The Perfect Husband

“In a happy marriage it is the wife who provides the climate, the husband the landscape.” Gerald Brenan, historical writer

 

The smile:

My children as well as my nieces and nephews have been bought up as my siblings and I. Our parents did the same as well as earlier generations. We sit around kitchen tables, camp fires, coffee counters and driveways. If you are from the South, I know you know what I mean. I suspect every region has a version of what I am saying. We congregate when in circles and groups to tell stories, swap gossip and laugh with the people we care the most.

It was like any average afternoon at our family home place, Saddle Ridge. Cattle could be seen grazing on a far hillside. Waterfowl swam lazily on the lake. My mother sat at one end of the table with my brother and I on either side. We all took slow draws from our coffee cups as we laughed about years passed, recent hurdles and hopes not yet realized. Occasionally one of the kids would sit with us. The moment at hand it was two of the teenagers, my niece, Abby, and my daughter, Shiloh. The topic was marriage.

Abby, who is as beautiful as the morning sun on the Tennessee River and country as saw mill gravy, described her perfect man. She said. “He has to funny and smart. He has to keep up on what’s happening in the world, so we can have something to talk about. Oh yea, and sing. I like to sing. He’ll have to sing and play music.  Most of all no running around. He will have to stay home at night….” She sat quietly in thought to make sure she hadn’t missed anything.

Shiloh thought for a second as well before adding “Abby, you don’t want a man. You want a television.”

 

The ponder:

How can we know when we find the perfect mate or even can we know? Does our idealistic view of ourselves sometimes  get in the way of us meeting someone that we are truly compatible?

 

The Fudoshina Challenge:

 

Exercise	reps/ goal
Straight Punches	700 / 2000
Knuckle Push-ups	435/2000
Olymipic sit-ups	435/2000
Squat kicks	435/2000
Front kicks	250/2000
Side kicks	125/2000
Back kicks	125/2000
Upper blocks	500/2000
Downward blocks	500/2000
Inward blocks	500/2000
Outward blocks	500/2000

Money for nothin'

“For pleasures past I do not grieve, nor perils gathering near; my greatest grief is that I leave nothing that claims a tear” Lord Byron

 

The smile:

I was breaking down from a cooking demonstration when an elderly gentleman engaged me in conversation. He told me he began as a short order cook in a small greasy spoon, where he married the owner’s daughter. “Now,” he told me, “I own 12 family diners based on the same style food I cooked when I started.”

“That is amazing,” I replied. “I guess it shows you where hard work will get you.”

He smiled slyly and confided. “Actually it will show you where having a father-in-law with a big insurance policy and one child will get you.”

 

The ponder:

We all know you can’t take it with you. Is it better to die dead even (not debt, no assets) or leave a large inheritance behind? Why?

 

The Fudoshina Challenge:

Exercise	reps/ goal
Straight Punches	500/2000
Knuckle Push-ups	335/2000
Olymipic sit-ups	335/2000
Squat kicks	335/2000
Front kicks	250/2000
Side kicks	125/2000
Back kicks	125/2000
Upper blocks	450/2000
Downward blocks	450/2000
Inward blocks	450/2000
Outward blocks	450/2000

 

If you are in West Tennessee and interested in martial arts, come visit us at the Fudoshinka Dojo on the 45 by-pass.

Baby sister

“Parent should never forget the great excitement they felt for the birth of a new born into the world.”  Lailah Gifty Akita, author and founder of Smart Youth Volunteers Foundation

 

The smile:

It was a very exciting time when we were pregnant with our daughter. One particular day my son, Tiger, was sitting beside my wife on the couch. He asked “Why is your stomach so big?”

She smiled and patted her baby bump. She told him, “This is your baby sister.”

Tiger stared at her abdomen for a minute and inquired, “Is she a good baby?”

“Of course, “she replied

Tiger took another second to consider before unloading his real interest, “Then why did you eat her?”

 

The Ponder:

What is the right age to begin that birds and the bees conversation? What is age appropriate? How do you answer, if your child knows more than you expect?

 

 

The Fudoshina Challenge (Reps completed/ Goal to complete by 2/28/15)

Straight Punches	400/ 2000
Knuckle Push-ups	235/ 2000
Olymipic sit-ups	235/ 2000
Squat kicks	235/ 2000
Front kicks	250/ 2000
Side kicks	125/ 2000
Back kicks	125/ 2000
Upper blocks	450/ 2000
Downward blocks	450/ 2000
Inward blocks	450/ 2000
Outward blocks	450/ 2000

 

Special Requests

“Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize oh my God....I could be eating a slow learner.” - Lynda Montgomery

The smile:

I have always enjoyed eating at locally owned restaurants. Now it is common to find very nice establishments with exceptional food. It was the exception, not the rule, when I was a child. In fact my mother used to say about locally owned places “they put their money on the walls or on the table”. She meant a small food service establishment that didn’t look as good often had better food. Yes, I like the dives.

I worked for a family friend, Sherry, for a while when I was a teenager. She is an incredible Southern home style cook. She had a hand painted sign on the front door of her restaurant that said “We prepare special requests.”

One sunny afternoon two rednecks come into the bar. They sit down at table in the middle of the dining room. I could see they weren’t going to be easy customers from the beginning. They were propping their feet in the empty chairs, swearing loudly and spitting tobacco into empty coke bottles.  I approached the table one redneck asked “Y’all take special requests? I want a zebra steak and some French fries.”  His friend laughed and added “Yea, and I want some whale fish sticks and ketchup.”

I shook my head and walked to the kitchen to get Ms. Sherry. I explained the situation to her and to my surprise she turned and began cooking.  A few minutes later, she plated the food and sent me to deliver it.

I sat the food in front of the men, who stared dumbly at it. One asked “What’s this?” “Just what you ordered”, I replied.  They tore into the food as it might be their last meal on Earth. After a few moments one stopped long enough to tell the other, “Who would have ever believed?  It tastes like chicken.”

 

The ponder:

It is common knowledge that servers and bartenders make a living on gratuity. It is my opinion if you can’t afford to tip, you shouldn’t be eating in a restaurant. Here’s something to consider. Can you over tip?

 

The fitness challenge.

(Cumulative reps/ Feb 28 goal)

Exercise                               reps to date/  goal

Straight Punches                          150 /  2000

Knuckle Push-ups                        100 /   2000

Olympic sit-ups                           100 /  2000

Squat kicks                                    100 /  2000

Front kicks                                       75/    2000

Sidekicks                                           0 /   2000

Back kicks                                          0 /     2000

Upper blocks                                     150 / 2000

Downward blocks                             150 / 2000

Inward blocks                                     150 / 2000

Outward blocks                                 150 /  2000

 

Schley, North Carolina

“Once you label me you negate me.”
― Søren Kierkegaard

 

The smile:

 

I was traveling through North Carolina not long ago and I weary from driving I stopped in Schley. It is an unincorporated  little town that is quaint all the same. I walked into the first hotel I found and asked “How do you pronounce where I am?”

The unperplexed little southern belle looked at me across the desk and said “ Beeeest Wessssssteeerrrnnn “

 

The ponder:

 

Do we carry regional stereotypes with us while we travel? Do we expect Southerners  to be uneducated? Northerners to be rude? Nothweresterners to be ultra liberal? Southwesterners to be cowboys? What other ideals do we impose on people from other regions?

 

The fitness challenge:

 

Today was my first day back in the dogo. Knuckle push-ups on wood floors SUCK.

I only log:

Outside blocks: 25/2000

Inside blocks: 25/2000

Upward blocks: 25/ 2000

Downward blocks: 25/2000

Afghanistan camel spiders

America's fighting men and women sacrifice much to ensure that our great nation stays free. We owe a debt of gratitude to the soldiers that have paid the ultimate price for this cause, as well as for those who are blessed enough to return from the battlefield unscathed.
Allen Boyd – U.S. House of Representatives

 

The smile:

I am a veteran and a patriot. I realize the sacrifice our men that put boots on the ground make. Occasionally I get to thank them.

A few months ago I was visiting St Paul. It is a beautiful city and I enjoy not just the food of the Twin Cities, I always seem to meet someone interesting. Near my hotel is a popular sport themed chain restaurant, which has been the place to meet  the locals more than once.

I walked into the brightly painted, well lit establishment.  I found a seat at the semi-crowded bar. I noticed one of the men to my left was disabled. He had a prosthetic arm and a patch over one eye. The patch had the U.S. Army Special Forces emblem on it. I turned on my barstool and asked him “Did you serve in group? “

The young man turned and focused on me with his good eye. He blinked and without smiling answered “Tenth in Afghanistan. “

I grinned  as I told him , “I’m a vet myself. Airbourne a hundred years ago. Mind if I buy you a beer?”

He immediately visibly loosened up and pointed his thumb at the guy to his left, “This is Stevens. He served with me. I’m Daniels”

“Drinks for all’” I signaled the bartender as we all three laughed good heartedly.

Stevens knocked on his lower leg to reveal it was artificial and replied “Be careful what you offer. I have extra storage space.”

As we drank I asked Daniels about his injuries. He tapped his metal appendage on the bar and said, “I lost my arm to an IED.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” I earnestly told him. “How about your eye?”

Daniels and Stevens glanced at each other as he answered me “Afghanistan camel spider landed on my face.”

Taken back I asked “Are they poisonous?”

Daniels glanced down at his beer and replied “No, it was my first day with the hook”

 

The ponder:

Under what conditions should we go to war? Should we have a greater or less military presence on the world stage?

 

The physical challenge:

Today I did 100 Olympic style sit-ups , 100 squats and 100 push-ups.

Tomorrow I will not exercise as Tuesday will begin the Fudoshin Challenge…where I am a student, it is this dojo’s version of the Ultimate Black Belt Challenge.  In the 8 weeks in addition to my regular martial arts classes will complete AT LEAST the following:

250 each every week

Olympic style sit-ups

Knuckle push-ups

Straight punches

Front kicks

Side kicks

Back kicks

Squat kicks

Upward blocks

Downward blocks

Inward blocks

Outward blocks

 

I will keep a running total on my blog of all the of the above exercises in the following format (0/2,000) The first number is the cumulative total to that day and the second number is the 8 week goal for that exercise. Thank you for following me. Thank you for the support. Please let me know how you are doing with your own fitness goals.  

Saturday, Janurary 1, 1015 - Family Reunion set. EVERYONE invited.

"Why waste your money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponents will do it for you” – Mark Twain

 

The smile:

 

In first grade we had family week. It began with the students going home and asking about family history.  When I got home I asked my mother, “Where did we come from?” She smiled and said “Honey, we are from right here in West Tennessee.”  I happily went back to class and told my teacher. My teacher told me I had misunderstood the question. She instructed me to ask where my family originated.

I went home the second afternoon and asked my mother’s brother, who I believed was the smartest man I knew. I asked “Where did we come from…in the beginning?” He smiled and sat me down at the table. He explained, “We evolved from creatures of the sea to primates and evidently to humans.” I asked “What is a primate?” He replied it is the same group of animals that monkeys are apart.

Just as my uncle was finishing this lecture, my father walked into the room. He was hot and dirty from a long day of working outside. I jumped to my feet excited about my new knowledge and exclaimed “Daddy, Uncle Larry just told me we came from monkeys.” My father rubbed the stubble on his chin for a second and replied “That’s just your mother’s side of the family”

 

 

The ponder:

Alex Shoumatoff in “The Mountain of Names” everyone is related to everyone else within 50 generations. That is about 1,000 years ago. Of course I believe in Adam and Eve though that was a while before the 1,000 year mark.

What was life like about that time? According to Wikipedia:

1)       Europe was in the Middle Ages. (I wonder if King Arthur was pulling swords from stones)

2)      The Muslim Empire was in the Golden Age

3)      Leif Erikson was the first European to set foot in the Americas. (Take that, Columbus)

4)      China issued the first paper money in the world as well as invented gun powder.

5)        India has the world’s biggest economy with a possible estimate of 1/3 of the world’s wealth.

6)      Specifically the year 1015 began on a Saturday.

 

The physical challenge:

Today I did 100 Olympic style sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats and 25 front kicks each leg.

If you worked out today, let me know how you did.

Strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet

“My new year's resolution is to stop correcting your terrible spelling and focus more on your horrific grammar.” – Katie Gonzalez

 

The smile:

Today I drove to Nashville and decided to stop at a truck stop just this side of the city that makes a pretty good hamburger. The heavy volume of holiday travelers pushed me to sit at the lunch counter instead of getting a table.  I sat beside an elderly couple, the wife beside me and the husband on the other side of her.  Truth be known I actually like eating at lunch counters. I have always met the most interesting people there.

The couple and I exchange hellos and I notice the man is shoveling food in his mouth so fast I am pretty sure at some point he will just drop his fork and put his face directly on the plate. He is drinking sweet tea so quickly it would be a better idea for the waitress just to give him a pitcher with a straw in it.  Amazingly this is just half the picture. The wife is sitting with her hands in her lap, looking quietly forward. She doesn’t have as much as a glass of water in front of her. She has not as much as glanced at her husband the entire time I had been there.

I placed my order and against my own better judgment I asked the woman “Would you like anything? “
She politely answered “No, thank you” Her husband leaned forward. A kernel of corn stuck to his chin and he flatly stated “We share everything” I took that as a sign to mind my own business and waited on my burger without another word. The woman went back to looking forward while the man shoveled food into his mouth like this would be his last chance to eat again this year.

A few minutes passed and I got my meal. I glanced over to see neither the man slowed down nor the woman moved. Trying to be a good guy I asked her once again, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like something? A cup of coffee, maybe?”

She turned to look me back in the eye and with a gentle smile she replied, “I’m just fine but thank you.  I will eat in a few minutes. I’m just waiting for the teeth.”

 

The ponder:

I know this guy that is fond of saying “Strangers are just friends I haven’t met yet. “ Making friends is easy when we are young. We are pushed to be together in social forums such as school, church activities and sports. As we grow older and set in our path of work and home life, making friends becomes more difficult. I enjoy meeting new people and forming new relationships. The question is how important is it for us to continue to look for new people and connections as we age?

 

The fitness challenge:

Today I did 100 Olympic style sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats and 25 front kicks each leg.

Only a few more days before I begin the Ultimate Black Belt Challenge as outlined by the Fudoshinka Dojo.  Use this start to the new year to begin this program with me or do your own. Let’s get off the couch and get in better shape.