The last 45 days

Let me diary somewhat ...

At the end of October my husband and I went to Las Vegas and competed in the largest dance event of the year. This was part of the requirements that I set for myself, to overcome my fear of performing. So we entered to perform 96 times! That is 8 different dances (vieneze waltz, waltz, foxtrot, rumba, cha cha, samba, mambo and swing) in two different age groups (the over 50's and the 35 to 50s') both as a couple and with our instructors it was pretty exciting/scary. So by the end of this I was getting pretty blase about getting up in front of judges and crowds and can now essentially not know they are there, which may sound weird but it works for me. How did we do ... well we made the finals in the majority of the events and even got some silver and bronze in a few ... not to bad I guess. Once I figure out how to load some of the video clips up to the site you can even watch a few. Shortly after that Dean and I tested for our silver qualification and passed and did yet another performance (samba) at an event here in Edmonton called Medal Ball. This silver qualification was another requirement that I set for this year so strike another thing off the list of things to accomplish in 2009.

In November the boss decided it was time to apply for our external safety audit to achieve COR for the company. That one sentence does not begin to define the scope of whats involved. The number of ducks that need to be lined up for this to happen, well it was never boring. Our auditor was very nice don't get me wrong, but there are site visits, interviews, masses of paperwork ... endless questions and explanations ... as the safety officer for the company its all my responsibility. So I was busy to say the least but it was a learning experience and although this one was not on my personal list of requirements I'm still feeling a serious sense of accomplishment. The auditor will come back for the close out meeting on Dec 18th so I am not sure if we got it yet ... I will keep you posted.

So its December, the girls will be home late on December 23rd and not leave again until January 19th ... I am pretty excited about that. Last year we were renovating at this time and didn't really have a christmas so all the stops are coming out this year and I plan to spend Sunday Dec 13th decorating and rearranging to my hearts content. The girls will be dazzled when they get home.

Hope everyone else is having fun with christmas stuff ... its my favorite holiday.

First Snow ... stay safe!

I have lived in Alberta for a long long time and yet every year it is the same, that first snow in the fall and its insanity on the roads. Considering that it froze my garden on June 30th/July 1st we have only had three months of no frost it amazes me how so many people forget how to drive on snow and ice.
Unfortunately for me I was in the wrong place (Devon bridge) at the wrong time (8:20 AM) and became an accident statistic for that first snow fall. I am mostly fine, nothing broken other than my car. At this point I am getting paranoid, this is my second accident of the year, I was not at fault in either accident, but still ... I have gone many many years without any incidents like this and then POW two in six months seem a little extreme. So I am going to nag anyone unfortunate enough to read this blog (I am a safety officer after all), it seems to me that impatience and inattention are big factors in most of these cases. So a few pithy comments are coming down the pipes;

• late is better than dead,
• the two second rule is NOT how long it takes you to respond to a text message
• rear view mirrors are designed to show you what is behind you, not for applying makeup or inspecting the side of your car
• there is a reason those little flashing lights on your car are refered to as indicators
• texting or talking on a cell phone distracts your attention from the road and the dynamics of the situations around you, the other day I saw someome reading a newspaper while drivinig ... yikes!
• everything around you is occuring at anywhere from 20 to 130 km speeds, just how fast do you think your reactions are?
• defensive driving is assuming that the other drivers on the road are going to make a mistake so "drive to save lives, time, and money, in spite of the conditions around you and the actions of others"

Did you know...

The majority of collisions are preventable; caused in large part by driver error.

A safe driver drives defensively, knows what is going on around them and looks out for others.
A safe driver never assumes that the other driver is going to drive safely or obey the rules of the road.
Skill, patience and being alert are elements of defensive driving that help you avoid a potential crash.

Help prevent collisions by following these defensive driving safety tips:
Keep your distance
Maintain a two-second following distance under normal driving conditions. In bad weather or on poor roads, increase your following distance.
Posted speed limits are set for ideal road and weather conditions. It is up to you to reduce your speed in hazardous conditions.
Give large trucks more space, especially when they are turning or you are attempting to pass them. An excellent rule of thumb is "If you can't see the truck driver in his side mirror, he can't see you." Remember, it takes longer to pass a large vehicle.
Scan your surroundings
Look about 12-15 seconds ahead (one to one-and-a-half blocks) when travelling in urban areas. Look about 25 seconds ahead in rural areas. Scan behind and to the left and right regularly.
Be in the proper driving lane well before you exit or turn. Be prepared for other drivers to change lanes suddenly to exit. Avoid making hasty lane changes.
Be cautious around cars driven erratically.
Think ahead - avoid a crash
Read the road ahead and stay alert. If you must swerve to avoid something in your lane, move to the right if possible. Do not move to the left. Reduce your speed, ride right off the road if necessary.
Always position your vehicle for a glancing blow instead of a head-on collision.

Mental Health ... the reality

So this is mental health awareness week and it was suggest that we research a mental illness and blog about it. My knowledge of mental illness is more personal. I grew up with mental illness in my family ... it was sort of like standing in the centre of a teeter totter, carefully balanced in the middle, never knowing what, who or when was going to tip the balance or in what direction. As a child, teenager and young adult I had no control over the situation, attempting damage control for my younger siblings, dealing with situations totally outside my scope of understanding or life experience. Watching the doctors diagnosis and treatments make things worse and worse.


So it sounds pretty awful ... and for moments it was ... so what was the diagnosis / condition ... I heard, nervous breakdown, manic depression, schizophrenia, psychotic episodes, post tramatic stress syndrome, bipolar and this member of my family was treated for all of these things.

So why am I sharing this personal information? Because 40 years ago getting help and/or information was very difficult, diagnosis and treatment again very difficult and yet mental illness is not rare, many people suffer either from or with people they love. Knowledge, understanding and support are critical not only for the person with the mental illness but their loved ones as well. Taking the time to do the research, posting the information, all of us reading the posts, this expands our knowledge, increases our understanding and our ability to offer support.

I believe that this entire exercise has had a positive impact on everyone who particapted and I personally appreciate that a group of concerned persons intiated Mental Health Awareness week and led the march to bring this subtle and quite often hidden illness out into the light. Because of efforts like these information is more available, diagnosis and treatments are more timely and effective. Thank you to Sifu Berhinger who suggested it and Sifu Brinker who supported her by making this part of the school.

False eyelashes and other silly stuff

Its been a few weeks since I blogged so I apoligize but I must admit its been pretty interesting and totally outside my comfort zone this last little while. My husband and I did our showcase routine (a foxtrot done to Micheal Boublai's 'I'm your Man') at the studio. This type of performance has some odd requirements, like wearing false eyelashes and dance tights and ALOT of makeup (if you are the girl in this scenario). I adjusted to some modest heels for my dance shoes ... that took awhile but this other stuff well it was a stretch. It must have taken me an hour and a half just to get all this paraphenalia on and had my husband in stitches laughing.

The problem is that I am very nearsighted so with a flashlight, magnifying mirror and no glasses, my nose pressed up to the mirror I attempt to glue these eyelashes on. First attempt on the right eye went pretty well and I guess I got cocky because I actually glued my left eye shut and had to pry the eye open, redo the eyeliner and shadow, and start over. Finally I get the left eye looking okay get my contacts in, so I can see at a distance but loose the ability to see close, and the right eye lashes fell off, sheesh. Frustrated I attempted to get the right eyes lashes glued on with my contacts in ... I achieved it eventually but I could tell it was crooked just by the way it felt. Then I squeeze into some fishnet dance tights, you are thinking no big deal. These things at the waist just barely fit around my thigh and if they contain lycra (as the package describes) well I couldn't find it. Do not attempt to eat anything wearing these things, flesh may start to seep out through the fishnets. As for the make up ... well thank god the girls left me some stuff before they went to China, as I had on enough eyemake up to be noticable across a large dance floor, blush in brilliant sweeps along my cheeks and bright (I mean bright RED) lipstick. I hesitated to get out of the truck on the way to this event to grab a coffee ... let me tell you it got some looks.

So how did we dance? Everyone said it looked good, but then they are all nice people who would hesitate to say anything else. My perspective, I didn't fall or trip my husband, my eyelashes stayed on, and no one laughed outright. A fairly successful moment I think. Apparently they recorded the event and I will post it here when I get my copy.

This ordeal will need to be repeated 4 days straight at the Las Vegas competition Dean and I are attending at the end of October, wish me luck.

Kwoon Reno / I saw an eagle

I missed most of the Kwoon cleaning and renovation, previous years I have been able to help 2 or 3 days of the week, but my sister getting married, with all these people at my house well I spent the whole week cleaning, cooking etc. so the hubby and I only made it in to help for one evening ... bummer.

These evenings are a blast ... so you get paint in your hair ... so what. You get to hang out with great people while helping keep the school look spic and span and spruced up ... its acutally alot of fun. Yet apparently the turn out was pretty slim this year, people made committments and then no showed, volunteers were less so the people that did come to help really had to work hard.

Kudos to them and shame on the rest of us, a big job like this can be alot of fun with plenty of goofing off and getting to know each other if you have alot of people helping. I have participated in this event every year since we started the school and I have always had a good time and take alot of pride in how nice the training hall looks. It's OUR PLACE! It should be treated with respect and be well taken care of, no matter what color your belt or how old you are its part of being a member of the school. I feel priviledged to be allowed to help.

Part 2

I'm driving home from getting groceries in Devon on Sunday the 13th and what do I see ... a real live eagle. I know you're thinking so what we see lots of pictures of eagles, big deal. Believe me up close and personal is a totally different experience. It was huge ... that is the biggest bird I have ever seen, in fact bird seems to be such a wimpy way to describe such an incredible creature. It took off from the side of the road and the wing span was as wide as the bottom of the 40 year old spruce tree it flew near. It was a bright, windy day and I watched that amazing bird just float around up there, riding the thermals and keeping an eye out for a possible snack ... wow! Made my day.

Moving On ... Staying Behind

So another one of our spectacular young martials artists is moving on with his life ... Sifu Robertson said his official goodbye on Friday. I got to give him a hug and wish him the best on Saturday after open training. He is one of my favorite people, a great martial artist and teacher, intelligent and weird in a very interesting way, a person of character. I will notice that he is not at the black belt class or the tai chi class as much as I notice my daughters are not there.

I am like a nervous bird, nudging them out of the nest, smug that they can fly, but wanting to keep them close and safe, like they were all mine and I had something significant to do with their success, sheesh Terry get over yourself! To me its a wonder that alot of the senior black belts (who have had a huge impact on their growth) are not busting out of their shirts with pride or in tears because they are leaving or both. Their self restraint and dignity must be under alot of stress.

Yet the whole point is to fulfill your dreams, have adventures, accomplish things, grow and develop into outstanding human beings, what we want for all the people in our lives. I am very proud to be part of Silent River and associated with this calibre of people, as corny as it is that's how I feel.

So I hope they are all successful, that their dreams come true and that they stay in touch with us ... their kungfu family.

I wish that I could split into many different parts, be in Wudang with my girls, keep a thoughtful eye on Graham in China and Vancouver, cheer on Danielle while she is at stunt school and on movie sets. It would be awesome to share in the adventures ... its the pits staying behind ... I am just a little bit envious. Not a nice thing to admit but honest.

I feel somewhat ineffective and abandoned, a comfortable old running shoe that has been replaced with some high tech air sole trainers. Sitting in the closet and collecting dust, oh god I am sliding into a pity party, time to stop.

So on a stronger, less poor me, note ... I guess I need to get going on some of my own adventures so I quit living vicariously through these young martial artists that I admire so much. I will keep you posted.

A month later

So to bring everyone up to date on my requirements, I am back doing pushups, the truck accident I had hurt my left shoulder and neck and I missed a couple of months, catching up is going to be rough but I am doing half my pushups full and the other half the numbers are girly pushups ... this has set me back pretty far.

Sit ups I am doing okay, the accident didn't really impact them at all.

My Tai Chi form is looking alot better but I have not met the requirements I set, although its still improved significantly even if I haven't got the numbers. Good thing I chose this one as it is actually good for an injured back/neck/shoulder. Should have done more ... looking back I can see opportunities that I missed to achieve those numbers. Mentally I have given myself a good swift kick in the pants.

The goals I set for dancing are coming along okay but the smooth dances where you have to stretch and arch were looking pretty lopsided on the left from the accident although they are better now. I have paid the fees etc. for the dance competition that my husband and I are entering in Vegas in October, we signed up for 96 competitive dances in four days ... stage fright (overcoming stage fright another goal) after that run should be a thing of the past. My goal for Silver in dancing may not happen by October (the goal) but I expect to have that done before the end of 2009.

I did compete in the Tiger Challenge for creative forms (another goal) , I really like the form I put together but I was not impressed with my performance of it. I will continue to work on it! I have to give myself a little pat on the back for actually doing it because I dreaded this performance. One small step ...

The biggest hole in my plans is for the leadership project ... I really need to focus on this for the last part of the year ... time is part of the issue ... but certainly not a reason to not do it. I so far have not been able to discover / come up with something that I am passionate about other than my loved ones, kung fu or dancing and how do you take this and make some sort of social impact and inspire others to get on board. I will research ... I will put the thought out there to the cosmos ... I am open to an opportunity.

I miss my girls alot!