Our Aikido dojo has classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. We work out in the common room of a Baptist church. Today there was an unexpected meeting of some sort of disaster relief group in that same common room. We didn't ask, so I don't know what disaster they were trying to relieve.
My daughters decided to come with me to the dojo today, and we got there a little early. When we arrived, I met a woman and a man coming out of the building wearing bright yellow t-shirts. She asked if I was with the Aikido group. I said I was, and she proceeded to tell me the story about the room. My daughters and I sat on the bench just outside the door and waited for some of the others to show up. Little by little they did. It was very close to ten A.M. when we finally had a quorum. Call it "quits," or have class outside? We had class outside.
It was a bright, sunny day today in southeastern Wisconsin. It was also hot. It's still hot. Class was two hours, the senior student who often teaches weapons class used me for technique demonstration for the first hour, so I was moving non-stop. I'd help demonstrate, then practice with a junior student; demonstrate, practice, demonstrate, practice. I am tired.
Gabriella, my oldest, sat in on the class for a while. She used my wooden sword (bokken, or bo), as well as my jo staff. I never got a chance to work with her, but a few of the beginning student did, and they told her she did a great job. The day's instructor also worked with her, and had equally good things to say. She wants to join the dojo when she becomes 16. If she's still interested at that time, I'll have her join. It will be a great father-daughter thing for us to do.
My feet also hurt. I wore a pair of athletic shoes, but no socks, since I thought I'd be taking them off when I changed into my gi. Due to our outside practice, I wore my shoes for most of the two hours we were outside. This was a huge mistake, as the shoes rubbed my toes and my ankles. I took off my shoes for about the last half-hour of class, but it was too late. Now I have some minor irritations on my feet and ankles.
After class I took my daughters and went to Sam's Club to buy frozen cod fillets; sore feet and all. My wife adores those, and we've been out for a while, so she's been craving these for some time now. She practically doesn't eat meat any more, so I wanted her to have something nice to eat.
I also cut the front lawn of our neighbors as they are out camping. I did this right after I came home from class, then I took another shower.
I got my Father's Day gift early. We went to Target and I bought one of those Tomtom GPS systems. I read some on-line reviews of this model after I brought it home (which is typical for me to do it afterwards), and as basic systems go, it received very good reviews. It normally sells for about $160, but was on sale for $94. After I applied my $25 Target gift card that I received from one of my students, the final price was $69. I thought that was a good deal.
It's not that I go so many places that I'm going to use it all the time, but we have to take Gabriella to Girl Scout camp in Delavin, Wisconsin. I have no idea where that is, so the GPS will come in handy. I also have to take a Supervision of Student Teachers class at a private university north of Milwaukee, and I don't know how to get there, either. So I think it was the right time to buy one.
Speaking of Father's Day gifts, both my daughters decided to "make" me some sort of gift. This was done this afternoon, and all done with a great deal of secrecy. It started when they found these small Christmas gift bags. I'm not sure how they came to be in our possession. They probably held gifts that I received from students either this year, or in the past. Now they both keep walking around the house carrying the bags with them. They keep telling me not to look inside, and that I'm going to love my gifts. I already love them.
My daughters decided to come with me to the dojo today, and we got there a little early. When we arrived, I met a woman and a man coming out of the building wearing bright yellow t-shirts. She asked if I was with the Aikido group. I said I was, and she proceeded to tell me the story about the room. My daughters and I sat on the bench just outside the door and waited for some of the others to show up. Little by little they did. It was very close to ten A.M. when we finally had a quorum. Call it "quits," or have class outside? We had class outside.
It was a bright, sunny day today in southeastern Wisconsin. It was also hot. It's still hot. Class was two hours, the senior student who often teaches weapons class used me for technique demonstration for the first hour, so I was moving non-stop. I'd help demonstrate, then practice with a junior student; demonstrate, practice, demonstrate, practice. I am tired.
Gabriella, my oldest, sat in on the class for a while. She used my wooden sword (bokken, or bo), as well as my jo staff. I never got a chance to work with her, but a few of the beginning student did, and they told her she did a great job. The day's instructor also worked with her, and had equally good things to say. She wants to join the dojo when she becomes 16. If she's still interested at that time, I'll have her join. It will be a great father-daughter thing for us to do.
My feet also hurt. I wore a pair of athletic shoes, but no socks, since I thought I'd be taking them off when I changed into my gi. Due to our outside practice, I wore my shoes for most of the two hours we were outside. This was a huge mistake, as the shoes rubbed my toes and my ankles. I took off my shoes for about the last half-hour of class, but it was too late. Now I have some minor irritations on my feet and ankles.
After class I took my daughters and went to Sam's Club to buy frozen cod fillets; sore feet and all. My wife adores those, and we've been out for a while, so she's been craving these for some time now. She practically doesn't eat meat any more, so I wanted her to have something nice to eat.
I also cut the front lawn of our neighbors as they are out camping. I did this right after I came home from class, then I took another shower.
I got my Father's Day gift early. We went to Target and I bought one of those Tomtom GPS systems. I read some on-line reviews of this model after I brought it home (which is typical for me to do it afterwards), and as basic systems go, it received very good reviews. It normally sells for about $160, but was on sale for $94. After I applied my $25 Target gift card that I received from one of my students, the final price was $69. I thought that was a good deal.
It's not that I go so many places that I'm going to use it all the time, but we have to take Gabriella to Girl Scout camp in Delavin, Wisconsin. I have no idea where that is, so the GPS will come in handy. I also have to take a Supervision of Student Teachers class at a private university north of Milwaukee, and I don't know how to get there, either. So I think it was the right time to buy one.
Speaking of Father's Day gifts, both my daughters decided to "make" me some sort of gift. This was done this afternoon, and all done with a great deal of secrecy. It started when they found these small Christmas gift bags. I'm not sure how they came to be in our possession. They probably held gifts that I received from students either this year, or in the past. Now they both keep walking around the house carrying the bags with them. They keep telling me not to look inside, and that I'm going to love my gifts. I already love them.
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