Karate Test

We had our big karate test for the yellow belts, and it was a really fun night. I had some concerns about people not showing up because it was not their test, though I think it’s a nice show of support to come and at least help out. I’ve been to class when testing was going on and was asked to spar or help out, and I personally think it’s the right thing to do. I can tell you one thing, if A’s buddy was testing, she’d want to go to class to show her support, but I’ll leave it at that.

Anyway, as expected, turnout was a little sparse, but P&EC came, and I was happy to see them since they really did not have to come. Of course, Master H and CH were there, and the kids testing. I think A was a little nervous but very excited, and she’s learned to turn that bit of anxiety into a an adrenaline rush and makes the experience all that much more enjoyable. I think that’s something performing artists live for.

It was nice because R came along since it was A’s test, and she got to watch A in action, which is a lot of fun to see. The kids are really cute in their little gis and their sparring gear. They are so earnest but have a lot of fun. Master H is also a seasoned photographer (and a poet), so he has a nice camera, and since R has an interest in photography, they immediately clicked on talking shop. He let her use his camera freely to take pics, and I think R really enjoyed it. Plus, she had the privilege of conversing with Master H, who not only has a lot of amazing stories (two tours of Vietnam and maximum security prison guard), but is incredibly funny and loves children. What an amazing guy.

The test went fine, some mistakes were made, but nothing glaring, and in the end, Master H wants the kids to pass, the point is not to let them fail. He is so thoughtful and supportive that way. The other person who was supposed to test did not feel up to it, so she put off testing until the next time, which was fine. However, the test and overall class were on the short side, so we ended early and got to gobble up the treats.

We brought along cookie bars, and gave the rest to the senseis to take home. What is really nice about testing is all the pomp and circumstance. The board stands in front and presents the belts and certificates, and the kids get a huge thrill over it all. Master H takes a bunch of pics of the testees, and it usually ends up in one of the local papers, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for that.

A is beaming that she has her belt, and she got an official patch for her gi. I had an extra one that I was happy to give to her, but she wanted to earn hers, as she did, which makes the reward that much sweeter.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to RC for the pic.

New Dumpling Wrapper Source

One of the many stumbling blocks that we encountered in our many adventures of dumpling making was finding the darn ingredients. Fresh local veggies were only available at certain times of the year, and beef required a bit of a jaunt over to Pomfret. Market sources of beef were unreliable, but one of the biggest hassles was getting the wrappers.

We went to the local Asian market but they weren’t always open when they said they’d be, the never seemed to answer their phone, and on some occasions, they were out. Needless to say, this left us in a bit of a bind, because we needed those wrappers.

Well, I happened to be shopping at Stern’s, and noticed that someone was buying the very same dumpling wrappers. I looked in the cooler, and sure enough, they carried them, and they were cheaper. I asked the owner if they could get cases, and she said they could.

Now, we have to decide if we’re going to keep doing this, but this is definitely a development in a positive direction, maybe even a sign?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to lekyu for the pic.

Test Preparation

This is going to be A’s big karate test, and I had two concerns. One, that not enough people would show up. Now I’ve been in class when one kid tested and I was the only other person there besides Master H, and of course, the kid’s mom. Nobody else showed up, but Master H wanted this boy, who had been in the class for awhile, to get the belt he had studied so hard for. So we had the test, and I helped out. When people know it’s going to be a test, it doesn’t really apply to them, so they feel like they don’t need to attend.

To some extent this is true, but it is also nice to show up to support your friends, but also to help out with sparring or other test procedures. I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt: if A’s friend was testing for a belt, she would want to be there to show her support.

Either way, I wasn’t sure who was going to show up. My second concern involved the “Martha Stewart with the Kung Fu grip” side of me. When we’ve tested in the past, EC’s mom has always brought these amazing brownies that are the stuff of legends. This test was not going to involve EC, so there was no reason to think that she would make them. I wasn’t even sure if EC was going to show up because it wasn’t his test.

So many worries, so little time.

Anyway, with the belief that it is always better to regret what you have done than what you haven’t done, I had to once again take action and make treats for the test. I was willing to let R take the credit so either Master H or CH wouldn’t think I was a sissy, but it might be too late for that.

The day of the test, I literally slaved over a hot stove in the name of karate. I made cookie bars for the class, cookies (low glycemic) for us at home, and then I made R’s bread because I hate cooking just one thing in the oven at a time. On top of that, I had to make dinner, as well.

I think Martha would be proud, and I was glad to have all of our bases covered. Now we have to wait and see who shows up.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to RC for the pic.

Solstice Celebration

One of the millions of things I love about living up here, besides the night life, is that people really celebrate the seasons, but not in a flaky way like in the town I grew up in. Acknowledging the seasons is a way of life when you live in a rural community, because historically, so much revolves around the weather. They manage to turn it into a celebration. You gotta love your pagan rituals.

Case in point, the Winter Solstice. There are numerous events up here where people get together and take part in some sort of pagan ritual, with lots of singing, food and drink, and usually a big bonfire. Our neighbors at the flower farm throw one every year, and the first year we went, we didn’t realize what a big to-do it actually was. In fact, we had heard that there was just going to be a bonfire, which we couldn’t pass up, but when we got there, they had this amazing spread of food and an incredible array of desserts. I was floored, and felt bad that I hadn’t brought anything, though I gave KJ a bottle of wine the next day.

This time, I came prepared with bottle in hand. The party is really nice, the food is amazing, though I sensed this year the turnout was small. Granted, we got there late, but last year there were tons of people inside, and then they all gathered around the fire to hang out and warm up, and they seemed to linger for hours. This year, there were may 10 people around the fire, though the flames had petered out, and again, it was later.

I do know that the Peony Festival that they hold was poorly attended last year, a fact that really concerns them and makes me feel terrible. I don’t know why people in this town are not more supportive of their efforts, but I’m sure there’s a story in there somewhere. I wish I could be more helpful, because they are great people, we feel lucky to have them as neighbors, and their events are fabulous and so well done.

They also indicated that the they want to re-think their business model because the retail flower industry is not ideal, so it could be the end of such events. This is tragic, but you do what you have to do.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Michael Grunow for the pic.

Birthday Swim

Talk about taking a dive (literally and figuratively) for your kids, I took them to a swimming party and even though I was sick with bubonic plague, I still jumped into the drink. I realize I’m an over-protective, helicoptering neurotic parent, but I felt bad for N. The party was really for bigger kids, and he ended up swimming all by himself while the big kids were playing, of all things, water basketball. I stayed on the sideline like a good parent and simply watched, but at some point, I had to take action.

I went over and asked N if he wanted to go with me to play basketball with the big kids, and he immediately said yes. So I jumped into the water and immediately regretted it, because even though it was warm, I was cold. Eventually I warmed up and was fine.

As we played the game, I helped N out with his shots, sometimes lifting him up, but mostly giving him an anchor to take the shots. Actually, there were two girls there who were friends with the birthday girl that were not only outstanding players, but they were super nice, and went out of their way to include N. They always passed it to him. I was grateful, and man could those girls shoot. They made every shot.

Since I was the towering figure amongt the bunch, I got the rebounds and passed to the girls or N. As time passed, I simply rebounded and gave it to whatever team was in possession of the ball, thus making me the universal offensive center.

Best of all, after about half an hour of play, the kids went for cake and ice cream, and when they went back in to play, N didn’t need me anymore. He simply jumped in with the big kids and I got to sit on the sideline and read the latest issues of Martha Stewart Living. When in Rome, as the saying goes.

The party was nice, a last minute deal, but I’m glad the kids had fun, and that N was able to integrate. I know I should have simply stayed out of it, but I couldn’t sit back and watch. I’ll pay the price one day, but it’s okay if I suffer for sins as long the kids are healthy and having fun.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Allie Hylton for the pic.

Christmas Shopping and Chinese Lead Belly

We were doing our consumer duty and we hit W. Leb, the shopping capital of the Upper Valley Universe. It generally involves horrible traffic, parking nightmares, and malls. In fact, I was expecting traffic to be ugly, but lucky for us, it wasn’t so bad. I was relieved. Of course, we had a plan.

We needed to get a birthday present, and while we were at it, there were assorted gifts to buy for assorted individuals, not to mention some practical matters.

We had to stop at Auto Zone to get a headlight bulb for our car. I had replaced the passenger side light less than a month ago, and lo and behold, the driver side just went out. How’s that for timing? Of course, like the scatter-brained loser that I am, I forgot the darn jump box that I needed to return. It’s a pain getting out to W. Leb, and and even bigger pain simply being there, so it’s best to get everything done in one shot, if you can plan properly. Oh well, looks like we’ll going back.

Anyway, we headed over to Walmart’s neglected cousin, Kmart, and got the necessary presents, and then had to get some pics made at Walgrenes. For the record, they do a really good job at making prints. They’ve improved their system so they upload much more quickly, and the print quality is outstanding. However, our order wasn’t ready by the time they said it would be, so they lose a few points on that front, but not many.

From Walgrenes, we grabbed a bite to eat at a Chinese take-out restaurant. This was an interesting experience. We never eat Chinese food, it’s too heavy and clearly not good for you, but it sure is cheap. My friend had heard of a health inspector who examines restaurants and he said the only Chinese restaurant he would eat it was this one. It’s called Men at Wok. Funny name.

We went in and it was as you would expect any Chinese take-out to be. The prices were reasonable, the portions huge. We chowed down, and were excited to get fortune cookies. Of course, about an hour later, I began to feel like I just ate a cord of wood, my stomach was so stuffed, and I realized why we don’t eat a lot of Chinese food. The stuff is just too heavy, not to mention salty and greasy. I had a headache, too.

So we probably won’t be eating Chinese food in a awhile, though I liked the place, and the guy working there was nice.

After food, we went got our pics, then headed home. We had about one hour before we had to go the birthday party, and then, after that, to the solstice celebration at our neighbor’s house. How’s that for a crazy holiday schedule.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Gisela Royo and Linnell Esler for the pic.

Re-thinking the Dumplings

Boy, if you asked me a week ago what I thought about doing dumplings next year, I’d have told you that I’d rather have needles stuck under my fingernails. However, since the last market, I have to confess that we’re kind of re-thinking that stand.

After all, needles under the fingernails is a pretty gruesome thing.

People have been asking about them, and the fact is, we had a reasonably popular product that people did appreciate. It was just the work that killed us.

With this in mind, we’re trying to come up with a plan to make it all more plausible. No concrete ideas at this point, but I’m hoping we can come up with something to make the Grateful Dumpling ride again.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to arte_ram for the pic.