Don't Tread on Emma

 

Perhaps you'll remember a little item in this blog from a while back, telling of the Aikido test in which Emma advanced from blue belt to brown. An achievement, certainly, but it left one more color (or is that the absence of all color?) for her to work toward.

Two weeks ago, she had her chance. By then, she had progressed to second kyu (mid-level brown) and was asked to test. The yudansha (black belts) acknowledged in advance that she might do so well as to join their ranks, but that would require her to move up two levels — by no means a certain thing. If she didn't have sufficient ki (or "schwartz," as Mel Brooks might say), she could always be promoted to first kyu (highest-level brown), and no shame in that.

The day arrived — the Friday of a week in which she had already endured four midterm exams. Talk about stress! That afternoon she and I cleared the furniture out of the living room and practiced all manner of attack and defense, just to warm her up.

And, finally, the test itself. She was great! I know that the fellow flying through the air in the photograph would agree.

If you remember that earlier blog entry, you'll remember it said that the yudansha sit in a line in a corner of the dojo, the better to judge everything the test-taker does. So, an added wrinkle: As a fairly new recipient of a black belt, I was one of them, sitting in judgment on Emma. It's possible I was more nervous than she was. When she had done all she would do, the yudansha had gathered to confer, and it came my term to comment, I began by saying, "I might be a little biased...." And it was quickly decided that that was all I would be allowed to say; I was given a pass.

The others, however, loved her performance, and so she is now Sho Dan — first-level black belt!

Law and Order, SVU

Did anyone see last week's episode? Elliot's mother lived on "Long Beach Island".

More brushes with fame

Today I took Cher to Gloucester, where I was photographed for a tourism brochure, sailing in a picture perfect postcard of autumn in New England. Perhaps someday I will see it and be able to share it with you. For now, this photo of They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships will have to do.

The whole story: Rosemary wanted to go up and see her (liberal cool) cousin Teri who lives in Gloucester and Teri agreed to show us where I could put my boat in while they took the dog for a walk on the beach. So she took me to Annisquam where there was an inlet not much wider than the lagoon we all love to navigate. So off i went, downwind where I noticed a man on the shore taking numerous photos of me. I hope he got my Red Sox knit cap in the photo (wait till next year!).

Before long I came upon a footbridge spanning the inlet with no way to get through. The photographer had made his way to the bridge and was still snapping away. Rosemary and Teri appeared on the bridge also, apologizing for the error. This is when they found out why the guy was taking photos. So I tacked back to where I had put in, against a mighty tidal current, which was tricky. Teri had this to say: "Sorry, but I'm not a sailor so I didn't know!"

Next she took me to various ocean beaches. No, that won't work either, waves crashing against rocks ala the Maine coast... I explained I needed something a little more protected than that.

The lightbulb went off and she took me to a road that dead ended on a tiny beach right on Gloucester Harbor. Perfect!!

Nobody sails there anymore.

It's too crowded.

Post-Debate

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