Save a tree, shoot a forester.

I don’t have boots made from horned lizards, or eat burrowing owl omelets.  I don’t throw rocks at whooping cranes, and would probably think twice about hitting a dodo bird with my car. But...

I am a Forester.  I have cut down forests.  I have burned countless litres of diesel fuel transporting the logs to the mill.  I have powered kilns and saws with vast emissions. I have pounded those trees into pulp using noxious chemicals.  I have bleached the product white as snow, and packaged it in spiffy oil product plastic to catch your eye.

You have decided to use ten sheets, when four would do in the bathroom stall.

I am a forester...and you complete me.

This week, think of putting me out of business.  Make choices that are based on need rather than demand.

An Epic Battle With The Knapster!

-I won’t push a grandma out of the way to get further in the line up for an I-Phone 5.

-terabyte is something I do on a tough steak.

-A hard drive is two boys buckled in the back seat and only one superhero action figure.

-My wife is the oracle when I need to play a beta tape.

-It may be a smart phone, but can it ride a bicycle?  Wait a minute... neither can I.

-Google, twitter, blog. After paying a handsome fee, those are the parts my mechanic said he fixed in my car.

I like welding, fixing and building on most things.  I really like seeing talented craftspeople in a well renovated kwoon, and quality workmanship like that of a glass dragon.  I appreciate a nice car for what components it’s made of.  That would fall in the classical understanding in relation to Pirsig’s definition.  But some things, I just like the shiny good looking exterior.  That is until it fails to print in which it is hucked off the back deck or dropped out the second story window. 

I am kind of a person that is torn between classical and romantic understanding.  Unfortunately, when it comes to computers, and the myriad of technologies associated with it, the balance is tipped towards the romantic understanding.  I follow it because the exterior shows promise, its overall concept is shiny and romantic.  The components and programs and processes that make this technology what it is, make my eyes gloss over faster than a class of high level calculus.

Public journaling has been a challenge for me to say the least. Turning the computer on when it is something of little interest to me is tough.  However, being away from the kwoon, I can’t emphasize the importance of the team member’s journals to keeping me on track.  I read every journal of every team member.  Every entry has importance to me while I am away.  I can learn a little bit about the people that are contributing to my successes, and relate to the experiences they encounter.  It is motivation and encouragement.  This is why I journal.  If the journaling tool is this significant to me, then it may be significant to other members of the team as well.

If you are considering skipping your journal entry this week, or maybe catching up down the road, please think of me.  Your journal entry is not flying into a cyberspace black hole. It is being read by me and every word is important for my success.

Anyway, I guess I will wrap this entry up before my computer breaks its Android again.

Smiles are Free

Two days ago was the first time in my life I have watched the sun rise, and watched the sun set in the same day.  It was pretty neat.  I am a person that strongly believes in the power of positive influence to life longevity.

Weird things that made me smile in the last 2 weeks:

-On his first day of kindergarten, my son telling my wife she should really leave the classroom now.

 -Deep dark rain clouds mixed in with intense sunsets.  

-Flying.

-Johnny Horton on the radio while driving to the mountains.

-Untangling my kids fishing lines.

-Catching a salamander and moving it off the work site. (I haven’t seen a salamander since I was a kid!)

-Old barns in wheat fields

-Two ravens having a conversation on a roof top.

I find it is easy to focus on the things more tangible to maintain health and happiness.  Diet and exercise always take the forefront in my life.  More importantly though, health of mind.  Being involved in the martial arts we know how important the mind is in controlling the body.  Presence of mind determines completing 50 push-ups or completing 500 in a day.  It’s the difference between breaking a knuckle and snapping a board.  Presence of mind affects health in a big way. Staying positive, taking joy in things you pass by every day will mean a healthier lifestyle. 

If you are conscious of them, there are a million things that you pass by everyday that will affect your presence of mind in a positive light.  Positivity breeds positivity.  Surrounding oneself with other individuals of positive presence of mind is important to me, and important to maintaining a strong mindset.  It is partially why I joined the I Ho Chuan in the first place. In the presence of engaged individuals, I will be a stronger individual.  In the presence of positive engaged individuals, I will be stronger in body, but also in mind and spirit.

 

In the I Ho Chuan we are expected to show leadership, and make positive advancements in our lifestyle.  Positive advancements seldom come from negative leadership regardless of engagement.  Expecting results under continual criticism, anger, disappointment, won’t inspire the school and our community or cause the changes we wish to see.  I believe we should be inspiring for more than our accomplishments, but also for our strong positive presence of mind.   

Make hay while the sun shines

 This week has been stressed more than ever for time.  I am not sure why but lately we are always facing weather that is threatening a shutdown, so it is a period of time when we are making hay while the sun shines.  A lack of time has really affected me.  I have not had the opportunity to follow the journals of the other students as well as all that is going on with the team and kwoon through the various emails over the last renovation week.

I have been struggling for the first time on the most basic of my requirements, including the pushups and situps which were previously never a real problem for me.  I seem to be falling a bit behind on a few fronts and furthermore can’t seem to keep up with the additional challenges and other goals that are floating in from the team members.

While I appreciate the enthusiasm of additional challenges I am really going to focus on what I can tackle from my original goals.  Getting those back in order is important for me right now.  

Destination: Who cares?

I am currently chipping through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.  I read this last year, and it was an interesting read.  I am finding the second go around more enjoyable, I am less confused knowing the direction the author is going.  After finishing this the first time, I was a little bewildered on how this related to an inquiry of values at all.  It certainly did not turn me into a motorcycle mechanic; that is for sure.  But reading this the second time is comforting, and I have much more understanding.  

As I fly home on a rain day, I plan on taking the kids out camping.  A day isn’t much time to get to the mountains, especially when tenting with two little kids on a forecasted rainy day.  The trick is making the destination the excuse, and making the car trip, camp set up, and packing the holiday. Using all the senses, sight, smell, feel, hear.  It may not be on the back of a motorcycle, but it will do.

So under high anticipation, I have loaded the last of the gear, all the kids, and the computer is getting turned off. 

Here are my numbers

Most of you know I am working out town for the last few months.  You may have forgotten what I look like.  Well here is the bitter truth of my numbers.  Go easy on me, I know I haven’t been easy on myself:

Pushups:25,200

Situps: 25,200.  This was due to this last week push because I was really behind on these.  I find situps less convenient to do anywhere.  At least they are caught up to now.

Nunchuk Form: 352 repetitions I included practice minutes as well. Three minutes per logged repetition.

Kempo Form:  151 repetitions – Ouch!

Sparring minutes: 380 minutes – zero in the last 3 months.  Most everything was logged in sparring class prior to my depart.

1609 kilometers: 847km – running, walking, a bit of cycling.

1000 acts of kindness: 720.  My favorite- told a teenager outside the 7-11 that smoking will affect his health.  I don’t think he saw this as an act of kindness though.  A close second was moving a displaced vole off the worksite.  Probably not an act of kindness for the farmer however!

Mend a relationship: Complete.

Maintain a public journal:  So far so good.

Maintain an online presence:  This needs work.

Learn to lion dance:  Not complete

Compete in Tiger Challenge:  Present for the wee hours of the morning at the Pandamonium event.  I think this qualifies as a public performance as well, but not sure.

Public Four board break:  Not complete

Personal goals: Swim front crawl five lengths of the pool (without water wings or pool noodle)- Not complete

Complete 2 chosen readings: Complete

Pass grade ten level test in Spanish: Incomplete, and not going well to be honest.

Finish illustration of tiger in the grass: Incomplete

Complete a website and raise money for charity death race: Complete

Run a leg in the death race:  Complete

No Quitting:  Absolutely not.  No matter how dismal the numbers are looking.

Thanks to those that have been offering so much of themselves to help the rest of us strugglers.  I keep tabs on every team members blog and this has been a real positive.  When I am at home (which I can count the days on one hand), I am at the Kwoon.  When I am not working, doing paperwork, eating or sleeping, I am putting towards my requirements.  I have found the last three months, extremely hard to get the time.

Post Death Run

First off thanks to everyone on there best wishes for the death race run this year.  It was most encouraging to hear your support.

Thanks also to Ms. Csillag, Sifu Regier, Sihing Regier for making the event AWESOME!  Couldn't ask for a better group of people to tackle the task.  Everyone gave it their all as true martial artists and it really showed.  Also to Mr. Regier and Mr. Regier (Jr's) you guys did spectacular!

Also thanks to Mr. Csillag and Ms. Krebs for the organization and mega support out there!  It was very much appreciated.

"Be Impressive".  That was the slogan pasted on the death race T-shirt this year.  What did that exactly mean?  This was a loaded slogan.  Prior to the race I took this slogan and felt it's meaning to show every spectator and fellow racer an effort that is worthy of a Silent River Student.  That was good!  This is perfect! Run when others are walking, breath properly when others are gasping, show compassion to struggling runners.

But, when the reality hits halfway up the mountain, and you like every other runner is gasping for air, walking alongside everyone else, and casually step over that piece of garbage like hundreds before you, "Be impressive" tends to lose it's luster.

This Death Race is like life compressed into 24 hours!  Dehydration, physical exhaustion, hunger, chemical imbalance, and a diet of concocted performance liquids and energy bars just makes the time warp to the "I don't give a $#%# phase faster.

Aha!  That is what "Be impressive" means. A life commitment to the extraordinary.  Not just going through the motions when things are easy.  The fella that runs solo and finishes 125km in 13 hours is less impressive than 71 year old "Dag" who did not make it past leg three, because Dag is not blessed with youth, yet he overcomes greater odds because of his commitment to being extraordinary.

Now that I wrote that, you would think that I adhere by it, however it is a great deal easier to say than it is to follow.  Looking back on the race, "Be Impressive" soon forced me to answer the question.  Did I impress myself during the run this year.  Well strictly looking at the numbers, no.  I did however show progression in other forms that I am proud of.  I thought about the well being of the team and did not rush down technical trails where Sketchy and Dodgy (right and left knee respectively) could end the teams effort for a finish.  I overcame countless battles of mind and body and ran where five years ago I would have walked.  While my training was an abomination this year, and physically I was disappointed in myself for the lack of commitment to putting more time on the trails, I have progressed in mindset.  My focus was very strong through the race and I was pleased with that.

So with that, I guess I am pleased in certain aspects with my progression, but certainly realize there is work to be made.  With any luck I will be blessed with many more years of Kung Fu and death racing; ever searching for a life that is "impressive".