Ahh, another painful morning after Kenpo Karate! Last night we learned throws, which I was very interested in, because Tae Kwon Do never really taught any (other than the very simplest of sweeps and hip throws). We learned quite a few cool ones, and my favorites were the ones that you can do from a fairly safe standing position but will quickly trip up an opponent. Unfortunately, my partner in this exercise was a great deal larger than me, and as gratifying as it is to be able to throw a larger opponent, he was able to throw me a lot harder. I ended up banging my knee pretty hard on one series of throws, and now I feel like I am just dragging my left leg along for the ride. Still, great class.
We also finally got the washer and dryer for the apartment! They are special, extra-small condensation units, as per apartment rules, and they are not nearly as effective as standard washer-dryer units. Still, it is sooooo wonderful to not have to go to the laundromat every week now.
Can you believe it? We’re now exactly one week out from the PA Bar (formerly known as Bunky’s birthday). Bunky is flipping out at home, and causing great amounts of stress for Sydney and me. I’m expecting her to pass, but I guess she can’t help and be nervous with all that’s at stake.
Personally I can’t wait for the test to be over on the 27th (it’s a two-day exam) so that Bunky can’t use “I’m trying to study for the Bar!” as an excuse for everything anymore.
Undersigned has announced another Wordpress Theme Competition (and an update). I know the last one was rather underwhelming, but this one will only feature unique and new themes! Plus now that theme writers have had a chance to play with WP2 and AJAX for a while now, perhaps we will see something truly inspiring.
In related news, ArenaWP has started showcasing some noteworthy themes as well.
Yesterday was a pretty sweet day for me. Although I haven’t been feeling well, because of a bad sore throat, I caught some good luck yesterday afternoon. Apparently there was some kind of outage or explosion or something at the data center, and the generator blew up or got fried. Either way, all the servers went down, and so email and everything on the network was inaccessible. It’s amazing how much this cripples a business, and so we were all sent home before lunchtime. So basically I got paid a full day’s wages (without taking vacation time) to sit at home and play World of Warcraft.
However, one of my coworkers was not so lucky. Apparently on his way home he passed out, and when he was taken to the hospital, he was diagnosed with West Nile Virus!!! I don’t know how often the state website is updated, but he might make the news for being the first one this year to catch the virus in the state. Dang, that’s one way to ruin a half-day off.
After determining that he will probably be ok (though he will likely feel really cruddy for a week or longer), we then speculated about how it happened. Since it happened on the T, no doubt it was a crowded trolley. If he was sitting, did someone push his passed-out body to the side and steal his seat? If he was standing, did they just assume he was drunk and let him fall to the floor? Neither of these scenarios would really surprise me.
In somewhat related news, one of my other coworkers won $1,000 this morning from a lottery scratchcard…
I’ve never read through an etiquette guide before, but this Urban Etiquette Handbook I found online is really quite informative! There are some great acceptable solutions to common quandaries, such as “What obligations does one have after a one-night stand?” and “How do you respond to an online personal message from someone whose picture you don’t like? “. Check out this example:
Is it ever acceptable to talk to a stranger on an elevator?
If there are six or fewer people on the elevator, no. However, if the group is larger than six, you have achieved an Elevator Humor Quorum and someone must make a remark about the elevator’s lack of size or speed in order to relieve the tension created by standing in a tiny space with six or more strangers. If another member of the group makes the remark first, Elevator Humor Solidarity obligates you to chuckle mildly.
It’s just nice to see some of these things codified!
Yesterday, I signed up for some classes at a nearby Kenpo Karate dojo. Trying to get in shape by just working out on my own hasn’t been that successful as of late, so I wanted a class to really motivate me. The first class didn’t start off easy at all, and by the end of the night I was completely exhausted! However, it was a satisfying exhaustion, and after my body recovers, I look forward to going again this week.
One of the harder aspects of taking Kenpo Karate has been adjusting for the subtle changes in stances and how certain techniques are thrown. I had taken Tae Kwon Do for a number of years (which seem like an eternity ago now!), and while the general ideas are similar, there are subtle differences in most of the moves. I guess it’s all about retraining that muscle memory!
General | Kabitzin 07/20/2006 | 
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