Floors

I'm not sure exactly why that's the subject of the week, except that maybe it has something to do with all the mats I was eating at aikido on Thursday. Sensei made some room for this neophyte and now I am hurting all over—even my neck is sore.

This was a busy week, but in a good way. I'm doing to maintenance visits at the back quack, which means that I'm only there once a week. It's such a big difference compared to going three times per week! I was going nuts last March because of how many adjustments I had to make to my schedule to get there and back.

So it's nice to get away from that.

Work has calmed down considerably since last week. My TODO list is considerably smaller, and I've been able to make some progress on some other projects I'm working on. I fixed so many build-related things it's not even funny, and I added on more than a few pages of documentation. All in all, a pretty productive week. I also dorked out with jython, which has let me do some very easy tests with our Java runtime. Very cool stuff, actually, if you're into that sort of thing.

This was one of the first predictable weeks of work in a long time, though everything kind of exploded into insanity yesterday.


Yesterday was also a karate test and black belt promotions, which was exciting. (As an aside, don't forget your belt when you're being promoted. Just don't.) There's a certain something about that day and the brief ceremony, the confirmation that you're really where you're supposed to be. One of the things about the black belt test is that we really strive to make black belts before the test, so that the 28-hour baptism is just the proper response.

There's a confirmation in seeing the belts go on that is eminently satisfying; and it's so neat to see how people respond to it—both the promoted and their new juniors.

I proctored the red belts, and I think I may have blown out my throat. It was pretty insane; we do our tests in the school gymnasium, and the acoustics are terrible. And S has the resonance of an opera singer. I deluded myself for a moment that I had matched him on one of his yells. But I didn't.

But it was the loudest I've been in a VERY long time. Maybe ever.


Afterward, I hung out with the crew and then came home a little early. Just in time to see South Florida UPSET WEST VIRGINIA. Which was awesome.

Today should be relatively boring until 8 PM or so, when OSU plays Minne-soda in the Metrodome. Exciting times ahead, but fortunately a bit of rest. I am well cared for.