Weeks 4 & 5...ugh

I have been very absent from kung fu, and everywhere actually, last week and it seems like I will be for a while longer. I am extremely sick right now, after waiting for my test results most of the week it was confirmed on Friday that I have cryptosporidium. Sounds wonderful right? Think of the worst stomach flu you've had in your life and up the cramps by 100%, then pretend it's been going on for 11 days. Yuck.

So it's a protozoa and I got it from working in the isolation ward with sick calves. So this thing has to run it's course, antibiotics don't do anything,. The problem is I can hardly eat or drink, I've lost 20lbs in ten days. Honestly I'm feeling scared to lose more weight and that this is never going to end. I'm so weak that walking to the bathroom from my bed leaves me breathless and my heart racing. I've gone to the hospital for IV fluids a couple of times now which helps, I just wake up every day hoping today is the day I'll feel better. I've been able to keep up with reading the blogs at least. I know this is all really gross and I wasn't going to post about it but I don't want to fall behind in journalling and this is whats going on right now. So that's where I am everyone, I don't know when I'll be back, hopefully I turn a corner here soon.

Week 3

I found it hard to keep motivated this week, I wasn't able to make to it any classes at all. Also it's FREEZING out! I'm still not able to practice anything with my spear outside of the kwoon. I was able to keep up with my situps and acts of kindness and my diet tracking, although after a couple of busy days not writing things down and those numbers are lost. I don't have much to say, just going to keep plugging along over here. It's getting to be the busy season at work- calving season. I'm hoping this won't keep me late to often. See you all Friday.

Week 2

I wish I was better at writing. I don't mind blogging weekly, but I find it hard to write down thoughts in a way that makes sense. I am trying to write down blog post ideas if they come to me this year, I have spent considerable time in the past few years staring at this computer screen wondering what to write about, as I'm sure most of you have too. At the meeting on the 8th part of the discussion was the  Benevolent Foundation and Ms. Fuhr asked what it was. I wrote down a note in the meeting based one what Sifu Brinker was saying about how it isn't necessarily about the charities and the money we raise, but how it changes US. Empathy training is only successful if the student actually feels empathy, makes a connection of some kind. I think that is where we are failing, not making those connections. It got easy for me working with so many SCARS animals at work, you can't not be moved by seeing a starving dog wolf down it's first meal in who knows how long, or watching an abused animal recover from it's wounds. I don't know how, but I want us all to take it onto ourselves to make a connection to our charities, make it personal. If we are supposed to be inspiring the school to raise 20,000 we need to be inspired ourselves. I think one of our down falls has been waiting to long to get this going, if anyone has any ideas about ways to bring this to the school, maybe has a talent with putting together a video or something, we should talk. How cool would it be to make this year the year we do this?

Week One

I forgot to cut and paste last weeks blog to the team site, whoops. It's been a good first week of Year of the Horse, I have become a convert to Sifu Brinker's method of getting my sit-ups done first thing. My day can often go awry from what has been planned and it is a relief to have that done at least. I'm having some trouble practicing spear in the house, crossing my fingers for warmer weather! It's easy getting in my km's walking the dog, although the weather is slowing down us there too a bit, the dog just isn't hairy enough for this climate.

One of my goals this year was to learn better time management. I'm often not home until 9 at night and it's easy for my responsibilities at home to get way behind, plus just doing mom stuff like talking to the kids, making their lunches etc. So far making sure everyone's lunches are made the night before and having at least 2 dinners prepped on the weekend has made a noticeable difference. Being part of the I Ho Chuan team keeps you BUSY as all returning members know, and I don't think I've ever successfully found a really good sustainable balance. I'm hoping this will be the year! See you all Friday.

New Year

Chinese New Year was amazing last night. It felt extra special this year, I don't know if it was because I wasn't a part of it the year before or what, but it was great.
I'm excited to start on new goals this year, at the same time I don't know if all I've set out for myself is really achievable. Actually I had second guessed myself to the point that I told Sifu Brinker I couldn't do it and that he could give my spot to someone else. If you've been in Sifu Brinker's office you know that it is somehow connected to another universe where everything he says makes 100% sense and all your reasonable arguments disappear, and so I'm on the team. Not that I'm sorry, Sifu Brinker was right and I can't wait to get going with the year. I hope that I can hang on to the feeling we had last night through this year and keep it in front of me through the tough parts of this coming year. Happy year of the Horse!

Nov. 18

I've been guilty of not blogging last week, my computer is disconnected because of renos in my house and I hate using my phone and the tiny keyboard. Still not connected so I'm going to keep this short. Thought a lot about the candidates running in all that snow this weekend, it's amazing how much snow we can get in one night. I got to say hi to our adopt a driveway person, Mrs. Chalifoux, what lovely lady. She always bakes us something and is so grateful for what we do. Makes those sore shovelling muscles feel worth it. All this snow is a great chance for acts of kindness, shovelling, pushing people's cars out of snowbanks and icy intersections.
Adrien was in Halifax all week so life was hectic and Fridays bad driving conditions from westlock kept me from classes, I hope that doesn't happen too often this winter.

Nov. 3

During the meeting this Saturday I thought of all kinds of things I'd blog about but now that I'm writing I can't think of any of them. I am guilty of blogging a lot about things unrelated to kung fu, so I will try to be more on track from now on.
I have been thinking of black belt grading lately, mostly because it's coming up quick for those grading, but also because it makes me think of my I Ho Chuan experience. I think that the most challenging thing for me preparing for my own grading was coming up with 5 original techniques. I have always felt that I lacked creativity in this area, and honestly my techniques were terrible. I felt the same dread thinking of making up my own form, especially with a weapon. Finally coming up with something that got approved by Sifu Brinker was really awesome. I think that has been the high point of this year for me. Dragon dance has also been something I didn't think I would be that into but has turned out to be great. I thought that our Tiger challenge performance went really well and a special thanks to Sifu Wetter for holding me up for so long, and also kick him in the legs a million times while we practiced. I'm looking forward to seeing where we go from here.