Tai Chi is Awesome!

My tai chi class is so cool! We're learning applications for self-defense based on the moves used in the tai chi form (the movements that make up tai chi). My teacher is probably a good 6 inches taller than me (not to mention all his man-strength and experience), but he showed us a move tonight and I was able to use it to throw him off balance and neutralize his (fake) attack. We are working on a sparring style called "push hands" and basically it's a game where you have to try to throw your opponent off balance without moving your feet. Yes, he probably let me get him, but it was fun and confidence-building nonetheless. It really is great as a woman to be learning ways of defending myself. Not that I've made the physical and mental commitment to learning a martial art, but it's nice to know that if someone had grabbed me by the neck that at least I know of a move to release myself, in theory anyway. I hope I never have to actually use anything I'm learning.

I went in early to RCW today so I could finish stretching the head on Janet's drum. Everything went absolutely smoothly. I am really getting this stretching thing down. I spent a long time massaging the head and jumping up and down and digging my knees into it. I don't know if that makes for a better head. I think this one is going to sound good. I pulled and pulled and cranked those jacks pretty hard. I decided to stop cranking when one of the mimi looked like it was going to rip, but I think I did good on pushing those boundaries between safety and a good-sounding drum. We'll see. The last head I did is sounding better after a few weeks of playing it. When you first put a head on a drum it has a tinny sound. Not sure why. But it goes away after a while and mellows into its own unique voice.

I'm sorry to say that I forgot my camera so I don't have any pics. I'm very proud of my straight rows of tacks and even mimi. Just take my word for it. I can't wait to work on another head.

After stretching the head, we had rehearsal. It went well. I started sweating, which is nice, seeing how winter has been cold and wet. A nice sweat feels good every once in a while. But now I am so, so tired, and I have so much work to do in my life. I need to make a list and start attacking my projects one by one.

Yesterday I played hooky to a class I've been taking and playing hooky has never felt so good. It was a beautiful day, yesterday, with temperatures reaching the mid/upper 60's and me and my friend went wandering up to Telegraph Avenue and into the bookstores and music stores. I've been curious about getting a record player (I grew up listening to records--even though they had better technology by then--and No, I am not that old, in case you were wondering) and I am convinced that I need to get a turntable. Used records are only a couple of bucks each! Plus you have to admit that you can't beat the earthy, raw sound of a scratchy record. But that is another adventure.

Rainy Day Project

Since I have nothing noteworthy to blog about, here is what I did yesterday before rehearsal. I got a new knife and I had no idea what wonders a new sharp blade will do to a hide. I just thought the hides were hard to cut!I'm getting this skinning down pretty good. There are still things I'd like to perfect, such as, when do you stop cranking those jacks? I know that when you hit the drum and the sound goes up, then that's the general guideline of when you've pulled enough. But come on, why not just a little bit more? None of my mimi have ripped yet, so I think I can pull more. I think I'm just scared. I think I'm less scared abou the mimi ripping than I am of the rope snapping. I'm scared of those creeky noises you hear when those 2-ton jacks are doing their thing and you've got your face down there right next to the ropes as you're pumping those jacks. I'm one of those people who watch those dumb tv game shows where people can either move on to harder levels or just take the quarter of a million dollars and go home, and I'm the one yelling "Go home! Go home!" I just need to find a co-conspiritor who will tell me "Keep cranking! Keep cranking!"