Eventful week

Eventful indeed.

The most important event this week was Jo-chan's first day of college. She's on campus, and though campus is not far from home (and closer to my home than to hers,) it's still sort of mindblowing that she's, you know, in college. A young adult. On her own. GOD. How can that be? I felt the same way about SB when he started, too. It never gets less strange.

So we figured out a "coming to visit / going home" schedule that I really hope works out. If it does, I'll be picking her up on Thursdays on my way home from Kung Fu at our new location and time. Then she'll stay here until whenever, and she can drive home from here. (Freshmen aren't allowed to have their cars on campus.) I hope that happens, 'cause this way I get to see her weekly.

Which brings me to the next big event: the closing of Green Cloud Rocky Point. I've known about this for a while, but have kept it under wraps until today, which was GCRP's final day. Last night was my last time there. It was very emotional.

And to show this, here is a short video demonstrating how much fun we had at GCRP:

AT GREEN CLOUD, ASS KICKS YOU.

I want to add here that I think anyone who steps up to do a martial art is immensely brave, even me. And it's not necessarily the bravery to fight, or to do something physical that might injure you. That's only a small part of it. (I sparred yesterday with a guy who outweighed me by half again and it was terrific, just terrific. All I had to do was wait for him to get tired and slow down. ^_^ ) But I think it's difficult for anyone to go in front of your peers and possibly look like an idiot. You're going to screw up, fall down, do some dumbass thing, flail, punch yourself in the face, look like a total fool. And of course, you're going to lose, sometimes. I think that's where the bravery comes in. You really have to be able to laugh at yourself and I think that the best martial artists--the best artists--have that ability.

Or at least, that's my excuse for falling on my ass not once, but twice in that video. ^_^ Yes, that's right: it's because I'm an ARTIST, damn it, and BRAVE. Not because I'm a moron or klutz, or anything like that. No, never. ^_^;;

So, we kind of shed an emo tear of crystalline-blue eternal sadness (thanks lisa_s.)

And now we are ready for The Big Move. The other school is already established, with fellow practitioners of our style, and I already know most of them. Just a bit of a different group dynamic, and the school a few more miles west. Eh. What's a few more miles?

In related news, the other Big Event is the engagement of Sije Empress Teishi and CC Maximus. (Was: "CC" but that sounded lame. Sifu actually calls him "Maximus" so credit to Sifu for this nickname.) They are just kids and we all realize this, but there's no denying—even for a dead-inside cynic like me—that they are for real.



They are so adorable it's untrue.

( More pics under the cut. )

So, Jo-chan in college, Teishi engaged, new Kung Fu location.

And school tomorrow. UGH. I can't believe it; my mini-vaca went so quickly. And I didn't do anything aside from work, housework, and writing/critiquing/revising. Seriously, I hardly left the house except to attend a party, shop a little, train, and work.

I got a lot done on Qualia, actually, which was so heartening. The last chapter is now up at the workshop. And of course, the first few are going their second round at a new workshop. But, I can't keep 'shopping it; I can't 'shop it to death. One day (soon) I'm going to have to put it down, call it "finished" and start really querying.

There's a new agent and she seems really rad. She also seems to be looking for something like Qualia, so maybe it would be a good fit. You never pin all your hopes on one agent, but it's awesome to have a handful where you can be like, "Wow, that would be so dope if that worked out." Yeah, those are the professional terms.

In fact, how's that for a query? "Dear Ms. Agent: It would be so dope if you liked my book. Sincerely, Me." I think agents might like, you know, street cred that shines through in a query.

Man, I'm so tired I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Also my eye has a headache. The left one.

So wha'd we get in this entry? A lot of big changes for those around me, and a relatively big change for me. (I mean, Rocky Point was my second home. I need to nest, you know? :D )

Some Qualia rambling, and the usual babbling.

Oh, and a hurricane is coming, maybe. Earl, for future reference, whether or not it hits. We might get side-swiped by it, and if so, it'll happen on Friday, my first day of ClinicII.

Ahh and ClinicII. Now I get to be a Big Shot for three months. It's funny, everyone looks up to the CII people. You wait and wait to get there, and for a short time you're a Big Fish. Then you're out of school and you start all over again, a n00b, fresh meat, totally no real-world experience.

Cycles and all of that. Yeah, that's what I'm getting at, after all.

Eventful week

Eventful indeed.

The most important event this week was Jo-chan's first day of college. She's on campus, and though campus is not far from home (and closer to my home than to hers,) it's still sort of mindblowing that she's, you know, in college. A young adult. On her own. GOD. How can that be? I felt the same way about SB when he started, too. It never gets less strange.

So we figured out a "coming to visit / going home" schedule that I really hope works out. If it does, I'll be picking her up on Thursdays on my way home from Kung Fu at our new location and time. Then she'll stay here until whenever, and she can drive home from here. (Freshmen aren't allowed to have their cars on campus.) I hope that happens, 'cause this way I get to see her weekly.

Which brings me to the next big event: the closing of Green Cloud Rocky Point. I've known about this for a while, but have kept it under wraps until today, which was GCRP's final day. Last night was my last time there. It was very emotional.

And to show this, here is a short video demonstrating how much fun we had at GCRP:

AT GREEN CLOUD, ASS KICKS YOU.

I want to add here that I think anyone who steps up to do a martial art is immensely brave, even me. And it's not necessarily the bravery to fight, or to do something physical that might injure you. That's only a small part of it. (I sparred yesterday with a guy who outweighed me by half again and it was terrific, just terrific. All I had to do was wait for him to get tired and slow down. ^_^ ) But I think it's difficult for anyone to go in front of your peers and possibly look like an idiot. You're going to screw up, fall down, do some dumbass thing, flail, punch yourself in the face, look like a total fool. And of course, you're going to lose, sometimes. I think that's where the bravery comes in. You really have to be able to laugh at yourself and I think that the best martial artists--the best artists--have that ability.

Or at least, that's my excuse for falling on my ass not once, but twice in that video. ^_^ Yes, that's right: it's because I'm an ARTIST, damn it, and BRAVE. Not because I'm a moron or klutz, or anything like that. No, never. ^_^;;

So, we kind of shed an emo tear of crystalline-blue eternal sadness (thanks lisa_s.)

And now we are ready for The Big Move. The other school is already established, with fellow practitioners of our style, and I already know most of them. Just a bit of a different group dynamic, and the school a few more miles west. Eh. What's a few more miles?

In related news, the other Big Event is the engagement of Sije Empress Teishi and CC Maximus. (Was: "CC" but that sounded lame. Sifu actually calls him "Maximus" so credit to Sifu for this nickname.) They are just kids and we all realize this, but there's no denying—even for a dead-inside cynic like me—that they are for real.



They are so adorable it's untrue.

( More pics under the cut. )

So, Jo-chan in college, Teishi engaged, new Kung Fu location.

And school tomorrow. UGH. I can't believe it; my mini-vaca went so quickly. And I didn't do anything aside from work, housework, and writing/critiquing/revising. Seriously, I hardly left the house except to attend a party, shop a little, train, and work.

I got a lot done on Qualia, actually, which was so heartening. The last chapter is now up at the workshop. And of course, the first few are going their second round at a new workshop. But, I can't keep 'shopping it; I can't 'shop it to death. One day (soon) I'm going to have to put it down, call it "finished" and start really querying.

There's a new agent and she seems really rad. She also seems to be looking for something like Qualia, so maybe it would be a good fit. You never pin all your hopes on one agent, but it's awesome to have a handful where you can be like, "Wow, that would be so dope if that worked out." Yeah, those are the professional terms.

In fact, how's that for a query? "Dear Ms. Agent: It would be so dope if you liked my book. Sincerely, Me." I think agents might like, you know, street cred that shines through in a query.

Man, I'm so tired I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. Also my eye has a headache. The left one.

So wha'd we get in this entry? A lot of big changes for those around me, and a relatively big change for me. (I mean, Rocky Point was my second home. I need to nest, you know? :D )

Some Qualia rambling, and the usual babbling.

Oh, and a hurricane is coming, maybe. Earl, for future reference, whether or not it hits. We might get side-swiped by it, and if so, it'll happen on Friday, my first day of ClinicII.

Ahh and ClinicII. Now I get to be a Big Shot for three months. It's funny, everyone looks up to the CII people. You wait and wait to get there, and for a short time you're a Big Fish. Then you're out of school and you start all over again, a n00b, fresh meat, totally no real-world experience.

Cycles and all of that. Yeah, that's what I'm getting at, after all.