One Month Off

One huge problem with being a teacher is that I am constantly exposed to vast amounts of germs. I've been sick for about one month. The virus progressed from chills, to stuffy nose, to sore throat and a cough. Each week it was something new. My doctor didn't prescribe anything, because we both knew it was a virus. It did go on at length, though, and after two weeks of coughing and sore throat, I was given three days of a broad-spectrum antibiotic. That was Monday, and by Wednesday, I was no longer coughing and my sore throat had disappeared. Yesterday I was thinking, 'When can I get back into the dojo? I miss my Aikido.' I think it's great that as soon as I feel better, I want to go play Aikido. This is a very good sign. I still have to cough up a little phlegm, but it's nothing like what it was before.

While I was at home not going to the dojo, I ordered a heavyweight white oak Aikido bokken from e-bogu.com. It weighs 750 grams, or about 1lb. 11 oz. It has a flat "tip" like the high-end bokken the other dojo students use. I will let my fabulous wife give it to me for Christmas. She is so thoughtful. She knew exactly what I wanted.

I was tempted to order a new weapons bag from e-bogu for $10 plus shipping, but I decided not to - and I'm glad I didn't. Yesterday in the Menard's (home improvement store) flyer, I saw an ad for a 52 inch shotgun bag for $3.99. When I saw the bag, I noticed how it was shaped exactly like the high-end weapons bags used by other dojo members. What's nice about this one is that the material is very sturdy, the bag is heavily padded, and the end where the shotgun barrel would go has a big rubber pad at the end, which should protect the ends of my weapons. The bad part is that it's made for a shotgun, so the handle is positioned to balance a shotgun, not wooden weapons. It doesn't carry parallel to the ground, but for the price, I'm not going to pick at the little things.