This & That

Another Aikido Test: My turn! I told you about Emma’s test, but last Wednesday I stood at the shomen. It’s a blur. The salient point was being asked to do hanmi handachi (you’re on your knees, but your attacker is on his feet and fully mobile). I hadn’t practiced it in quite some time, but I knew that there’s a built-in advantage: The attacker has to come down to you, so you’ve automatically got him off balance. Of course, Sensei knew how to take that away: After some standard attacks, he said, “Ok, kick him.” Aaaaahhhhh!

But it all worked out. I didn’t get hurt (neither in the physical sense nor in the embarrassment sense), and I did advance two levels. I’m still a brown belt, but I’m at the highest level you can be without being black. If you’re at all interested in seeing pictures of this august event, go to http://www.sneakyfeetaikido.com/, then click on the Pictures link, and then on the Dave’s 1st Kyu Exam link (all the way at the bottom).

Your Government at Work: I received a letter from the IRS (be still my heart!). Gradually, I worked up the nerve to open it. “We changed your account,” it informed me. “The nerve!” I responded, although not out loud. Turns out they chose to investigate my 2004 tax return and discovered that I owed — gasp! — 86 cents.

Really. They sent me a letter to tell me that a two-year-old tax return was off by 86 CENTS.

They (And why “they”? They called themselves “we,” but the IRS is one thing, an “it”) concluded that the amount was too small to be considered, and ended their letter thus: “Please don’t send a payment.”

Ok.

As seen on Rt. 6 on Cape Cod

It's gotta count for something!

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You Gotta Love New York

So . . . a week ago we were in sunny San Diego. A week later and it's snowing in New York. And it's not one of those beautiful December 'winter-wonderland' kind of snow storms - actually, it's pretty much slushing outside. Things are kind of slow in the office (as most brokers are cancelling meetings due to the weather), so I decide to go to lunch at one of my favorite local Tribeca restaurants - for a sandwich and some time to read (a history of the fall of Constantinople called "1453 - The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West" by Roger Crowley, if anyone's interested). I sit down at the bar - and of course the barman has read the book. So there we are, talking about Byzantine history until the next patron sits down - a guy (early 20's, grungy like a snowboarder, just finished college) visiting from San Diego. And not just San Diego, but from Carlsbad no less. A gradute of Carlsbad High (by the way - I hear that San Diegito is a pretty good school). And - gosh - you'll never guess what state his parents came from before moving to California. I thought about asking him if he had ever put Ho-Ho's in the refrigerator . . .

Kathy Kovler Cleared!

It was Caroline who put the Ho Hos in the refrigerator!!

San Diego 10 Day Weather Forecast

Sunny (& Cher)....daytime temps: upper 60's to low 70's