The Usual

As usual, it's been busy around here.  I haven't written due to lack of will, but time. 

Among other things, I am working on my programming and math skills, anticipating the need to get a new job sometime next year.  My marketability is declining, and my pay is outstripping my skill set.  We'll see what God has in store here.  I am conscious always of his provision of my current position—not simply in terms of my employment, but in housing and relationally and so on.

This past weekend—an eternity ago, it feels like—was State Games.  The team did well.  One of the guys who is more reserved and down on himself placed well.  My personal streak of wins there came to an end as the politics reared their head again:  the typical group of judges were there.  D won in open hand form, which was good—he did very well.  He said afterward that he thought they were making up for weapons, in which he didn't place.  (They gave him a consolation bronze after MC complained about him being DQ'd for letting his hand off the stick—this happened all day, of course, and no one else was DQ'd.)  The only real rule at States appears to be that we're not allowed to win with these guys.

We had an internal dustup after the tournament that I need to address.  Hopefully I can do that this evening before I get to MB's.  MC (another) is going to be there to start work with me on a new form in a Chinese system.  He wants to do soft style work with me and have me teach it to D; he'll do the opposite with D:  teach him a hard style form and have him teach me.

Had dinner out for sushi and fun with L.  It was a great night, celebrating another year of olderness.  It was our first night out in a long time with just us.  It was relaxing and good.

I had other things to say...but it's taken me almost two days to write even this much.  I'll check in some other time.