Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

-----

Aikido Seminar Musings

Aikido is not just what we do in class. It's in how we live and take on roles of uke and nage in real life. It's in how we assess what one person is offering or giving and how we respond to that offer. How we exchange energy. How we receive. How we redirect, if necessary. How we blend and adjust. Who we are in the mat reflects who we are off the mat. How we behave outside the dojo is in turn a mirror of how we treat others inside it.

Aikido This Week

Tuesday: Fifth kyu requirements review for Paul

• Shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
• Shomenuchi iriminage
• Katate dori shihonage omote and ura
  

Thursday:

• Yokomenuchi ikkyo
  
• Yokomenuchi shinonage

Last Week's Dinners

Just writing for me. Pretty sure no one reads this anymore. That's ok.

Monday: Three Cheese Tortelloni with Calamari Sauce
Tuesday: Salmon in Foil, Steamed Asparagus, Garlic Fried Rice with Egg
Wednesday: Creole Jambalaya
Thursday: Homemade Pizza, one with Olives and Mushrooms, one with Smoked Sausage
Friday: Fish Sticks and Chicken Nuggets
Saturday: Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil

trade-off

I wonder if doing a 20 minute ab workout does anything to negate the chocolate I ate right before working out.

Also, how did it get to be March 15th already?

Reading Update

Holidays are over. Sniff. However, I did make some progress on my reading list.


1. Skipping Christmas - John Grisham

- a quick, fun read

2. The Leap - Rick Smith

- still not done but interesting

3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt

- very interesting, made all the more so by the fact that it's a non fiction book

4. the curious incident of the dog in the night-time - Mark Haddon

- good read, told from a unique point of view

5. Buckingham Palace Gardens - Anne Perry

- gripping mystery set in Victorian England

6. Ciao Italia Pronto! - Mary Ann Esposito

- yummy recipes but haven't tried any

I have a new pile of books but I doubt that I'll get through them as quickly as I did the previous set. Still, the best books I've read in recent years are

The Thirteenth Tale
The Time Traveler's Wife

Aikido? Still going.
Running? Got to start again. It's been about a month since the last good run.
Swimming? Been dry for a while.
Biking? Last road bike ride, November 2009. Still riding my mountain bike on short trips around work.
Races for this year? None on the horizon. Did do 5 K in October 2009 for a sports charity.
Goals for this year? 2nd kyu

Holiday Reading List

I look to my right, at my bedside table, and what do I see? A pile of books just waiting for me!

What could be better for a holiday break?

1. Skipping Christmas - John Grisham
2. The Leap - Rick Smith
3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - John Berendt
4. the curious incident of the dog in the night-time - Mark Haddon
5. Buckingham Palace Gardens - Anne Perry
6. Ciao Italia Pronto! - Mary Ann Esposito