July should be fun

I love summer. Nothing like cycling next to a river across DC for miles to and from work to make you happy. Each day is different. Just last week during a rain shower I saw a rainbow there that was unlike anything I've ever seen.

So July should be fun.

I love Independence Day. Fireworks, grilling, and flags. Whats not to love?

From the 14th to the 18th I've be in NASA funded training learning stuff I want to learn in order to help support NASA more. How fun is that?

From the 21st to the 25th I'll be on vacation. Nothing serious planned, just being at home with my son while the wife is away. We'll cycle, eat junk food, hit the museums, and goof off like only two guys can do. Might see my mom as well, if not my dad.

Good times.

Quick Firefox 3 review

Firefox 3 rocks. Its super fast and as of several days of running it, very stable. All sites show up just fine. I heard there may be a problem on Hotmail, but who uses that garbage anyway when you have gmail?

So please, family and friends who use IE, convert away. No time has been better.

Get FireFox here!

My students take the big test

I teach quite a few teenagers and kids martial arts. Most of it is Tae Kwon Do but I mix in Muay Thai and Kali from time to time. Anyway, seven of my teens are testing this Friday (6/20/2008) for either their apprentice black belt or full black belt. This, for what its worth, is a big deal. Why?

Our school is really rough. It takes 4 - 7 years to get ready to test for black belt here, often leaning to about 6 years. We have high expectations for our students, and at black belt level testing, the students fail about 50% of the time. Compare that to the belt factory schools where you get your black belt in 2 years regardless of your knowledge or skill, but rather based on the fact that you are willing to shell out $750 for a black belt.

Anyway, I'll be there. If you are interested in coming to watch the effort of years of work let me know. Just so you know, this is not a demonstration, and it is not a tournament. This is a grueling test, where for at least the first hour we'll have exhausted the students to see how they perform under duress. So the technique may not look pretty, even if the students can be really impressive when they are fresh.

Cycling in this heat

Riding home it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit and according to weather.com it felt like 101. I've ridden in that before, but yesterday coming home I felt very wiped at the end. So instead of going to the gym I took a shower and languished in our rather chilly basement. So how can I manage this better?

Its not just hydration. I had a carbohydrate heavy breakfast and lunch, which was not ideal. Greens and fish protein seems to work best for me on hot days. So I'm trying to do that today. I'll report later.

New water heater

Late last night we finally finished getting our old water heater replaced. What a difference! Went from 5 minutes of lukewarm water that took many hours to recover to a never-ending stream of scalding goodness. Bonus is that the new water heater is much more energy efficient to boot.

This morning I dragged the kid out of bed and pushed him grumbling into the shower. He was not happy when he woke up and there was resentment in the air. He came out 25 minutes later with a glowing smile on his face and said, "Now I see why you woke me up early."

The simple pleasures are some of the best ones.

Condolences to the Hammers

Over a year ago I started to teach a little boy. He was enthusiastic and his parents were good people. Their kids had discipline, and yet got to be goofy enough that they were well-adjusted. The family just adores Star Wars. Eventually the little boy's sister joined and the fun continued. On the mat they are always smiling, even when I am pushing them or yelling at them.

The kids are great to have in class. The little boy is inventive and energetic. He adds flourishes whenever he can figure out how. I take the little girl and at the age of 4.5 years I have her demonstrate techniques to older kids. She might goof off sometimes but even then she is listening. I've seen the kids overcome fears, meet challenges, get stronger, faster, and learn stuff off and on the mat. They are part of what keeps me coming back to the gym to teach, because it certainly isn't the money. Its the people, and the thought that maybe in some small way my efforts will make a difference in their life.

The parents are not just nice people, but intelligent to boot. They are the sort of people who I wish were around when my son was age six or so. They are the sort of people who are witty but not sarcastic, cheerful but not dangerously so, attendant to details but not petty.

I just found out that the grandmother of the kids just passed away. She had been ill for a long time, so I guess this is a release to her and her family. Yet to lose a parent is something I can't imagine, and losing a best friend was one of the more heart-wrenching experiences of my life.

Anyway, to my knowledge I never met the grandmother, yet I was touched by her. Her daughter, her grandkids, and the man she let her daughter marry are in my life. My prayers are with her and her legacy, the wonderful people who are the Hammers.