to the good...

The good, part one: I got my email tonight from Riverhead Foundation. I start the dolphin program on Sunday. THIS Sunday! O_o I'd love to sit here and say "just being considered is an honor" but that's total crap. I get to actively and hugely help a dolphin in need. I get to swim with her, and I won't deny: I'm in total squee over that.

Part two: Kim came over tonight and she brought me an early Christmas gift. (She's going away to Germany in a week and a half and she figured at first that we wouldn't get to see each other before then. But then I later asked if we could hang out next Thursday, so that does give me one more chance to get her a birthday AND Christmas gift.) Anyway, she made me a beautiful fused glass necklace in three shades of red, with three real silver eternity signs, one bright and big in the center, and two more fading into the background. It's gorgeous and has already become one of those pieces of jewelry that I don't think I'll take off very often. She also gave me another fused glass pendant that was a sort of experiment that she didn't know what to do with. It's a cardinal on a branch on white glass. Also beautiful. There's nothing I can think of that's as meaningful or thoughtful that I can give her in return, though!

Oh, and then we watched Being John Malkovich, which made me laugh out loud. I loved it.

Part three: Tomorrow we start Tai Chi! Sifu decided to teach that on Saturdays, since we get basic and advanced Kung Fu the rest of the week. It's real Tai Chi, taught from the lineage of our jo-si from Toisan, China; not the watered down McDojo crap. I'm in love with this idea because as you know, keeping the culture real, keeping things as really wholesome and true to their culture as humanly possible means a lot to me. That's why I fall in love with the ancient Hulas that haven't been changed for hundreds of years, too. I like things in as pure a form as possible. The other really cool part about this is that it's free. :D

Well, I have to get up early tomorrow so I'd better turn in. I think that maybe after Hula tomorrow I'll get my tree, since I won't have time to do it on Sunday, whatwith the dolphin and everything. :D

to the good...

The good, part one: I got my email tonight from Riverhead Foundation. I start the dolphin program on Sunday. THIS Sunday! O_o I'd love to sit here and say "just being considered is an honor" but that's total crap. I get to actively and hugely help a dolphin in need. I get to swim with her, and I won't deny: I'm in total squee over that.

Part two: Kim came over tonight and she brought me an early Christmas gift. (She's going away to Germany in a week and a half and she figured at first that we wouldn't get to see each other before then. But then I later asked if we could hang out next Thursday, so that does give me one more chance to get her a birthday AND Christmas gift.) Anyway, she made me a beautiful fused glass necklace in three shades of red, with three real silver eternity signs, one bright and big in the center, and two more fading into the background. It's gorgeous and has already become one of those pieces of jewelry that I don't think I'll take off very often. She also gave me another fused glass pendant that was a sort of experiment that she didn't know what to do with. It's a cardinal on a branch on white glass. Also beautiful. There's nothing I can think of that's as meaningful or thoughtful that I can give her in return, though!

Oh, and then we watched Being John Malkovich, which made me laugh out loud. I loved it.

Part three: Tomorrow we start Tai Chi! Sifu decided to teach that on Saturdays, since we get basic and advanced Kung Fu the rest of the week. It's real Tai Chi, taught from the lineage of our jo-si from Toisan, China; not the watered down McDojo crap. I'm in love with this idea because as you know, keeping the culture real, keeping things as really wholesome and true to their culture as humanly possible means a lot to me. That's why I fall in love with the ancient Hulas that haven't been changed for hundreds of years, too. I like things in as pure a form as possible. The other really cool part about this is that it's free. :D

Well, I have to get up early tomorrow so I'd better turn in. I think that maybe after Hula tomorrow I'll get my tree, since I won't have time to do it on Sunday, whatwith the dolphin and everything. :D

tai chi and holiday trees

From the Ninja Wizards: Whatever you celebrate, have a happy one!

I skipped out of Hula today because my throat felt like I'd been drinking acid all day, and I knew that the second I talked to Camille she'd probably catch it and bring it home to her kid. (Or worse, a family member sho has a really weak immune system.) But I did go to Tai Chi, and it was just so different. I enjoyed it a lot, for one thing, but the vibe was way different from regular Kung Fu. It was so quiet. I figured at first it would be just me, Lee, Chris and Sifu, but it ended up also being Sifu's wife, TJ, some guy I don't know, and Sifu's akita dog Buki. (Buki was really cool, he just chilled out on the mats among all of us, occasionally coming over to sniff or lick someone on the face during the low stances.) It was odd, because I didn't feel myself getting tired or out of breath, or even really warm, yet at the end of it all I was still sweaty. Very weird. And during the class I had so little on my mind that it was really relaxing.

On the way home however, for whatever reason, I wanted to punch someone. All my zen went right out the car window. I started making up fights in my head with people I don't know or barely know. Then I got into a really bad mood. The mood lightened a bit when I stopped on my way home to get my tree. I went to this little place down the road that one year had really great trees for really cheap; it's not where I usually go, but now I think it's better. It's privately owned, and when I first pulled up I thought maybe no one was there. But someone was: the owner, sitting in his truck in the driveway, staring at nothing. When I pulled up, he took a totally classic whiskey bottle out of his front pocket, took a huge swig, then got out of the truck and went the back way into the little tree lot as if he had been there the whole time. Haha! Getting my tree only took me about ten minutes, then I was at home and putting the silly thing up.

All the while, I was kind of in a bad mood and I don't know why. 30 Seconds to Mars is going out on another tour starting in February. It's the Taste of Chaos tour, a big 'ole festival show. I hate festival shows, and I only like the one band that's playing. To top it off, it's at Nassau Coliseum. Yeah, that's not a bad drive at all from here, and it's out on LI, but I hate that stupid venue. And it gave me the willies to think that this might be their last tour in at least a few years. (I hope I'm wrong on that, but it very well could be.) If they didn't come out again for another 3, 4 years, what then? Where will my life be? Could very well be that I'll be raising a kid by then, and my second childhood / running-after-concert days will be over. I think just that the news of this tour made me think too far into my own future and I panicked. I know I want to have a kid, and within the next few years. But this year I saw 30 Seconds to Mars and got invited to their costume party by the lead singer and then got to hang out with them. Could I do that kind of thing if I was a mom? Could I still be this irresponsible, spur of the moment person? I guess it just brought out all my weird issues regarding the future.

That, and I hate Nassau Coliseum.

Oh, but last night a funny thing happened while I was in the store with Kim. We were down the soda aisle when I heard two of the stock guys talking and I caught the words "from yesterday." I assumed they were talking about something that had happened yesterday, but it reminded me of what I wanted to tell Kim. I snapped my fingers and said, "Yeah, that's right! 30 Seconds to Mars has a video for 'From Yesterday' and it's got Kung Fu in it!" She barely answered me when the stock guy said, "Hey, that's what we were just talking about! I'm totally addicted to that song. I listen to it over and over." He looked me dead int he eye. "I can't stop, you know?" I asked him if he had the self titled album and he said he didn't, but he loved A Beautiful Lie; especially From Yesterday. I told him to do himself a huge favor and pick up the self titled album, because it would blow him away. He said he'd be at the Nassau concert and I said I was thinking about going, too. Anyway, it was just pretty cool. I tell anyone who will listen to pick up the self titled album, because it's just fully epic.

Oh, so anyway, when I got home today I decorated the tree for a while, cleaned the house, vacuumed all the rooms, took the Ninja Wizards out for a while. Then later I went to have dinner with Mom, Dad and Gran, because Mom decided to do a belated Thanksgiving dinner. So I got to have red cabbage and stuffing. YUM.

I feel like seeing a movie, but I don't know what to watch.

Oh well, I have to send some pics to my Mom all of a sudden. She's using pictures as her screensaver and she wants a ton of ones from me. Better get on that.

tai chi and holiday trees

From the Ninja Wizards: Whatever you celebrate, have a happy one!

I skipped out of Hula today because my throat felt like I'd been drinking acid all day, and I knew that the second I talked to Camille she'd probably catch it and bring it home to her kid. (Or worse, a family member sho has a really weak immune system.) But I did go to Tai Chi, and it was just so different. I enjoyed it a lot, for one thing, but the vibe was way different from regular Kung Fu. It was so quiet. I figured at first it would be just me, Lee, Chris and Sifu, but it ended up also being Sifu's wife, TJ, some guy I don't know, and Sifu's akita dog Buki. (Buki was really cool, he just chilled out on the mats among all of us, occasionally coming over to sniff or lick someone on the face during the low stances.) It was odd, because I didn't feel myself getting tired or out of breath, or even really warm, yet at the end of it all I was still sweaty. Very weird. And during the class I had so little on my mind that it was really relaxing.

On the way home however, for whatever reason, I wanted to punch someone. All my zen went right out the car window. I started making up fights in my head with people I don't know or barely know. Then I got into a really bad mood. The mood lightened a bit when I stopped on my way home to get my tree. I went to this little place down the road that one year had really great trees for really cheap; it's not where I usually go, but now I think it's better. It's privately owned, and when I first pulled up I thought maybe no one was there. But someone was: the owner, sitting in his truck in the driveway, staring at nothing. When I pulled up, he took a totally classic whiskey bottle out of his front pocket, took a huge swig, then got out of the truck and went the back way into the little tree lot as if he had been there the whole time. Haha! Getting my tree only took me about ten minutes, then I was at home and putting the silly thing up.

All the while, I was kind of in a bad mood and I don't know why. 30 Seconds to Mars is going out on another tour starting in February. It's the Taste of Chaos tour, a big 'ole festival show. I hate festival shows, and I only like the one band that's playing. To top it off, it's at Nassau Coliseum. Yeah, that's not a bad drive at all from here, and it's out on LI, but I hate that stupid venue. And it gave me the willies to think that this might be their last tour in at least a few years. (I hope I'm wrong on that, but it very well could be.) If they didn't come out again for another 3, 4 years, what then? Where will my life be? Could very well be that I'll be raising a kid by then, and my second childhood / running-after-concert days will be over. I think just that the news of this tour made me think too far into my own future and I panicked. I know I want to have a kid, and within the next few years. But this year I saw 30 Seconds to Mars and got invited to their costume party by the lead singer and then got to hang out with them. Could I do that kind of thing if I was a mom? Could I still be this irresponsible, spur of the moment person? I guess it just brought out all my weird issues regarding the future.

That, and I hate Nassau Coliseum.

Oh, but last night a funny thing happened while I was in the store with Kim. We were down the soda aisle when I heard two of the stock guys talking and I caught the words "from yesterday." I assumed they were talking about something that had happened yesterday, but it reminded me of what I wanted to tell Kim. I snapped my fingers and said, "Yeah, that's right! 30 Seconds to Mars has a video for 'From Yesterday' and it's got Kung Fu in it!" She barely answered me when the stock guy said, "Hey, that's what we were just talking about! I'm totally addicted to that song. I listen to it over and over." He looked me dead int he eye. "I can't stop, you know?" I asked him if he had the self titled album and he said he didn't, but he loved A Beautiful Lie; especially From Yesterday. I told him to do himself a huge favor and pick up the self titled album, because it would blow him away. He said he'd be at the Nassau concert and I said I was thinking about going, too. Anyway, it was just pretty cool. I tell anyone who will listen to pick up the self titled album, because it's just fully epic.

Oh, so anyway, when I got home today I decorated the tree for a while, cleaned the house, vacuumed all the rooms, took the Ninja Wizards out for a while. Then later I went to have dinner with Mom, Dad and Gran, because Mom decided to do a belated Thanksgiving dinner. So I got to have red cabbage and stuffing. YUM.

I feel like seeing a movie, but I don't know what to watch.

Oh well, I have to send some pics to my Mom all of a sudden. She's using pictures as her screensaver and she wants a ton of ones from me. Better get on that.