One down!!

One demo down and 2 to go. I almost made it to complete all 3 demos today. We did one demo at the Stony plain Canada day celebration, and they had requested that we do 2 more. As it turned out most of the people left after the demo and so there was no one to watch us, so we left too. I was still so happy to get one done. As usual I was a wreck before the demo. My legs were so shaky they started to feel like rubber. My hands weren't much better. As I practiced on the side, I made lots of small errors. This did not help. Then I did it a couple of times perfect, so left it at that. The whole time just prior to the going on to perform, I talked to myself the whole time, "don't be nervous, just relax". "Just focus, focus, focus". Then when it came time to go on and perform, I did just that. I focused on what I was doing, not on where I was. I talked to myself in my head the whole time I performed. I tried to do my best and throw my dart real fast. I did it. I made it through without any mistakes. Then right after, I felt great and relaxed. I couldn't believe it. I wondered why I couldn't just relax and feel like this while doing the demo- just act like it's no big deal. Funny how that is. When I do a demo, it completely stresses me out, and I have to really push myself to stay focused and not worry about the people watching. I have to also add that everyone did a great job today. So there it is, one demo down and 2 more to go. It feels great to have one under my belt. Just like the lion dance. I participated in the class at boot camp which taught me how to do a lion dance. I had attended the classes a few years ago, but it all seemed so confusing. This time it made so much more sense. I am sure that seeing the lion dance done so many times helped too. I know the routine. I did however, find it real hard on my back being in the lion costume. I have also been working hard on memorizing 'Mastery'. So far I have the first 2 paragraphs down. I feel pretty good about my requirements and where I am with them, No, I should say, I feel REAL good about it. I do need to pick up on recording my acts of kindness. I make sure to do at least 3 every day, but I am a bit lacking in recording them. As an added note, I would like to say farewell to one of our members, and one of my dearest friends. Sifu Shipalesky will be missed, but I hope she enjoys her new lifes adventure in Florida. Sifu Shipalesky and I have a history. We started as white belts together, and graded as black belts together. We taught the beginner class for about 4 or 5 years, and those were some memorable times. I wish her and Randy and Lacie the very best!

Break a Leg

Despite my busted foot, it's been a good day already. It's my momma's birthday, I've made chili and my bird and my cat are finally getting along. It's gonna be a bright, bright sun shiny day!

Good luck and break a leg to everyone in the demo. I wish I was there.

Still on the road

The Alberta Prairies are beginning to rub off on me.  I rolled over the top of the hill and looked over the gorge of layered rock known as Drumheller.  Yup, still here in the land of the Dinosaurs and am really liking the region.  I am really feeling the distance from the Kwoon however.  Kind of like getting unplugged, or cut off from the Kung Fu mothership.

I have been trying to keep up with what I can control, including my pushups and situps and repetitions.  I am glad I have chosen the nunchuks to learn as it is doable in the hotel room, although a little cramped.  Swinging a spear or sword around the place would just get costly.  I have cut back on training somewhat, as it comes down to what is more important, food and sleep for health, or running and Kung Fu practice.  Keeping up with work, the associated paperwork, equipment cleaning and maintenance and training, and eating properly without a means to prepare your own food, is always challenging.

I did get home for a day or two and got a class in.  I also took the chance to take my son fishing.  Two things  that did me well.  In any case, I hope to get back to the Kwoon sometime.  Until then....

Vince.

I'm Still Here!

It feels like I've vanished off the face of the earth... speaking from a blogging standpoint anyways.  We successfully moved out of our house at the beginnning of last week, and I havent had any access to internet until now. 

I don't have anything super exciting to blog about.  I've spent a lot of time with my family these past few weeks, we've had a wedding, and a graduation all within 4 days of eachother; plus getting settled into the new house, we've been pretty busy.

I've started to get back on track with my training, trying to squeeze it in every second that I get (in between dinner and the speeches at the wedding, in the back of the auditorium when grads were getting their diplomas are a few examples) and I'm starting to realize how close we are to the end of this year's I Ho Chaun.  There's a lot of stuff that I still need to get done, so it's turning into 'crunch time.'  And I'm loving every minute of it.

Loving the Sun

The weather has been pretty spiffy the past little bit and i've been trying to take advantage of it as best as i can. Fixed my bike again and was out racing along the bike paths to work and just now came back from a nice little rip on my longboard. I'm trying to really limit my amount of time spent indoors. My goal for this summer (one of them) is to spend more time outdoors and active with people who are also wanting to be outdoors and active. It's a solid choice and a fun time so far.

Sihing Jon Robinson

Umpteen Monkeys Typing

14 of 52 Boot camp

Sore, tired and rejuvinated that would describe me after attending the bootcamp on the weekend. The different classes were awesome, really enjoyed the day until about 5 o'clock at which point my cup runneth over and I reached saturation point. Supper was a nice rest and then Sifu Harrigan finished up with the Military Combatives which if you really want to know about well then maybe you should have been at bootcamp. Sifu Lindstrom you were totally correct about the muscles that would be sore so I guess I was executing the moves corrrectly because I'm hurting in all the places you said I would. Personally I have been really busy recently and I have been going thru my kung fu somewhat by rote ... doing it but not with the attention that it deserves, the boot camp brought back my spark so thanks to everyone for their part.

Oh no.......diet tracking!

Well, July is almost here, and time to start tracking!  As the month of July was mentioned for this, I just gulped, worried that now it’s going to be right out there as to where my weaknesses are (hmmmm chocolate).  I think I am probably going to discover just why I am one on the team, who is not down a pant size!

As for our families diet, it’s pretty good.  We’ve got the lets hurry meals because we have to have someone somewhere, but overall, we eat pretty healthy.  We are very conscious of what we eat and are into the label reading.  Unlike some people who need little to survive, our entire family is one who definitely needs food.  We would never last on Survivor, and would be first voted off because of extreme grouchiness! 

Although I am a little nervous as to what I will discover, I think it will be good for me.  Logging, for me, has turned out to be a great tool.  It has shown me just how much or how little I’m doing.  It’s right there on paper.  I have realized as I add up my numbers, 50,000 of this or 1000 of that, are not unachievable.  It has actually given me a little push thinking “I bet I can beat that number.”  Of course this is on some of my requirements, not all.

So for this diet tracking, all I can say is please don’t judge.  As we are on holidays, I will probably, ok for sure, eat a good old hot dog or two and a few nibs.  As the saying goes in our house when we indulge on that piece of pie or chocolate, “how many push ups is that worth?”

Alana Regier 

Beware of side effects

It's that time again.....golf season. I enjoy the sport and I try to get out for a few rounds a year. Every year I have the goal of getting better and ever year I don't get out enough to make difference . This year looks no different, I have played one 18 and one 9 hole round and have another 3 tournaments booked for the year. Hopefully, I can get one or two more rounds in but just not enough playing to get better. With the two rounds under my belt, I noticed a few things, I'm hitting the ball longer and staighter. How can this be? I know it's not the clubs or the numerous times I have already played. It's my Kung fu training! With my increase in flexibility and strength, I have inadvertently improved my golf game. Bonus! This was something I have been wanting to do for a while and now I'm starting to make progress through my commitment to another activity I really enjoy, Kung fu. Wonder what other things in my life has improved with my training. So beware of the side effects of your training, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Mastery: Paragraph 2

There is one particular line in "Mastery" that was loud and clear, front and center for me the past few days and it helped me make a decision as to the direction for me to go. I had heard rumblings a few days ago about why I wasn't asked to go back to teach (as in lead instructor) 3 of the courses I used to teach. When I heard the rumblings, I started to think of whether I wanted to go back to teaching or not. Then yesterday I got the "official" phone call asking me if I would come back and teach the 3 courses. At first glance, the tenure would be for a year and the cash is decent. Or is it?

When I peeled off the surface, I really looked at whether I wanted to take the teaching on or not. I made a list of pros and cons and all throughout I had "surround yourself by  people who expect more from you" and "remove everything in your environment that represents mediocrity" ringing in my brain. Now for some teaching at the college level is a dream come true. When I got "still" and "focused in" I fully realized that going back didn't make my heart sing, in fact my heart went "thud" at the thought. There was my answer.

What makes my heart sing is bringing healing to the world through fully expressing myself through  my glass, and more importantly, through telling the story of my journey of healing, self-discovery, and having the courage to follow my heart for when I do, I give permission for others to do the same. One thing is for certain is that the path that I have chosen, the one that isn't paved, will be far from boring. 



Sherri Donohue
http://www.sherridlampworkglass.blogspot.ca/

Boot Camp/Healthy meal 6

boot camp was a great sucess and a great day. I was so sore the next day and I was happy to be that sore. To me it told me that i accomplished something that day. Also, at boot camp i found out that i am not effected by a certain pressure point and make me a freak as sifu said it lol. SO now after a hard day i give you a healthy meal.

Olive oil      1 tbsp
Chicken       5 to 10 oz
onion           1 1/2 cup
Green pepper  1 cup
Garlic clove minced     1
finely grated ginger root   1 tsp
Chilli powder             1/2 tsp
Ground cumin            1/2 tsp
tomatoes                  1 or 2  

you do not have to follow my spices that i give, I know i normally do not give spices out mainly because i never use the same amount of spice twice; it is always just an estimate. But if you want to use these measurement they should be fine.

Sihing Langner

http://randylangner789.blogspot.ca/

A long week

This week was a different week from the usual. I spent the entire week as a student taking a technical course at the U of A. It posed a few challenges since I haven’t had to battle the drive into the city for many a year and really never missed that. More importantly I had to adapt my time to train over the course of the week. Initially the course was a little earlier in the morning, but through the consensus of the class, the group decided to bump it back an hour. Now again I’m not a morning person (still don’t know why I teach so early) but it was a blessing for me. This allowed me to get in an hour of training before class which helped kick start the day for me. The other oddity was meals for the day. I could buy lunch for each day and it would be covered by my work, yet I decided like I always do to bring my own lunch. I was the only one in the course that did this and spent each lunch break eating and then walking around the campus. My instructor thought I was quite odd (he was from the east) bringing my own lunch since I could buy whatever I wish, but again those places never appealed to me. Anyways, after he joked about where my carrot sticks were and I told him in my backpack he stopped the shaking of his head. Choices, we all make them and watching the group around me, a few were making the wrong ones. A few of my classmates were heavily overweight drinking big gulps of pop and just asking to become a diabetic. Yup long week on the brain, but at least it was fuelled by some fruit and veggies to carry me through. Sifu Bryant

I am stiff and sore today but it feels great! I love this feeling after a great work out, or several hours of working out, as is the case today. I was so glad that I took part in this years boot camp! It was fun to be with students from all different levels throughout the school. I met students I have never met before, and interacted with those I haven't seen in quite a while. The seminars were all very well done and I appreciated being able to take part and work my butt off, literally, it's my butt that hurts the most. Hats off to everyone that participated in teaching the seminars and especially to those that took part in the seminars. I was very proud of all participants as it takes so much endurance, drive and will, to do a full day of kung fu such as they do at boot camp. They are all great people!

Sore but oh soooo happy

Yesterday was boot camp. What an amazing day. I struggled like crazy during the fitness portions but I just decided this year that no matter what I would keep moving and not let my mind defeat me. I didn't have any set goals for the day except for one and I'll talk about that after. I went into this year( my second) with a much better understanding of what a great opportunity boot camp is. To be able to challenge yourself mentally and physically like that is so awesome to me. I feel like I have been reconditioned and overhauled and come out a better person for my experience. I am very sore today but not achey. It is a good sore that is feedback telling me I worked hard and pushed myself. I got to know alot of my fellow students better and made new friends with students from other classes that I don't see very often. But the best part was being around such amazing people. All through the day you was great being cheered, encouraged and motivated by everyone there. I went into the fitness test with only 1 general goal and 1 specific goal. My general goal was to push myself and do more reps or have better times in all the catagories. I have my sheet from last year and I wrote down this year beside last years numbers. I am happy to report I tied or beat all my numbers from last year. The one specific goal I had was to do the run in 13 minutes. My best time before saturday was 13:35 which I did running with the advanced kids class on wednesday. Thanks so very much to Mrs. Rice for being there and saying over and over again " you can do it, don't stop, lets sprint at the end, go go". She was so positive that I couldn't let her down and I just keep going, even when we went through that swarm of bugs and we both got our protien for the run( not so yummy btw). My time at the end was 12:13. I was stunned and thrilled. I even had to ask Sifu Prince twice just to make sure I didn't hear her wrong lol. Today I am in the afterglow. Sore and tired but content and happy with my effort. I was exposed to great classes and I even remember some technigues. I have cool bruises on my arms from the grappling(makes me look tough, not). I'll need another long hot soak tonight especially after taking doogie for a 10 km walk this afternoon and then mowing the lawns. No pain no gain right. Actually the walk was nice and I got to review yesterdays events and work on my walking meditation some more. If I had to do 10 squat thrusts to save my life it would be a close call but I would get them done somehow then fall over and die anyways, but I wouldn't quit. I am not as young as I once was, I know I need to get more physically fit. My shoulder issue frustrates me at times but I still try and push as hard as the young pups do. I almost had to produce my id to prove that I turn 47 next month. A number of people at bootcamp were "there is no way you are that old" or "you sure don't look that old". I'll take those as compliments, because there are days I sure feel that old. But I don't ever want to act that old. I'm a kid at heart and I love how kung fu is challenging me to become a better person in all aspects of my life. It's a heck of a roller coaster ride and the brakes are a little suspect, so all I can do is lean forward, put my hand in the air and enjoy the ride.

Travelling and Tracking

The month of July is going to be a month on the move. First week I will be in British Columbia, one week back in town then off to Whitehorse, one week back and then off to Drumhellar.

Training will have to be creative but the real concern is tracking my diet. This is the month my I Ho Chuan teammates have agreed to commit to tracking our daily diets publicly.

Truth is, its never a good time for me. I attempted this on my own a few times and failed. Probably because I prefer not being aware of how much I consume.

 I have a wall of diet books, nutrition books, sports medicine articles you name it. I have researched and educated myself the best I can about nutrition all my life. Ironically, I  lack the will power to limit myself from over indulging.

But this time, this July ,I think I am going to approach it differently. Instead of logging at the end of the day, I am going to take note of what I am about to eat before I consume. I am hoping this will force me to take the time(extra 2 seconds) to decide not only what I am about to eat but why.

Should be an interesting month.  I’m already embarrassed!

Boot Camp.....

.......from the other side!
 I had a great day! I got to hang out with some of my black belt friends, attend a hard core fitness class and watch some amazing students push themselves to the limit. It doesn't get any better than that!
In other years, I have gone and participated, pushed myself through the day, dreading  and then enjoying each new seminar. Yesterday was different as I push myself in different less obvious ways now. I am not only looking to get the job done, I am concentrating on how to get there in the most efficient manner, learning as much from the experience as humanly possible. I learned that I would like to learn more about grappling, as it is totally foreign to me to try out moves with someone on top of me. You have to be aware of how you move and how that affects how they can or can not move, I think. I have been concentrating on what I feel like when I move, I think that doing more grappling will take that to a whole new level.
I enjoyed helping with the fitness test and watching the students put their all into each exercise (yes, there was some cheer leading involved). I like sharing tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your muscles or how to improve your time.
I enjoyed the end of the day, being part of that energy bubble, experiencing other people's euphoria as they realize what they have accomplished, and of course, reviewing the entire experience with my daughter on the way home.
All in all a great day! I am already looking forward to next year!!!!

The Month of June

The month of June is flying by.  For our family, and probably many more, it is an incredibly busy month with the winding down of school, the start of holidays and yard work.  A couple of Fridays ago Sifu Brinker was doing the math, showing us just how fast time is going and how little time we have left until grading day.  Yikes!   A tad of anxiousness is setting in.  To add to my list, I have 6 weeks till race day.  What have I done?

Focusing on exams right now is a priority in our home.  Our oldest is in grade 9 and writing finals.  These marks are going to help determine what classes he gets next year in high school. That said, I haven’t been making it to all the evening classes I would like to lately, fortunately the morning classes are working well.  As for the running, I’m not exactly where I was hoping to be at this time thanks to hip and knee issues, but it is coming.   Right now with all the poplar fluff flying around I sound like Darth Vader running through the bush.  

We have well deserved and much needed holidays coming up as soon as the kids are out of school for a couple of weeks.  So what does this mean for training?  Well, on our holidays kung fu books always come with us (just need to open them more).  The shields are going to have to be packed, the foam mats and the good old running shoes.  A person can run anywhere, so that’s easy.  Although I need to keep going with my training, I also am discovering the benefit of rest and relaxation, both physically and mentally. Without taking that time to wind down and spend with the people I love and doing the things I enjoy, I will be one stressed out, grumpy basket case (my poor family). 

Alana Regier

The results are in

MRI results are in and I have torn the meniscus in my right knee. A long narrow tear that the doctor said has the potential of healing itself. He put me on the supplement chondroiton which has something to do with preventing cartilage deterioration.

Today is also feels a bit weird since it will probably be my last classes at Silent River before I take off for the coast. I've already talked to Sifu Edge about training with her when I move.

Anyways time to start the day I still have a lot of things that still need to be done.

Craig Janzen
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Fathers Day - Airwolf Style

Two - Four - Foxtrot - Tango - Niner, requesting clearance for takeoff - over.

This is flight control, you are cleared for takeoff - over.

I roll on to the collective and feel the ground affect.  The rotor wash is blowing papers all over the place. 

THIS IS NOT A TOY –pppppfffft! How can something this much fun not be a toy?

The skids get light and she begins to hover.  Now I am getting a bird’s eye view of the house.  It seems so tiny at this altitude as I am now easily THOUSANDS of millimeters off the ground.

I was seventeen when I flew the first time in an A-Star helicopter to a remote location in the mountains.  I have never forgotten the experience, and have flown in many helicopters since as a requirement of my job. 

I pilot this baby into a fairly uneasy hover, kinda wobbly at best as the winds are high today, mostly as the result of the open window...or maybe the air conditioning.  My flight suit is a little warm for a day like today, but it looks cool with my shades.  I get strange looks, but they are just jealous because they have never felt G-Force in the range of 0.2.

The best flight was west of Nordegg where we hovered over Klein Glacier and dropped the nose into a dive off the mountain cliff, my guts flew to my throat and I was hooked.

Alright, it is time to see what this baby can do.  I have at least three minutes of fuel with Veteran status of nearly 30 minutes of flying experience.  I roll onto the collective and pitch the aircraft to gain some airspeed and lift.  My Kung Fu reflexes are poised; I pull back on the stick and get ready to throw this aircraft into a hammerhead.

Every time I fly it makes me giddy.  There is nothing like it. Should a person chase a passion at all costs?

Something is dreadfully wrong.  The helicopter is rolling, and I panic, overcompensate on the yaw, the aircraft is out of control.  Mayday! Mayday! Flight control we are headed for a collision.....with the lamp.....or maybe the TV......Nope straight into the pilot.  I throw up my arm in a Kung Fu palm sweeping block just the moment before impact.  The rotor slices my finger tip in two and the spinning blades make a scene as gory as a Friday the Thirteenth horror film. My life flashes before my eyes and one thing is evident; the box was right THIS IS NOT A TOY.

I need band aids.  Lots of them.  And gauze. And maybe a doctor.

After showing her my fourteen band aid index finger, I wonder if my wife regrets buying me a remote control helicopter for father’s day?  What a strange, but extremely thoughtful gift.  I get a real kick out of this thing, probably because I am such a kid at heart, but also because of the brain power and dexterity it requires to fly.  This takes some Kung Fu like focus. Just goes to show you challenges can come in the smallest and deadliest of packages.

Two - Four - Foxtrot - Tango – Niner over and out.

Captain Vince “Splitfinger” Krebs.

Ganza

I'm taking this week off from work for the annual Improvaganza put on by Rapid Fire Theater. Improvaganza is a improv comedy festival where teams are brought in from all over the world to compete against each other in "whose line is it anyway" style battles. Its always a good time and a bit of a tradition for my friends and I. One of my friends living in grand prairie decided to take the week off to hit up the shows and visit. I figured it would be a good a time as any to take some vacation days.

So my June mini vacation will be spent around Edmonton. The plan is to catch up on some chores, do some biking, play some squash and go to at least a show a day. I've got tickets every night through to Saturday so I'll be absent from classes this week including missing the I Ho Chuan (nuts). I'm writing this between cleaning sessions. Just finished my bathroom, next up is the kitchen!

I Have Such a Long Way to Go, And I'm Thankful For It

Last night Sifu Beckett and I were talking about our Friday class, and I believe I had an epiphany. The two of us ran through Mlong Kuen, and I was trying to pay attention to where in my body I was generating the power and flow, and some things felt great whereas some things felt mechanical and lacked draw from the earth. And I realized the things I felt good with are the moves I had been struggling the most with over the last couple years. There were several places in the form where I had never felt comfortable, and I was constantly looking for feedback on them, asking repetitive questions and fighting with the flow. As always, eventually an answer would ring true with me, or perhaps I'd finally understand the answers I was getting and translating them into movement. On the other hand, the areas of the form where I had always felt comfortable with I was no longer content with.

This reiterated to me the importance of striving for mastery. You will always improve, as long as you are pushing forward. And remember, forward is fluid, circular. So yes, you may feel as though you're moving backward, but it is all essential in reaching for mastery. "Correction is essential to power and mastery". Stewart Emery nailed this. If you are comfortable with something, don't just settle there. In my mind, comfort is just another word for mediocre.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

Father's Day

Hello yesterday was a fun day, me and my father went on his bike again and rode for 200 km, I did not get to drive it, but it was still fun. when we got back hope i mowed the lawn  and helped my dad put together a smoker that my mom got for free from her work. Then later in the day i took my parent out to this restaurant that had excellent food. I had to save some up some money for this but it was worth it. It feels good going out every now and then and treating your self and others to a nice meal. Me and my father ended the night by watching some of the shows that he likes to watch. So happy a little late father's day out there.

Sihing Langner

http://randylangner789.blogspot.ca/

Benefits of change and pratice

This month the main focus on my training and requirements have been on forms, kicks, and of course the meat and potatoes of our training, push ups and sit ups. I slowed down abit on the push ups and sittups last month not due to laziness but rather I was getting bored with them. If things get boring you have to source motivation on something else to remain mindful but to also stay engaged on what you are doing and why. To me if your doing something because you feel you have to and your hearts not in it, your wasting your time. Plus, after a break you sometimes are better and more aware of what you might have been missing before and your even better from where you left off. Thats the great thing about kung fu, there is never a shortage of new sources to challenge and improve on, that is a never ending quest. You will never know it all and never perfect every aspect, but you can sure try. It seems the more you practice the more you have to build and improve and actually figure out what the heck your doing and why you have to do things a certain way in order to evolve and get that much closer to mastery.
I recently discovered a partial concept of center. While working on my stances, particularly my bo stance and straightening my back leg and engaging my hip while performing a technique, I visualized me throwing the punch from my hips. The power came from two directions going outward from my hips, out through my arm and down my leg out my back heel. Instead of throwing a punch and feeling the power coming from my shoulder or a kick fired from my leg I started to concentrate on executing all techniques from my abdomen and using it as the source. The more I practiced the more aware I became of what is really supposed to happen. All the times I heard Sifus say punch, kick, and block from the hip, incorporate the six harmonies, etc. Speaking of the six harmonies I now understand physically what they're about because I could feel my hands/feet, elbows/knees, shoulders/hips in sync, it was just too cool and alot more powerful techniques. The rest of the Six harmonies I'm still working on. Well thats where I am, and thats what I'm doing.

Woohoo!! Brag Alert!

I admit it, I'm bragging right now.
When I started Kung Fu in June 2006, I was not the shape I'm in now and I'm talking cardio, physical and shape-shape. I could not do a plank pushup, squat thrusts (burpees) were pathetic (what's a squat thrust?) and my kicks were unheard of. But somehow, I knew this was the place for me.

Today we had the fitness test and I'm proud of me. 40 plank pushups, 40 situps, 40 roundhouse kicks per leg and 50 squat thrusts to start off the class. We finished the class with a 300 meter shuttle run that I did in 1 minute, 49 seconds, a time that I'm happy with because the shuttle run isn't one of my strengths. To top it off, I was far from needing the CPR "jump-start" kit. To add the excitement, I got my blue stripe for weapon (stick) basics. I have one stripe left (shield work) and it's testing for my brown belt, a belt that draws up a whole bag of mixed emotions from pride to disbelief to scaring my pants off.

Today I'm proud of myself not only for my performance, but also for my determination that carried me thus far. I may take a step back and approach from a different angle, but overall, I don't quit.  It's easy to focus on what's left to do but every so often it's good to take 180 degree turn to see how far I've come.
Jiggety-jig.

Sherri Donohue
http://www.sherridlampworkglass.blogspot.ca/

Coming out of a haze

I feel like I'm slowly coming out of a haze. I am getting over the insane head cold that I had, and getting more energy and motivation again. The past 2 weeks have been a bit of a struggle for me mentally more then physically. I get my numbers in, I just don't feel like I am getting quality reps in, almost like I'm static. That was until this week. My wife challenged me to help walk our dog a little more. I ran with him morning and nite saturdays and sundays. But she was walking him monday to friday each morning and most of the nites to. I felt like I didn't have more time to give but realized that was just an excuse. So on monday and wednesday nites when I take Jordan to his kung fu class at 5:30, I bring Doogie( I know doogie why doogie, but that was the name he came with). While Jordan takes his class I take doogie for a walk back around the hospital on the trail. Then when I get to the school I do laps running with him til he gets worn out. His stamina needs some work just like mine. Monday was beautiful and very warm after the walk we got 4 laps in and doog was spent and needed water so I walked one lap after to cool down and gave him water and waited for class to end. Wednesday was much cooler out, but still nice. That nite I got in 6 laps and by lap 4 where I usually start to struggle with my breathing, I just felt great. I relaxed and the next 2 laps were almost effortless. Thats the zone I used to reach when running in high school. It felt amazing. At least I know I'm slowly improving. I love having feedback, either positive or negative. I learn so much from both. That for me was my bodies feedback saying keep it up, things are getting better. I am so looking forward to boot camp this coming weekend. Last year was my first time attending and it opened my eyes to so many possibilities. I know I will still struggle with the fitness stuff but I look forward to the challenge now and like to give all I can. I have so much to learn and do in my journey as a martial artist. But I believe that if I can learn early on to push myself and exceed my mental limitations that I'll grow in ways I can't even imagine yet. Hope to see you all there as we finish the run, that feeling is truly incredible. Mr. Hamilton

A Father's Day

The person I am has been shaped so much by my father. He has taught me so many valuable lesson’s over my life there isn’t enough words to start to describe all that has been passed on. This day now obviously has new meaning to myself in that I am a father times two and look to pass my wisdom onto them as my father did and his father before him. It is easy to see the parallel at our school, and again it is our privilege and duty to embrace this knowledge and pass this onto our future students both young and old. Today is only a day like any other, it loses meaning if we do not recognize the profound difference we can make it one person’s life. Happy Father’s Day to all. “Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today.” Albert Bryant Sifu Bryant

Fathers Day!

A day to reflect....just like every day should be! Today was given a title to acknowledge fathers, how about husbands day, wifes day, sons days or friends day, not just Monday and Thursday, they are taken for granted! "Fathers Day"..... when I think of this day, it is a chance for me to reflect on whether or not I'm doing the very best I can to be what a father is supposed to be, not a day for me to be acknowledged.

This sort of thinking from day to day would be a process of mindful thinking and living in the moment. I often think about who I am, how I'm living and if I'm serving my purpose. One topic that actually came up in discussion with my contractors supervisor today, was how we were going to be remembered after we pass away and how important that it is to keep that thought in the forefront as we walk through our life's journey.

Mindful living is pretty self explanatory, so maybe if I did more of it I wouldn't need to look at a day such as today to assess my performance. Its important to turn around occasionally to assess my performance or receive feedback, however if I lived more in the moment and was mindful of every second of the day, the assessment would be more of a verification.

I think I'm thinking to much into this. My point is, I'm thinking and my brain is processing every second I'm alive...I have a choice! I just need to make the right one and there would be no regrets.

That all went down on paper quite easy......

"Happy Fathers Day" fathers!

Darcy Regier

It has been a very hectic week for me, especially with work, but also with a few other things. I have been quite frustrated with myself in a couple of areas in my life as a leader. I tend to be pretty hard on myself but do understand I have so much more to learn, and I do want to learn and to grow. I realized tonight after my work out, how much my kung fu training brings me back to the reality of it all. It brings me back to the appreciation for the small things and the simplicity of life. It doesn't have to be complicated. My training brings me back to what is important, and it also helps me to clear my head and see where I need to go in this path of progression. How does it do all that? I don't really know, and I am a bit too tired to contemplate it to any great degree, but I do know that even with a week such as this last one, I still stayed on top of my training, and my thoughts are clear. I feel very self aware. I have a good understanding of the mistakes I have made and I have plans already in progress to use what I have learned to move forward.

Gardening...and mastery

Ok, I have to say it; I love plants. I love to garden, get messy, dream up bigger gardens and spend WAY to much at the green house. (I'm sure they love to see me coming.) What follows is an inevitable scavenger hunt to figure out WHERE I can stuff it into a garden already gone mad. Do I know lots? Not really. Do I have fun? Heck yeah. Whats cool is thinking on Mastery,and the inclusion of events and experiences that will help change our lives and ways of thinking; one thing that has come up in some of the programs I've been doing, is how much I care about the environment; how much we can heal ourselves just by being in the natural world, and how much I'd like to be a part of healing nature back. After all,a nap in the clover may just be what the doctor ordered for us AND nature. We are connected. I dont know where this will lead me; its only just been making itself known to me. And the same goes for other interests; I am interested in taking in other events and things that will furthur my mastery in them as well. Now all of this does kinda war with kungfu--so far they havent created the 36hr day, so it does not all fit. But I'm excited to see what trails I will follow--and which plants will take over my garden next:)

Hey, I'm still alive

As you might have noticed, I've been off the radar for a while now. I'm having a hard time about this whole thing as I vented in the Saturday meeting. I am still really struggling with this whole process of writing everything down and tracking everything that I do but trying to get back into it anyway. I know this is supposed to be a positive and life changing experience, a tool to use to help me see my goals in front of me and to help me reach those goals by working towards them daily, but I can't help seeing it as a constant reminder that I'm not doing enough.
On a lighter note, I've been extremely socially active lately! Good Times
Umpteen Monkeys Typing

Negativity/Positivity

I have been troubled for the last couple of weeks and I am not even sure that I know how to write about it. I am going to try anyways, in hopes of getting it out of my brain.
I keep encountering super negative people. Not the kind that you can ignore, the kind that invade your world and have you wondering how on earth you have attracted such a person. I have a friend that firmly believes that you get back what you put out there, with that in mind, what am I putting out there? Am I attracting negative people through my actions and words? How does that work? My daily goal is to have positive interactions with all the people that I meet each day. Are the people that are negative a test of my resolve? Or maybe I have nothing to do with what is happening for them and I am just a witness to what they are throwing out there. Perhaps they are placed in my path so I can show them the other side, you know, the side where everything has a solution and there is nothing we can't conquer! And being mean and negative  with others is not the answer.         

I can chose to ignore them, I can chose to not feed into their negativity, I can share my thoughts and believes...... I realize that there are many things that I can do. I can also challenge all who read my blog to encounter each day with the goal of having a positive impact on just one person. Here are some examples: strike up a conversation with another person while standing in line (you can start with - hey I have this crazy friend that thinks we can make this world a better place to live if we chat with one another in the line up), share a friendly greeting with a stranger at the gym ( strangers are just friends that you haven't met yet), help someone take their groceries to their car, be empathetic when you do meet someone that is having a bad day (you may be the one thing that convinces them that all is not lost). It is just like acts of kindness, just amped up a bit.
Being friendly doesn't hurt one little bit and if you are lucky, you'll get a smile in return :)

 http://mantismantle.blogspot.ca/2012/06/negativitypositivity.html

Busy week

What a busy week. I've been juggling a lot of things this week and I'm sure feeling tired tonight. One more day tomorrow and then a new week starts, but it doesn't look any easier. Good things Dara is great at taking care of the kids and making easier for me. I'm lucky to have her help and support. The last two weeks I've had to fly with AC jazz to a couple of meetings. I never noticed that we, the passengers, have lap belts but the cabin crew has a four point belt. Never noticed it but it kinda makes you go hmmmmmm?!

Let's Be Honest

I'm going to be 100% honest, I'm about 1 - 2 weeks behind on all my requirements right now. I'd like to have some awesome reason about why that is, but I'm going to be honest and say that I've been completely lacking the motivation to do anything. I've been so overwhelmed with final exams, moving, and trying to focus on improving how I approach my role in the kids classes at the studio that I've had no motivation to get up and focus on myself. I started to doubt myself and I even caught myself thinking that I wanted to quit.

Today was the last day of school and I have almost a week to prepare for my finals. I was in the middle of packing up my room when I got up, laced up my running shoes and went for a run. It completely cleared my head, and I was able to remind myself what I was doing, and why I was doing it. I felt all of the feelings that I felt on the first day that The UBBT started, and I felt all of the negative thoughts flow out of me. I think that it was the exact reset that I've been searching for for awhile.

The Bad Days

There will always be days where you had a bad class for one reason or another.

The problem is, sometimes you gauge your whole life’s training on that last class.

Occasionally, I have come home thinking…”boy did that suck…boy did I suck, more accurately!”

There is no doubt as we try and achieve the next level to our skill we will have set backs.

It happens at all levels, I remember it as green belt and I remember it last week!

These are the times where you should reflect(this is the important part) on what went wrong, without the emotional Debbie Downer attitude, think over the mistakes made.

Write down your thoughts, questions and maybe what you could have done better. Pick one thing you want to improve upon and focus in on changing it for the better. If it’s a giant list of things to fix, keep it as a list and save the other items for another day.

Bring your focus and your questions to next class, then, before you know it …Shazam! You’re feeling back in the groove again.

People are generally hard on themselves.

Don’t buy into the “Only as good as your last performance”.

Martial Arts should be a lifelong pursuit, be patient with yourself, allow yourself to fail.

The only thing that is mandatory is Effort, the rest will come with time and guidance.

So  next time you are feelin’ bummed out, relax, reset, and  just get back to class!

Looking for T-Rex

Drumheller.  Home of the dinosaurs.  There is much to see here so I started on a run with my goal being the suspension bridge at a park on the far side of town.  The run was flat, paved, and boring.  Like a magpie to a chrome bumper my attention wandered to the hills. 

Stacked layers of sediment carved into coulees and gorges and home of snakes, cacti and lava rock.  The running is hard and requires great focus to avoid injuries.  Slips, cuts, and hills would be broken in short interlude by small sections that were nothing short of shear running bliss.

It turned into an addiction.  I continued through the coulees unfamiliar to me to find that perfect ridge that seemed to be crafted just for humans to run.  Before I knew it, the trap had been sprung.  I was drawn into the hills and ambushed by a rainstorm of epic proportions.  Slopes of good traction, turned into a stew of grease, marbles, ice, Bill Clinton, banana peels or whatever else you can think of that is slippery.  

What was sharp or prickly....Stayed sharp and prickly.

Blood, mud and bruises. Now I know why the dinosaurs went extinct.

Vince Krebs
http://vincekrebs.blogspot.ca/

Sick week

Its been an interesting couple of weeks; first, my car went in the shop for a couple of days, so I had to ride my bike to work. No problem, I thought, done the Stony-Spruce run before, had to miss my tues class but was still getting exercise. Majorly! That was the day it rained...and had a 30km head wind....totally sucked! Then I had a medical test on Fri that I started prepping for on wed that was a couple days of fasting and a bunch of fun stuff to make the bathroom your best friend. (Or your next reno project since there was lots of time to look and think about it.) And its taken me a few days to recover, so all in all, I missed a weeks worth of classes. (plus one) and had to scale way back on my activities. I have to admit, I liked it. I've had to do alot of other stuff--working on meditation, catching up on other things I like to do, taking care of myself. I'm realizing my life is very skewed towards achieving for kungfu--but its not serving me well. I'm not enjoying myself, I'm stressing over things. Its about the numbers and what else can I cram in.I need balance. As I step back into classes, I will be curtailing, thinking and searching...and taking the time to smell some lilacs.

Which Relationship Do I Mend?

About three and a half months ago, at the start of this journey, I was stumped as to what relationship in my life I should choose to focus on mending.  I haven’t had major falling outs with anyone, but rather ones I have lost in the business of life.  As people get busy, move away or just grow and change, relationships can get distant. 

At the same time as I was going through my list of people who I have grown apart from or those who I would like to better my relationship with, I was memorizing ‘ Mastery’ by Stuart Emery.  What kept standing out for me in that memorization was how who and what we decide to surround ourselves with help determine who we become.  “Try surrounding yourself with friends who ask more of you than you do.”  This phrase kept coming to me as I looked at my list and realized that some of the people on it, although I care about them, were probably not the best for me to hang around with in order to become who I want to be, where I want to go and the difference I want to make.  Some relationships are best kept in the past or allowed a little distance.

Two weeks ago at my son’s track and field, I happened to run into a person from 20 years in my past.  Twenty years ago I hurt this person, not intentionally, but hurt none the less.   If we would have run into each other a couple of years ago, I probably would have hid behind the closest tree or tried to lose myself in the crowd because I felt bad and wanted to avoid feeling uncomfortable.  However, I chose not to go that route.  Instead I went right up to talk to them.  I was given the chance again to truly apologize.  This person kind of laughed and couldn’t believe that I still worry about that sh..!  (Their words not mine).  In the end this person thanked me and said my words were appreciated. This wasn’t the relationship I had chosen to mend, but one that circumstances presented me.   I left the school that day feeling happy, first of all because I was given the opportunity and second because I actually took advantage of it.  I don't want to just work on one relationship because it is a requirement. I want to seek out opportunities continually to better all of the relationships I have been blessed with and to look for ways to right ones where I have done wrong.

The relationship I have specifically chosen was one that needed attention.  It is one that is close and important to me.  This requirement for I Ho Chuan, has proven to be incredible for me.  It is one that has had a very positive impact on my training.  It has changed where I am mentally and has put me in a better place to tackle what I have set out to do.  Days like two weeks ago are an encouragement for me that I have grown and changed and moving in a better direction to be the person I really want to be.  We can’t change our past but we certainly can learn from it and make better choices today!

Alana Regier

Act of kindness

I had been looking to do some spring cleaning the past few weeks and this morning I spent it cleaning out my closet. Now we all have those shirts, sweaters and so on we have kept for years, you know the ones that are three sizes too big that you got for a present from your relatives. The kind you could never bring yourself to wear since you and your significant other could both fit in it together. Well they all finally were sent to the Goodwill to be hopefully put to better use than hanging in my closet. My wife's purging was a whole lot easier, something about she will never weigh as much as a small truck and so there would never be a use for that again. We have donated quite a bit to our local Goodwill the past few years and definitely was a great start to the day. Sifu Bryant

The Omega 8004

On Monday my new toy arrived and I felt like Marvin the Martian saying "Oh goody! My illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator." Except, my toy is the Omega 8004 commercial/home juicer, that I will name Harvey. Every bit as spiffy and as great as the illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator, Harvey performs very well at juicing. However, Harvey is much more than a handsome face and a swanky juicer, Harvey also can make nut butters, homogenize, grind, chop, and do breadstick stuff. Already I can see Harvey and I having a long-lasting relationship.

So why did I get a juicer when I have a Vita-Mix? Well, I wanted a juicer (that removes the unusable pulp) and wanted a piece of equipment that will break down the tough stuff like leafy greens and wheatgrass. Harvey certainly does that as well as make amazing and nutritious juice. Speaking of juices, I go beyond the apple and orange juices. Yesterday I tried Harvey out on a Hot Pink juice (beet, pineapple, strawberries, and ginger) and a Green Thai (kale, spinach, cilantro, lime, pineapple) today. Harvey did so well that I need juice recipe resources. Hence "The Juice Bible" and "The Big Book of Juices" are making their way into my food resource library. Is there a difference between fresh juice (live) and out of the tetra-pack? Oh yes both in taste and in nutrition. The other plus: I can pack a lot more veggies into a juice than I can on my plate, even ones I don't like.

I found amusing that in my search for "The Juice Bible" a book titled "Natural Remedies for Emphysema and COPD (which Dennis has)" also showed up at the top of the search. This book is written by a Dr. Green and covers detoxification, diet, supplements, herbs, exercise, breathing and more for patients with such lung issues. From what I have gleaned so far, by cutting out the wheat and only cheese as dairy, we are on the right track. Since the author knows more than what I do, I'm willing to learn to see what we are on track with and what we can incorporate. Even though the inhalers Dennis is on are helping, he would much rather find help via food source. My reason is that I kinda like Dennis and would like him to be healthy and stick around for the next half dozen decades or more.  Needless to say this book is also en route to me to add to my health/diet/nutrition/longevity library.

This week has been exciting so far with a new toy, some training right on track and some picking up momentum. Plus, I have started my next personal/business development program: Quantum Leap where I will focus on my glass art, but will impact all of me. Woohoo!
Sherri Donohue
http://www.sherridlampworkglass.blogspot.ca/

Motor Bike

Hello today me and my father went on his motor cycle and he let me drive it by myself. I did not go any further then a parking lot but i felt free and that some of the pressure and overwhelming feeling that i have been feeling lately all went away. It was nice just riding the motor bike. I hope my father will take me out more to do this again, because it wad just so relaxing. For those brief moments of me riding that bike I was at rest. This made me think of what sifu Brinker is always saying to us to just stop and think about what are you doing? How much effort are you putting into this? I realized i was using all my focus to not fall over when making left turns at low speeds, and I was spending time with my father who really cares about me. It was a nice day.

Sihing Langner

http://randylangner789.blogspot.ca/

Paw Prints on the Car Door

Last week, en route home one lovely afternoon from Stony Plain I saw a black & white dog laying in the ditch on the side of the highway. It was a sad sight, he was just laying there with his head on his paws. Anyone who knows me knows I can't pass that and forget it, so I pulled a U-turn at the next intersection to go see if the doggie was alright. I noticed the car in front of me made a U-turn too, and who would have guessed that they had the same idea. As they came to a stop across from the puppy, the dog jumped up and ran to the drivers' door, tail wagging.

Two things came out of this- one, the dog was fine. Just taking a snooze in a very bad spot, but dogs will be dogs. Two, I witnessed a stranger take time out of his or her day to ensure a strange animal was okay. I was thrilled- sadly, I usually see people just speed by without a second glance. But, not that day.

It was a good day.

http://dogsthinking.blogspot.ca/

Motivators and drivers!

Family - I have a wonderful wife and the two greatest sons a person could ever want to live for!

Progress wisely - this is key for me - there is a good way of getting things done and then there's the better way. I've been taught to do it the better way. I focus on my purpose, which leads me to progress wisely.

Know when to say when and feel good with your decision mentally! - this is also in the front because occasionally there can be a sense of guilt that supersedes me, after my body telling me to stop. But it is equally important to handle the feeling of guilt and truly believe that you are doing the right thing.

Teach yourself how to rest...when you need it! For me this was not an easy task. When I have a list or project, its usually go, go, go, until its done. The mind and body both need rest to grow and heal. Rest to advance Darc....

Challenge yourself - set a goal - Death Race...anything else I need to say!

Find yourself, reset your brain, assess your brain - first, I would not know a whole lot about myself if it weren't for the challenges. When I run, I'm constantly assessing my condition, especially as my mind tells me I'm starting to tire. Knowing myself is very important in a physical challenge, because behind every physical challenge is a 80%+ mental challenge. When I assess my physical condition as I run and realize that I've got lots left, it's a quick reset and continue with following the breathing, technique, posture, positive attitude, enjoyment.....and the WHY!

Push yourself, know your body, assess your body - during my runs, I realize that running the flat land is not going to be the same as a mountain, so my last run I threw on a back pack and a new born on my back......well not really a new born (where would I find one of those anyway?) it was about 10 pounds of water and I woke up my pace a bit.

Learn from your mistakes and or injuries - this goes back to reading my body, keep up good technique, give my body what it needs and deserves. Supplements and proteins to heal and rest!

Have purpose in all that you do - this is key in life! Running is health, it is mental release, it is the healing of my soul, it is the racing of blood through my body to heal and refresh! This race is to run for CP, research funding and in particular to run for three little children.

Have a coach/ mentor - my coach and mentor taught me this list and is with me every step of the way!

Make your goal measureable - When I run I use a pedometer, I sometimes use a track that I know the distance of, I use a stopwatch and timer. I log my distances traveled.

Surround yourself with people that you can grow from or with - Running in an area with people who are getting some sort of exercise is a driver. It wouldn't be quite the same running laps around a bar.

Make your goal attainable, but not without effort - I try not to set myself up for failure before I even get started.

Push yourself - but wisely! An extra km a day or a little more weight in the back pack.

Enjoy the journey - remember WHY? Have fun, breath the air, watch nature, think of how fortunate I am to be able to run.

Where am I? What am I doing? - Stay focused on my goal.

Feed your muscles - Embyonic breathing - Rebuild and allow muscles to heal, understand my body.

Have the proper tools - good shoes, good socks (sounds funny...but very true), set your mind up for success.

Body alignment and posture - I try to run with good alignment and stay focused on what certain parts of my body are doing, like my toes, are they just along for the run or are they going to serve me!?

Mind over matter...take your mind to that special place - I have tried certain things like counting using my fingers as I run. One step at a time. I change my mental focus to nature watching or site seeing. Watching the sky and the clouds as they alter in shape.

Reward yourself - After a run I treat myself to bucket of greasy chicken, just kidding! I will search through the cupboards for a high protein food, lots of H2O and some fresh fruit, Then have a well deserved shower. Nothing like a shower after a long run! As oddly as that may sound, I've said that to myself whilw running, "just one more lap and off to the shower!"

Be honest to yourself - if during the day, I said to myself that I was going to go for a run later. Then I need to stick to my guns and put the shoes on when I get home. Procrastination and rationalization will not get me anywhere.

Live with honor and integrity - I just need to remain true to myself and my commitments.

Respect yourself - treat myself physically and mentally well. Crap in crap out!
Get sufficient rest.

Humility - Have the power to step back when I need to. One I day it may mean walking along side someone 30 years my senior. Just don't quit.

Empathy - In my present situation, being a registered 2012 death racer, I'm running to support cerebral palsy. There are three youngsters in my family, with CP, that may not ever be able to run this race, even if they wanted to, so I am going to run this for them!

Darcy Regier

http://darcyregier.blogspot.ca/

Scratch ONE personal goal

Being away from home the past while has been a tough problem on the Kung Fu front.  There has been some relief however.  I knocked off one of my personal goals (well almost).  The death race is approaching and a website promoting the team run is up and running (www.deathraceforcp.com) there is my shameless plug.

This year, my running regime is dismal at best, but I am strangely comfortable with it. What I’ve learned is that the Death Race is oddly a great deal of fun. This year is going to be more epic than any other because I get to run with friends and family.  I can't wait to share their experiences, see how they adapt to situations, and hopefully share in their accomplishments.  This year my focus more than anything will be to run in the moment.  To understand why I am there and what I am doing, and hopefully tally more than take a few random acts of kindness along the trail.

Vince Krebs

http://vincekrebs.blogspot.ca/

What Drives Me?

Progress wisely -

Know when to say when and feel good with your decision mentally!

Teach yourself how to rest...when you need it!

Challenge yourself - set a goal

Find yourself, reset your brain, assess your brain -

Push yourself, know your body, assess your body -

Learn from your mistakes and or injuries -

Have purpose in all that you do -

Have a coach/ mentor -

Make you goal measureable -

Surround yourself with people that youcan grow from or with -

Make your goal attainable, but not without effort -

Push yourself -

Enjoy the journey -

Where am I? What am I doing? -

Feed your muscles - Embyonic breathing - Rebuild and allow muscles to heal

Have the proper tools -

Body alignment and posture -

Mind over matter...take your mind to that special place

Reward yourself -

Be honest to yourself -

Live with honor and integrity -

Respect yourself -

Humility -

Empathy -


These are just a few things that I have been focusing on during my training for the Death Race, they all apply in way or the other. All these phrases and reminders bring me to another place in time, hmmmm....! The funny thing about most of these phrases, is that they have merit through every step of my life.

Next blog....I will fill in my focal points to each of the phrases above.

Have a great week team!



Darcy Regier

http://darcyregier.blogspot.ca/

Not really much to say. I am just quite surprised that I am still so pumped about all this. I have always had a strong sense of how important this is for me in so many aspects of my life, and I guess that makes it easier to be excited about it. I had a bit of a low period during my holidays where I let it slip and it took a push to get back into it, but that was minor. I know I still have lots to do, and the thought that we are half way there is kind of scarey, but I am happy with how it is all going so far.

Where was I!?

Wednesday, 6 June 2012

 

Over the past 5 weeks or so my numbers and training have suffered a substantial hit. I wandered off the path and found myself trying to get back but all the trails were uphill and and it was very foggy. Only being able to get small amounts of repetitions and taking on too much leaves nothing but confusion and frustration. The sense of overwhelming was prevalent and left me asking myself, "what the heck was I thinking, taking this challenge on!" There is not enough time in a normal day to go over the curriculum to a sufficient level, nevermind 10,000 other things to complete and everything that goes along with everyday life. Then a thought blasted through and I remembered exactly why, to better my family, training, and my community. Since I have stopped trying to plan and set up specific times to train things have come back to where they should be. I am no longer feeling the stress or the guilt of not doing what I should because I am doing what I can whenever I can and the numbers are coming back and the great feeling of training is back full on. I haven't updated my Physout forever and my written journal was very, very vague. So as I started to write down numbers and thoughts the way it should be done, that feeling of where I was a month ago was starting to waken and my kung fu was coming back to me. Yes my training method may be alittle scattered to some and on some counts I have already failed this challenge but I am confident when I look back at the end of the year, my teammates and I will all be very proud of what we have all accomplished and perhaps learnt from what we haven't.
The month of June is going to be a catch up month for me for I have set a goal on what I am going to have completed and the challenge of a mindful diet thrown in and taken seriously should be enough for now.

9 Additions

About six weeks ago we had 9 little additions to our family.  It’s been quite some time since we have had a litter of kittens, especially a litter so big for a small first time mom.  The kids, alright myself as well, had been waiting for a long time.   Our little mother kept getting fatter and fatter until finally the big day.

With a litter of 9, these little guys had to fight for food.  So in the process of pushing and clawing at each other to get first dibs, they beat each other up a little, how typical of brothers and sisters!  Needless to say, out of nine, there were at least one or two runts out of the bunch.   So we had started supplementing their meals.  I spent a lot of time every day trying to get them to eat out of a bowl.  I’ve fed the tiny ones separately and watched closely to make sure they were getting their share.  With a little more attention, now you can no longer tell who the runts were.   Three times a day I go out and watch them devour can after can of kitten milk and food.  Man can nine little fur balls ever pack it away.  They have turned into such little people kittens that with the sound of my voice, they come scrambling out of their house full tilt, pushing and climbing over the heads of their siblings.  They are so cute! 

So how can I make this an advertisement for free kittens to good homes and a tidbit of a lesson in my training?  Well short and sweet, time and attention equals growth; whether it is related to kittens or specifically, right now for me, my forms.  I am at a point where I need to fix a lot of details in my forms.  With knee issues, and more recently some sciatic pain, I’ve felt a little uncomfortable with some movements.   So what an opportunity for me to not concentrate so much on practicing an entire form each and every time, but to rather pick out portions and work specifically on some detail within that chunk.  I am hoping with extra time and attention on these, that what I may improve on in one form, will translate into my other forms as well.    

Now I’m at the point where I need to find homes for 8 little kittens.  This is proving to be sooooooo hard.  I have become very attached. I know Darc, I can’t keep 9 kittens.  I think everyone, adults and kids alike, need a cute little kitten companion in their home.   Hint hint……

Alana Regier

4 little letters

At work we have the power to allow a registration for an aircraft or not, if we deem it to be embarrassing or unseemly.(kinda like customized licence plates).
Well, this week one came in that clearly is an obscenity in my opinion and it started a whole conversation about morales.
The 4 letters chosen spell a swear, when I asked why we were allowing it, I was told ...'who are we to make that call? it is subjective and those suggested letters can be found on T- shirts now-a-days"

ok?...

I argue, as a society we become more and more tolerant of suggestive messages based on freedoms and rights. and basically what the public will allow without outrage. this happens in a slow but steady increase as not to push the extreme too far.
The "grey"area becomes broader and larger and no one wants to make issue of something for fear of offending or stepping into the argument of morale consciousness and responsibility.
Desensitising ourselves is easier than challenging ourselves to keep society on a path of morale example for our next generation.
I argued the point of disallowing the letters of choice for the aircraft ...I stand behind the challenge to make a call on something. Don't be afraid to make a stand based on right and wrong.
I believe people know right from wrong, some choose to ignore that little gut feeling for sake of not wanting the backlash. it would mean supporting your position. One you may not be sure about, but i'd much rather put it out there then quietly accept what I find uncomfortable.
Sometimes you have to think that the wrong action is better than the inaction. At least you have a chance to learn from your mistakes.
Clearly I am talking about more than 4 letters on an aircraft but this was where the conversation led.
Did I get my way...No.
But I am working on being Queen of the Universe...then look out!

Just a posting

Had a good conference in Saskatoon, learned a little, visited a little, ate to much, drank a little, overall I'm a better elected official because of it. I learn more visiting and discussing issues with fellow Councillors, then I would have if I went to school for a month. I did manage to get a few reps in and swan twice but that was it. Didn't amount to too much training. With the decrease in exercise and increase in everything else, I've gained a couple of pounds from the conference as well. Time to right that ship in a hurry, I haven't regained my levels before my eye surgery and it's not going to get any easier. My schedule continues to fill in at an alarming rate.

This past week was going great and then I went and got a silly headcold. By friday morning I was completely stuffed up and feeling lousy. I'm still feeling blah but I am getting slowly better. This cold seemed to hit me just when all the poplar pollin was at its height. I have never had allergies that I'm aware of, but a number of guys from my work site said they developed them after years of being in construction. That being said I going to try something like aleve or reactine when my headcold clears up as I have found myself sneezing more the last few weeks before it hit. If nothing changes then I may have to admitt I might be getting a little older then I thought. Oh well, it's spring, the sunny days have been awesome, the rainy ones too. All in all life is good.

89 to 90

Yesterday I think I had every alarm available on my Android to remind me to phone Mom. Not on Sunday, not on Tuesday, but on Monday. Has to be on Monday. Why? Mom turned 90 yesterday and a call on her birthday would be a good thing. Besides at that vintage, they don't want any more stuff and I've been reminded of that a few hundred times (of course unless it's something they need). In lieu of a party, which she says she does not want, she will be coming out to my place in the summer to spend however long she wants. We'll have the party here.

During the last phone call with Mom she informed me that she went to her Doctor and he gave her a prescription of Crestor to take for calcium supplementation. Excuse me!!?? Hand me the pitchfork as it's getting a bit rank. Crestor is no more a calcium supplement than I am a stand-in for Whoopi Goldberg. Crestor is a Statin drug that is prescribed to lower cholesterol and has nasty side effects, one of them being muscle rhabdymylosis, a fancy name for breakdown of the muscle tissue. Not something I want my Mom (or anyone for that matter) to experience unnecessarily. FYI: the subject of cholesterol and cholesterol meds are a frothing insta-rant for me.

First of all, let's put one thing into perspective: she's 90 for crying out loud!!! Seniors at that age are not looking to live to 150, they just want to enjoy the time they have. Plus, Mom has not needed cholesterol meds to this point so why now? She's 90!! And the icing on the proverbial cake was that the meds were prescribed before lipid profile testing was even done! Believe me, I was very tempted to mach it to Saskatchewan just so that I could be across the desk and nose-to-nose with her Doctor. Another point to note that in my former "life" I was a Med Lab Tech (did the actual blood testing) as well as taught Clinical Lab Sciences (disease processes as it relates to the lab tests) so I'm not the average  couch slob who osmoses information from the TV news and commercials.

Luckily I managed to explain to Mom just what Crestor was for, what the side effects are, and in order to be prescribed, proper lipid profiling (as well as history and diet information) must be done. She wasn't amused when she found out the harm Crestor could cause and at her vintage, that's something she could do without. As she puts it, she's walking around, is feeling good, and is enjoying herself so don't mess with it. I couldn't agree more. However I shudder to think how many people, especially seniors, are on prescription meds unnecessarily and have no idea what they are taking and why. The answer: way too many.

When I talked to Mom yesterday she said that she doesn't feel any older than what she did at 89 and it was a good thing I phoned in the afternoon because in the evening she was going out to play cards. Good for you Mom!
Sherri Donohue

Sorry, I'm Whining

This is going to be quick and painful. I'm sick, feel like I'm going to cough up a lung soon, my shoulder still hurts from Pandamonium & I pulled some muscles in my butt/thigh area last Monday. Needless to say, I've been slacking on my daily stuff. I meant to complete 1000 sit-ups and push-ups last Friday, but me, the couch & the blanket were fused together. We were some strange being I named Khouchet.

I feel better now, but I keep aggravating everything. I did one rep of my monks spade last night with my own spade, and now my shoulder is screaming. I should ice it, but its so cold and rainy already, I just don't wanna.

Yes, I'm complaining. I apologize, most people figure out fast that I'm a whiner when I'm sick. I admit it.

Wow.

Last week was absolutely insane. My dad was in meetings in Calgary all week, so it was just me, my brother, and my mom. And of course... Something was bound to go wrong.

On Monday night, my mom called me downstairs in hysterics because my brother had called her from the skate park saying that he had fallen. When we got there, we realized he had fallen flat on his face, and even worse, he hadn't been wearing a helmet.

He ended up with cut up lips, a Hirt leg, and Two of his teeth got pushed up into his jaw bone. But I keep counting my blessings that that's all that happened to him.

It's amazing how fast one stupid decision can impact you and everyone else around you. You don't even think twice about jumping into the car without a seatbelt, or not throwing on your helmet because you're going for a ride to the mailbox; but there are a reason that we do these things. They're all here to just keep us safe.

On the other hand, schools getting really busy and we're getting ready to move in three weeks.

Woah.

enjoying the moment

In true recycle, reuse fashion, I have found a new use for my broken spear; it will now proudly be our pirate flag pole! Hopefully the image comes across! Its been a great weekend, doing yard work, kids have been swimming, and not going too far at all. Normally this would drive me CRAZY, as I always want to be out and about, but this weekend it just seemed right. Its been a struggle lately to concentrate on training for black belt, and all that goes into it. Mostly because part of my challenge to myself this year is to be more intune with myself and focus on the mental, emotional and spiritual, but all the blackbelt stuff says train! Train hard! And while its mostly physical, somedays my body is telling me to get real. Oh well. This weekend was still physical--yard work is starting to get harder!--but nice for a break from regular training. Nice to concentrate on being present, on the moment with my family instead of worrying about anything else. As Shakespeare says, All may yet be very well.

It's all routine

Now well into the year I keep thinking about routine. My guess is that everyone undergoing this test has had to adjust their routine as the weeks go by. The reason I keep thinking about it is because it can be a hard thing to adjust for some people. We all have our daily routine and when we want to change our routine it can be a struggle, the brain and body just keeps trying to go back to the old routine and can fight the new. For me now it has become abnormal when my new routine is disrupted in the slightest but again this is the other part of the test - adaptability. Tonight I went out for a bike ride along the paths of Spruce Grove which I love. It was a great clear evening and quiet as can be. I love to bike through the city as it helps me clear my head; it’s like an active meditation for me. Over the years I have spent a lot of time along these paths walking, running and biking; every corner of every path has a story to tell. As I was riding through my block we have large item pickup coming up and I counted four pieces of exercise equipment sitting on various front driveways to be given away or taken away, guess for some routine is hard to change. Sifu Bryant

Lawn work

Today for the first time I was able to cut our lawn today, because for the past couple months our lawn mower is broken. My parents were unable to buy a new one at the time. Now my Dad was able to afford a new lawn mower and i got to finally cut our 2 1/2 feet grass today, and on top of that also use the weed whacker. So now our lawn look nice again and we not be getting any waring from the park to get it cut. Also in the middle of cutting grass i stopped to do 100 push ups and 100 sit ups may as well do something i want to do. Although i think I should of not have done my sit ups on the mulched grass, took me five min to get all the grass off my back, and hair. Grass gets sticky when you sweat. Basically what I am saying is I had a great day.

Sihing Langner

Teaching Kung Fu at Work

For a couple years now I've been teaching kung fu to people who never realized they were my students. I feel that with a different twist to my approach during our "health" and safety meetings, that some of my "students" are seeing our safety meetings as true safety meetings, not just sign the acknowledgement, grab you hard hat and get to work.

Within various safety meeting, I have incorporated the health aspect into our discussions and mentioned that if we are not staying well hydrated and nourished that we could be a hazard or safety concern on site, just like a poorly maintained piece of equipment on site. I have used the muscle memory scenario with operators of equipment; when we climb into equipment we enforce three point contact, which means three appendages must be in contact with the equipment at all times, during access or egress. What I have asked of the workers is to ensure that three point contact is practiced all the time, even during good conditions, so that when it is muddy and slippery that their actions have been instilled and that muscle memory takes over with hopes that a potential incident could be eliminated. I provide my crew with a ERP folder, which contains materials that will hopefully assist in an emergency; what I tell them is that they will not be the same person that they are as we stand here during this meeting, but what they need to remember during an emergency to to remain calm and not to react with emotion. I have gone on in meetings as far as to mention, stretching during micro breaks to maintain blood flow and attentiveness in tasks that are routine and monotonous.

I have found that I like to teach. I like to help people better themselves and with the foundation that kung fu has brought to my life, I find myself bringing it forward in all aspects of my life, to assist myself and others.

Darcy Regier