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Past Web Log for March 2001 |
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Frozen in Time Actually reading Currently knitting Notable sites belonging to former co-workers: |
Tracy's Irregular Web Log |
Further Meanderings Latest Obsessions Snacks & Libations Guilty Pleasures of Unemployment |
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Mar 30 2001 I've been taking cherry-flavored nighttime cold medicine at night because of this cold. I figured out the secret of that stuff. You've got to take it an hour or so before going to bed. Then you get the benefit of the buzz and not sleep through it. Good stuff.
Mar 27 2001 Our first tulips are up and almost ready to bloom. We think they're parrot tulips. I like bulbs. You plant them in the fall, don't do anything all winter but hope, and in spring - the miracle.
Mar 24 2001 Anyone who has read my Christmas letters for the past few years may be aware of the saga of Genoa. When I started Kung Fu nearly five years ago, E promised he'd take me to Genoa, a very fancy restaurant, when I got my orange belt. He just didn't say when. Four years and 3-1/2 ranks after the event, we finally went out Thursday night. It was a lovely meal, langourous and elegant, seven courses over nearly three hours, washed down neatly with a respectable Italian champagne.
Mar 22 2001
Mar 18 2001 Yesterday I did the brown sash test. I had not planned on doing the brown sash test. I was not prepared to do the brown sash test. Sifu played a mean trick on us. Surprise test. For the first couple hours we were helpers, then Sifu simply told three of us, two green sashes and one brown sash, to do something else - that just happened to be what you do for brown sash and black sash tests - and stopped using us as helpers. It took awhile to realize we were now testing. At first I thought it was a joke and kept expecting the board to let us return to being helpers. Then I rationalized it. This wasn't so bad. I had been worried whether I could do the physically demanding brown sash test. Then I got mad. Really mad. And that anger carried me through the test. I did not want to do the test, I wasn't testing, but I kept going. I bargained - they better at least promote me to green-brown for this. Finally I accepted that we were testing. It was kind of like going through the seven stages of grief. The stages of dealing with being duped into testing by your sifu. Today I am sore all over and my arms are covered with little bruises. Today I am a green-brown sash. Sifu told me we had to work on some technical things but my energy and spirit were right there. I did a brown sash test without any preparation. In a way it was a good thing - no chance to get stressed about it. Never mind the rank. I am proud that I can do a brown sash test. I'm even more proud of my fellow dupes, Katie and Todd. Katie was promoted to full rank of brown sash. She really shined out there. And Todd, who is one of my favorite people to train with, was promoted to the rank of brown-black sash (no one goes directly from brown to black - there is always a half-rank promotion at this point). His practice of martial arts is infused with love and compassion - he represents well the ethical aspect of our art.
Mar 16 2001 So what am I doing to prepare myself for this upcoming job? Knitting like a madwoman! I've got a couple projects going (see left sidebar) that I want to get to a certain stage of progress before my knitting time is severely cut back.
Mar 15 2001
Mar 13 2001
Mar 11 2001 E was hurting yesterday. He began his vacation with too much enthusiasm the day previous. Ouch. Happy birthday, E!
Mar 8 2001 I finally bought a new Palm. I got the IIIxe. 8MB RAM, upgradable Flash ROM, about the same size & weight as my "ancient" little Palm Pilot Professional. The guy at the Good Guys was astounded when I brought it out. He called it a dinosaur.
Mar 7 2001 Is anyone else bothered by the fact that the man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency has had four heart attacks?
Mar 6 2001 |
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