Arts as Astra

Made it to Paris successfully, despite jet lag and threats of strikes. I didn't see signs of striking anywhere, except as warnings of delays on the metro, but found that the metro ran just fine for me, but now I feel like I've just jinxed myself.

I encountered cold weather and a film crew, just as I did in Pasadena.

I also encountered too many delicious buttery pastries. Good thing I brought my running shoes, so that when I am up way too early in my jet lagged state I can go running. Along the Seine River. In freaking Paris.

(My attempt at convincing unclenomer that I am suffering here is utterly failing, isn't it.)

This week, I started running again after my knee injury a few weeks back. My knee never did turn spectacular colors. In fact, other than some mild swelling and a small scratch, it didn't look like I hurt it very much at all. Still, it had me limping up and down stairs for a good couple of weeks. The lack of scratching I attribute to the pants I was wearing that day. The lack of bruising, I have no idea. Still, it was good to be out running again. Yay, movement.

Saturday was a day of kids sports. Someone foolishly signed both my kids up for both soccer and baseball this spring, and has them in karate, too. (Yes, would be me.) Anyway, the soccer and baseball seasons overlapped one week, even though they assured us they wouldn't, and so we spent the day running from one game to the next. At least they were all on one of two fields within walking distance of each other. I got a little sunburnt.

I tested for my purple-belt-with-green-stripe on Sunday. Which I'm sure means nothing to any of you. It might mean more to say that I tested for 7th gup in tae kwon do, where 10th gup is the lowest rank and 1st gup is just below black belt. Somewhere in there, becoming a black belt has stopped seeming like an Enormous Huge Achievement to something that I ought to be able to accomplish in a few years. Odd, that. The most nerve-wracking part of it was being one of only three in my testing group, the other two being kids, and in front of not only my instructor and his instructors, but also grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, to boot. I only messed up a little.