After class last night, my man Mersh came up to me and handed me something. He said, “The minute I saw this at the NAGA tournament, I knew it had your name written all over it.”
Hmmm…I wondered what it was. When I got in the car, I opened the bag and unrolled the shirt. It said, “NAGA’s Mr. Armbar – Submission With A Slight Bend In The Elbow.” How awesome is that? Of course, now I feel like I owe it to him to throw in a few more armbars here and there.
Thanks Mersh!!!
Ahhh, Sunday. What a fine day for a return visit to the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art up in Hartford, CT. Again, this little trip was “suggested,” but I’m not complaining. Me complain? I don’t think so.
I don’t want to make a long post out of this. All I really want to show you is a really neat painting that I haven’t see before. It’s called:
Interior of a Picture Gallery with the Collection of Cardinal Silvio Valenti Gonzaga
Artist: Giovanni Paolo Panini
(Italian, 1691-1765)
1740
It was a really great painting to look at. I have always said that I enjoy really detailed art as opposed to paintings that look like someone just splattered different colors of paint at a canvas. I don’t know art, so I am not going to attempt a name for that type. All I know is that I like stuff that takes time to do.
You really should see this painting up close. It’s interesting how someone is so capable at doing something so complex. I wouldn’t be able to copy one small item in this painting, even if I traced it. How is that? How are people’s brains to different from one another? Who knows.
Anyway, enjoy the painting and you really should take a trip to this museum. It’s a great place and they do a nice job with their collections.
Well folks, it’s that time of year again. The time of year that I start thinking about Spring.
I know I have explained my obsession with trees in the past. It’s not such a bad obsession to have I guess. I mean, I am planting trees and that’s good for the air. It’s good for a bunch of other things too.
This year, I decided that adding a little green to the property would be nice. I am getting a little tired of looking at all the boring brown of the deciduous trees we have. There are tons of them and sprinkling some evergreens around would really make me smile.
I have been looking at places to buy bare root evergreens online for a while. In the past, I got all my trees from Arbor Day, but they are getting a little pricey and the trees are really small. I knew there were some better alternatives out there.
After going back and forth between two websites, I settled on NurseryMan.com. Why? I don’t know…I like the guy. Also, he includes shipping and all that right in the price. I hate being nickeled and dimed with shipping fees.
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I got 100 Norway Spruce trees for $190. That's not bad considering they are not those tiny little 6 inch seedlings. They are a few years old and between 10 and 16 inches tall. They actually seem larger in his instructional tree planting videos. Check them out here. Also, just look at those fields. I would be in heaven if I ran that place. I think I would go out and pet all those trees every day.
so, you might be asking yourself, “What in the world are you going to do with 100 Norway Spruce trees you crazy fool?” Well, 100 trees may seem like a lot, but I am sure I can find places to put them. Also, we are sitting on over 4 acres here, so any extras can find homes in the woods. I won’t have any extras though.
Okay, see ya in the Spring.
Okay, here are some pictures and videos of who we like to call, “Mersh.” This nickname has become a necessity because his first name is quite popular these days.
Mersh fought in two categories, “Men’s NO-GI Executive Novice” and “Mens GI Executive White Belt Middle Weight.” These are basically two beginner level categories. NAGA divides people up by their skill level, weight and age.
Way to go Mersh!!!
So today was the day we went to the New England Jiu Jitsu tournament run by NAGA (North American Grappling Association). It definitely had the potential to be a very long day. The guys who were competing had to weigh in at 8AM. They could do that or could have weighed in last night. One of our guys stayed at a hotel last night and took advantage of option two. Our other guy woke up wicked early this morning and took care of business then. That was a little early for us and since we really didn’t have to be there for that, my lady and I arrived a bit after 11.
On a side note, my lady is apparently now an avid Jiu Jitsu fan. She has suggested that I compete. I suggested that I don’t. I recollect the days of me trying to climb the tennis ladder and I would prefer to keep any competition related obsessions at bay. As I explained this evening, once I know I am going to go up against someone in a competitive environment, I lose all track of life. I would rather stay focused on work and keep this sort of thing on a more casual level. Although, I will say that as I watched all the other matches this afternoon, I had an insane urge to jump in there and roll around. So with that, I will not completely rule out getting into something like this in the future. I’m the “morning of” kind of guy.
Awesome day – When we got there, the place was packed. I mean packed. I was a little surprised because this was my first tournament. People kept saying that once the kids left, the place would clear out. It didn’t. Actually, I think more people showed up.
We watched our guy Chris compete once with no gi and once with gi. We were also there for our guy Pete to compete no gi. They both did great. I was proud that they got out there and did this. You should have seen us with the camera and video camera on the sidelines watching. There was so much adrenaline running through my body, I was shaking. I’m not sure who was more nervous, them or me.
Here are a few pics from the event. They are basically just crowd shots, but they are pretty good. Tomorrow, I am going to upload some real photos and some video.
I know the “turtle position” sounds a bit weird, but it’s extremely helpful when you are on the ground and in a jam. Basically, try to get on your stomach and curl up like a ball. There are a few things you can do from there if you are fast enough. Being in the turtle position is not someplace to sit and hang out. There are a ton of submissions available against someone in the turtle position for someone who is skilled enough and who is proficient at floating around on your back.
I usually end up in turtle position when I get out of north/south or after being taken down at the start of a match. Also, a lot of times I just end up there. It’s really a defensive position.
So, when you get there, what do you do?
Well, there are a few things. One, you can roll to your side and try to get the other guy in your guard. After that, it’s up to you. What I have been having better luck with lately is using the wrestler’s sit out. It’s a “burst” like move and works really well when the other guy isn’t expecting it. Even when he knows is coming, it’s a tough one to stop.
As you can see, it’s pretty sweet once you get used to it. I used it a few times during this morning’s class and loved the effect. I actually ended up on top of my opponent and he ended up in the turtle position. Nice.
How exciting is this? Straight from the NAGA site…
“On Saturday, February 6, 2010, NAGA brings the world’s largest grappling tournaments back to New England for its NAGA New England Grappling Championship. This tournament is open to all grappling styles, you do not need to be on a team or be a member of any organization to compete. The event will take place in the Twin River Casino’s spectacular 26,000 sq. foot Grand Ballroom. 14 competition rings will be running at once. This event is nationally ranked.”
Well, two of our guys decided that this was their chance to compete. I guess it was just a matter of time. We do really well at our school and the next step in evolution is generally to see how we do against other guys out there in the world. Me? I don’t think so. I really think I would do pretty damn good, but I just don’t have that thing that drives these guys to do this. I am having fun exactly how things are going. I know myself. If I lose, I will be so mad for so long. If I win, I’ll go totally overboard and train like a psycho. Let’s just leave good enough alone.
Even though I will not be competing next weekend, I will be attending the tournament to help out the guys. I know it’s a big deal for them and they can use all the moral support they can get. It’s nice for them to know a few of us are there. There will also be some guys from a couple other schools we know. It’ll be fun to hang out with them too.
Here’s a video of a tournament at this casino in Rhode Island (I believe):
Can you believe that it has been about a year and two months and I just got my first oil change in the 2008 BMW X5?
The dealer says to bring the vehicle in for it’s first service at either one year or 15,000 miles. I didn’t here the “one year” part. I was going on the mileage and it only reads a bit more than 13,000. Why the one year? Does oil get old if the car just sits? I mean, I drive it enough, just not a lot. Whatever.
A few days ago, I called the service manager and asked about bringing it in. He said that I should and we set up an appointment. The nice part is that BMWs come with a maintenance plan for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. They handle all maintenance issues except for gas and tires. That’s makes the checkout at the dealer somewhat fun. You don’t even have to open your wallet. All you do is sign a few forms that describe the service that was performed and leave.
So here’s what happened. I pulled up to the dealership last Friday. Since I had never been there before for service, I had no idea where to leave the car. I walked inside and asked someone. They told me to pull the car right up to the big service door and it would open automatically. I thought that was neat. I got back in the car and pull it into the service bay. I parked the car and a few guys ran over to me. They pulled my paperwork and took my key. They plugged the key into the computer and downloaded all the information that was recorded on it. Don’t ask, I have no idea. Apparently, the car is a big computer that records all sorts of information, such as average MPH, MPG, seat settings and all sorts of stuff. It’s for them to know and for me not to care.
Anyway, I let them do their thing and I had a seat in the waiting area.
One thing I wasn’t aware of was the fact that there was a wireless connection in the waiting area. I could have brought my laptop to get some work done. Next time. Instead, I read a few pages of the book I brought along. I was probably better off doing that anyway.
There was also a guy walking about asking everyone if they needed a ride into Hartford. He had a shuttle and really wanted to drive someone someplace. If I had something to do, I may have taken him up on his offer. Since I am a fairly boring person, I sat there and waited.
I did start chatting with the young fella next to me though. He was 25 and interested in business. My eyes lit up when I saw how eager he was to learn. I sat there for about an hour teaching him about all sorts of things. He was all ears and made me feel very important. He must have read Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to win friends and influence people.”
Let’s get to the fun stuff. What does the dealer do for the first maintenance visit?
– Standard scope: basically hooks a machine to the PCM/computer and asks the car what it needs
– Brake fluid service: brake fluid flush
– Microfilter service: swap out the microfilter that filters the cabin air
– Low mileage annual oil service: change oil and filter
– Windshield cleaner: add windshield wiper fluid
– Wash and vacuum: I thought that was nice
The car was filthy and the wash and vacuum was the cherry on top.
There was also some software download that needed to get done, but would have taken another two hours. I was told that they could take care of that next time. Since 15,000 miles is almost here, I will have to go back for another service. That’s right around the corner. As the service guy put it, I’ll get another free oil change. I would prefer they not call it “free.” It’s more like, “included.”
Today is January 21. I am guessing that most of the world has already taken down their Christmas trees. This year, we are running a little late in the Christmas tree removal department.
We did remove all the ornaments though. Well, I didn’t. It was done one day behind my back. All that’s left are the lights. I actually like it like this. It’s kind of tranquil keeping an evergreen tree indoors.
While we were watering the Christmas tree this afternoon, we were greeted by a whole bunch of fresh green pine tree buds. At first, I thought there were only a few. Then, I looked more closely at the tree and discovered that the entire thing is covered with buds. Yes, that’s right. Our Christmas tree is growing.
Of course you know what I did. I jumped on the computer to see if a cut Christmas tree can actually start growing roots. If it can, my plan was to keep it growing inside until Spring. Then, I would plant it outside and hold it up with a bunch of stakes.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find one resource that told me a cut Christmas tree can grow roots. Everyone was pretty much against it. Oh well. I guess it’s just not going to work out this year.
Next year, I think I am going to really make an effort to get a balled Christmas tree. Either that or a potted one. We’ll see how that goes. It’s just such a waste tossing these big beautiful trees out into never never land.
For the longest time, we have been trying to throw a little holiday party. The idea usually finds its way into the house around the beginning of December and then disappears towards the end. It’s a shame really because we are semi-fun people to be around. I think we would be fabulous hosts.
Ever since this year’s party fizzled, I have been thinking. I figured out that we place too much emphasis on a one time event. The last time we did this, we were supposed to have a nice birthday evening out at Dave and Busters. Well, it snowed and we were forced to cancel. That was bad because we had some good old friends willing to meet us out. I was excited to see them. It wasn’t the most terrible thing, because we did have a nice Dave and Busters night the year before with some other good friends.
Anyway, my idea was to stop placing emphasis one one hit wonders. Why not have a get-together-like Sunday dinner every week? You know, good food, wine, beer, cigars… Like I explained a few days ago, I’ll put the invitation out there to a few people here and there. If everyone comes, then we eat, drink and have a good time. If no one comes, we have leftovers. I love leftovers.
We had a dry run tonight. We picked out a nice recipe for dinner from one of our cookbooks and another recipe for a dessert from the internet. Then, I ran up to Whole Foods to gather all the ingredients. I usually go to Whole Foods because I am fairly certain they will have everything I need. I don’t have that confidence in our local IGA. I know, I know…I am still a little mad at Whole Foods. Sure, they are expensive but they seem to be working on the personality thing. Also, they do have the stuff I need. I don’t see myself going to any of the other grocery stores besides Wal-Mart and I ain’t running over there on a nice quiet Sunday. Plus, I’m not even sure they would have what I need. You know those odd ingredients these cookbooks call for.
Tonight, I made Vegetable Crumble and peas. Talk about a meat and potatoes meal, without the meat. It was very filling. We made (which I have yet to eat) some sort of a pumpkin yogurt dessert. I tasted it and it seemed pretty good. We’ll see how it goes. The dessert we were supposed to make was Avocado Ice Cream. I think I told you that I now have an ice cream maker and am an ice cream making fool. I also have an ice cream recipe book. It’s pretty serious. I am going to have to wait a day or two to make this ice cream because the avocados need to ripen just a bit more. After that, I think I’ll be eating some pretty interesting ice cream.
I told my mother about the avocado ice cream recipe and she didn’t seem too enthusiastic about it. I then proceeded to tell her that salmon flavored ice cream was next. I admit that I was looking for a reaction on that one.
Okay, so the moral of the story is that Sunday dinners are on. These are highly exclusive events and very formal. Just kidding, but we do eat in the dining room at a table. That’s a big shift from our usual routine. I am growing up so fast.