Test Day, In Absentia

So, today's the day I was invited to test for my 7th gup, and I'm not in town. I'll be taking the make-up test in two weeks, instead. I'm kind of bummed about not being there -- not so much for myself, but for my classmates. We train together 2,3, 4 times a week and as a result we are growing into a pretty tightly knit group of friends. Not to mention that my mom is testing as well, and I am jus so proud of far she's come, so quickly. Beginning to train in Tang Soo Do has already begun to have a great effect o her -- her heart date and blood pressure is down, she feels stronger and more self-assured. I'm just so proud of her. And my other classmates -- Michelle, Rich, Eric, and Mark, 9th gup upgrades all, are doing great as well. It would have been so fantastic to be there, to see them take this step, and I like to think it would have meant something to them to have me there as well.

But I'm out of town, visiting New York City for my sister-in-law's 40th birthday party. Not that this is a bad thing -- it's fantastic. I miss New York so much sometimes, and it's going to be a terrific weekend. We are staying at the Helmsley Park Lane for two nights. Out room is on the 45th floor, and the view is incredible -- I can see the top of the Chrysler building from our window! Last night we had passes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had cocktails on the roof. Kyle McLachlan was there, but by the time I grabbed a drink and was ready to go up and ask to get a picture with him he'd left. Sigh.

Then this morning I rolled out of bed at 8:30 and went for a run in Central Park. It's a rainy, damp, and misty sort of day, but the rain held off while I was running. I don't know my way around the park, so I just sort of randomly chose a path. It was magical -- the grayish light, the rain dripping off of the leaves, mist hanging in the air as steam rose off of my body, my head ringing with Thomas Newman's music from "Finding Nemo." After running about 2 miles, I found a quiet green space near the Boathouse and did all of my forms, then ran another mile or so, stopped and did all of my one-steps and wrist grabs while standing in front of the famous monument to Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, trying to direct my energy to my classmates and friends, trying to visualize their efforts and somehow send the energy to them, from here, to help them focus, to reinforce their in neh.

Today we'll be meeting up with our dear friends Pat and Amy, and will finally meet their new daughter Meagan. We'll be hanging around the Museum of Modern Art with them all afternoon, then heading over to my sister-in-law's to get ready for her big 40th b-day bash tonight. More updates as the opportunity presents itself.

Mood: Great, but a little sad too
Now Playing: Thomas Newman, "Finding Nemo"