owwwwwwwwwwwwww
So, apparently livejournal still hasn't fixed the viewing problem of friends pages. At least I can look while logged out, except at the communities I'm joined at where it requires to be logged in to view it. So no new Atlantis or SG1 for me. *sigh* It's quite awful, really.
My arms hurt from karate - I just got back. Fern, you mron, you would have liked this lesson. We all did stuff.
It was awful - the class starts at five pm, and at four-thirty my mother still had not returned home, and I was like, "FATHER I HAVE TO GO NOW YOU WILL HAVE TO TAKE ME IN YOUR MONSTER VAN THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE FIGHTER PLANES FROM BATTLESTAR GALACTICA!! ALSO DO YOU HAVE MONEY!?!"
Of course he didn't, so we had to stop and draw out money, but bringing a $20 note to karate is never a good idea as it is highly unlikely there will be change enough. But oh well. By the time we got out of that parking lot, it was almost 4 45pm. By general rule of thumb I do try to be at karate at least 15 mins before so I can sign in and get ready and stuff, so when I rocked up at 4 55pm, I was having a hernia because I was only half dressed in my uniform and had to still do My Belt. The Belt is seriously hard and difficult when it wants to be. Anyway, I arrived and there were only a few people there anyway, and so I chucked on the belt and recieved Fern's uniform for her.
I got told if it doesn't fit her, she has to fold it exactly. Read that Fern? EXACTLY. And then return it. :-) Hahahahahahaha.
Anyway. This story is basically for Fern's benefit, who thinks I really have a thing for my karate instructer. *shrugs*. Anyway. Also, Fern, I forgot to observe his neck. I thought about it just before I got there, then felt a bit vampiric so forgot (Fern thinks he shaves his neck as he has a chairy hest. BAD FERN).
So we did our warm up, as per usual (...is sidetracked slightly mid-story by Rupert Everett and Robbie Williams singing...) then did CIRCLE OF DEATH. It is precisely what it sounds like - everyone gets in a circle, and begin a slow long arduous death. :-) What it involves is going through techniques - strikes, blocks and kicks. In strikes there are...about seven or eight movies, about the same in blocks and about four different kicks. For each technique, everyone in the circle counts to ten. So, say if there are 10 people in teh circle, and the first strike is a stomach level punch, each person will count to ten and everybody does the strike - so in the end you've done 100 punches. And you go really fast. So for strikes you're doing about eight hundred fast paced strikes, and trust me, your hands feel as if they are about to die. And then when you do this all in stances....oh boy. Luckily we got spared having to do blocks and kicks. Instead, to cool down we played some weird game.
The game entailed being in a circle again, with two hand mits being chucked about. The person throwing had to call out a name and throw the mit, and if the person didn't catch it, they had to get down on one knee. If they missed catching a second time, it was down on two knees, if missed again, sitting, and if missed a fourth time, lying down. But if you caught it, then you got to get back up a position. Similarly, if you threw a dodgy pass then you had to get down. I'm pleased to say that I never got further than down on two knees.
After this game we had a drink break, followed by sparring. Now I must say, I'm awful at sparring because I don't actually want to hit people. Luckily this karate is actually a non-contact one, so a light punch or getting close enough is counted as scoring. So yeah, we sparred for a few rounds then played another game. I like this game - I've played it before, and I AM THE MASTER OF TAILS! The game is called "tails".
What it is, is using the leg pads we use for sparring and tucking them into our belts. The aim is to try and get other people's tails while trying to protect your own. :-). I like this game. It needs strategy, and I find looking all inoquous (is that the word?) and hovering will stave off first round attacks. In fact, when we began the first game I was standing near Sensei Russell (Fern, if you're giggling already I will throw you upon a wall) and, just as the other sensei lady (Karen) said "everyone gang up against sensei) I leaned over and snatched his tail. Surprise! *snicker*. I stole a few other tails too - and in the end there were about 4 of us and it was going nowhere, so Sensei Russell and this other guy, Jackson, joined back in. Of course, I was enemy number one and sensei stole my tail. *sigh*. A little girl called Madison was declared winner.
Second round was more interesting. I deployed the tactic of hovering inconspicuously, so much so that I didn't run at all until it was just me and sensei russell left. Fern. Seriously. I think you would have killed yourself laughing and embarrassed me so much that I would have become all flustered and been defeated. But, I rose to the insanity, like any good karate person would, and we began the one on one tussel for the tail! It must've looked so funny - at least I think it would've - because there was a lot of crazy circling and grabbing for the tail and I actually ended up flat on my back at one point. Of course, everyone was cheering for me. Duh. Anyway, the circling and grabbing went on for a bit, until we both got each other's tails at the same time. He didn't notice of course, and held up my tail in victory, so I did the same. *snicker*.
Anyway. Fern, I thought you would like that story and regret WORKING instead of being there. It made me laugh thinking about it. I'm sure I had other stuff to tell you - oh yes, we must see Brokeback Mountain in Gold Class as soon as possible. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.