Random Escapist Thoughts

Not much new to say. Um, we have three bunnies now. Chewie (Holland Lop), Zoey (uh, mutt?), and Turbo (dutch/dwarf mix who lives up to his name).

I did the half marathon with tremendous success in May. In June John and I broke up, and got back together. I'm now taking three martial arts. I spend my free time outside of work, friends, and exercise just playing on my 360.

Lately I've impressed an awful lot of people at work. Moreso than usual.

Ok, off to bed now!

It has been a LONG time since I updated. Hmm. And I have approximately 15 minutes to do so before I have class to teach, so here goes:

1. I have officially passed Sho-Kyu in both hanbo and rokushaku bo.

2. I have officially passed 9th Kyu in bikkenjutsu.

3. I have officially passed 6th Kyu in Jujutsu, and am starting to learn 9th Kyu Goshinjutsu as well as 9th Kyu Gyokko Ryu Kosshi-jutsu.

4. I have been taking weapons classes for over a year, and martial arts for a year and a half, which is how #s 1-3 occurred.

5. I am doing splendidly at work. I have managed to sublimate the urge to strangle most people, but only because of #4 on this list. I find it ironic that the more deadly I become, the gentler and more compassionate a person I try to become.

6. I am now FIVE WEEKS out from my half-marathon in May, and am trying not to hyperventilate about it. The other day I ran eight miles, and they went just fine.

7. I've been dating John for four years now.

8. I've kept 120 pounds off for a year and four months now.

9. We just started a new roleplaying campaign that is seriously going to be the most freaking awesome group ever, or collapse within three sessions, and here's why: I'm playing Ash from Evil Dead/Evil Dead 2/Army of Darkness. "Shop smart. Shop S-Mart!" Keith is playing Sgt. Nicholas Angel from Hot Fuzz, POST-"By the power of Grayskull!" and John is playing Deadpool. Yes, THAT Deadpool. May Lord have mercy on all NPCs we encounter.

This past week at least five people have exclaimed to me that Gary Gygax is dead, and asked me if I'm ok because of it.

Yes. I'm dealing. I think the flu I've had this past week was somehow spawned out of grief. At least, that's the current story.

Tomorrow's roleplaying session will be held in honor of him, of course.

In other news, I test for bokken (sword) and rokushakubo (six-foot staff) in a week. Oh...my...God.

I can't believe that it's been a week since I arrived in Vegas. Unreal.

Well, the trip was interesting, annoying, and way too short even though I wanted it to be over.

I've decided that I don't care for Vegas much, even though I had some really fun times while out there.

I got in a LOT of walking, but only one run, which means that I've been doing a LOT of running the past few days to make up for it. I can feel it in my knees, which isn't usual for me. It doesn't help that I had Jujutsu yesterday before running.

One more run tonight, and then I'm taking tomorrow off from all exercise, and then doing my long run on Saturday before Jujutsu.

I think I'm overtraining, because my sleep has been really restless. Need to try and make up for that tonight.

Whoa! My first real vacation in almost three years. I'm still in shock. It really crept up on me, but just now it hit me that all 800+ people at my company can just DEAL WITHOUT ME FOR A FEW DAYS. Mwahahahaha.

And good timing, too. My boss has told me that I am not, under any circumstances, to take on even one more project or be a project lead for one more thing right now, as I'm already overburdened, overworked, and cruising right through lunch breaks without pause and working from home. Alas, one could argue that I'm making more money, but no, it doesn't work that way in ye old Salary Land.

It's gotten so bad that I've been having increasingly frequent anxiety attacks, for which I now have a prescription for Xanax, because otherwise I start panicking in seemingly innocuous situations, like a car ride where someone else is driving.

I'm not even bringing a laptop with me on vacation. It's going to drive me apeshit, I'm sure, but I'm not letting myself check work email. My voice mail is already set.

In other news, Sensei has warned us that our Weapons class testing is looming. It's going to focus on bokken.

I can name 20+ different parts of the katana in Japanese. I can name all of the stances and cuts for this level as well as reasonably perform them. Ironically, though, I prefer the rokushakubo. Sensei thinks it's amusing to see me handle one, because I'm the shortest person in class at 5'2", and the only female. But dude, I can seriously handle a six-foot staff. I have down all the stances, but some of the Japanese still occasionally escapes me.

I believe I have all the Japanese down for the hanbo, though, even though we won't be tested on that for a while yet.

I guess it's time to get my hakama drycleaned and make sure the pleats are still intact.

I wish I could bring my bokken with me on my trip, but that would just be too awkward to explain.

TSA Agent: "Why do you have a wooden sword?"

Me: "Toothpick...?"

Wait...I still post to this?

At work, so I have to type quickly. Hmm. Will sum up:

1) Made goal weight. I lost in excess of 120 pounds.
2) Have lost track of how many races I've run. And I'm getting faster all the time.
3) Am still in love with John, and wondering how I got so lucky to find someone not only handsome and funny and intelligent, but also the biggest Star Wars geek I know and the best DM I've ever had. Funny enough, he says I'm the best DM HE'S ever had. I can't believe we've been together for almost three and a half years now.
4) Can't freaking get away from work. As arrogant as this sounds, I think some people around here are going to have heart failure when I take my first real vacation in a couple of weeks and won't be available to them.

Ok, time for martial arts now. I do believe I hear testing for 7th Kyu calling my name.

I just don't post here anymore. I have friends here, and I know it's a pain, but if you want to know what's up in my life, it's all at:

http://ninja-training.blogspot.com/

Sorry to be such a pain, and if anyone has a similar blog and would like to share it, please do so!

I tried on my faithful, trusty Ren Faire bodice yesterday after not wearing it since last summer. Now, this bodice can be adjusted to fit me within a 50 pound range.

Unfortunately (what the heck am I saying?!), I'm 20 pounds below the LOWEST part of that weight range. So this bodice, which I've had for eight years now and wear every season, is laughingly too big on me.

As in, the panels are overlapping and I still have about four inches between my tummy and the bodice. I could take it off without unlacing it.

So it's either take it apart at the side seams, or buy a new one. It's crazy to think that I'm the smallest I've ever been in my adult life. And it's crazy to think that in another 20 pounds I'll be at my goal weight. A weight that a lot of people would be THRILLED to be. Heck, right NOW I'm at a weight that a lot of people would be thrilled to be.

The flu really sucks. Getting the flu pretty much every single year right around this time ALSO sucks.

It completely shut down any ideas I had of going to either Weapons class or Jujutsu over the weekend, but yesterday I was feeling better, and managed to go for a hike at the Wehr Nature Center. Now, it being Earth Day yesterday, there were a lot of people there, but most of them took the wide, well-marked, short trails.

Keith and I, of course, went completely off the "beaten path" as it were, and a couple of times had to cross a stream, climb down a steep hill, brush away brambles, etc. At two different points we came across owl pellets. Actually, I'm not sure the first one was an actual owl pellet, but the second one definitely was. Fur, some small bones, etc.

If I had had something on me to carry it in, I would have taken it with me, but if I had to guess, I would say the owl had recently eaten a squirrel. But that's just judging by the fur and size and shape of the bones.

So all in all, yesterday was an enjoyable day. I still have a sore throat today, but I'm on the mend. I'm hoping that by Friday I'm feeling well enough to donate blood, since it's about that time again.

No one need respond to this post. It's mostly to capture my own thoughts, feelings, and memories as of late with regards to the martial arts of which I am a part.

About eight years ago I started taking Jujutsu. I got to 7th or 8th Kyu and then had to stop for what was to be a short period of time, but which turned into an eight-year hiatus due to an overabundance of pride on my part.

Without going into details, let's just say that it was a stupid reason for not returning, and as Sensei reminds me often now, I would be a 2nd degree black belt now if I had kept on with it. But I guess that isn't the point. The point is that I missed it a great deal, and after finally locating and firmly attaching my balls again, I decided to go back.

I opted to start all over again, as a "white belt." Sensei told me, after I tested the second time for 9th Kyu, that I was the only person to have done that. I could have just gone straight back to green belt, as that was the belt rank I had previously attained. But I wanted a firm reminder to remain humble at all times, and so declined the opportunity and decided to start all over again.

Long story short, going back to Futen Dojo and my beloved Jujutsu was the best thing I've done for myself in a long time. Once again I feel like I'm a part of something meaningful. My dojo-mates are my friends, and I feel a real camaraderie with them. Futen Dojo teaches traditional Japanese martial arts, and the rituals, teachings, philosophy, etc. all make it incredible special. My Sensei, Michael Coleman, is without a doubt one of the coolest, wisest people I've ever met. His wife is beyond lovely both outwardly and inwardly, and I care about them both very much.

When they recently decided to open a new dojo, I volunteered to help with it. Although the building existed, almost everything had to be redone. Painting, walls put up, a little Japanese-style house (the dressing room) had to be built, shoji screens assembled and mounted, TONS of cleaning, etc.

Keith and I (he takes Jujutsu now as well) volunteered as much as we could. We definitely were not the most skilled, nor did we have any special crafting talents, but we did what we could. We did end up having a knack for painting, especially edge and trim work. I can't think of a single wall in the new dojo that I didn't edge or paint or put a wall on or SOMETHING. I didn't do even half as much as a few key people who really deserve Sensei/Ana's gratitude, but I did what I could.

So looking at the new dojo, which is truly gorgeous, I feel a deep sense of belonging. I put a lot of myself into the place. I put a lot of goodwill and my own spirit into it, which I hope serves as a blessing. I believe that when you create something yourself, rather than just pay for it, it becomes more than just a structure with pretty Japanese decorations.

I was very pleased to be a part of the "private" opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday night. There was sushi, champagne, cake, etc. Sensei and his wife presented each of us who worked on the new dojo with a new Futen Dojo t-shirt as well as a daruma doll. Go to Wikipedia and look up daruma doll to know more, but basically they are hollow, spherical dolls with a face, supposedly that of the man who founded the Zen philosophy. The eyes are blank. You think of a goal or a wish, and fill in one of the eyes with ink. You then place the daruma doll somewhere where you will see it. When you pass it, or see it, you are reminded to take steps toward achieving your goal. When you have achieved your goal, or your wish is granted, you fill in the other eye.

Ana gave us these dolls, saying we had helped them achieve their goal of the new dojo, and they wanted to help us achieve our goals. The energy in the room as we silently filled in one of the eyes of our daruma dolls was just....I can't even find the words. The energy was amazing.

Afterward we watched a slideshow of various pictures of the dojo being created. In every picture I was in, I was painting. LOL Ana even said, "There's Traci painting again. Traci's an edging master." That was awesome, and made me smile.

After that, I got to be a part of the first group ever to actually use the new dojo to work on my Kyu. Keith and I both did. It was really cool.

Two weeks ago I also attended a two-day Shibu Kai, which is basically five hours a day of martial arts. Lots of things way above our level were taught to us. Lots of Ninpo, lots of usage of "tools" (read: bokken, hanbo, etc.), and lots of general practice. Very tiring weekend, but it was nice to see how physically fit I really am.

On Friday night I begin a separate weapons class in addition to the Jujutsu I already take. Eventually, once I get far along enough in Jujutsu, I will also be taking Ninpo, and possibly Koryu Karate. Along with the weapons classes, of course.

Other than that, I'm doing fine. I've lost 108 pounds (12 more to go), my most recently job evaluation went stunningly well (13 Exceptional ratings out of 17, with four Proficients), Keith has a new job in his field that pays well, John has a new job that pays well, and basically all is well.

My mom, as usual, has all sort of health issues that are relatively minor, but unrelenting, which tends to wear on you when you are an only child and already prone to anxiety.

Oh yes, and I adopted two bunnies from the Humane Society. Chewie and Zoey. Sassy things. I absolutely adore them.

Not that anyone who reads this lives in Milwaukee, but the Futen Dojo website is:

http://www.futendojo.com

You can find pictures of my bunbuns at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10867218@N00/

Not much to tell.

I would have to say that 2006 was a rocking year. I lost 100 pounds when all was said and done, I started running (I now do 5K races), I started going back to Jujutsu (much love for traditional Japanese martial arts), got a 13% raise at work, and celebrated 2.5 years with John in November. For such a rocky start, we're doing fantastic now! He's gotten sweeter since I've met him, and flirts with me constantly. He's the antithesis of the average guy.

Oh, one more thing did happen. I was able to donate blood for the first time a few weeks ago. I had tried four times previously, and every time got turned down because my hematocrit count wasn't high enough. You need a 37, and my iron was always something like a 35. But after a year of eating very healthy and all that, I tried one more time. Hematocrit count? A whopping 43! I'm so completely far from anemic now that it's pretty amusing. Even the phlebotomist told me I must have been beefing up. ;)

Well, that's pretty much it. Those are the major updates of my life.

Update!

Not much to tell. Um, I'm doing fine. Really. Just fine.

Ok, that's not true. Things have been going a LOT better than last year. For starters, I've received TWO raises in the past six months. The first raise was about 2%, the second increase was by 12%!! My salary shot up into upper-middle class range, and by the talk of things, there's no doubt that my salary will be strictly upper class-level in a very short time. As my mom said, "Tax shelter!"

In the meantime I'm still taking classes and developing my skills. Education never ends.

I have had no credit card debt for about eight years now, and I've had an outstanding credit score for about two years now. That's an accomplishment I'm very proud of. I'm also putting away money into investments and retirement and whatnot.

I've been very healthy lately. I had gained a lot of weight last year when I started my current job, and then I decided that enough was enough, and lost 65 pounds.

John and I have been together for two years and roughly two months now, and he treats me better with every passing day.

D&D, Star Wars, et al are still going strong.

No cysts, no hurricanes devastating my best friend's life, no pets dying. Yep, definitely a good year so far.

Actually, Pally was tied with Bard, and elf was tied with half-elf, so I could theoretically be a half-elven Ranger Pally Bard, assuming CG were "allowed". The CG was pretty prevalent. I emailed the results to John and he said, "You can't be a CG pally!" Yes, sweetie, I know. So we decided that I'm a CG half-elven or elven Ranger Bard with strong moral tendencies.

I Am A: Chaotic Good Elf Ranger Paladin


Alignment:
Chaotic Good characters are independent types with a strong belief in the value of goodness. They have little use for governments and other forces of order, and will generally do their own things, without heed to such groups.


Race:
Elves are the eldest of all races, although they are generally a bit smaller than humans. They are generally well-cultured, artistic, easy-going, and because of their long lives, unconcerned with day-to-day activities that other races frequently concern themselves with. Elves are, effectively, immortal, although they can be killed. After a thousand years or so, they simply pass on to the next plane of existance.


Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Secondary Class:
Paladins are the Holy Warriors. They have been chosen by a God/dess to be their representative on Earth, and must follow the code of that deity, or risk severe penalties. They tend towards being righteous, but not generally to excess.


Deity:
Solonor Thelandria is the Chaotic Good elven god of archery and the hunt. He is also known as the Keen Eye, the Great Archer, and the Forest Hunter. His followers respect nature, and only hunt when needed, but are quick to defend the forest from intruders. Their favorite weapon is the bow, and they tend to be extremely talented with it. Solonor Thelandria's symbol is an arrow with green fletchings.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

Word: Phosphoinositide

Meaning: A phosphorylated derivative of the glycerolipid phosphatidylinositol. As three positions of the inositol ring can be phosphorylated independently of each other, there are seven possible phosphoinositides.

Ten points to anyone who can figure out what field I work in. Hint: It's a trick question, sort of, but I do get regular invitations to seminars regarding the above.

Do I have any friends in Hawaii? If so, or even if not, please contact Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and let them know that you're unhappy with their vote regarding opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Also contact Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. These three are Democrats, and dammit, they shouldn't be voting the way they are! All this does is harm the environment, hurt several different species of animals and plants, and make us MORE dependent on oil, not less. If we're supposed to be working toward renewable energy sources, why the hell are we trying to open up more land to drill on??

Man, I am SO pissed today. People are lucky I don't carry my weapons on me (well, most of them) anymore.

This is directed at men AND women:

IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH ACCIDENTALLY HAVING A CHILD, GET STERILIZED OR DON'T HAVE SEX.

Grrrr.

And if you're a man:

Quit your fucking whining. Women STILL have it harder than you do. I don't see YOU bleeding out of your crotch five days out of every month. When you begin to do that, then come see me and we can talk.

Note CNN story:

Bush touts $4.2 billion plan for Louisiana homeowners

Note fifth paragraph:

"Congress is considering allowing all homeowners affected by Katrina to apply for the $4.2 billion in proposed housing aide, according to The Associated Press. Bush wants to limit access to those funds to Louisianans, the AP reported."

So, in other words, he's giving the big F-U to people like Keith's parents who lost everything. People like Keith's dad who served his country by being in the Army for 25 years, and Keith's mom who constantly works through the church to help others.

Ok, that is IT. If the impeachment plan ever seriously gets underway, I am ALL FOR IT. This is personal.

Anyone else beside me who feels absolutely NO sympathy for Candice Martinez?

"My life is ruined" or whatever.

Go to hell. What did you expect when they busted you for armed robbery, sweetie pie? Cake and roses?

I have to be the only person in the world who complains about having ears that are too SMALL. Mine are small, lay flat and close to my head, and I CANNOT get earbuds or anything remotely similar in them, and I can't even wear the wrap-around earphones, because my ears are too small.

Grrr.

Argh!! I am SO SICK of my body!

So I went to the dentist yesterday, and he drilled down a high spot on my molar (where I had an old cavity replaced two weeks ago), but my jaw and trigeminal joint are STILL really aching, no matter how much ibuprofen I take. On top of that, last night I did something (got up from a chair using the arm rests) to my right shoulder, which FINALLY seemed healed from getting a little messed up about a year and a half ago. So now when I do anything that moves those muscles, I feel a sharp, stabbing pain go from my shoulder down through my upper arm.

*sigh*

When I exercise, the entire top part of my right foot starts to ache so bad that I'm almost limping. It's like the entire right part of my body is falling apart. I feel so miserable right now that I don't even want to hang out with John today. And I feel bloated, no matter how much water I drink.

I am so fed up!! I have been eating so healthy lately, exercising, trying to cut down on stress, etc. What the hell gives??