summer

   Well another summer is done. This was the best time of my life. It truly was. I've wanted for years to chill at home with my kids for the summer, and lay-offs and a lack of work really helped me stay at home.  I learnt a lot this summer. Had some good times, did some cool shit.  It was great. Neato. Learnt a lot about gardening and planting and caring for my plants.  Boy, we are going to have a great tomato cop this year.  Peppers, best they have ever done. Did the peppers in pots this year, I think we will stick with that routine for a while now.  I do have to do some serious work in the garden before winter hits. I'd like to clean out one of my compost bins and spread it into the garden. Normally it's a three year turn around on compost piles, but, I might shave a year and see what happens.  It's defenitaly nice compost, just gotta do some more reaserch on using compost earlier than hopping for.
    I was challenged early in the year with my son's bmxing. I didn't know much about bikes and such, but, after some crash courses with these awesome parents at the track, I picked it up, really quick. Now, I have a good understanding about the mechanics of the bike, I'm going to rebuild this "junker" we have sitting in the sun. And hopefully next spring I can give this rebuilt bike to a child that needs one.  I'm not sure, but I might even repaint the thing! We will see, just how ambitious I get with th bike.
   Kung fu wise, well. I took august off. I'm not overly sure what happened. But the training went the way of the dodo.  I did do some forms and crap like that, but, I didn't train like I used to. That's okay. I have a few different things running through my mind. I have my end goals and in between goals, but,where I'm at in my training,  it can difficult to train by myself. Especially when forms are driving a guy into boredom. Fuck, man, yeah I can do five forms of everything a day, but man does that get old fast. Like really fast. Oh look, doing this form again, and then the mind is off doing whatever and about half way through the form I'm like, pfft whatever. I have the form. I have the basics, just working on the fine details. Weird just like everyone one else. Whatever. Some days a guy just gets bored. When I get bored, I wander away, and I don't really pay attention any more.  See for me, as an intense person, I like intense training, not just working up a sweat doing warm ups, like that stuffs very important, but, I like the intense side of things! I like to be pushed and put in situations that cause thought and growth. I really enjoy learning an application and then playing with it. How it works in different situations. Learning how things change when your opponent does this or that. Yeah, I know, there's more to a black belt then punching and kicking, but, it's a huge part of it. I don't want to learn something, that someone has thought up, and never put into application, and has no idea on if it's works or if it's just neat. If you don't know, then you don't know and that's okay, if you can admit that. I admit I don't know stuff all the time, that's how I learn and grow. Like that crane/elbow block that seems to be everyone's number one go to thing. Well, Listen man, that doesn't work very well. In fact it only works in a very few situations. It is a terrible way to block a thrust kick, a roundhouse, yeah I can't see that. A spinning back kick, kinda makes sense. But, Think about it. You are purposely taking away your grounding in order to block a pushing kick?! Sure, you can break a foot with an elbow to the top, but, you can get pushed around even easier. It's so easy to lift the knee watch you exert all the energy so you can simply break your ground and loose your balance to just push you over!! Hahaha. I enjoy the lead with a straight arm theory, too. Yeah, you are going to give me your gaurd and I'm going to stay away? Hahaha. Nope. It's called sticky hands and I'll pull you in and eat you for lunch if you give me an arm like that. Ever seen someone start a chainsaw on somebody? That's what will happen with that! No, you don't believe me? That's cool. Watch some pros do it. They will never give you their gaurd unless they are taunting you in. Not a good theory.
   This year coming up, is going to be interesting. Neither of my boys want to do Kung fu anymore. That's fine. Kids need to explore and find what works for them, no matter what any respected person says. Kids want their own thing and I support that whole heartedly. Honestly, I do not know what is best for my kids, but, I can help my kids be the best they can be. That's what is important! Being supportive of your kids no matter the consequences. But, that does leave old dad wondering, well, how am I going to get to class? Am I going to be able to make classes? I don't know. I know some would like it if I didn't go, but, that's not in the plans. I will be obtaining my black belt under the guidance of Sifu Brinker and Sifu Wiebe. That's going to happen! Mark my words.

Well. To the no-one's that's reads this crap, talk to you soon.......
Hahahahaha
Mr.D