I can move my head.

It’s been a few days since my first Chiro where I got my neck crunched back to where it belongs…. and finally the pain in my neck is subsiding.. whew!  

I went to the Chiropractor today for the first time… it’s true.. they crack your bones.

So, I went to our little club’s first Karate Camp!  It was in Fly Creek, NY and was hosted by one of our members. 

I had expected to tent out over night.. haven’t done that in.. um..  well I don’t remember the last time I slept in a tent.

Evidently, I’m not as good at it as I thought.

I arrived late.  I had to swing by my mom’s house.   She lent me a camp stove and a little coffee pot.  I didn’t really get started until late anyway because Friday night is grocery night which meant I didn’t get to bed until almost 11:30 on Friday.

So Saturday I had to pack the cooler and all my stuff etc etc etc…

Three hours later I arrive..  it’s beautiful!!!!  Great Pond and the dojo was a converted barn.

Set up my tent.  Had a little chat with Sensei and then realized that it was 1/2 hour before the second training of the day. (2:30)

So with no lunch, as much water as I could down in 10 minutes and in 85 degree heat in a sticky humid barn, we got to training. 

An hour and 1/2 later, I was beat!   But training was GREAT!  Sensei from another local club that we are affiliated with gave instruction.  I was hesitant at first because I’d never met him but it was interesting to have someone else give you tips and pointers and to train different combinations. 

He asked me to follow along with my  new Kata.  Heian Neidan.  I’d only done it once but I wanted to make a good showing for my club so I tried.. I tried HARD!

I did pretty good!

So then dinner, but I was too hot to eat… I drank a ton of water and by 8:30 I was ready to eat.   In the meantime I watched the kids in the pond having a great time with the ziplines.. and teasing each other..  tweens are a hoot (when they aren’t yours)

Went and hung out in my tent for a while and ate my dinner cold. I didn’t want to get out the stove.. at this point I needed to eat.

Big bonfire.. lots of chatting with the teenage girls..  they are very interesting.. and I was the only one who brought a flashlight for potty runs.. I was VERY popular…..

went to bed around 11:30.

And tossed…

And turned…

And tossed some more..

In order to light the pond at night, the fountain had to be on…  it’s all on one switch.. and since we were all tenting AROUND the pond, we sort of had to have the light on.

Which meant I couldn’t really hear the bullfrogs (which I did want to hear).. but I could hear the fountain… running.. and splashing..

I got up three times for potty runs…..

which was two buildings and one BIG ass hill away…

Eventually, I just went and slept in the car.. I have a futon mattress in the back for the fur kids.. there were cookie bits and dog hair but I didn’t care. 

I was up again at 4:30… oh my gawd..  we were training at 9AM and all I wanted to do was SLEEP!  I think I got all of 2 hours of sleep.. in bits and pieces..

At first light I hiked back to my tent and grabbed my clothes..  back UP the hill to the bathrooms to wash up sort of and brush my teeth..   as I walking down the hill it starts to rain..

That did it.

Stick a fork in me…  done.

I looked up a the sky and with silent fury whispered “I don’t care how hard you RAIN.. I am GOING HOME to BED!”

The rain stopped… 

I packed up all my stuff as quietly as possible (after flicking the slugs ::shudder:: off my tent) and hopped in the car…

Home, James….  omg..  I had to stop for coffee.. An hour and 1/2 later.. home.. exhausted but glad I went…

Next time…  I’m tenting AWAY from the pond… 

Tags: camp

Oh.. my … gawd…

My kyu test is tomorrow.. I’m testing for the first time.

I shouldn’t be terrified, but I kinda am.  Sensei wanted me to test three months ago, but I couldn’t be there.  Saturdays are tough for me… so instead he is making an exception and I’m testing on a Tuesday.

Wish me luck!

Tags: test

Cynthia at Luna Tail does a blog and occassionally writes on what day it is.. in her cycle I mean (if there are any boys lurking and I doubt it, be warned.. this post is going to be about Girl Bits)

I, too, suffer from some nasty PMS… the older I get, the worse it is.. but I’ve noticed that since I’ve started working out, it’s gotten better…

But I’ve never really paid attention to where I am in my cycle… I know I’m when I”m going to get my period because I’m a rip roaring bitch the week before.. and I can’t stop eating… it’s crazy.

I’ve hesitated keeping track because I don’t want to be anticipating things, but maybe if I track it, I can keep tabs on what helps… so I’ll also be adding in what I ate that day…and what exercise I got  (with the help of The Daily Plate)

I have NO idea what day I’m on.. or what to start with.. is day one the day I start my period? or the day it ends?  probably starts…  because that’s pretty clear.. ending is sometimes, well…  dragged out…

Maybe Cynthia will swing by and let me know what she uses as day one.

My first Kyu test is on June 21st…

sweating … bullets….

I got new shoes on Saturday.

I wore them to work on Monday and by Tuesday my knee was swollen.  So I muscled through it and went to the dojo.

That was dumb. 

My knee BLEW up…  and I couldn’t train last night.

Sucks sitting on the floor, watching everyone else practice.

Omg.. it was so funny!

We were praticing Front Kick to Chest and we were supposed to target the knot of the belt of the person we were practicing with. 

I did ok.. I was so careful to try and extend my foot that I was going too slow and not really snapping my leg out there.

My partner did better, but she didn’t extend her toes out so she kept missing.

Sensei demonstrated on me.  Tap .. tap.. tap.. the ball of his foot tapping my belt.  Fine, no problem..

Then he says “And then if you want to extend”.

BAM!  He kicked me!   Not hard.. but hard enough to knock me back a foot. 

I grunted like a pig and then cracked up.. 

(but I can see where he could really really hurt a person)

I’ve missed a lot of karate lately.  Which sucks. 

I had class on Tuesday but I missed it due to a lovely stomach bug that left me afraid to walk more than 5 feet from the bathroom…  you don’t want anymore details than that.

And I lied to Sensei.. I couldnt’ quite bring myself to share that piece of information (but I’ll post it here for the world to see.. imagine..)

So, Wednesday, I stretched out at home and did a little warm up.. a few punches etc etc.   I noticed (because I had time to notice) that a lot of things that were a struggle for me in January, no longer are.  I can get REALLY low on many of my stretches and I have something resembling a muscle forming on my forearms.. Shocking!

This morning I put on a pair of pants I’ve not had on since last summer. 

They are too big.

I mean WAY too big.

Like I can pull them down over my hips and back up again.

holy crap.

I feel so awesome!

I have an anti spam thingy on this blog and have upgraded to Wordpress 2.5 and yet.. there they are…

Must contemplate course of action.