All Things Korean

I finally got my black belt yesterday. It's still hard to believe. It's a good thing that the belt has my name embroidered on it, else I'd be tempted to give it back saying, "This can't be mine!" I should have pictures soon - I didn't bring a camera, but some of the other people did and I should be getting copies.

I was looking forward to breaking the belt in today, but I was on the phone from 3-6 a.m. because the firewalls in Korea went down for the second time this week. I CANNOT wait till they are upgraded. I am SO TIRED right now. Thank GOD I'm no longer on call.

Spam Sucks

I have enabled word verification for comments in this blog. I didn't want to do it because I hate those stupid wavy letters too, but after getting two spam comments minutes after publishing my last post I decided it was time.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but blame the stupid spammers.

Fun, Excitement and Frustration

Fun:

I went up north this weekend with VeggieSis. Thanks to traffic and bad weather (and the fact that VeggieSis drives like a 75-year-old despite being 22), it took six hours to get to MomTook's house. The hike was called off because it was pouring rain all weekend, so we went to Lake Placid instead. (Dragging CrazySis away from her house and PoopsaLot, who should be renamed GrowsaLot.) We did some shopping, and I went a little crazy at the Gap Outlet.

Excitement:

I got a call from the TKD studio on Thursday. The Black Belt ceremony is TONIGHT! Woohoo! I still can't believe I'm actually a black belt now.

Frustration:

Ummm...*LOL* Now I can't remember what I was going to put under here. It definitely includes trying to plan my damn trip to Spain to visit KornGirl. (Very difficult since we only communicate over e-mail and there's the six hour time difference.)

These Are the People in Your Neighborhood

I haven't mentioned this, but a major shout-out needs to go to Neighbors 2.0 . They've been here for slightly over a month now and it's wonderful to have normal adult human beings as neighbors. I now officially love my place (Despite a dream last night that I was the only person in the building who did).

Also, I found out from one of the maintenance guys that they will eventually be converting the building to condos like its sister building on the other side of the parking lot. I walked by a realtor's office the other day and saw that I could afford a top-floor two bedroom apartment in the other building. Hopefully this means I will be able to purchase my current place which, although a corner apartment, is one bedroom and only on the fourth floor.

It's My Party

Thanks to everyone who's wished me a happy birthday. I'm blown over by the amount of e-mails, e-cards and in one case a very strange voicemail with a certain insane acquaintance singing "Happy Birthday" in Pig Latin.

Since it's a Wednesday, I don't really have any special plans. I DID go to the dentist today because of a really sore spot on my gums which turned out to be nothing. The hygenist thinks I got a popcorn kernel stuck in my gum and it went in deep and irritated it.

I had a birthday dinner last weekend with Caitism and SalemGirl and although was supposed to go up North to go hiking with MomTook, VeggieSis and BabySis this weekend and celebrate my birthday, it's been pushed off to the weekend of the ninth, but I shall still be celebrating with the family (for the first time in at least ten years) then.

Random Thought

I was flipping through the channels, stopped on Sci-Fi for one of their wonderfully cheesy movies and realized:

Corbin Bernsen is the poor man's Sam Neil.

Sorry you couldn't afford the real thing, Sci-Fi.

The Physical Toll of TKD

Warning: this is not for the easily squeamish.



Well, I've known for a while that practicing Tae Kwon Do so much had caused pretty thick calluses to develop on my feet to the point where I could probably walk over hot coals without feeling it.

I bought a callus/corn remover the other day to take care of at least some of it. Well, I just used it for the first time and took off (and I wish I were exaggerating) a total of a ping-pong ball sized clump of dead skin. The scariest part? I still have plenty of callus left.

Shut Up, Romney!

Shut.

Up.

Romney.

Attempting to block access to the day after pill, suggesting WIRETAPPING MOSQUES and indirectly INSULTING THE GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA AND MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS as WEAK LEADERS. And that's just in the past 24 hours, people.

To all Massholes: I apologize for voting for this fucktard. I have no idea what the hell I was thinking.

To all Americans: This asshole is a strong GOP candidate for the next Presidential election. Keep your eye on him.

*Yaaaaaaawn*

Well, yesterday was pretty Monday-ish.

It started with tripping over one of my cats' scratching posts. My little toe caught on the base and was ripped in the wrong direction. It was bad enough that I still have it taped, but I can move it (albeit painfully) and it's not turning colors, so it's just a really bad sprain.

I was having my business line installed so I spent the whole morning frantically picking up my apartment so it was at least decent for the telephone guy. The window was from 8-12, which, four hours? Shut UP, Verizon! 12:00 and still no one had showed up, so I called Verizon, which has one of those INFURIATING voice-response menus. If you're going to force me to deal with a computer, at least don't make me TALK TO IT.

Anyway, the telephone guy claimed he couldn't get in touch with me, which, it was an additional line so HOW BOUT CALLING MY EXISTING LINE, CHIEF? Even the customer service woman, was all, "I don't know what his problem was." Luckily, they got out a guy who knew what he was doing by 1:30 and in a jiffy he had the wiring done. Additionally, he split the jack so that it has two jacks, one for each line.

I headed to Best Buy before going to TKD to pick up a business phone and a keyboard, but only had a little luck. It seems that both Best Buy and Staples only carry wireless keyboards now, which - NOT. I simply wanted a USB keyboard with a USB port in it for my mouse. I will have to search online for it. I did at least get a phone. It will be awesome - mute button and speakerphone - no more holding the phone to my head during those long meetings. It also takes two lines, so with the split jack I now can answer both lines from the same phone. SWEET! I just need to buy longer phone cords so that the phone can actually sit on my new desk. (More on that in a separate entry.)

So after that, I get to TKD and have absolutely NO energy. UsedCarSalesMan and several black belts told me I did well at the test and I didn't get pulled aside for any criticism, which is a good sign. (Either that or they're giving me a break before tearing into me. *G*) It was wierd - I hadn't realized how much the test had taken out of me until I tried to work out. I survived Advanced class, although it wasn't my finest performance by far.

So that was Monday. At least now my apartment is clean for the first time since Momtook and I redid the bedroom.

My Mother the Designer

In my neverending attempts at catching up in this blog...

MomTook came down over Labor Day weekend to help me redesign my bedroom. She arrived late Friday night with all her supplies. We woke up early Saturday morning raring to go. First we needed fuel though, so we tried out the diner down the street. I have to give it my wholehearted stamp of approval.

We did the first coat of paint and then went down to the fabric district in Boston. A whole bunch of walking around later, we had AMAZING duvet cover fabric, fabric for two throw pillows and new knobs for the nightstand.

We ordered Chinese food and painted the second wall coat and all the furniture. We stopped at eleven and were up again at 6:30 Sunday morning.

MomTook did all the sewing while I put final coats on all the furniture and assembled the chair I bought for the reading nook.

And now, what all the sweat and tears brought:

Before:



And after:




Does my mother rock or what?

Time Keeps on Slippin'

Wow...I can't believe I haven't updated since 9/1. My bad. Of course, last I checked Laura hadn't updated since early AUGUST, so at least I'm not the WORST. ;-)

Yesterday was my black belt test. I got up at 7:30, thinking I had to wash my good uniform. Turns out my good uniform was actually the ONLY clean one (I have four) and had simply fallen into the very back of my closet from when MomTook came down last weekend and we redecorated the bedroom. Anyway, I had three loads of laundry done by 9 in the morning.

I left for the dojang at ten, wanting to get there an hour before the test. There were a LOT of people testing (32) and the air was electric with tension. Although a lot of people were already there when I arrived, I'm very glad I didn't get there any earlier. I was a bit "overstretched" by the time the test started as it was.

There is a tradition of the black belt test being held behind curtains and kept secret, so I won't go into details about the actual test, but I was very glad when it was finally over with. I think I did fairly well. The few little mistakes I made were due to nerves rather than forgetting or not knowing anything. The test actually wasn't that long. I was so relieved and full of adrenaline at the end that my hands were literally shaking.

We all went for a celebratory dinner at Chef Changs after. (We always go there since the owner attends TKD and gives us a big discount.) Pretty much everyone had a nice 22 oz Sapporo to take the edge off.

In a way, the whole thing was very anticlimatic because what happens next is that those who need to improve things will be pulled aside and told so and after they have fixed whatever they need to the black belt ceremony will be held for everyone. One of the blackbelts said it usually takes about a month or so, so it looks like I WON'T get it for my birthday. Ah well.

So it looks like the bid for black belt continues. I really hope I don't get pulled aside, mainly because I like to think I did well. Plus, I have many aches and pains from training so hard and my body is screaming for some time off.

O Frabjuous Day!

...I know, not an original title, but it's how I feel.

1.) It's September 1st, the official kickoff to my favorite time of year, Autumn. (Yes, I know it's not actually the Autumnal Equinox, but still...SEPTEMBER.)

2.) The Evil Neighbors are moving out as we speak. I bumped into one of the guys yesterday and he mentioned he's moving to Dorchester. How...appropriate for a pot-smoking partier. There's an adult lady helping out (the other dozen or so people are in their early twenties), making me wonder if she's a parent and if so, if she knows how much her kid(s) party.)

3.) I actually got a good (if not filled with REALLY bizarre dreams) night's sleep after having awful insomnia the night before.

Now if the normally quiet upstairs neighbor(s) can NOT spend the entire evening talking and yelling loudly on their balcony like they did last night, life will be VERY good. (From 4:30-10 or so, folks, but at least it booted my ass out to Tae Kwon Do when I was thinking about not going.)

(Of course it doesn't matter if they do tonight since I am having a good-bye dinner with Korngirl, who is being a BITCH and LEAVING ME for a semester abroad in SPAIN. *sniff* At least I'll get to visit her. Hooray for Madrid!)

Ovaries for Sale!

Seriously.

I HATE PMS. I'm tired, bloated, craving all kinds of food and my boobs hurt.

*places lock on refrigerator and puts on her sweatpants*

I Love E-Bay

Thanks to PCJM's blog entry about childhook lunchboxes on e-Bay, I managed to find mine. At least, I'm pretty sure this is the one I had. (Hey, I was five and it was 23 years ago. Gimme a break.

If MomTook had the link to this blog she could either confirm or correct me. Because woman? Has a memory like an elephant.

And hey - this was decades before Jessica Simpson tainted this fine show, so don't judge.

(Edited to correct the link. Thanks, Dr. House.)

My Life Rocks Sometimes

Once in a very great while, something totally cool happens.

I had just finished a rather poor round of Ultimate Fighting with KoreanSweetie (who always kicks my ass) at Tae Kwon Do and was watching the guys spar when the Stones started practicing in Fenway Park for their Sunday concert. There is NOTHING like watching some fighting while Mick and the guys sing "Start Me Up" live.

This was followed by actually catching the Braintree train just as it arrived. (As opposed to the twenty minutes I usually end up waiting.)

For one brief hour, my life rocked.

More Like Celtic ASSHOLE

Celtic Tiger? Celtic Tiger?

Shut UP, Michael Flatley.

Although..."Lard of the Dance?" Hee!

My Hard Work Has Paid Off...

As you know, I've been working my ass off and going crazy because I was told a couple months ago that I was a "maybe" for testing in September. (As opposed to waiting for the next test, which wouldn't be until December.)

After three hours of Tae Kwon Do last night, UsedCarSalesman pulled me aside and asked, "Has anyone spoken to you about the Black Belt Test?" I took a deep breath and said, "About whether I'm testing or not? No."

He then proceeds to kill me by saying, "Actually, let me double-check" and conferring with Grasshopper, Grandmaster's right-hand man. It was probably only twenty seconds, if that, while they conferred, but it felt like an ETERNITY.

Finally UsedCarSalesman turns back to me and says, "You must have been doing something right, because you're testing in September." I wanted to retort, "It's called killing myself busting my ass in here every damn night" but wisely restrained myself.

I told KoreanSweetie and PerfectJumper after I found out. Unfortunately TeenageAdult was right behind me when I told PerfectJumper (which I didn't realize). I felt really bad because she's also been working towards testing in September but hasn't heard anything.

So it looks like I'll be spending more time in the dojang than ever.

Weekend Update

Boy did the weekend fly by. I usually have absolutely nothing to do during the weekends. (I know...a hot chick like me home on a Saturday night...amazing!) This weekend, however, was relatively busy for me.

Friday night was spent at TKD, as usual. I was there until I was kicked out at closing. Forms went well - my fellow red belts said that my Choo Mu and Hwa Rang forms had really improved from last week. Full-Range Sparring was okay. I really have to learn how to get in close enough to taller opponents so I can wreak havoc.

Saturday I went to the pharmacy, then got a call from StarWarsGeek confirming that he was coming over to check out the new digs after I got back from TKD. I started frantically picking up and went to TKD for a vast majority of the afternoon. It was a Black Belt Test Review, where I was once again reprimanded about my lack of power. We were also told to talk to UsedCarSalesman at the front desk, who would either recommend us for testing in September or not. The Grandmaster would then review the list of recommendations and then decide who would test. (This is for those of us who are "maybes," not definite "yeses" like PerfectJumper.)

When I got home, I finished cleaning up the apartment and finally hung my framed "Starry Night" print in the dining area, where it looks Most Fantastic. I met StarWarsGeek at the T stop and we walked over to AppleBee's for dinner. I then showed him my new apartment, which he was impressed with. We hung out until about eleven, when he had to leave to catch the bus.

Sunday I met up with my old college roommates Caitism and SalemGirl. We had lunch in Fanueil Hall, braving the tourists. After that, we headed to Chinatown for the Chinatown Street Festival, which was pretty cool. Caitism commented that it looked like every Asian in Boston had come. (For reference, Caitism is Chinese.) We then did some bargain shopping in Macy's and Filenes, where I got a gorgeous shirt for $8.50.

I finally got home around 6:30, and before I knew it, it was Monday again.

On a final note, rest in peace, Peter Jennings. You will be missed.

Post to Laura

All right, Dugan. You say, and I quote, "The Yankees are way better than the Sox."

For the Jury:

Exhibit One:

Red Sox: 62-45
Yankees: 57-49

Exhibit Two (For the shallow crowd):

Red Sox:

Yankees:

I believe I have made my case.

Misc Friday Crap

1.) It is HOT outside. Not "average temperature but 145% humidity" hot like it was before, but a dry, "Well, now I've been self-cleaned" heat. I'm very happy it's going to be 70's and dry tomorrow.

2.) The nosering situation has been fixed. I went back to my regular piercer, confessed infidelity and he put in a ring. Much more noticable, but much better for healing. I also talked to the tattoo artist there about me Dali shoulder tat. I'll bring the book with the picture so he can draw it up when I go to buy a new stud in a month or so. It's funny - I originally thought that no one cared that I had the nose piercing. Now I'm finding out they just didn't notice the little stud.

3.) I am SORE, y'all. Aside from the usual TKD training, I started weightlifting again to build up my power. I used to bench 70 pounds but now am using little 15 pound dumbells. It's amazing how quickly you lose muscle strength. No wonder I haven't had any power in my techniques!

Well, have a good weekend everyone!