I had a great karate class today. The pee-wee group had their test day, so Mr. Hebert had the three red belts lead us after the warm up. I was in the white and yellow group, Selim with the other orange belts and then there were the green belts. In my group, we worked on two forms. I know the move sequences pretty well by now, so for me it was a chance to focus on each stance in a meditative way. Because our red belt had to help the newer students, those of us who knew what we were doing had to hold our stances for long periods of time. That gave me a chance to concentrate, feel the muscles working, and strive for perfection.
Selim was invited to a birthday party today on very short notice. Nedim came home yesterday and showed me a text message from the dad inviting Selim to come to the party where they would be tie-dying shirts. Selim was on the fence about going, but with a little encouragement, he decided to go. I'm very glad I looked up the address because I was totally wrong on the street location. We drove and drove in an area of town that was new to me. Selim thought we were lost. I knew we weren't lost exactly, but I was happy when we came to their street. I walked into the house with him and he happily disappeared before I had a chance to get a hug goodbye. I went back three hours later and he hadn't realized that I had left. He asked me why I hadn't come outside to do the shirts. I told him that I had left to do some errands and be home for a while and he said, "You did? Why didn't you tell me you were going to go?"
A goal of mine today was yard work. I went to Agway and bought bigger loppers, seeds, and new started trays today. A few weeks ago, Nedim had trimmed some branches that overhang our garden and were still strewn about the yard. I decided that today was the day that would be addressed. With new loppers and a saw, Selim and I dragged, cut and stacked the branches so that we can now walk to the compost pile without tripping and the lawn can be mowed safely. We worked for forty minutes and finished the task. I pruned the dead raspberry growth and cleaned out the raised beds as well.
This year, I want to try growing kale and spinach. I've been drinking both those veggies in my post work out green drinks. It would be great to be able to pick both of them fresh. I also bought carrot, cuke, parsley, basil, and Swiss chard seeds. We won't start the carrots indoors, but the rest we should plant inside in the next week or so. If we can get most of the plants started six weeks before transplanting outside, we will be in good shape.
And while I plan my garden, part of my attention is on the golf. Fred Couples was a co-leader at the Master's going into today's round and Phil was three shots back. Unfortunately, Fred has had a tough day, but Phil has been playing the back nine, lights out. He is now tied for the lead at -7. He has hit amazing shots. I love watching the golf. The enjoyment factor is increased due to the minimum commercial interruptions. I think they have five minutes out of each hour for the commercial sponsors. And the Cialis/Viagra ads are not in play.
But I have a love/hate relationship going with this tournament. While the golf is great, I hate the deification of this course that discriminates against women. The do not allow women to be members. Yet the announcers speak as if this tournament and this course deserve reverence and whispers. Please, it is a golf course! It isn't God. And the actions of the members are not God-like. Augusta National has always invited the President of IBM to be a member. Now the head of IBM is a woman. What to do? Because of their privacy policy, Augusta won't comment on if they have offered the new President a membership or not and she hasn't offered any comment.
I went to a women's college. I understand the desire of a private institution to have the right to invite who they want to be at their place. But to treat this tournament and course as if it is the best in all the world and never mention the fact that it has an institutional policy of discrimination is wrong. This course does not deserve the reverence that people bestow upon it. It makes me mad. I loved watching the US Open when they played at Torrey Pines. I've played that course. I love it when the PGA is at Pebble Beach. That is a beautiful course and if I had the $500 (or whatever the cost is) to drop on a round of golf, I could go there (providing I had made the reservation a year in advance). But the laws governing Augusta National are different and they make me mad.
Tomorrow is Easter. Selim has written a note to the Easter Bunny and is ready to see what he brings. He will be disappointed when the egg shaped chap stick and golden eggs are not in the basket tomorrow. But what can be done. The Easter Bunny didn't find the desired objects and will have to make due with the chocolate that was bought already.
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