taking photos
Originally uploaded by renfield
with mom's camera
slow smooth fast
Can't remember where I first heard it: slow is smooth and smooth is fast.
Maybe it's the heat. And summer holidays so no one is around. Or eating too much BBQ.
Only one dude showed up for class, and it was hot and humid something nasty.
The air-con in the dojo was already running, so I just left it on, making temperature a mildly tolerable 32 degrees or so.
I felt like I didn't have much energy, which probably helped. Moved like molasses, barely any energy in my fingers or arms, and I moved...fluidly. Felt really good; smooth, no jutting corners or edges to catch.
Also spent a long time -- nearly an hour -- on just tsukate. How to put the hands on the sword for the initial draw. Bend boths elbows and move both hands at the same time, but of course the left elbow has to bend more to get the hand on the saya, and the right hand has to move faster to cover more distance in a straight line. Making it one smooth movement, keeping everything still but the lower arms, is key. Staying on the centerline is also key.
Now if I could just figure out what to do after that...
Maybe it's the heat. And summer holidays so no one is around. Or eating too much BBQ.
Only one dude showed up for class, and it was hot and humid something nasty.
The air-con in the dojo was already running, so I just left it on, making temperature a mildly tolerable 32 degrees or so.
I felt like I didn't have much energy, which probably helped. Moved like molasses, barely any energy in my fingers or arms, and I moved...fluidly. Felt really good; smooth, no jutting corners or edges to catch.
Also spent a long time -- nearly an hour -- on just tsukate. How to put the hands on the sword for the initial draw. Bend boths elbows and move both hands at the same time, but of course the left elbow has to bend more to get the hand on the saya, and the right hand has to move faster to cover more distance in a straight line. Making it one smooth movement, keeping everything still but the lower arms, is key. Staying on the centerline is also key.
Now if I could just figure out what to do after that...
36th
Birthday celebration started a bit early. It's The Big Boss' birthday on July 31, and we had a sales guy visiting from Hong Kong so went to dinner in Higashi Yama with sales and trading. Figuring The Big Boss and Posse would end up there, we went to Muse in Nishi Azabu (man eaterz night, always fun) and ended up not getting home until 3:30.
So on my birthday morning, just like on any other morning, at 6am Tonchan jabbed her fingers in my nose and shouted "PAPAPAPAPAPAPA!" to wake me up so that I could make her some cheese toast for breakfast.
Then I piled her into the stroller (with spray bottle of course) and we went to summer school.
Had a reasonably productive day at work prepping for London management updates, then sent the summer interns to get 50 chocolate croissants and 120 Krispy Kremes.
Popped over to the pub to say farewell to our soon-to-be new Sydney COO, and then checked out Indy Jones Crystal Skull late show...dude, aliens? Whatever.
So on my birthday morning, just like on any other morning, at 6am Tonchan jabbed her fingers in my nose and shouted "PAPAPAPAPAPAPA!" to wake me up so that I could make her some cheese toast for breakfast.
Then I piled her into the stroller (with spray bottle of course) and we went to summer school.
Had a reasonably productive day at work prepping for London management updates, then sent the summer interns to get 50 chocolate croissants and 120 Krispy Kremes.
Popped over to the pub to say farewell to our soon-to-be new Sydney COO, and then checked out Indy Jones Crystal Skull late show...dude, aliens? Whatever.
spray bottle attack!
spray bottle attack!
Originally uploaded by renfield
Lately the Tonchabeast's favorite accessory has been this lovely spray bottle, filled with water. With a devilish grin she tears around the house moistening everything in sight, particularly me. I think she especially likes the way I jump and flail like a monkey when she sprays me back as I eat breakfast.
She likes this spray bottle so much she carries it with her in the stroller on our way to school. On the train she cleverly eyes the salarymen and OLs standing around her, just waiting for the chance to blast them with a cool and refreshing spray of ice cold water...actually given this summer heat it would probably be a welcome refresher.
votoms robot
votoms robot
Originally uploaded by renfield
Tonchan is getting over a virus and her fever is down, but now P is feeling sick, so Ton went out to give mom a break. She and I were on our walkabout in the Hills when we spied the "150 Anniversary of Steel" festival. Yeah, I don't know what that is either. But it doesn't matter because they had this 5 meter tall robot specially built just for the occasion. Totally. Excellent.
lime green caddie
lime green caddie
Originally uploaded by renfield
Because if you're going to drive a Caddilac, it might as well be LIME. GREEN.
big turkey!
big turkey!
Originally uploaded by renfield
Tried the Big Turkey from a new sandwich shop near the office. Yes, that is in fact alot of turkey.
boxing
Couldn't get to the dojo at lunch, so I signed up for the evening boxing class. Taught by Asia Pacific Cruiser Weight Champion Ryosuke Takahashi. Besides being a really nice guy whom I've met several times via the dojo, he is the fastest big guy I have ever seen. Or maybe he's the biggest fast guy...
egg bacon burger @ baker bounce in midtown
egg bacon burger @ baker bounce in midtown
Originally uploaded by renfield Went over to the Midtown Clinic to get my nose zit checked (diagnosis: confirmed; it is a big nasty nose zit) and then hit Baker Bounce for a soul-replenishing / artery hardening double-egg bacon red-eye (lean patty) burger. With pink lemonade.
sparta weekend
Three-day weekend thanks to Ocean Day, so we went down to a beach town on the coast of Chiba and...trained for three days. We call it the Sparta Gasshuku. Here's the schedule. It certainly was ot fun, but it was well worth it.
Think I pulled my hamstring, though. Thoroughly not a pleasant feeling, but I'll live.
Think I pulled my hamstring, though. Thoroughly not a pleasant feeling, but I'll live.
how many nuggets can you eat?
how many nuggets can you eat?
Originally uploaded by renfield
The challenge: how many chicken nuggets can you eat in 15 minutes?
The answer: OMFG that is disgusting.
Sent the intern out to get some nuggets. 500 of them.
@ bornelund
@ bornelund
Originally uploaded by renfield
HOT. Like, really really really hot. Summer sucks, man, too hot!
Spent the morning in the kiddie pool on the deck (got a nice sunburn for it, too thanks) then did some walkabout to Roppongi Hills. Randomly bumped into the Smallwoods, had lunch at Bairan newly opened at the hills, met Newman briefly, did some more goofing off, then went to evening practice with a bunch of folks I hadn't seen in a while.
And it was too damn hot all day.
krispy kreme
krispy kreme
Originally uploaded by renfield
It's Friday, and for lack of anything better to do, we sent the intern over to Shinjuku with an order to come back with as many doughnuts as she could carry.
She returned with ten dozen.
Excellent effort, well done.
good samaritan
Managed to leave the office at 7:30 (wow, only a 12-hour work day!) and the weather was awesome; not too hot, low humidity, so I walked to Roppongi Hills.
Passed a couple of obviously lost kids and asked them if they needed help. They were trying to go to Roppongi Hills too so I told them to follow me.
Seems they are three exchange students studying in Nagasaki, up in Tokyo on summer break. Asked what was cool to do in Tokyo so gave them some suggests (Asakusa, Sunday afternoon in Harajuku, sushi brunch in Tsukiji) and led them to their destination.
Then I camped out at the 'bucks and got my read on. Plowed through another chapter of my credit derivs book
, wrote bunches of emailage on the Crackberry, and walked home. A most productive evening.
Passed a couple of obviously lost kids and asked them if they needed help. They were trying to go to Roppongi Hills too so I told them to follow me.
Seems they are three exchange students studying in Nagasaki, up in Tokyo on summer break. Asked what was cool to do in Tokyo so gave them some suggests (Asakusa, Sunday afternoon in Harajuku, sushi brunch in Tsukiji) and led them to their destination.
Then I camped out at the 'bucks and got my read on. Plowed through another chapter of my credit derivs book
, wrote bunches of emailage on the Crackberry, and walked home. A most productive evening.
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