Testing Day

The red belts had to work HARD at testing today and the girlies did a fantastic job. Here they are breaking with spinning back kick as the last step to earn their belts. John helped with testing today, giving all the instructions and counts and holding the boards.

Sluggie (just before)


Mollusc (just after, obviously)


And with the Master and their new belts:


I just found out that the next tournament is in May. Should be fun. :o)

Mirrormask was too CGI to be enjoyable. There was just so much going on and everything was so unfamiliar that it was hard to focus. Usually, even in a fantsy or science-fiction film, there are plenty of elements to help ground you - things you can take in and then ignore because you know what they are and what purpose they serve. Not so with Mirrormask. Everything is outlandish and new and I found it terribly distracting. I know a lot of work had to go into this, and I should appreciate all the new and inventive things, but I kept finding myself thinking that it would make a great book instead of a film. I didn't make it through the whole thing. Granted, this was partly because I had to stop and sew patches on our new dobok tops at midnight because I'd forgotten, and John needed to wear his for helping with testing today. But I don't think I'd have made it through regardless. I got as far as the orbiting giants scene -- which had some very amusing dialogue -- but no farther. Stephen Fry's Librarian was entertaining, and Kryten played an amusing griffin. Percy's wife from Notting Hill was there, too, and if anyone knows what I mean by "Percy's Wife" kudos to you (since there's no Percy in that film.) So fully a third of Britain's main body of actors turned out for this work. ;o) I guess Hugh Laurie was too busy being an American to make it.

Cheeto (the raccoon) came to the deck tonight. John took some pics but they didn't turn out well at all, so maybe next time. I could tell it was Cheeto because 1) she waltzed right up to the sliding glass door ("doorwall" *snickersnort*) looking for treats and 2) she tried to GRAB the Cheeto bag out of my hand when I was pouring some out for her. :o) I think we'll have babies in a month or 2. Don't worry, we give her nutritious stuff, too, but she prefers Cheetos and Trader Joe's caramel corn.

You know that iPod toy? It gives new meaning to PG's "Steam." Maybe I don't need a muse. . .