with WIRES) to arrive - jus before she arrived, a different lady stopped to help and she got a person in a nearby house to bring out a towel to wrap it up and then he buried the baby. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dark of the road and the night, and the light of the headlights on the dying animal as she'd limp around and then sit very still for a minute or so, before coughing and moving again. She had to be put down that night; and
• Driving around for two hours with youngest bro as we waited for the Darwinian who stayed at our place a few months ago to meet up with our senior instructor to get Chinese herbal remedy for his Monkey Aids infected leg sore, only to find out he didn't have time to be seen to.
  

Thursday 12/10/10: Up at 6:30 for the second day of Dan Camp - LUCKILY I wore my super new shin guard on my right leg so the kicks I got didn't hurt! Did, however, get taken down a bruised on the spine. Mmm - spine bruising.

Highlights:

• First dinner with the rest of the Dans; and
• General training goodness.
  

Lowlights:

• Before mentioned spine bruising;
  
• Getting kicked in wrist and seeing toenail marks from the 2nd Dan I CAN'T STAND!; and
  
• Only one vegan option at El Dorado in Dickson that gave me "firebelly" all night.
  

Friday 13/10/10: Up at 6:30 for the final day of Dan Camp!

Highlights:

• Dinner with a smaller group of dans at Zeferellis in Dickson - fantastic company and a good time!
  

Lowlights:

• More spine bruising;
  
• Forgetting my lunch bag; and
  
• Doing a demo with the Grandmaster and getting super self concious, then being told I need to act more sporty and confident and coordinated.
  

Saturday 14/10/10: Up at 6:30 for the seminars, running through the rules with another visitor and the social mixer that had to change venue less than two weeks ago!

Highlights:

• Seminars going really, really well;
• Catching out the girl who we've had training 'issues' with that said that she was unable to attend the tournament due to a family trip to Sydney... walking through the Civic foodcourt;
  
• Social mixer for 120 people at Red Belly Black in the city - everybody should go there, the boss man was so lovely and saw us off with 'Thankyou for giving us a chance!'; and
• 'Bling' jewellery from the Grand Master and his wife as token of appreciation.
  

Lowlights:

• Super nerves before radio interview at 7:30 in the morning - eep!; and
  
• Having to setup ANOTHER hall and having to use an 'adult voice' to get the students to do what we were asking.

Sunday 15/10/10: AGH TOURNAMENT!!!

Highlights:

• Winning first (out of 6) in weapons;
• Getting Magf back with a palm heel in the cheek (she kicked my face last time!); and
• MASSIVE bunch of flowers for thanks!
  

Lowlights:

• SUPER HIGH STRESS LEVELS;
  
• Getting second out of two people in both form divisions;
• Being paid out for my 'un rightful' first when both Magf and I were awarded first place for out two person sparring;
• Nearly being involved in biffo after Magf accused a 2nd Dan and 3rd Dan of 'colluding' after all their scored were the same for one session and they were talking during the judging (UNPROFESSIONAL!) AND they awarded our three students the same marks as the 'slow' guy when it was VERY obvious they should be at LEAST a little higher!
  

Monday 16/10/10: Day off work!

Highlights:

• Knowing it was over and I could start to relax; and
• Having someone come look at the car who may be buying it this weekend!
  

Lowlights:

• Getting lost on the way to the airport from the city with the Grand Master in the car - TWICE!!!
  
• Being asked by the Grand Master when I am finally going to relax; and
  
• Not being fully prepared for my karate kids class.
  

Tuesday 17/10/10: Another day off work!

Highlights:

• Taking the other Darwin guy sightseeing - Questacon, New Parliament House, War Memorial, Mount Ainslie, Fyshwick, DFO - HOORAY!
  

Lowlights:

• Going to Nutrimetics at Magf's and feeling ready to sleep straight away.

Wednesday 18/10/10: Back to work =o(

Highlights:

• None.
  

Lowlights:

• Telling one of the first dans we'll only grade him if he adjusts his attitude - and him gettin gupset, emotional and monkey sh!t at me; and
  
• Staying up until 3am attempting to do accounting.

There you are - the week that was!!!!

Normal posting to resume NOW!

Yes

Yes, I'm here.

Yes, I'm alive.

Yes, I'm tired.

Yes, I left my assignment to the very last minute.

Yes, I want to blog everything about the last week or so.

Yes, I'm in the middle of a fight about something stupid.

Yes, I'm sorry if you're hurt.

Yes, I really was hurt too.

Yes, I wish the world would stop and just give me some time to catch the f()ck up.

Chook's Day

I was planning to wait until I had access to some of the photos, but I have no idea how long that is going to take!

So - the much discussed hens day!

I'd only been to one before - a wholesome dinner with lotsa family and some school friends, sitting around four seperate tables, answering questions on a form about the girl and her partner, their relationship, their stories etc - if you got a few answers right you got to peel a piece of cutout paper off a piece of paper shaped like a gingerbread man. Then we went home.

This one was a little different. We met out the front of the racecourse at 12 - I offered The Hun to pick up girlA (I've FINALLY given a name to one of my old housemates!) because I didn't want to arrive alone - but also so she could drink! There was about 12 of us in the group - The Hen, myself, girlA, boyA (another old housemate)'s gf (who was organising it), The Huns ex, Mrs Batman, W (who I think I am yet to mention but had a great time with so should give her a nickname), MrL (who I went to primary school with and is really lovely and also just broke up with his bf of five years *frown*) and some of the brides sisters and other friends.

We were set up in a marquee by the track, sharing with another hens party of women in their 40s with a hippy theme, a group of bucks and a group that might have been two groups of other hens (I think their theme was blue ribbons on their wrists - we had red and black garters on our wrists as well as some tiaras). There was also a quadranted off section where I THINK they had a 21st and a stripper - there was a lot of whooping and squealing etc and we weren't allowed to pull down the tarp to see what was going on.

The ticket price included unlimited grog for the five hours, so people were straight into the champagne and OJ - boyA's gf had mentioned they were gonna try and get some cruisers in there for me but it looked like a no go, but once I saw ppl with OJ in their champagne, I thought 'oh! I can drink that!' forgetting until the car trip home that the reason I couldn't drink it was due to the potential milk-filtering rather than the terrible taste. IDIOT. BAD VEGAN.

boyA's gf handed out a pack of cards with nickname things on it - Mr Mullet, Mr Loves his Body, Mrs Dances like a Stripper etc - and then you had to find someone like that in the crowd, show one of the 'judges' (boyA's gf and MrL) and then give the judge your card - once you got rid of your four cards you got to take a layer off the 'pass the parcel' (each layer with naughty things inside) - once I got one of the people in the group to dance like a stripper for me I won myself a pack of novelty condoms (four different sizes, one of which ended up on the Hens head with her eyelid turned inside out...)

There was also a list that you shared between two ppl (W and I) where you got points for completing tasks on the list - such as getting a picture with a jockey, get a photo of a guys undies, getting a guy to show you his tattoo, three legit numbers etc... Can you see where this is going...? As the day wore on and the alchohol flowed..?

Now this is where I'd just like to get on my lil soapbox for a moment.

{Deleted by the Author - sorry dudes!}

By 5, there was a LOT of ass grabbing going on, the beginnings of people hooking up, lots of D&M's, lots of dancing and lots of slurring.

And this is where I'd like to give a shoutout to the boy man who thought he should come and talk to us, but then proceeded to carry on about how he was only 22 (he looked 28), was in trading for banks (or some nonsense) whinged about how his old job made him go to vegas every second week, his new car cost him 220 thou (he wouldn't buy my 200 as it wasn't black), he had to pay for all his friends to come down and how he wanted Monday off but that would $1200 he'd never be able to get back. Please plan a better pick up conversation because it REALLY wasn't working... tho may have worked a lil later on one of the group.

As I was leaving, the group were celebrating the fact that the place was open until 7pm, then they were planning to head off into town - I last heard from boyA that they were still out dancing at 11pm.

{Deleted by the Author - sorry dudes!}

The lunch? They forgot to cater for the veg*ns, so brought out seven veggie skewers half an hour after everyone else finished. Four pieces of veggie on a skewer, plus we could have some of the green salad (drenched in balsamic). That was it. Also not condusive to drinking ;o)

The shoes? Lovely BUT A SIZE TOO BIG!! I'd love to know how they got smaller between trying them on and actually wearing them... tho I WILL admit that MAYBE I only tried on one in the store (I was in a hurry!) but lesson learnt (sorry D'jen!).

The dress? Also a success - v race suitable and the puppies were looking good (I got 'snaps' from some in the party) BUT the fact that the hollywood tape was a little precarious before I was even in the car shoud have been a warning for me - eg, nipplegate whilst putting on my shoes BEFORE EVEN LEAVING THE HOUSE! I tried to resist the urge to fiddle, but couldn't help myself - this was one of the closing conversations with MrL:

"The puppies are looking great but you need to stop fiddling with your dress!"
"What?"
"You've been fiddling all day with it - haven't you heard of that hollywood tape?"
"I HAVE got it - that's why I'm fiddling with it - I keep getting looks from people when they see the sticky glue on my chest"
"It's not the glue they're looking at!"

and so on.

My procrastination time is almost up - I'll post some pics of the day when/if I get them.

But now I'm off to get ready to start greeting seniors for our Dan Camp - I have to be on the other side of town by 7am for the rest of the week - my shoulders and neck are burning already!

WISH ME LUCK!

Eye of the Liger!

It's less than a month to exams - I have an accounting assignment due shortly and I have done NONE of it.

I've been at work after 7pm twice this week and past 5 for the other day (Monday was a public holiday) and I also expect to be there late tomorrow (tho I have a Dr appt @5 tmr re: b12 and folate - eep!) as I launch the project we've been working on since last year - alone. NORMALLY I feel bad putting in for overtime - only putting it in when pretty much told to (I tend to put it in as flex) but this week I'm all 'tears in bucket etc' and putting in for EVERY MINUTE - I'm on HD atm - hooray for time and a half at my bosses pay, thankyou very much!

And the Dan Camp, Seminars and Tournament are getting close now... VEEEERY close.

So, with all this tournament stuff getting closer, I deemed last Friday to be a good time to practice sparring as I hadn't done any yet. I msg'd youngest bro to come to the hall early with me, and I was getting my butt KICKED when I got a hit into my shin that caned through my shinpad - you know the type of hit that makes you hobble around, grasp at your leg, mutter and feel a lil nauseous?

No?

I'm sure you know, Adam.

Anyways, I accidentally kicked him in the 'boybits' a little later, so we rested until class started.

The class itself was fairly informal - we had two rings going and rotated through so that everyone got a few fights in, and somewhere in there I copped TWO MORE kicks thru the shinpads on the same leg, one right on top the previous bump from youngest bro!

(In a kind of sentimental note, he was one of the ones that hit me in the same place but then saw I really WAS hurt and asked if I was ok in that tone of voice that you very rarely hear from a bro)

The night carries on and I jump in for another fight (against the lovely gup who's 18th I got hammered at not that time ago) and I managed to cop a knee to the OTHER shin! I was cursing and limping, couldn't put weight on it, almost teared up and felt a terrible rising in my stomach... "It's fine, keep going" the Dan running the ring says... "Easy for you to say, it's not on your frickin leg!" I wail around my mouthguard - I pull up my pants leg and it was bleeding! The friction of this guys (heave) knee thru his canvas pants and my canvas pants into my poor shin cut up the shin and bruised it blue straight away!!! I've NEVER seen that happen before - the poor guy was so apologetic!

After class I had to go with Magf to look at a few bridesmaids dresses (still not finalised on one) and then onto her house for another 5 hours of paperwork (this Friday will be the third in a row, not to mention the weekend time we've been putting in) and sit with my shins covered in an icepack and a bag of brussel sprouts. It hurt to walk on the Saturday, and I still can't lean down on my shins. Luckily they're now a palish yellow (plus the grazey scab) as opposed to the black-purple-blue they were, but it ain't gonna be pretty at the races, believe you me.

ANYWAY, the real point of my story is that I was FURIOUS at myself for getting hit so poorly and letting it affect me so much. I was whining at Magf (who copped a swollen engagement finger knuckle (of all the fingers to hit in!)) about how much it hurt and pointing at them and she asked why my shinpads weren't covering all my shins...
"...they should go all the way up to your knee!"
"Really? Mine only go about halfway up...?"
"How long have you had them for?"

Good point - I've only ever had one pair, meaning since I was 12 I've had the one pair. Ignoring the 'ew' factor, I've grown some over the last 12 years, so they proddly ARE a lil on the bitsy side:

(They don't go up this far, nor are they that well padded OR that white!)

So during my uni break on Wednesday I went into the city to have lunch with The Hun and check out the martial arts store for some new shinpads - I showed the dude my bruises, and came out with THESE BAD BOYS:

BOO-YAH!

"These are the only ones I'll use - the only ones you'll ever need - With these, you'll feel invincible! It will do wonders for your confidence!"

They are ROCK hard but toally legit - they cover my entire food and my entire front and sides of my shins - I jus gotta wear them around the house a bit so they loosen up - and now I'm kinda looking forward to it! This has also been helped by the fact that the only people in my sparring division now (excluding the team sparring) are Magf and I!

Wanna come see me get my ass kicked kick some ass*? Email me and I'll send on the deets!

*(I'm expecting 3 second places for my 3 2 person divisions, and unsure about the rest...)

Every Good Vegan Deserves Tofu

"I'm here to pick up a package!"
"Ok... let me have a look here...."
"I think it's that one under the bin there."
"Oh! You already know which one it is!"
"Yeah... It's coming from Japan and that ones got Japanese on the box."
"You're right!.... Okay.... Now, you've got some ID with this name on it?"
"Um, no... I got it from the internet so I didn't use my real name..."
"Oh.... um, okay... well, you've got some ID with this address on it?"
"Um, no... I'm renting, so all my ID has my parents address on it..."
"Oh... um, okay... "
"I can tell you what it is if that will help?"
"Oh... um...can I see some ID with a signature on it?"
"Sure!"

*views ID*
*returns ID*

"Okay, just sign here thankyou... have a great day!"

WILL I EVER!!

Ta-da!!!

(taken from Lulu (as well as sent by Lulu!) as I STILL need to get my ass into gear and get that camera cord!)

HOORAY!!!

Taking after others

I spent a fair bit of time with my parents this weekend - Sat morning we went to Floriade, the new Brand Depot and then to Fyshwick for some outdoor furniture (good, ok and ordered). While we were out and about I asked Dadsy if he could call his friend who'd promised we could borrrow some PA equipment to use for the tournament (LESS THAN 2 WEEKS TO GO - ACK!) and he mentioned they'd be coming over for dinner one night this weekend - so last night I went back to Gowrie for dinner with Mumsy and Dadsy, the two family friends and youngest bro.

And I got to thinking about how influenced we are by our parents.

Me? I take after my father....

"Is that Nana's necklace?"
"Yup"
"I bought that for her for Mothers Day... she was so happy... do you wear it all the time?"
"Yup"
"It's a diamond in there, isn't it?"
"Yup"
"She'd be so proud..."

My Nana died when I was in primary school, and my Pa gave me the necklace a few years ago when he was in the process of giving things away, preparing to "move along" (it was years before that actually happened!).... I wore it from the day I got it - it's generally only removed for martial arts - present in almost ALL my photo's for the last few years.

It's not one I would've picked out myself, not one thats 'in style', not one that I can even tell what it is - I've been asked why I have the Eiffel Tower or New Parliament House around my neck - but it stays on all the time. Becuase it means something to my parents and woulda meant something to my Nana and Pa.

My life so far is full of these occurances - my choice of name for a future daughter is one my parents wanted to use, I spend the same way my parents spend, I drink like my parents (tho different drink of choice), I was a blue cheese addict... I'm like a little mini-them.

While we were driving out to the Brand Depot we were talking about Magf's upcoming wedding and the number of people that might be coming along.

"When you get married, So and so will hafta be there.. and so and so, and so and so, and so and so too..."

As a part of this, I've inherited my parents friends too. People that have been around as long as I can remember, people almost considered as friends of my own. And people that will no doubt be around when I have children of my own.

And over laksa and margerita's, the conversation flowed - trivial pursuit, bathing in soft drink, robots and movies.

With the arrival of The Huns BF's (he doesn't technically have a BEST friend, but he was the best man at this guys wedding and best man friend sounds a lil... well... y'know) first child earlier this week, I begin to think about a time in the future when we'll be those friends - maybe not for The Hun's BF, but for someone.

To integrate into multiple generations of a family that is not your own, to be entangled and touched by the influence of many.