It has been hella-hot around the B-more area these past few days--so much so that BCPS(S) has closed summer programs for the past 2 days (I'm not complaining but I don't get paid on the summer days that I don't work) and it has been nice to just have to focus on getting the kid packed for camp. We leave to take him to camp on Saturday & it should be an interesting & fun trip. And then next weekend is Screwpile...more on that later. It will be less than a week that I see my kid--back now from France (he had an amazing time) & off to camp for a month on Saturday...must be nice. I'll miss him but he'll continue to have an amazing summer.
So last night was a Wednesday race evening. And did we race???? No way! Well, mebbe....It was so hot with a spotty breeze--my skipper pulled up in her little runabout powerboat stuffed full of water skis, a board, & a big tube & said that she'd rather swim & ski--how did the crew feel? Some of us were game to race (Xing Fu & myself, along with others who, if pressed may have acquiesced), but we then thought about the downwind leg & decided that perhaps tooling around in a motorboat was far more preferable than bobbing on a hot sailboat for hours. I had brought my suit in anticipation that the race may be called & we'd swim so I was all set..changed on the sailboat & dove in...it was a great evening--team building a bit, a bunch of sailors enjoying an evening on the water. We motored over to the start with our PHRF B flag flying & registered for the race & then went around to our competition hitting them with a watergun. Later, after we'd tubed & skied, as we watched the boats begin to die on the downwind leg as predicted, we decided that for once we'd finish the race in first place. One of our crew got on the water skis & flew the PHRF B flag from his hand as we crossed the finish line & got the gun from the RC. Finally, a first in our class--without the spinnaker!!! We finished the evening at the skipper's house for a bbq. She had brought back pre-mixed Dark n' Stormys from Bermuda--they came in soda cans--very cool & quite good for a pre-done drink. Looking forward to Screwpile & 3 days of craziness on the water with my boat. But it isn't a total loss this week--Xing Fu & I will be racing Friday on a new boat for the AYC Beer Can series. Non-spin, but still racing...
I had a great time on this race. I was on an old Trident from 1964 called Sea Deuce. Very nice people own this boat & they gave me an opportunity to do pretty much whatever I wanted to do: from flying the chute to being on the main sheet. I also took the helm for a while--great experience. I have been so lucky that everyone I've been crewing with have been so great--from my regular Wednesday night folk to my off-shore J-42 crew, the First people who will be back for fall series races, the Catalina 27 fleet & now the Tritons. These racing experiences have all been diverse but all super ways to learn & become a better sailor--I thank everyone!
The one-designs are cool because whoever crosses the line first is the winner--no PHRF time issues. The downside is that the one-designs tend to be at the back of the fleet--the last boats to come in. I couldn't get a t-shirt for this race because they were gone by the time we got to shore. But I did meet a bunch of folk from the sport-boat single day regatta youth fleet (Lasers, Optis, Penguins, Comets, etc.) from Baltimore County--just what I needed to find for my son. After this summer in NC, I really want him to focus on his racing--this is a travel team with coaches & everything--such a great opportunity to hone his racing skills for the future. Dinner was a traditional Eastern Shore summer feast: bbq chickens, fresh white corn, garden tomatoes with Balsamic, potato salad & watermelon. There was a great bluegrass band & until the storms rolled in, it was great fun. I looked up & saw the sky & I knew I needed to get back out to the boat pronto--there was no docking like at Miles--everybody rafted up with their friends or fleet--the Tritons together, the Cals, etc., & there were skiffs to bring everyone back & forth. So I catch a ride & the river starts whipping up into a frenzy--I got soaked. The three Tritons were under motor in case the anchors stopped holding & we needed to move fast. I climbed aboard & watched the light show all around--spectacular.
The picture above is from the morning--crabbers were out, it was calm, & seemed rather idyllic. But we needed to get going for our 10:20 gun. Another fun race back & I must say I truly enjoyed the experience--thanks to the folk on Sea Deuce--you are quality folk!
That morning I checked my emails via phone to learn that I was in fact racing in the Governor's Cup. Big race--70 miles overnight from Annapolis to St. Mary's City--new Governor's seat to the old Governor's seat. Very exciting but runs smack into my trip to Amsterdam. I had committed prior to the trip opportunity so we may have to leave one day later--no worries. Over the next few days I have to prepare for two big events: Gov Cup & Amsterdam--both in less than a week. Gov Cup: off-shore self-inflating life jacket with embedded harness, MOB light, flares, dye, whistle--night racing is no joke. Amsterdam--clothes, passport & drivers' lisense copied, keys made, etc., etc...but I am very excited for both--again, if I were in a serious relationship I most probably would be unable to have the adventures I'm having--I think Karma can be a wonderful thing....
"To advance from one rank to the next, students typically complete promotion tests in which they demonstrate their proficiency in the various aspects of the art before a panel of judges or their teacher. Promotion tests vary from school to school, but may include such elements as the execution of patterns, which combine various techniques in specific sequences; the breaking of boards, to demonstrate the ability to use techniques with both power and control; sparring and self-defense, to demonstrate the practical application and control of techniques; and answering questions on terminology, concepts, history, and so on, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art. For higher dan (black belt) tests, students are sometimes required to take a written test or to submit a research paper in addition to taking the practical test.
Promotion from one dan to the next can take years. The general rule is that a black belt may advance from one rank to the next only after the number of years equivalent to the current rank. For example, a newly-promoted third-degree black belt may not be allowed to promote to fourth-degree until three years have passed. Some organizations also have age requirements related to dan promotions, and may grant younger students pum 품 (junior black belt) ranks rather than dan ranks until they reach a certain age. Black belt ranks usually have titles associated with them, such as "master" and "instructor". Taekwondo organizations have their own rules and standards when it comes to ranks and the titles that go with them."
--Wikipedia
"Little Grasshopper, think of all you know, think inward of all you learned and then beat the shit out of something. Good luck."--Merryfish via FB
I am in a bit of a freak-out mode. In less than 24 hours I am testing for my 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo. I know I'm ready. I know that I've trained for this for quite some time, but I guess I wasn't prepared for the enormity of it. There is a saying that anyone can get their first degree--that they are a dime a dozen so to speak. But once you move beyond that--well, you're in it. A second degree shows commitment, attention to the art, a skill level that means business and in the grand scheme of things fewer people, let alone women, attain beyond that first degree. I'm not saying that there aren't a lot of women out there with 2nd degree or more black belts--but how many do you actually know? I know a few because I practice with them--but there are only 3 of us at my school. That's what I mean by the enormity--it is an accomplishment--if I pass, that is.
I am mentally trying to rid myself of my freak-out--some of my teachers are telling me that I'm over-thinking & that I need to get out of my head. I know I'll need to meditate a bit, write a bit, & call my sister.
