The new dog park is great!

Puppy time! (@ radford dog park) http://4sq.com/Spog7o

Every fight needs a referee!

Tropical Storm KIRK

Those crazy weather guys!
Tropical Storm KIRK:

KIRK IS NOT EXPECTED TO LIVE LONG AND PROSPER. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGES AND A 1214 UTC ASCAT PASS INDICATE THAT THE SYSTEM STILL HAS A CLOSED CIRCULATION BUT IT IS BECOMING ELONGATED. MAXIMUM RELIABLE WINDS IN THE ASCAT PASS WERE AROUND 45 KT SO THE INITIAL WIND SPEED IS HELD AT THAT VALUE. KIRK WILL LIKELY BECOME POST-TROPICAL LATER TODAY OR DISSIPATE JUST BEFORE IT MERGES WITH A FRONT THAT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED ABOUT 200 N MI TO ITS WEST.

Lunch time!

The little guys are growing like weeds.
Very cute weeds!

One week

One week tomorrow since our power went out. The dogs are miserable, we're miserable, & the weather continues to be hot & humid! Aargh!

Finally, snow

A great evening for wearing out puppies in the snow covered fields!

Snack Time

Is it karma that my favorite item in the vending machine is number 69?

Dogs Against Romney

Rudy Rides inside!

Visit Dogs Against Romney.

All Cooped Up!

Keeping an eye on temperatures today, hoping to get the boys out for a much needed run!

The Perils of Age

The oldest of our cats, and by far the greatest hunter of them all, has gone deaf!

Mushin, 16 years old and going strong.

We only noticed this last week, and I'm not sure how long ago it happened, but in retrospect she has been staying a little closer to us around the house.

Her nose still is spot on, though, and she comes pretty quickly when there is a fresh meal on the table!

Of course, since she can't hear her own meow, it has gotten a good bit louder, and definitely gets our attention.

She came to live with us at about 2 months old and has one of the best stories of any of our cats, past or present.
At the time, my future wife and I had just moved in together with 4 cats -- 2 that came with me, and 2 that came with her.

This little calico rode in the under-carriage of our neighbor's car almost 5 miles from the university campus, through traffic & then out a windy country road! Our neighbor had seen her in the parking lot, but thought she had scampered off. It was quite the surprise to see her pop out from under the car on the arrival home!

For a few days, she hid under the duplex we were in, and we left food out for her. She definitely had not been around people, and was very skittish.

Luckily, however, she was quite fond of our oldest cat, Solomon, an orange and white male whose story will be forthcoming. She followed him around for a week or so, letting him take care of her outside, and eating food with him nearby.

When I came home one day and saw her asleep in the grass beside the deck, I took the risk of sneaking up on her... I managed to get her by the scruff of the neck to bring her inside, setting her up in her own space with all the kitten essentials. And to this day she hates to be picked up.. I can't imagine why! =)

Over the years, she has brought home rabbits, mice, bats, and even flying squirrels. Even after having her canines removed some years ago because of damage, she still was able to hunt pretty well, and often brought home extras for any foster kittens we had at the time!

For quite a while, she would bring a mouse in, and if I caught it, I'd put in the bath tub for her to eat at her leisure without fear of it escaping. It was quite a bit like the Roman Coliseum, and it didn't take long for her to take them there herself, after announcing her catch so that we knew how skilled she was.

Now that she's deaf, she can't hear BlackJack growl at her when she rubs up against him, so she just gets closer and licks his ears. And he has no idea what to do about it!

With winter is coming on, she climbs into bed with us each night and lays on or between us, enjoying the attention, and bathing whichever cat happens to also be there.

It has bee a joy having her in our lives, and I suspect her wild diet over the years has left her healthy enough to keep on going!

Her name, Mushin, is a Japanese word, often translated as "no mind", a state of tranquility where action flows naturally without thought. Anyone who ever watched her hunt knows that is definitely her name.

Really, dude?

Received a pic from a former associate's Halloween party.. Could have lost my job over that image.

And even if that really was him, I'm not at all familiar with that part of his anatomy...!

Hmm

So, if I left my current occupation, what would I want to do?

So very true!

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn’t merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."” – Edward Hoagland

What's on the Menu

Last week, ikkyo & kokyu waza; previously, kihon irimi nage...

What's on this week?

Class is in 2 hours, & I haven't quite decided yet.

Perhaps shomen uchi irimi nage; a little te waza?

With a number of new students, I never can make up my mind about doing a series of techniques off of one attack, or one technique off of a variety of attacks.
There are merits to both, just depends on how people are picking up on things.

If I'm thinking along the line of pillars, perhaps kaiten is next.

A Christian Plot for Domination?

Yeah, these people just scare the crap out of me...

What Next?

?

See Above

With my sandan test approaching, I realized that I had to get a little more serious about my conditioning & my weight.

I set up an account at myfitnesspal a few weeks ago, & it does seem to be paying off.

I'm trying to do about a pound a week, & work out every day, in addition to time on the mat preparing for testing with Tanaka Sensei.
I like the set up @ myfitnesspal, & enjoy the largeness of their food database.

So, keep an eye on that ticker!

Captcha of the Day

Puked Hope

You know...

I'm all for respecting other people's religious views, but WTF, BBQ?!
Iraqi man accused of running down daughter found in Atlanta.

(CNN) -- Authorities said Friday that an Iraqi man, accused of running down his daughter in Arizona because she had become "too Westernized," has been taken into custody in Atlanta, Georgia.

Should I Stay or Should I Go Now??

It's bad enough that I bombed the exam we had last week, & am currently failing the class with a 38 (WTF?!), now I have to decide if it's actually feasible for me to be able to pass at all.

Looking at the points on the syllabus, & the amount of the project just assigned (100 points) due at the end of the semester, can I accumulate enough points to hold a D average?
I would need a minimum of 79% on everything from here on out... .

Is that doable? I'm really not sure.

---

And now in the midst of the next crux homework assignment — due in 2 hours — I find myself thinking of all that I could do with the time I'd have if I just stopped spending the time in class, & the hours of frustration outside of class trying to scrape by.

Sure, I'll have to take the class again, next spring, or next year, but will I feel more in control of it then?
Who knows!