Another week gone by - but not just any week. Oh no, this was one of the most important weeks of the year - and in the center of this week, the best day of the year... my birthday! A little self-centered? Perhaps. But that's the whole purpose of birthdays. word: birthday. meaning: one day where the world revolves around you. That would be from my personal dictionary.
Overall it was a quiet day. I started out with a birthday bubble bath. The bath mat thingamajig I bought awhile ago finally showed it's true potential now that I bought myself some bubble bath. It blows bubbles to turn a normal tub into a Jacuzzi - which although ok on it's own, it is fabulous when you add a little bubble bath in the mix. 1-2 feet of bubbles was a great way to start the day. It's a pity my tub isn't larger. Then I started watching movies and doing not much of anything. The birthday flowers my family sent arrived, which I enjoyed. I'm loving this tradition they started. I may have a slight sensitivity to something in the bouquet, but it's pretty and with a little allergy medication I do just fine so they are prominently displayed in my living room. I also got some birthday postal love (cards in the mail) from my family. Oma's card was on-time as always. There were also some emails, e-cards, and facebook messages. I even got a text message from Lulu who has been totally off the radar since she went to the Olympics. A birthday phone call from my big bro Ryan was nice. We reminisced a bit about camping trips with Oma and Opa. He reminded me about how I'd race almonds in my hot chocolate. I'd forgotten I did that. I've given up hot cocoa and am strictly an apple cider drinker now - and of course, I had some birthday cider (and yes I precede everything with birthday to make it sound special despite being rather ordinary activities - such as a midday birthday nap). Overall it was just watching movies and TV in some very comfortable clothes and enjoying the day. Everyone asked if I had to work, but I asked for it off way in advance because it would be sacrilege to work on such a holy day.
Today was the Judo tournament in Salt Lake that my club was co-hosting. The first annual Utah State Championships. The tournament went pretty well. There was a decent turnout, although there weren't any black-belts, which was surprising. There were only four adult women, so we all fought each other in an open division. Normally it is divided by weight class and rank, but everyone agreed to fight in the same category. I definitely had the size and experience advantage, and went 3-0 - which felt nice regardless of advantage after the 0-4 at the national tournament in Spokane. I won by pin, then by a drop shoulder throw, and in the last match I threw my favorite side wheel sacrifice throw. Both the throws were a full point to end the match immediately. The side sacrifice was my favorite because everyone thought I was getting thrown but I countered her throw and sent her flying in a circle over me. It got a great reaction from the side of the mat. Some of the guys in the club nicknamed me "Laena guruma" (guruma means wheel, the name of the throw is yoko guruma -side wheel) because I love that throw and have thrown everyone with it, often to their surprise because they think they have me when all the sudden they're on the mat. It's such a great feeling. I could hear them saying "there it is, there's the Laena guruma." they've decided to just name it after me. I think it's just because they struggle with remembering throw names :) I find it funny. Everyone tends to have their signature throws. Yoko guruma is mine. Dane has a really mean seoinage (shoulder throw). One hand, two hands, dropping to the knees - anyway there is to throw it he does. It's not much fun to be on the receiving end of it because of how powerful it is. My throws aren't like that. I wish they were. I didn't get any video. Someone got some pictures, which perhaps I'll share if I approve of any. I don't really like having my picture taken.
After the tournament and we got the mats back in place we all went out to dinner. On the way back my instructor's five-year-old autistic son was a little amped up and his mom suggested to him that he either hold my hand or sit on his hands. All I could think was, "I really need to find a boy between five and fifty." The five-year-old rejected me though. He didn't want to sit on his hands either. He was enjoying trying to tickle us too much.
Last Saturday I went to a surprise birthday party for a friend. It was funny when they came in because we yelled surprise and she turned and smacked her husband on the arm. Some of the guests had the place wrong and had shown up at their house, and as a cover story after shooing them out before she saw them he said it was a neighbor coming to tell them their car had been broken into. He even hid the stereo so she thought it was stolen. Just proves to be a good secret keeper you have to be a good liar.
Also this week was watching Boise State's win against San Jose. I'm a Boise State fan. Blue and Orange, how can you go wrong there?
1 comment:
Glad you had a super duper birthday. We didn't know you had a signature throw, although I personally remember you loving the sacrifice throw as you wanted to do it to me.:P Mom says that she wants to see it, but not on her, and might I add, not on me.
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