Conspiring Fates

No aikido today, outdoor or otherwise. Plans were squashed to a pulp by D getting sick (poor guy) and my having to head home an hour and a half after I got to work to pick him up. I was scheming on my drive home as to how I could possibly squeeze in a run or a swim instead today but that was not to be either. Yesterday's Dish run (alone) did something not so nice to my left knee and I'm still bothered by it while walking. Did I mention that the Dish burned? Oh, and one of my friends that I run with is taking a two-week break. And P has developed eczema and HATES getting lotion rubbed on him. And daycare dropoff has been sadder than usual.

In the grand scheme of things, I'm really have nothing to complain about but these things get to me sometimes.

It'll all be better in the morning. I hope.

The Heat is On

It's been very hot during aikido class lately. Literally. 80 F in the room. Why? Because we use the wrestling room and they like it that way. Just imagine walking onto the mat, dressed in your heavy-weight gi, and having the dry heat hit you in the face like a solid shomenuchi.

Not much need for a warm up.

We like to think of if as 'Hot Aikido.' Kind of like Hot Yoga but with ukemi. It's a little harder to hang on to your partner. It's also a little funny to see the 5th dan that you're training with look a little woozy and then realize it's not because of your awesome technique but because of the heat. Darn it.

We get kicked out of the wrestling room for the next two weeks because Wrestling Camp is in the house. It's outdoor training for us - with weapons.

Oh yeah.

Still Pinoy

I spent my childhood, teen and college years in the Philippines. That made me thoroughly Filipino, not just the half that my mom contributed to my genes. But fourteen years in the US has rubbed some things off. Inspired by bonggamom's Philippine Independence Day post, I got to thinking about what Filipino traits are still quite evident in me and came up with these.

I still:

a. love to eat adobo with a banana.

b. prefer to eat a meal that includes rice with a spoon and fork instead of a knife and fork (especially if there's soup too).

c. pronounce some words strangely (How do you say 'Pythagorean'?).

d. am a mango snob.

e. say "Hay!" when I'm annoyed (usually with the kids, and I know I do this often because I've heard D say it too!).

f. revert to a Filipino accent when I talk to my friends from home.

g. looooove a bargain (that's got to be the Ilocana in me).


I rarely:

a. point with my lips.

b. say 'yes' with my eyebrows.

c. drive with one hand on the horn, so as to honk at the slightest provocation.

d. say 'open' and 'close' the light.

e. call the fridge the 'ref'.

Hmmmm. This gets me thinking about what 'American' traits I've picked up. Goody! Fodder for another post. Stay tuned.

Here's to You

One of my uncles passed away last week.

He was a surgeon, a gourmet cook, a skier, a tennis player, and an opera fan. He was funny and didn't sugar coat his opinions, he told it to you straight, whether you liked it or not. I remember him always with a huge smile on his face, not a hair out of place, stylishly dressed, bustling around in the kitchen, looking happy with the world around him.

His last wish was for all his friends and family to get together on a harbor cruise on the Hudson River, decked out in tuxes and cocktail dresses, enjoying a delicious meal and champagne, toasting life, celebrating the good times that were shared and not looking back in sadness. What a marvelous idea that was. So, last Friday, all the relatives that could make it to New York boarded a boat and partied the night away, scattering his ashes into the river at the end. I was there in spirit, partying away as well. Cheers to you, Tito Drix.

Hold your family close and tell them you love them.

For Future Reference

Gin and Tonic

2 oz gin
5 oz tonic water
1 lime wedge

Pour the gin and the tonic water into a highball glass almost filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Garnish with the lime wedge.

(Source: www.drinksmixer.com)

Poker Night

All day I've had this underlying feeling of very slight nausea. Hmmmm. I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I had a wee bit too much to drink last night.

OH YES!

Twas the inaugural poker night with my friends from work. The variation was Texas Hold 'Em, the stakes were $5/player. Yes, we were living life on the edge. The talent was diverse (and I shall anonymize here to protect everyone - plus nicknames are fun!):

a. Leeds - experienced, plays online, silent, very methodical, very particular about the lingo
b. Aqua - experienced, likes to talk, likes to stay in the game
c. Yoga - novice, professes that bluffing is cheating, wants to win all the money
d. Curatrix - er, that would be me, novice, likes to talk the talk but really can't walk the walk

It all started out relatively well. We had a set of practice rounds and then, the game began in earnest. Out came the money, out came the Bombay Sapphire and the tonic. Into Yoga's large water glasses, no ice, mix your own, pick your strength.

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Things I learned:

1. It's probably best not to mix your own drink especially when you've got no real idea of the proportions the ingredients should be mixed in.

2. Gin and tonic with no ice hits you WAY faster than the stuff with it because, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, the ice dilutes the drink.

3. Bachelors have no ice in their freezers.

So, one or two (or maybe three or four) drinks later, the world is a rosy place, the card game gets way more interesting (Aqua ends up winning) and I swiftly run into the next lesson:

4. The line between just a bit tipsy and drunk is a fine one.

Whoa! I am NOT driving home tonight. Please don't even let me get near my car.

5. Good place to drink: a friend's house or your home. Getting loopy in private and in the company of people that you trust and like and can still look in the eye the next time you see them is preferable to having this happen in public.

Let's just say that I got home by cab and in the company of Aqua and Yoga, who then returned to their respective homes. Drinking does tend to cement a friendship. God bless them.

6. Try to remember to remove contact lenses before going to sleep. Peeling them off your eyeballs at 3:30 in the morning is sub-optimal.

7. If you're up at 3:30 am removing glued-on contacts, it's a great idea to drink a nice big glass of water and a couple of Tylenols to ward off the headache from hell in the morning.

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I woke up this morning in considerably better shape than I thought I would be in. Yes, that slightly nauseous feeling remained but at least there wasn't a jackhammer pounding in my brain. And I did get in a 6 mi run this afternoon, albeit at a slower pace than usual, and it felt good.

I knew my German alcohol dehydrogenase genes would come in handy someday. (Yes, I am such a geek.)

Baked Brains and Other Delicacies

Exercise has altered my brain chemistry. It's the only explanation I can think of. I mean, what else would drive me out to run at noon on a day with temperatures in the mid-80s, heat rising like a flame from the pavement and beating down from above? But head out we did (I wasn't the only crazy one) and decided on a 'hill' workout with two water breaks. Brilliant! The inevitable result: baked brains. Yummy!

So, in my heat-addled state, let me serve up some totally random things that have been nibbling at me, wanting to be in a post:

Baffling quotes:

1. Do mosquitoes bite ducks?
2. I refuse to get a cart. (referring to grocery shopping)
3. Why is it a 'jackrabbit' and not a 'tomrabbit'?


Interesting license plates:

1. JAH MON (on an Audi)
2. MSFASHN (on a Lexus SUV)
3. IS 52 (on a C-series Benz)
4. RAQOON (on a Toyota SUV)

Topics of conversation:

1. How weightlifting builds muscle.
2. How creatine works in building muscle.
(Can you tell I run with guys?)
3. What kind of earplugs are best for blocking out noisy neighbors.

Oh, I was going to eat that hill for lunch but instead it feasted on me. One does not mess with Mother Nature and she was having hot flashes today.