A glimpse of what life might be like…

Youngest child at school camp, oldest child lives with father, two middle children visiting father for tea, stepchildren out of sight…Just the two of us!! Phhooo eeeeh, life could indeed be good!

Off to work bright and early – picked up car from the panel beaters and to work on time. All day out on the buses, so no time to mull over the coming job interview. Meet husband outside work at 5.30 and walked two blocks to the movies had a coffee and lollies. Good enough movie – Atonement. Liked the book better but no mind. Then outside by 7.45 and it’s still light. The plan was a quick tea and then a wee training session to make up for the class I missed by going to the movies, but I wasn’t hungry yet and so up to the dojo, two blocks away.

A lovely hour of training - just the two of us. Kihons with push-ups, yakusoku, kata and kata with weights. No teaching, just doing, doing, doing. I need lots of repetition to bed in the patterns.

We then decided to go home for a bite rather than dawdle in town. What a luxury; 3-4 hours of time to do anything we wanted in the middle of a week. This will be what it is like when the kids are all grown up and it’s just the two of us! Time, space, and energy to do whatever strikes us whenever we feel like it. I can’t wait.

A beginner again

Tonight it was club night at the dojo. It’s a concept that is brilliant in design but severely flawed in that no one much comes. Monday night is traditionally a black and brown belt class. But recently it was decided to open up the first Monday of each month to the whole club, so that we can mix, see some black belts training and see our head guy, Jun Shihan, as that is the only class he attends.

Well, it started off OK, about five or six extras the first month, the next month two or three turned up. And then tonight there was just me – a lowly green belt - with a jun shihan, a kyoshi, a sensei, three senpai – (sandan, nidan, shodan) and two first kyu brown belts - nine in total. It made for an interesting bow in and out – kinda like this:

jun shihan

kyoshi

sensei

sandan

nidan

shodun

brown and green belts

It was interesting – a bit like being a white belt again. I could understand what they are saying, but my body wouldn’t do the moves. It’s a very bunkai (practical application) class. No syllabus (which is what I am silently screaming out for 4 weeks out from my grading!)

But never mind, it was an experience in humility and I don’t even mind that I got not one of the combinations or applications off perfectly (or even close). It was great to train with these guys many of whom have been training for over twenty years.

Cool – scary – totally recommended.

Random pix

You can take the girl out of the library - but you can't get the book out of her hand! A weekend trip to Hanmer Springs with Sean.
The men fixing the aerial after big winds last week.


Jed has another accident that will cost his mother at least $1500! Grrrrrr....

Full on

Just a quickee! I am working full-time for the next few weeks. First time since 1987 when I left work to have my darling Ben who is now 19. I had about 12 years as a full-time mum and then the last 8 years part-time here and there. But my boss has left and I have been appointed as 'acting' for a month while they decide who to appoint to the position. I have my application in and an interview time is set for next week.

It's quite scary - full-time! When do I get to go to the gym and read books and lounge around? It's OK at the moment with longer days and sunny weather, but I imagine in the middle of winter, when I will be leaving for work and getting hme in the dark, it will pall a little.

Scary, because my youngest is still only 10 years old and that's a lot of day to be away from him. No more school trips (hurruh!), but added guilt and worry of who is home when, who is looking after whom and with karate three nights a week, most importantly, who is cooking tea?

Scary because I think I might enjoy it - all that time away from home.
More later...have to swot up on interview questions and answers :-)

Ouch!

Just home from my regular Thursday night sparring class and I have a few sore bits. One of our club members is preparing for her shodun grading in December so sparring class is just that for 45 minutes, one and a half minute fights, swap partners and fight again...that's about 20-25 fights - allowing for swap times. Everyone is pretty knackered by the end.

Usually we’ll do some kihons as a warm up then some foot work techniques, or pad work, or maybe sparring techniques – just hands, or just feet. But for the next couple of months it’s going to be sparring, sparring, and more sparring. Which is great for me as my next grading is my first sparring one and is 15 fights at the end of the grading – so this is the best preparation I could hope for.

I do however have a bag of frozen peas on my lap as I type this (one-handed) and am icing my thumbs one at a time. They are a definite weakness with me. Not keeping my fists tight and catching the thumb when blocking kicks. Ouch! My big toe isn’t feeling too good either. I tried to sweep someone, but somehow just buggered my toe instead.

I’m the lowest graded person there most nights and am not that great at it – yet! The guys could just wipe the floor with me any time they choose to – fortunately they are not like that and teach me as I spar. That said, they do like to sweep me and it’s not many fights that I don’t have to get up of the floor once or twice, or thank them for not taking my head of with a kick that I didn’t see fast enough to block or move from.

It’s the girls (women) that whack you the hardest though, as they don’t hold back anything. Di’s punches are ooahffy (the noise I make when they connect with my stomach) and Zoë’s kicks are just plain ghastly. I’m hobbling around with a dead thigh thinking ‘No, no, not another one in the same place – move yourself woman!’. I’m not very light on my feet yet! Always that yet! I will improve. I am improving!

Instructions tonight included: “keep side on’, ‘hands up’, ‘move in and out’, ‘duck’, ‘punch straight – don’t whack’, ‘kick higher’, ‘retract your leg faster’, ‘close your fists’, etc, etc.

All good fun.

Shorty

So, I’m 44. How short is too short? I know I’ve seen women down town and thought “Whoa! Too short!” And I know that knee length is about the limit for work, but what about non-work days? I have a top that I wear as an overdress (over jeans), but I want to wear it as a dress, over tights. But do I look daft? My husband doesn’t think so, but he’s not very impartial and he would compliment me on wearing a potato sack. Grr, it’s so hard to see yourself as others do. I don’t want to wear it and look silly, but I don’t want to not wear it either. Hmmm…I'll try to post a picture.

My boss is about to get another job and I have to start thinking about whether or not I want to ‘step up’ and take on a job with more responsibility. I am so bored at the moment. I can do my job in a daydream and frequently do. Not good. But it would be full-time work, something I haven’t done for 20 years!! Shockers. I was an at home mum for 12 years and then part time since then. Jack my youngest heads to secondary school next year, so I could manage with no after school care requirements, but do I want to do it????? The extra money would be handy, but it would mean I would have no time to myself and I might just go mad. Then again, it could be what I need to stir myself out of my usual lethargy. It might even leave less time for eating? But when would I get to the gym? Oh, well something to think of. We’ll find out tomorrow if she is leaving.

School holidays start next weekend, ugh. Have to encourage Jed and Zoë to study for their end of year exams, and find entertainment for Jack while I work and they sleep. No plans for actual holidays, although I’m going to take Wednesday next week off – my birthday :-)

Go time...

I've just begun my second program at my 'new' gym. Still loving it, the trainers, the programme, etc. My sore arm had a massage last week - hard enough to leave bruises, but I think it is working. He is confident I only need one more 'rub down' and it will be better. It hasn’t ached since he did it, although it still feels tender with certain movements - that could be the bone spur that the x-ray found, I suppose.

Spring is finally here and I’m getting in a lot more walking with the lighter mornings and generally nicer weather. It is about 12 weeks to my grading and I need to be super fit and strong. Starting to do daily press-ups now and just thinking all the time about karate, fitness and food.

Not stressing, just thinking – a lot. I may be the only one grading at my level, which means I’ll be out on that dojo floor all alone and all eyes will be on my failures and weaknesses – that is the hardest thing for me. Because I really don’t like being in the limelight and I do make mistakes. It’s a mind thing and I need to know that I can do it all well – even if it doesn’t happen on the day.

Enough, but it will all be training, training, training, from here on…

Jack grades

This morning there was a general grading on at the dojo. It’s the first one that I haven’t been able to participate in since I joined Seido – and it was no fun standing on the sideline. I wanted to be on that floor – sweating and earning a new tab or colour belt. But, I have to wait for a six-month period as well as do a certain number of classes before I can grade again (I’ve done the classes, just need a little more time under my belt :-)). So, that means waiting until the December grading.

However, Jack was doing his second grading to 9th kyu (white belt with a black tab). He was on the floor for about an hour and then they worked through all the other colour belts. There were no green belts or above for a change which meant no sparring and a shorter grading time.

Jack did well and knew his stuff. We went and had lunch in town afterwards. It’s the first day of spring here and a glorious sunny day with blossom petals drifting down on the breeze. Very appropriate as the Seido emblem is a plum blossom flower.

Girlies

My darling Zoë had her 16th birthday a few months early. Her real birthday is early December and usually exams are on, school is finishing, or people are heading away on holiday and she misses out on any real occasion of celebration. So, she decided to have her birthday 6 months early…Well that slipped a little but come last Wednesday she thrust The Plan into my hands (having compiled it in a Maths class) and told me that some girls were coming over for a party on Saturday afternoon from 1pm until 6 pm. I was a little taken back as this was Wednesday! And I work Thursday, Friday and have rugby to watch Saturday morning.

Anyway having a plan was great and I just went and bought all the food we needed and gave Zoë a list of things to do Saturday morning while I was out – wash the kitchen floor, tidy the lounge etc...And it went off like magic.

Twelve girls just relived a child’s party. We had fairy bread and cheerios, pin the tail on the donkey and pink balloons, treasure hunts and pass the parcel. All that was missing were tears and tantrums, and the greedy or sick children that often accompany children’s parties.


It was a lovely sunny day, which led to an impromptu water game. All the girls dressed up in clothing from Zoë’s reject wardrobe and they stood out in the street answering Cranium questions. If they got one wrong they were dowsed with a cup of water. Hilarious!

Jack in his kilt

Had a fabulous weekend in Wellington. The Te Papa opening was special with Jack and I treated as VIPs from go to whoa. We never once felt like hanger-oners(?)

We also hit: the zoo, the cable car, a Parliament building tour, Te Papa we did to death, a couple of classes at the Wellington Seido dojo, shopping, Mass and plenty of walking to work off all the coffee and cake that fueled us.

Scots wha hae!

Well, hello there to my two regular readers! Gosh it was easy not to bother writing anything. It’s not like I haven’t been busy. Just that the business of life, and life, and life, which consumes all of my time down here at the arse end of New Zealand has been non-existent. Nought exciting, nought funny, nought, nought, nought pretty much covers it.

But it’s August now – heading for spring and I’m heading up to Wellington with Seán and Jack for a long weekend of fun and a tad of culture thrown in, I imagine. It’s the opening of Te Papa’s Scottish exhibition that Seán helped with and we have been invited to the opening.

Jack is coming because he looks good in a kilt. He and I have Friday to dawdle around the capital – duck into parliament buildings for a gawp, stroll along the water front, have a coffee or cake, maybe take in a gallery or two… Then we have some family time with the three of us, the opening itself on Saturday night and more free time Sunday. Should be fun.

I have nothing to wear (as usual) and am going to beg to borrow some clothes off a friend tonight. Wellington and Te Papa and VIPs galore mean serious clothes and I don’t do that so well – men have it so easy by being able to throw on a suit.

Got to dash and borrow a sporran for wee Jack :-) Pix to follow…

The boys are back

We have our two boys home from their travels. Hugh returns after a year of gadding about London and Stuttgart and Ben after his whiz bang four-week trip to smooch with his girlfriend in London, Paris and Rome etc...

Funny enough both of them ended up with the new Harry Potter book as reading material for the long haul around the globe and both had finished it on arrival in Auckland. We really do live of the other side of the world down here! So, anyway, their respective sisters have now purloined the books for the next reading. I don’t buy books and would have been happy to wait for my hold to come up in the library in a month or two. To tell the truth I haven’t actually read the 6th one yet – so no rush.

Ben now has to settle in to another semester at varsity, while Hugh decides what to do next. At least Ben came home with his luggage. Hugh lost his on the way over to Germany a year ago and this time he lost one bag on the domestic flight between Stuttgart and Berlin and then lost his guitar on the fight to Auckland. There have been a few phones calls made and hopefully they will turn up soon. Funny enough Ben also bought a guitar home, a baby travel guitar -VTG100N – his 6th! It’s rather cute, but I don’t really see the need for so many.

Ben did rather well with his present buying – although he did mention that having three siblings made it a bit of an onerous chore. I got a lovely black silk scarf from Rome. Zoë, a scarf and a multi coloured sweatshirt from Camden markets. Jed a t-shirt that looks like it says Coco cola but actually says cool fucker(!). Jack got a t- shirt, a shirt, and a wooden sword from the Tower of London. And a bottle of whisky for his dad. A lot of effort for a wee holiday.

What's a girl to do?

Sighhhhhh….Not a sigh, not a sigh! Life is just so.………..tiring at times.

All is well! I am well, kids are well, husband is well.

It is winter, however, and a cracker winter it is, with frost almost every morning for weeks. But oh gosh, I feel quite discombobulated. There is definitely something missing and I’m not sure what it is. Do I need a career change, a new hobby? I seem to be just drifting along - crankily – not enjoying very much about a pretty relaxed and peaceful existence. I’m very grateful to be here and Dunedin, New Zealand is a lovely place and all that – but what is the point exactly?

Hopefully it is just winter blues time and there will be a ‘point’ around the corner.

Pointless moan out of the way…My new gym is turning out to be very successful. I’m liking the attention I get each time I’m there (3 x weekly for 5 weeks so far!) – ‘everyone knows my name’. And find that I push that little bit harder when someone is watching me. I had a set of measurements done today and all is going nicely – no weight loss (which is NOT the point of it all, says Jo vehemently!) but cm loss in all the pertinent areas, so I’m toning up baby!

I was really pleased that I managed to keep my gym visits regular over the school holidays – either I was a BAD mother or I was super organised and dedicated :-) I’m liking fitting visits into my normal day hours too, rather than the 6am sessions at my last gym – why did I do that? I just didn’t think I had the time elsewhere. But it’s pretty regular now. Mondays 5pm, Wednesdays 9am and Fridays 1.45pm. Plus cardio sessions in between, if I need a little time out from home. Of course I also have karate: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. So I’m keeping the body at it’s maximum tiredness rating most of the time.

Maybe it’s time for my favourite winter (and so aptly named) pick-me-up?

A boy and his girl

I have been so busy lately - no time to blog - school holidays, children, work, new gym - just go, go, go. Nothing much to say anyway.

Here are some more shots of my boy and his girl in various spots around Europe. He is tripping around the English country side at the mo and then has another week in London before he comes home.

Can you pick the spots visited so far?

My first-born baby has flown to England to see his girlfriend. He is literally on the other side of the world from me now! He rang last night and all is well – if expensive. He only has four weeks to explore London, Paris and Rome. Then it will be straight back into his varsity work.

Ben’s girlie, Imogen, is working in England for a year between finishing school and going to university. Ben has missed her immensely and so gathered his dosh and flew over in his mid-year break. Madness for only four weeks – but young love is so impetuous.


Oh, by the way, we are now two up in the America’s Cup Race! Go team New Zealand!

Brrrr.

The Mid Winter Ball has been cancelled. I’m pleased! I have a shitty head cold and feel miserable. Snow has hit the South and the road out to the Castle is windy and steep. They have postponed it until next month, so that’s all good.

I couldn’t drive all the way home last night from my night shift on the Bookbus. There was a late freeze and the hill down to my house was covered with black ice and four vehicles that had skidded into weird positions. I ended up abandoning the car, standing and doing road-stopping duties for 30 minutes to stop other cars, and then trudging home through the snow.

We retrieved the car late this afternoon, but I think it will freeze again tonight and we will be walking to church in the morning. Yaah for electric blankets is all I can say.
Jack hitting a tree

Mid Winter Beach Training

Had a great weekend in Timaru. Four hours training on Saturday at the dojo and then three hours the next morning on the beach starting at 8am. We saw the sun rise as we ran along Caroline Bay and although the day started with a heavy frost the sunny day that followed meant we didn’t get too cold. Even the obligatory dip in the water wasn’t too bad. They weren’t hard out training sessions, more a social gathering with a little training thrown in. I was hoping to spar with people from a different dojo, but no luck.

I have a Mid Winter Ball this weekend and the dress I always wear is sleeveless. This is not good as I have massive bruises on both arms (I forget to get out of the way). Seán has suggested that I buy some long evening gloves as otherwise people might think that I am a battered wife :-)

Umm?

Me, me and me...do I ever know what I want, how to get it or what to do? Nope...

Thx to Karl for the quiz link.

Gym gone

It’s goodbye to my gym of five years! My membership has just run out and instead of renewing it I have looked around and am trying a new gym. It’s a little more expensive, but has the advantage of only allowing 12 members to be there at a time and having three personal trainers on the floor all the time.

It specialises in tweaking peoples’ pain problems and promises that if they can’t fix it they will at least make it better. With a guarantee that if after 3 months and no improvement they will refund your fee and pay for you to go to another gym consultation.

The down side is that I will miss the 24-hour access my last gym offered. It was also quite a small gym and at my preferred 6am start time often has only 3-4 people there, but you had to pay heaps extra for personal training.

My justification (to the family budget) is that at this time in my life (old!), and with karate being my main focus, I need to manage my body really well – work out the niggles and get it into tip-top shape.

Apart from that decision, that took far too much energy up in looking at new gyms and trying to compare pricing plans that are all different, I have also signed up for a computing course. I only work three days a week and up until the start of this year I have had library studies (and tennis) to take up my time. I thought I would have this year off after gaining my Library diploma, but instead I found myself wallowing in self pity, eating and generally just wasting all that lovely free time. And so, six months into 2007 I have been re-evaluating what I do and am trying to fill in some of the blanks.

Boot it.

The boots are fantastic and here’s a funny thing. After having to order my right size and waiting a week for them to arrive I raced down before work last night to find that they were too big! Tried on the ones I had tried on last week, a size smaller, and they were perfect!! What are my feet doing to me?

I wore them out of the shop to work for the evening, back on this morning for a spot of shopping/visiting and they are so cozy and comfortable, like slippers, as they should be for $329 (NZ).


They have a nifty green strip on the sole, for what purpose I can’t imagine. All we can come up with is that the wee flash of green will keep people behind diverted from watching my bum?

Next on the shopping list are a couple of winterish skirts to go with my lovely boots :-)