The beginer class is cool!

I spent this morning scanning another slice of meteorite and teaching a grad student how to use the x-ray machine. It's probably going to take all week to get him up to speed but that's OK.

Last night I got to help out with the beginner class again and it was awesome! It's so motivating to see the students in that class because they all try so hard and everything is new to them.

Sometimes it's easy to forget how exciting it was, and overwhelming, when I first started training. There seemed like an infinite amount of information and it was all so fresh and new.

I guess it's the same for the grad student I helped today.

He was so excited and thought the machine was so cool; he had trouble with the simplest task. But I have to remember, not that long ago (2 or 3 weeks) I was in the same boat and I had to be taught.

Kung-Fu is the same. That's why the beginner class is so awesome. You get a glimpse of the excitement in the students, that sense of awe that we sometimes forget.

Everyone in that class has a good attitude and try really hard. That's inspiring.

It's hard not to be inspired to do your push-ups when you see the students giving it their all in class, struggling to do their push-ups but doing them anyway.

Thanks Sifu Shipaleski for the opportunity, it was really awesome!

And thanks to the beginner class for being so darn cool!

Teaching is the great motivator

I'm really excited about my training right now. I've started going to more classes during the week and it's really boosted my drive to train. I find teaching is a great motivater to practice as it makes you aware of common mistakes and you always have to be ready to demonstrate.

Lately, I've been finding that Kung-Fu has been on my mind a lot. I get up, go to work, train and go to bed. That's been my life for the past couple of weeks and it's been awesome. When I go to bed at night I feel as though I've accomplished something in my day, not just watched T.V.

I'm now so excited to work on my forms. Teaching has given me the motivation to go beyond my everyday standards. How can I ask a student to fix mistakes if I'm not doing the same?

I guess what it comes down to is accountability. If I don't practice and improve, the student's will notice and respect for my skills will suffer. My reputation is on the line.

I think that's pretty cool.

Total Awesomness...I think

I had a pretty exciting day yesterday. Well, exciting for me anyway...

I started to get trained on the x-ray scanner at work. It allows you to scan small objects a few centimeters in size and created a 3-D image. I think it's so cool!

My husband on the other hand, although happy I was happy, was not as excited as I was at the thought of all the limitless scanning possibilities (rocks, shells...maybe a small action figure:).

Our first lesson was to scan a shell and create a 3-D model of the borings within it that had been made by crustaceans. I thought this was total awesomeness and I gushed about it to Mike when I got home, but to my chagrin, he forced a smile, said the old, "That's nice dear..." and tried not to yawn. I was shocked! The utmost in coolness was occuring and my significant other was not excited.

I thought maybe he was just overwhelmed by the idea and needed a few minute details so I began to regale him with stories of scanning the shell, how it was so funny when we almost positioned it the wrong way...I chuckled to myself and noticed that Mike was not chuckling, or even smiling anymore. The yawn was starting to escape his mouth...

I came to realize that the utmost in coolness for me, was not the utmost in coolness for Mike. I guess that's alright. Funny how people's taste's can differ so. Although I have to admit, if we liked ALL the same things, life would be pretty mundane. It's nice to be exposed to new things and new points of view.

Although I still think it would be totally awesome to scan a Darth Vadar action figure! Mwhahahahahaha:)

Fond memories and farewells

Right now I'm sitting at work in the lab looking out at the rain. This week has been busy so far. I got rear-ended over the weekend so I've been dealing with car repairs and injuries. I'm lucky so far in that I don't think I was injured too badly and I was able to resume my work out regime last night.

Also, this past week my Great Grandpa (also my Godfather) passed away. What upset me most about his passing was that, for the longest time now my sister and I had been talking about taking my Great Grandparents out to lunch to their favorite restaurant (Arbie's). We put it off and put it off, always planning to do it, but now it's too late.

I've always been somewhat of a procrastinator, but this was a real let down. I've always been of the mindset that it's never too late, you can always figure something out, but not with something like this. Death has a certain finality about it that just doesn't budge. There is no fudge factor or elbow room; when it's your time, it's your time.

I wish I had taken the opportunity to see him more. I guess all I can do is learn from this and try to not let it happen again. But are we ever really ready to let someone go? Maybe, I don't know.

For now I'll just spend some time looking at old photos and reminiscing. There's always time later for deep thinking...at least I like to think so.