Forest went to taekwondo, and came home with happy reports of everyone's testing. Will got his brown belt! I was so sorry I couldn't be there. I would like to have tested with everyone else; but I really think a night home with Kirstin was necessary. It was at least nice to hear that:
A. everyone asked where I was
B. Everyone in the beginning class jokingly told Forest how mean I was for making them do so many situps and pushups (which I had done specifically so they'd be glad to see Forest when he came back) and
C. Everyone had somehow gotten the impression I was 18 or 19 years old, and couldn't believe I had a daughter.
It's nice to be mistaken for younger than I am, particularly in a room full of people who have seen me sweating up a storm and watched me change my clothes. It's flattering.
I won't get a big head, though, I promise. It's odd that I get insulted when people notice that I'm young in context of being a mother, and flattered by it when it comes from people I work out with. Different social contexts, I guess.
I practiced my forms last night, and they are improving. I'm only confusing their middle sections, I have the beginning and ends down. The following section is for my own review. Skip it if you're not interested.
Palwe 5 (O Jang): Scissor block, dual knife down, dual knife middle, cover, mid-punch. Pivot.
dual knife down, dual knife middle, cover, mid-punch.
Turn and scissor. Reinforced in-to-out middle block right, reinforced in-to-out middle block left, ponsoo KIAP!
Middle block, double punch. Crane stance, sidekick, target elbow, dual knife middle
Middle block, double punch, Crane stance, sidekick, target elbow, dual knife middle
turn and scissor. Dual fist down, dual fist down, middle punch KIAP!
dual knife down, dual knife middle, cover, mid-punch. Pivot.
dual knife down, dual knife middle, cover, mid-punch.
Palgwe 6 (Yook Jang): Dual knife middle, front kick, ipsilateral punch
dual knife middle, front kick, ipsilateral punch.
Turn and downblock, upperblock and pseudo strike. Front kick, hopping backfist KIAP!
Dual knife down, step out wedge block, front kick, countelateral punch.
Dual knife down, step out wedge, front kick, countelateral punch.
Turn and dual knife middle, upper block and tiger strike. Front Kick, stomp backfist KIAP!, upperblock, sidekick, dual knife, pivot dual knife.
Palgwe 7 (Chil Jang): Dual fist down; front kick; dual fist middle (in to out, palms up); front kick, x-block up, sidekick, dual knife.
Turn and middle block, high punch, upperblock, sidekick, dual knife down, middle punch.
Turn and middle block, high punch, upperblock, sidekick, dual knife down, middle punch.
Turn and X-block down, x-block up, pull to high punch.
Spin to straddle stance down block. Switch to T-stance. Target crescent kick, target elbow. Bruce Lee stance. Fade into dual knife middle. Middle punch.
Well, at least I have them memorized. I can type them... well except that I don't know where the Kiap goes in Palgwe Chil Jang. Other than that I think I'm okay.
Of course Master Kim will test me on them in random order with all sorts of other chaos thrown in, but I know I can concentrate if I try, and I'll be okay.
Geez, maybe I ought to just start a seperate journal for taekwondo. Nah, it's too big a part of my life.
Today I picked up Kirstin's main birthday present during my lunchtime. It's a smallish Sony portable radio, which can also be used as an alarm clock. It has a built-in CD player and tape deck, too. I'm hoping that since it says "Sony" on it it will be okay even though I got it on a closeout rack at a record store where they don't sell radios anymore. It's the manufacturer that counts, right? Not the place I bought it. I hope. It would suck to have her unwrap it and have it not work.
I've been getting regular email from Karen in Japan. It's funny, she and I are better at staying in touch when she's far away than we are when she's right nearby. I think it's because we're both much more faithful emailers than we are phonecallers. She's having a good time, and adapting marvelously well considering she speaks no Japanese and isn't wild about seafood. It seems that the people there have been really nice to her.
I'm looking forward to read-through tonight, although I also am missing Forest. We haven't had much time together this week. We will rectify that this weekend, though, by taking Kirstin camping! Forest has taken Friday night, Saturday and Sunday off, so that we can all go together. I'm excited about it, but it might rain the whole time, which would pretty much take some of the fun out.
I'm a little concerned about getting everything done that I need to do before August 6th. Between now and then I've got two bell choir rehearsals and a wedding I'm playing in on the 5th. I also have some undetermined number of play practices, a taekwondo test, and a camping trip, and 40 hours of work. It's giving me a headache just thinking about it.
