Candidate Journals

Hello King Tiger. Nate and I came back from NJ today. We got up and did some requirements this morning at the hotel. Then went to airport. Got there a little early, then flight got delayed. Then we boarded and they were delayed getting off the gate. Then we had to de-ice the plane because of the storm. So basically about 2 hours delayed in total. But flight was good and got home. Unpacked and got settled in for another week. Ready to keep moving. Take care.

Good evening King Tiger. It was a great day. Another day in NJ. Nate and I ran today. Nate and I are trying to run in all the states. So, we got NJ under our belt. It was a little cold here but not too bad. Sun was out. We were also doing requirements at the hotel pool again, but some manager guy came in and saw us, and offered for us to use one of their conference rooms to practice, so we took him up on the offer. It wad great. We had a whole room to practice stuff. Pretty cool. We finished requirements and had a great day in NJ. We head back tomorrow, so one last day here. Nate and I both agreed we are ready to go home. Perfect amount of time here. Ready. Take care. 

Hi King Tiger Family. Here in NJ for the long weekend. Hanging with some friends. Brought Nate with me. It has been a blast. Nate and I got in real late last night. Landed in PHL around 12:30am and it was after 2am when we got settled in hotel. We slept in and then did some requirements at the hotel. The bottomline is that you always have to be resourceful in finding places to do requirements. The hotel had an indoor pool area and so we cleared some tables and chairs, and made space to do some requirements. We also used the gym which also had a pull up bar. We will do it again tomorrow. It has been a great time and love spending time with my son. Have a great rest of the weekend. Take care. 

Good Morning King Tiger. The end of the work week. Still have a bunch of things to do yet today, but an exciting Friday. Normal work stuff, and some "interesting" meetings today for work, but all good. Got up, spent some time with the Lord in scripture, got Nate ready for school, did some requirements, and dropped Nate off. I still have to take our two dogs to doggy daycare this morning and then onto work. Nate and I are heading to NJ this weekend for some fun guy weekend stuff. It has been a trip we planned a long time ago, so unfortunately, we will miss some key TKD classes (Fri and Sat), but we will make it up as best we can. I love cycle, but it cannot consume our entire life... there is a balance and we always figure it out. This is the challenge. This is our...

Good Morning King Tiger. It is Thursday and the Lord has blessed us with another day. I have ton of work to do today. I just dropped Nate at school and got into the office. I work for USAA and our office is in SouthEnd (Charlotte). Not a terrible commute this morning. I am settling into my day. I am a desk jockey... meaning I sit at a desk and on calls most of the day. So, that is why I love cycle so much. It is very different from my work life. It is physical and challenges me. I did some requirements this morning, and will probably do some later. I am excited for the day. Again, God has blessed us with another one, so how will you use it? Take care. 

Good evening King Tiger. It was a pretty good Wednesday. Nate has a two hour delay. I got to sleep in a whole 30 minutes... except our 100 lbs German Shepherd was up many time during the night with an upset belly. I will just say it was not fun. I got Nate settled for the day and then went to work. Normal work day full of problem solving. Then came home, did some requirements, and ate dinner. Now I am writing this. I think the biggest challenge I have with Black Belt Cycle is figuring out the new norm with all the requirements and classes, and still balancing the rest of life. What I do is try to leverage my time wisely. I will find myself doing requirements in odd places at odd times, for instance, I took Nate to run club today... so got my run in, but then I...

Good morning King Tiger. It is Tuesday. The weather is not looking good today and schools are closed. However, going to take advantage of that today. I have a doctors appointment this morning and then onto some requirements later today. I am starting to re-train all the muscles and muscle movements, but I also need to unlearn some things and fix some stuff. Make it better and stronger. Got work ahead, but making progress. I hope everyone has a great day. Take care. 

Good Morning King Tiger... It is a Monday, but that is okay. It is a new day the Lord has made for us. The question is what we do with it. Normal morning so far. Nate and I still working out the kinks of figuring out how to balance cycle and normal life... lots to balance, but we will get there. Plus, this is our first cycle with the new requirements setup... more time based. I am actually starting to like this new methodology. We will make it work. I am excited about the "auditing" cycle for us... I will keep you all updated on our progress. Working on week 2 now... Keep up the great work and remember you are not alone, so ask for help. We need to encourage and help each other. One other item -- I need a mentee. Anyone need a mentor and would like one?...

Good Morning King Tiger Family. Yesterday was a great beginning with our pretest. I felt pretty good with the physical requirements and my poomsaes. Always room to improve. I still need to work on self-defenses. I need to adjust some of my stances and hand position 

I am ready to test!!! This has been an amazing adventure and cycle. Pushing myself and working hard to learn all the new skills and drills. I am happy with the results and ready to showcase them tomorrow night. I wish everyone luck. Stay focus and relax... something I tell myself every time I am testing. I get a little tense and anxious. Don't get in your head. Just do it like you do it at home during requirements. Nothing different.  See you tomorrow night. King Tiger! Keep Moving!

Today was a good day... Nate and I worked on "refinement" on our poomsaes and self defenses. Working on weapons specifically, and just making sure we are working on the small details. Getting ready for our overnight testing next Friday. I am confident that we are ready. More anxious now... want it to come. But it will fly here. Next week will be a blur. Keep Moving and Keep Practicing!!!

It is Sunday... so I will do a little preaching. We talked about sin today at church. Sin is what we battle everyday. Sin is inside all of us and it feeds on our existing desires. Please note that not all desires are bad... but sin can take any desire and turn it to evil. Bottom line is that we all have to be aware of our desires and fight sin, and NEVER let down our guard. Find your strength in people and faith... and fight your desires and the sin within.  On a different... changing topic... Nate and I went to the Lego Brickfair today. Awesome day. Found a Lego Korean Flag and bought it... it is awesome.  Tae Kwon Do!!! Keep moving!

I decided to reflect on where I was in December and now... I have learned so much new stiff since then, and I am getting much more proficient in my poomsaes and self defenses (specifically). I will state that I still not as flexible as I want to be and my one hip has been acting up... but nothing that I cannot get better and through for the remainder of the cycle. I am excited to test. Nate and I both have been working hard at this and seeing the result. More ahead. Keep moving!!!!

This has been a very good weekend. I started my Friday evening with helping our church with Rooms At The Inn... this is where we bring in 13 neighbors (homeless gentlemen) to our church and provide them a place to stay for a night. We feed them and give them a chance to take a shower. We also provide a change or cloths and some amenities for them to keep. We do this every Friday. We have to take care of each other in the world. I wish more would do more everyday and it would be a different world we live in. These neighbors are incredible people with incredible stories. These are PEOPLE which are really trying to make changes in life or just have been dealt a bad set of cards. They seek love like we all seek. A hand or hug is sometimes all we need to lift...

I am back from yet another business trip. This time I traveled to the cold weather of Toronto, Canada. I am happy to be back home. I am truly grateful for everything I have and I am content with what we have. I do not need or want anything else in my life. I have God, my wife, kids, family, and friends, and that is all I need. We can very easily forget how lucky many of us are as we live our daily lives because we get so wrapped up in our lives, that we forget to live and enjoy the moment. I found some of that during this trip. I found myself just taking a moment to be grateful, even in the hectic airport and crazy traveling around the city. Just stop and look at something, and just enjoy the moment. I had to take a train from downtown...

Great morning at King Tiger for our Black Belt Written and Physical Tests. I was able to pretty much able to beat my baseline scores. The only place I got the same was with pull ups. But that is okay... I will continue to work to build more strength. I was extremely proud of Nate. He worked really hard to beat his times. I know he is my son, so of course I am proud... but he truly amazes me. I need to travel again this coming week, but this should be the last until after testing. Keep moving!!!

Got back late from Hong Kong last night and slept great last night. Now it is Friday. Nate did not have school and did a sleep over with a friend of his. Then he came home today and we hung out a bit. We got a bunch of exercises done and also tested each other. We both feel pretty good about the test. We went to Black Belt class and reviewed some stuff that we needed review on anyway. It was a good night. Now I am heading to bed, we got an early morning with Physical and Written Test tomorrow. Good Night everyone. Good luck. Keep Moving!!!

Well... I landed in Hong Kong about 3.5 hours ago. It is about 9:00pm here while I am typing this. I did not sleep much on the plane. Just could not get comfortable. I do have a bunch of meetings tomorrow, but I am ready for them. I spent a good portion of the flight preparing for them. I did go to the hotel gym and workout. Got a bunch of requirements done, and I room-service just arrived with some food. Plan is to eat and hit the sack. Hopefully that works. Have a great day. Keep Moving!!!

Night before Instructors Camp and all through the house, I am packing for the weekend... As I am not sure the weather, so I am packing for all circumstances. I am sure I am overpacking but I would rather have it than not, and need it. If it was just me, that would be different, but Nate is going too and so I am a little protective and I want to make sure he is prepared as well. Double the trouble. Anyway... I am very excited about the weekend and looking forward to moving my mind, body, and spirit. See you all there. Keep moving!

It was a pretty good Wednesday. I had to go into our Charlotte office and meet with some people. It was pretty productive and we prepped for next week as well. I need to travel to Hong Kong for work. I still have to have a meeting with the employee I need to work with more but I am definitely taking him off the current project. That will be tough but what I need to do right now. Did a mentee session with Mrs. Amanda. That went well. Then Nate and I headed to church for youth and men's ministry. It was a good message today. Bottom line is that we have to "Put Christ On" everyday. Regardless of your religion or beliefs, just do good for the sake of doing good, and no other reason. I wish we all could just do good and be good to everyone around us....

Last Sunday, I spoke a little about Blind Love. I did talk about God's love. This is NOT about religion. The ultimate message is that we are nothing without "love" and "love" is everything. The ultimate question is whether we "apply" love in our everyday. This is a little mind-blowing for me today so I needed to share. We are nothing without love. Bottom line... do we apply love in all situations? If someone makes you angry, have we ever replaced that anger with love or loving action? What if we did? What would happen? What would that outcome be? I imagine it would be different. How different? Think about trying it. I know I am. This community, country, and world all need more love right now. We all do. If everyone acted in love versus anything else... even once... what could happen????  Keep moving!!!  

Today was just a busy day at work. It was non-stop from 7:00 until 5:00 today. It was just back to back meetings. Now, I am complaining, but I have it really good at my job. If I am not traveling, I get to work from home. It is a pretty good gig... but when I work from home... it seems like the day just flies. Like I said, I was back to back all day... even through lunch. I try to grab something between meetings. I really wish Microsoft would make it easier in Office to "auto"-build in about 5-10 minutes between meetings in the calendar so that you get a chance to breathe. I find that after a day like today, I have about 30 actions I need to take and then there is no time for the actions... so when do I do them. I can delegate some...

Got up early. Not sure why but I could not sleep this morning. Woke up around 5:00 and never got back to sleep. Nate and I went to help with family and little tiger classes. I really like helping the younger kids learn their stuff. I helps me refine myself as well. I want to make sure I am doing things right to teach them correctly. Then we headed off to Black Belt class. It was a great class. Got work on some of my 1st Dan skills which was good for me. It was really good. Smoothie King and headed back home to finish off our requirements. Then we had a little down time, which Nate and I both needed. Then dinner and hanging out. My daughter in college came home for the weekend, so that was great to see her. I miss her and it was nice to catch...

Well... I learned today that someone that works for us is really not measuring up and has not been doing their job appropriately. The individual had to go out on medical leave and it became apparent that some things that should have been done have not been. Uh Oh!!! Now I have a bit of a mess, so I basically spent the day figuring out what had not been done and got it done. More to come on this I am sure.  On a brighter note... we had a really good Black Belt class tonight led by Master Natasha and Master Marcus. We practiced a bunch of self defenses, poomsaes, and falls. It was great practice and refinement time. Thank them both for pushing us. Then Nate and I had some Jason's Deli and came home. We are just hanging and I am writing this journal. Great way to end the...

Okay day at work. I was helping orient a new employee that has started working for me. I think they will be great for the role. However, it took most of my day and tomorrow will be a catchup day. Those are always fun trying to get caught up on everything missed from today. Fun times. We went to King Tiger and did a mentor session with the Belchers. It was good. I like to help teach. It really helps me even refine my skills. I continue to need refining my stuff and making it stronger and better. I will continue to learn. I do need more practice leading the class. I did it tonight, but I still sometimes mix up the order. I do it in class so much, so I have no excuse. Room for improvement. I am already getting better. Keep moving!!!

Good day today. I got a new employee working on the team, and they will be filling a large gap in the group so I am excited to see them start. Good start for 2019. I am also still working to work through some issues with one of our projects, but I think we will have a better idea of the status this week. I am in Cary today and I got a bunch of exercises done today and I got to spend some time with my in-laws. Keep moving!!!

Not a terrible Monday. I was happy to see some sun today, and actually get outside for a few minutes. Nate and I did some exercises outside this afternoon. It was good to breath some fresh air. My work day was alright. I think the rest of the week may be a little crazy, but that is how it goes. I have a project that is not going well, and one of my peers is trying to figure out what failed and I can tell he is trying to find fault in some of my team's processes. We are not perfect, but I think he needs to look within. It will be fun. Anyway, great class tonight at TKD. Keep moving!

Great sermon at church today by Pastor Jordon. Bottom line is us believing in and loving God and Jesus even if we cannot "see" them. Not going to get into religions and beliefs here... but loving God and people is critical today. We are all human regardless of where you come from. There needs to be so much more love in this world, and I truly believe we can change. We have to let go of all that "stuff" inside us. Just hug our fellow humans and just let go of ourselves. There is so much hate and why? What do we gain by hate... nothing! How can you enjoy life with hate... you can't! So, why hate. My life is forever changing, and it is important to just "love" your fellow men and women. Just let go. It was a good day. Got to exercise with Nate and then watch...

Started the day off with a doctors appointment. All is good so good start to the day. Then I went into a full day of calls for work, which is always fun. Then Nate and I started studying for our written exam. We decided to go to kickboxing and Black Belt class. We got time with Master Marcus for mentoring. We reviewed Bolo and Staff forms. I feel pretty good about it. In Black Belt class we practiced the higher belt self defense which is good. I learned I was doing one part wrong, so good course correction. I was working with Instructor Jack. It is nice to practice self defense on someone my own size. I practice a bunch with Nate, so obviously not the same as with an adult. Got to practice my form better. It was good. Keep moving!!!

I had a really bad and stressful day at work, and unfortunately it really took me over today. It just knocked me down. I am usually pretty positive, but today it overwhelmed me. I went to Men's ministry this evening and as usually it helped to snap out of it a bit. I would not say totally... but it helped me. We were talking about Putting on Christ, and discussed temptations. Now, you can get into some really heavy stuff at these sessions, and temptations is one of those topics. But temptations are not always cardinal sins... it can be as simple as doing something you know you shouldn't but you do it anyway. A great example for me is watching TV or watching videos on my phone. It is a total distraction, and adds NO value to me or my day. But I put on that TV or get on...

It was a pretty good Monday. Work was okay, but I am continuing to struggle with people just not doing their job, and then I need to deal with the after math. I know that God has purpose in all this, so I just need to continue to do what I can and continue to try and support my fellow peers. It will work itself out. Need to stay positive. Nate and I went to class today. We normally do not go Monday, but we were meeting the Belchers for some mentor/mentee time, and we figured we would just stay for class and kick boxing as well. Both were good. The kick boxing was good. I really like leaving King Tiger knowing I had a good workout. It keeps me motivated. Keep moving!!!

Great weekend. It was a light weekend on events and stuff, so got a chance to actually rest and relax a bit which is unusual. However, this week is going to be crazy. Between TKD classes, requirements, my daughter's Senior Night, and Valentine's Day (might do something with family)… this week is going to go quick. We have a bunch to do and hoping to get caught up a little. The good part is that I am not traveling this week. So I am excited about that. Keep Moving!!!

I am definitely tired. I caught myself several times getting frustrated over little things that really do not matter. Some times you just need to take a breathe and relax a bit. I am stressed a bit over testing. I think it is the essays the most right now. We got three done, so not bad. Nate and I are going to use our time this weekend working on them. Its all good, but I am a little anxious. Then we can start to study for the written test as well. I was checking and we are about 55% through the cycle (if you include the pre-cycle). We have accomplished a bunch and more to come. I am excited. Keep Moving!!!

Good day at work today. Got myself organized and caught up a bit. It is great feeling of accomplishment. I am feeling pretty good about this BBC, but there are a couple of items that I feel a little behind... mentoring, essays, leadership 2 and journals... still time to get caught up... but need to focus these next two weeks because we have Instructors camp, and then I have to travel to Hong Kong for work. I know that sounds great... but I will absolutely be in the air longer than on the ground, so not fun. I will lose about 1.5 days of my life with this trip and that will not be good for all the requirements. Need to be in a good place before I leave. Keep Moving!!!

It is Wednesday and that is Men's Ministry at our church. Awesome message this evening... simply put is that we need to "put on Christ" everyday. Not looking to preach... but we need God in our Spirit and Soul to battle the temptations and evil in our lives. We must fight everyday, and we will prevail. If you slip any day, then we will be defeated.  Great message and great table I sit with. There are questions raised at the table that we discuss. It is a chance to open up and talk to other men about the message. It is fantastic to talk to people about this.  Keep Moving!

Got up early this morning to get myself ready for work and then get Nate/Lexi ready for school. I took Nate to the bus stop and headed to Cary NC for some meetings. It is about 2.5 hour drive, and got in by 9:00am. Good day of meetings. Went to my mother-in-laws in Cary and stayed there (which I usually do), and then did my requirements and exercises. Had dinner and now writing this. I started to do some research on the History of the Kwans. Getting ready to write the next essay. Keep Moving!!!

It has been a very good but busy work... more for work than anything. We had three days of management sessions discussion our 2019 plans and strategy at work. Basically it is work hard and more than last year... which is typically the message. However, I think we are being a little smarter on how we are going after the  market this year. We have good plans, but lets see how we execute on them. I am excited. We are basically right in the center of the testing cycle if you count the pre-cycle in terms of days. I am feeling pretty good about most items. Working with Master Marcus on Staff Form 2 and Bolo Form... I am starting to get it down. Minor mistakes and making changes. I will be ready. I continue to listen to Grandmaster Evins video on Facebook. It is inspirational... basically this is hard so...

It is was good day at work. We had some strategic sessions with the leadership, and it was fairly productive. I find that there are so many people that are just passive about things. It is important to talk thought items and raise issues, and just get it out there for discussion. I think some people do not like conflict or debate, and so with 30+ people in the room, there were about 6 people that continued to ask questions and had information to share. I was one of those. I like to challenge myself and others, even if it means I get actions from the discussion. I came back to my mother-in-laws house and did some exercises and requirements. It was a good way to end a stressful day. Keep moving!!!!

Nate and I got our Cyprus trees today. I took some time to think about the significance of the tree. It is something for us to nurture and take of, which takes times and patience. I think that this could be related to our learning of Tae Kwon Do... it takes time and patience, and I also think it take the patience of our keepers (in this case our Masters and Instructors) to take the time to teach us and be patient as we learn. Not trying to read too far into it, but I think this is getting us more ready to be Instructors and teachers to others. Keep Moving!!!

I did the rooms at the inn again. It was another great experience. It was fantastic to meet these awesome men and hear their stories. These are just other human beings that need love. Our society sometimes cases them away and we need to actually pull them in. They deserve our love and it is amazing how love changes people. We call want to be wanted... so think about that next time you see someone on the street. Keep Moving!!!

It was an okay day at work. It was a little crazy and I have a feeling people are down a little on things. I am trying to keep people positive, but we have some stuff that is just not getting done right and think people are frustrated. I am working hard to keep everyone positive but it is hard. Tonight was a good night of TKD. We worked on many things. I really enjoy sparring. I still have a bunch to learn and I need to get more flexible. I am getting faster but I need to be able to strike faster and get my left leg around after... and I know flexibility is critical. I am trying to stretch more, but not enough. We took Wednesday off this week and we went to our Church Ministries (Nate went to pre-teens and I went to men's ministry). It was great...

Another great day... although it is a holiday, my company was open and active... so emails flying as usual. The kids were home so I finished my day on time and Nate and I got on to our requirements. Today is celebrating Martin Luther King. This was a passionate man that dedicated his life to human rights. I really think that term is a little odd -- "human rights". I don't want to get biblical but I don't believe it was ever in God's mind that any one person was better than another, or should be given more than the next. The whole concept of value was something that us humans generated, not God. I truly admire people who are passionate about things and truly live it everyday. There are people that "sometimes" act or get involved in things, and their are others that live it everyday. I definitely have things...

Nate and I both did our Empathy training today. We decided to not speak for the day. We thought it would be a great challenge to do it at the same time. We spend a ton of time together and it really did pose many challenges... which I will be writing about in the essay. Here is a sneak peak to one item. We truly take verbal communication for granite. Until you cannot talk, you do not realize how effect that communication is. The item that is most challenging is getting people's attention. I did not realize how much I call for my wife or kids within the house. I found my self wanting to yell out for them, but instead I had to go physically find them to "signal" them and then either sign out what I need or write it down. It was hard and much more time consuming....

It was a pretty good day at work. I had to provide some presentations to a series of co-workers from across the globe. They all came into Charlotte for an offsite. It went pretty well. We got some stuff completed but many actions and follow-ups... so more work to come. I raced home, and Trish had made dinner. I cannot say enough great things about my wife. Nate and I ate, and then we started getting ready for our night of TKD. It was a really good sparring class. Master Marcus had some good exercises to get us warmed up, and we got a bunch of sparring rounds in. It was good practice. I am trying some new stuff in class. Just seeing if some things work. Some do and some don't... but best place to practice is in class. Looking forward to the next tournament. Then onto family class. I...

Getting ready for pre-test. Trying not to go overboard with requirements today. Just reviewing poomsaes and self defenses. Working on the details. I have had a few weeks to practice so feeling pretty good. I always find myself a little off under pressure but that is the point. Need to be ready at any moment, so now is the time. Need to get some rest tonight. Keep moving!!!

I really like helping with Family class on Tue and Thur. Nate and I have been doing it for some time. I get a chance to work with the younger kids on their skills. It is good for me to break the items down to teach them slowly. I try to find easy ways for them to remember things. It is good, because it also helps me remember them. It is really great to see them get better as time goes as well. It is also great to see the confidence in these children raise. I really wish I had done martial arts earlier in life. I think it would have helped me as well. I did many different things growing up that helped me build confidence, but it really wasn't until college that I gained the most. I was a small kid growing up so I got picked on... I...

As Mondays go, it was pretty good. We did a mentoring session with the Belchers. It was great. I like mentoring as it really makes me think about exactly what the forms and defenses. Walking through it slowly and really thinking about footwork, positions, preps, strikes, etc. It actually helps me clean up my ability to do it too. I also like helping a fellow student. Fun to watch someone learn. My parents were both teachers as professions, and I like to think that I got some teaching ability from them. Maybe a little. I like teaching, it helps me get better as well. I really like these BB cycles as they challenge us differently and get us motivated. Today was a motivated day. Keep moving!!!

It was a good day. First day back for Nate and I for a few days as Nate was sick and I was traveling. It was a very good class. I got to lead the class in the beginning and I also led a group of BBs for stick forms 1 and 2. I really do like teaching others and helping them learn. I also got to help Katherine and Emily learn some poomsaes as well. I find that I have certain ways of remembering things and I shared it, and it made sense to them as well. Good feeling. Nate and I spent a fair amount of time today working on some things that we needed to work on more. Master Chelley said we need to be able to do all our skills and belt level requirements by end of January... so that means we need to learn a few...

Nate has been sick and I have been traveling. We missed class tonight. I do not like missing Friday's BB class. It sucked. I saw Grandmaster Evins was there again and I was upset we missed it. Nate was sick and Trish was with Lexi... so I had to stay with Nate. Plus he would have been upset if I went without him. He is getting better but just cannot kick the cold. We need to go tomorrow. Good work week... busy but good. Weekend is here and need to press through and catch up some. Keep moving!!! 

It was not a terrible Monday. I went into the Charlotte office this morning to meet with some people, and come to find out that the people are already really busy (even after I booked time and they accepted it), and it turns out that what was supposed to be a whole day in the office, I got about 30 minutes with them. So, I left and came home to work remote the rest of the day. Waste of a trip to Charlotte office, but it is what it is. Got home and did some work, had lunch and then finished the day. My daughter Kara actually cooked dinner this evening. I tend to kid her on cooking ability but she said she has been cooking stuff at college, so I said, cook something and I will buy the groceries. She made dinner this evening. Chicken Alfredo. It was really good....

It was a good day. Spent most of the day at King Tiger and doing TKD. We worked on many new items and learned some new stuff. But the afternoon was the best part. It is the last Homecoming dance for Lexi and it was great to see her getting ready with her friends. She has a great group of girls that have been together for many years. It has been crazy to watch them all grow up. My daughter is not the little girl any more. She hasn't been for many years but it is becoming more apparent. It is great to see them grow, but they don't need me as much as before. Daddy is not a big part of their life... the "their" is both my daughters. Kara is my oldest and in college. Lexi is a senior in high school. Obviously I still have Nate... but these...

Good day all things considered as my first day back. It was also the first day back for the kids. Nate was tired when I picked him up from school, and it took some pushing by me to get him motivated to do our exercises and requirements before TKD classes tonight. We did some ladder drills tonight with Master Marcus at Sparring. It is awesome watching all the young adults and kids do the ladder drills. I do not have great rhythm but something I am working on. Luckily it appears that Nate inherited his rhythm from his mom and not me. I was very proud of him to do the ladder drills. I did pretty good, but lost the rhythm a few times and I have to work to get it back. But I do like working on them as they do help me with sparring. But it does amaze...

Although this was a short work week, I am happy it is Friday. Just starting to get back into the normal swing of things at home. Getting up early and getting kids out for school. It is really only Nate, and Lexi gets herself out, and Kara is home now from College but self-sufficient (for the most part). It was a pretty good Friday. Next week is the real test. Full week. We had a challenging night at King Tiger. Nate and I went to kick boxing and then did a mentor session with Master Marcus. Then onto Black Belt. Grandmaster Evins ran out BB class tonight and it was great but challenging. We learned some new self-defenses (at least they were new to me) that we need to know for testing so it was good to practice them. I am finding our new self-defenses to actually be pretty fun and...

This has been a great 10 days off from work. I have really enjoyed spending time with family. Tomorrow the kids are back to school and I head back to work. The good part is only two days and then the weekend. Next week will the real test. It has been really good to just unwind and forget about some of my real-world responsibilities a bit. Although we were very productive over the break on requirements. We have bunch still ahead of us and I am excited for 2019. Good times and a great year ahead. Keep moving. 

Church was good today. It was about loving people the way God intended. There should be no bounds in loving people. God wants our love to be equal. We make that very hard the way this world works, which is how we have allowed it to become (over many generations). We all need to ask ourselves, how do you want to love people? How do you want to deal with people... not how you think it is expected or how they will expect you to. We should love people no matter what their race, creed, or color... not matter what their circumstance or where they come from... no matter what has happened in their lives or what they might believe. This hit me pretty hard today... I think we judge people very quickly in this world and social media makes it easy to do that. I know I do it. It...

Today was another fun family day at Bank of America Stadium watching the Belk Bowl (USC and UVA)… we got killed by UVA because our team was not playing well at all. It was a blow out of 28 to 0. Ridiculous. Enough about that. I think the thing that most impressed me was the people. Just great people here in the south. Nate and I went to the Men's room during half time. Nate went into a stall to use the bathroom, and had left his USC sweatshirt in the stall. We went all the way back to our seats before he realized he left it. We rushed back to the bathroom, and there it was hanging on the door for us to get back. No one took it. I was very impressed and thought out people in general. Although there are many people that do bad things in this...

It is Friday... good morning... got up and moving. Got Nate to Basketball camp and ran some errands. Then I went and got my Sleep Study equipment. Dentist wants me to do a sleep study to see if I have Sleep-Apna. Not sure but wanted me tested as I grid my teeth and it could be a symptom. It is not healthy if I do and it could improve my sleep. We will see. Got the equipment and will run the test this weekend. Good times. Keep moving!!

It was a very good day. Got to sleep in today. Not usual for me, so excited about that. I got up and got Nate up and moving. He had Basketball camp today. Dropped him off and then started to put away all our holiday decorations. We really do the house up so much to put away. Took several hours. Trish got Nate from camp and then we had lunch. Finished up packing and then did our exercises. We were both really energized for them. Got a bunch done and then we took some time out. I made dinner and everyone ate. Just finished cleaning up from dinner and ready to have a little down time with Nater. Need to rest the mind and body for a little bit, then back at it again tomorrow. Keep moving!!! Take care.

I cannot believe Christmas has past already... this year flew by... we are already pulling out decorations down and getting ready for New Years... crazy. Nate and I got our run in this morning, and finished our daily exercises. We got some extra in today. Good day. Now onto more house cleaning and getting life back to normal. Great time yesterday with Family, and enjoyed a little down time. Ready to move and rock. Good luck to all fellow candidates... keep moving! See you next week.

Here we are... night before Christmas. Beautiful day out. Love being in the south. Nate and I were able to get a run in this morning, and did some jump rope. My Italian wife is cooking a long sauce on the stove, so the whole house smells fantastic. I had to fix some of my outside lights as my daughter ran over some this morning as she attempted to back out of the drive way. Nate and I did our exercises. Sore but good to go. Wife just ran to the grocery store for some last minute things (always happens). My mother/father-in law are on their way, and we will all go to my parents house for Christmas eve dinner. Then back to our house for family gifts on Christmas eve and the kids open their Christmas Pajamas (tradition we have done forever). The off to bed and wait for Santa...

Two days to Christmas... we had our Sunday church today and it was a great message... not to preach, but basically God is Good and he loves us. That was the simple message. No matter what we do, he will  love us as long as we believe and have faith. It is a great message.  A good day for a run, not too cold or too hot. Perfect weather. We got a few things done around the house and got our exercises done. Now we are just hanging as a family and enjoying some down time. It is time to unwind a little bit and relax this evening. I hope everyone takes advantage of the holidays and take some down time. We all need it. Take care. 

My wife and I volunteered to help with Room at the Inn which was sponsored by our church (Pursuit Church) in Denver, NC. This was an incredible experience for me. Basically our church provides 13 homeless men (we called them neighbors) a place to stay for the night. We pick them up at a designated place down in Charlotte and brought them up to the church. We had to make up 13 cots (with mattress), we provided dinner and breakfast in the morning, and our church has two showers for them wash up. We also had cloths for them if needed, and also provided them a lunch and care package when we took them back to Charlotte. The neighbors were incredible people and it was our pleasure to help them. They were all very thankful for a place to stay, especially when the weather has been so cold and rainy. As...

Nice rainy day in Charlotte. I would wish the rain to stop... it does affect your disposition. Try to see past it. Also working to finish off my work for the year. This is the last official week for me, and am off next week. Looking forward to BB requirements and down time. Unfortunately I am missing BB class tonight at LKN, but fortunately my wife and I are volunteering at the church for Rooms at the Inn program where we take care of a group of homeless folks for an evening. Especially with this weather... this is a good night for this. I am excited to do this. I will write a journal tomorrow detailing how it went. Take care. 

It is mid-week for a week that seems to be lasting forever. I have two more days of work and than I am off the remainder of the year. Hooray! Of course I have a bunch of items to do before Friday afternoon, so I need to hop to it. Anyway, good day. Thankful for that and excited about the remainder of the week. Nate and I did a bunch of exercises today. I think we are starting to hit our stride. It was a little hard to get into the swing of the cycle again, but it is coming better now. Of course we have Christmas coming, but this is the time to keep going strong while no school and no work. Excited. We just finished eating and getting things done around the house. Getting ready for another day tomorrow. Good night.

Well.. today was interesting. I got in the middle of a he-said, she-said situation at work between a software development partner and a customer. It really was not pretty and there were many ways to react. I decided to take the high road and just stick to the facts of the situation, and provide an "enhanced" message showing all sides of the equation and not pointing any fingers directly... maybe a couple indirectly, but it was subtle and nothing that was too critical to the arguments. I believe I took the right path, but we will see how this plays out. It is interesting what lies before us each day, I just thank God that I have breathe in my lungs and making the most of the day. We get too tied up in the everyday living that we sometimes forget how precious life is and how fast it disappears. My...

It is Sunday... we went to church this morning. I love our church. We go to Pursuit Church in Denver. Pastor Jordon just knows how to inspire us and his message is always impactful. This week is about digging deep inside ourselves to really understand to identify our sins (big or small) and make corrections in our lives to be better. You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it. It was exactly what I needed this week.  Nate and I spent the afternoon getting our exercises and requirements completed for today, and then I made dinner and he had basketball league. It has been a fantastic Sunday, and I am ready for the week.  Take care everyone. 

Great Saturday. Got up early and got a couple things done at house... then went to help with Family Class and Little Tiger Class. I like to teach the kids. I need to work on shadowing for the younger kids and doing everything backwards... but I will get better with Practice. Then we went to Saturday Black Belt class and it was really good. We reviewed a bunch of kicks, poomsaes, and self defenses. It was a very large class which is great to see how many BBs we have at King Tiger. Then Nate and I went to help my mom and dad with some decorations. It really helped with my Christmas spirit to help them. We then came home, finished our exercises for the night, and had some Tacos for dinner. It is great to do this cycle with Nate again. It is great bonding time. Now we are...

Had a pretty rough day at work, but TKD class today really helped me refocus and get back into a better mind set. This is important to me. It was great to work with Tiger and learn some of the self defenses. I find that he is very knowledgeable about the skills and a great mentor (not my official mentor -- which is Master Marcus). However he is pretty good in explaining the moves. I like him. Got some exercises in, but Nate and I are pretty tired so we did not get as much done today as we hoped, but we will make it up this weekend. I am tracking everything in a spreadsheet until we get access to edit the system. We got our books today so we will transfer everything into the book as well. I am looking forward to Saturday BB class. See everyone tomorrow. Take care.

Pretty good day. Kids had three hour delay so got a little extra sleep this morning. Needed it a bit. I am definitely not in the shape I was. Lots of work ahead of me, but feeling stronger each day. Push ups and sit ups are getting easier already. Pull ups is a different story... but working on it. It has been challenging running with all the ice and snow. As soon as I hit a wet patch I stop and walk softly as I don't want to hit black ice... too early for a dumb injury. Being cautious. But it slows me down and keeps me from staying on pace. Making it work. I like the daily practice on skills. It is good discipline. Making progress. Looking forward to tomorrow's classes. 

We are day 4 into the pre-cycle and I am definitely feeling it. It is a good feeling, and not as bad as last time starting. But I am a bit out of shape. Working hard up front to get back into shape for this cycle. We have plenty new to learn and want to get back to where I was. Took some down time between the cycles and I feel it. The snow days have helped us a bit, so I will take them. I am really excited about this cycle. We have a great testing group this time again... and I am excited to see how this cycle goes. I do think it helps going through this once already. You at least know how things go a bit, understanding that every cycle is unique in its own way... but the regiment and knowledge from before will help us. I...

This has been a fantastic journey these last 4 months. It has been challenging but rewarding. I am mentally and physically stronger than I have ever been. I have found this experience has positively affected me at home, work, and at King Tiger. I am ready for testing, and want to show what I have learned. Now I just have to execute. See you all tonight. Take care.

It was a long and busy weekend, but we got a bunch of exercises in and feeling better about the new self-defenses (High White and Yellow). I really do like learning new items, so it was a good challenge. They are very different from the old but they are growing on me. Wasn't sure when we first did them but as you practice, you can see how they can be applied. Also worked more on staff and stick forms, and getting the last minute kinks out... all good though. Got a chance to do some self defense on someone my own size... been practicing on Nate too much. So both black belt classes gave me a chance to practice on adults. Good times. Getting close and getting ready. I am excited. Good night.

It has been a great weekend. Physical and Written Test was yesterday. I beat all my times and stats for the physical test. I was really happy with the mile. Went from 9.36 to 8.09. Shaved about 1.5 minutes off my time. Not bad for a mile. Nate and both did very well on the written test as well -- 99%. We both studied hard for it, so glad to see it paid off. Now, to finish out the cycle strong. Keep up with exercises and drive it through. It was a really nice weekend outside. Caught up on some mileage and our new shrubs got some great sun. We are practicing our belt level requirements hard and getting ready for the next four weeks. I am excited and anxious at the same time. I will be ready! Now, I am going to go back watch the second half of the...

Nate and I did our final review of all the written test questions and we both feel ready to go! Tomorrow is the day. Including the physical test. We did our exercises today with that "1 minute" round in mind, and getting ready to beat our times and numbers. Looking forward to tomorrow. Keeping focus and eye on the prize. I am ready to go. See everyone bright and early. Going to go get some sleep. Good night.

Nate and I have been and continue to be pretty well on track for the BBC. There are a couple of items we are a little behind, but very manageable. Only 10-20 off or so. I have a spreadsheet that I continue to track our progress along with this system. The reason I use the spreadsheet is that I am tracking with an end date of April 6th... I want to give us a week before our final testing to just practice and focus on the testing, and not worry about trying to finish requirements. The only item I am watching is my mentee sessions. Amanda and I are working on the schedule to ensure we get the remaining 4 sessions in over the next few weeks. I was sick and then she was sick, which put us behind. But we will get it done. Nate and I have been prepping...

Time to make the donuts... back to work. It was a dreary Monday morning. Got the kids off to work, and spent the entire day with my team working on planning for 2nd quarter 2018. Good day, but we have more work than we have man power, so now to negotiate on what we will or will not accomplish in the coming months. Good times. Got to go to Monday family class and also mentee Instructor Amanda. It was a good night. Spent some time with studying with Nate. We are feeling pretty good about our physical and written test this weekend. Still more studying, but pretty good so far. Putting in our stats tonight to get a read on where we stand. Couple items we need to catch up on, but all very doable. The key is to stay current and get at least the minimums done, and done well....

It was a great day despite losing an hour this morning - that was terrible. I just spent some quality time with my family. It was just a fun day of hanging out at home. Nate and I got our exercises done, completed one of our essays, and studied for the test. We made a game out of the questions to make it fun to study. I like to learn, but making it interesting is more fun. Got to spend time with my wife and daughter Lexi as well. I think the biggest challenge today was the weather. Just ugly outside... but great for my new shrub. Lots of rain water. This is going to be an interesting week. Several days of testing at King Tiger Lake Norman so less classes, but we will be there as much as we can this week. I am finally feeling much better and ready...

Nate and I went to Lowes today and got our shrubs. We found Boxwood. It is a good hardy shrub. We have several in the back yard already, so once we have cared for them, we can plant them in the Spring. I really like this challenge. It gives us a chance to really care for something, and watch it grow. I am always amazed to see the plants we have planted over the years and see how they have grown. We have planted many trees in our backyard, and now they provide shade for us as they have grown tremendously over the years. It is a great thing. I am also excited to watch Nate go through this process as well. Happy caring for your shrubs. 

I really like my neighborhood. We have the best neighbors in our area of the development. I live at the bottom of a loop in the development, and we have neighbors on either side and across the street. Everyone just takes care of one another. We literally share anything needed. My wife pings the neighbors when we run out of something, like the other night we needed brown sugar for some cookies, and sure enough a neighbor had some. Then we buy some more and give it back. We all do it and help each other. This is something I never experienced living in NJ. I lived in the same apartment for five years and never even learned my neighbors names. We would say hi and be nice, but that is about it. This is my I like it down here. My one neighbor even lets me borrow his truck when...

Today was a pretty good day. Had a few challenges at work, but I got a bunch of items resolved and got ready for next week. I have several presentations that I need to give, and I wanted to make sure I was ready. Nate and I went to kickboxing class with Master Marcus today, and we also stayed for Black Belt class. We got a bunch of practice with Staff forms. It was great. I also got to work on some of the poomsaes as well. We got home, had dinner and hung out a bit. We have our prior foster dog in the house this weekend, so we have two German Shepards with us, so took them both for a long walk. They are pack dogs, so they walk well together. Spent some time with my wife before she headed to work, and now I am writing this. Looking...

I have added my extra credits for the Master Cann and Master Woo Poomsae and Sparring Seminars that happened a few weeks ago to todays (Wednesday, February 21st) system record. Thank you again Master Evins for the credits. I thought the seminar was fantastic, and hope that we get another opportunity to do that again. In terms of the poomsaes, I learned that have plenty of room to improve my technique, and need to continue to work hard to make myself better. I think the biggest area I need to improve is my side kicks. They showed me (pretty quickly) how I need to kick straighter out, and hold a better "upright" position after the kick to gain better control. They also showed how I need to stretch more. I have really started to stretch more and do my side kicks better. It is a work in progress, but it is...

Today was a really good Monday, no work today! I got to spend the day with Nate. He did not have school today. We got up, did our normal morning routine, and really just hung out, had breakfast, and watched a little bit of TV. Then we got started with some exercises. Our goal was to work on some self-defense since it is the one item we are a little behind on. I was also happy to spend some time with him. We also worked on some Lego building today. Him and I really have not had much time for that lately with school and Black Belt work, so it was nice to have a chance to do some building together. Then we had lunch and got back to exercises. We also ran a bunch today. We met up with our mentees at King Tiger, and did a mentee session today....

Today was a really good day. Started my morning with helping with family class at the Lake Norman school. Instructor Lloyd was leading class today, and I always enjoy class with him. He mixes it up and does some things a little different. He is great at explaining why we do things and the practical use of the move, position, kick, or strike. Then I got a chance to help with the Little Tigers class. I have never helped with them before. I was a really great experience to assist with little ones. It also reminded me when Nate was little, but he is not little any more. Nate was at Junior Instructor camp. He was great to really take some time and work on the basics with them. I got a chance to work with a few of the kids. It was a great way to start my day. Then...

Today was a great day. Nate and I got up this morning and headed to King Tiger to help with the 8:45 family class. Great way to start the day. It is awesome to see how much our school continues to grow. It was a pretty big class. Got to work on some sparring combinations, poomsaes, and self-defenses with some yellow and green belts. Then I went to a "celebration of life" for my aunt, who recently passed away. She had an incredible and full life. It was great to hear all the stories and remember her as I remember her. It is a reminder that life is short and we need to live every minute of it. Then I headed to the Poomsae and Sparring Seminar being held at Master Evin's school. It was fantastic. I learned a ton about how we need to be doing the poomsaes (positions, stances, blocks, and strikes), and I learned...

It has been a very long work day. I am at a customer visit for work, and I am really trying to take the time to view things from their perspective. I know that sometimes we view things in our own eyes and might not take the time to understand the other side of the conversation. I am truly working to see their side of the coin, but sometimes I just cannot see their position. So, I remain calm and patient, and try to walk through it with them. It is just interesting how people view things so very differently. Sometimes that difference can also spark creativity and become something fantastic, just not today. :-) I am excited because I come home tomorrow and I am hoping to get back in time for Tae Kwon Do class. Although I have been doing exercises and running while I am away, it is...

As Fridays go, it has been pretty good. Got the kids off in the morning and got started on work. Working from home today, so easy commute. Finished up work and picked up Nate from bus stop, which I really like to do when I am home. Don't always get to do it. Nate and I went to get our hair cut (Barbers at Birkdale). Then we went start over to King Tiger and ran there. It was just easier than going home and then coming back to Black Belt class. So, we ran, got some exercises in, and got some Mentoring from Master Marcus. Got ready for Black Belt class and had a great class. Got a chance to make up kick combinations for the class. It was challenging to put a combination together that made sense and kept us moving forward in the lines. It was fun. Finished class...

Well... I just watched the Eagles win. It was great to watch the "underdog" win. I do not want to use this journal to talk about football teams and players. However, I look at this particular Superbowl as a life experience. If you work hard, stay calm, and stay focused... you can do anything. This is the same in Tae Kwon Do. I believe I have said this before, but Tae Kwon Do has absolutely changed my life over the years. I know I have come a long away from my days as a white belt, and I am truly blessed to be part of the King Tiger family. I am doing things now that I could have only imaged many years ago. Tae Kwon Do has given me the focus and strength I need to be successful in everything I do... home, work, and just plain daily events. I think the other lesson learned...

It is the middle of the week, and I feel like I have gotten a bunch done already, both for work and for BBC. Nate and I have been working pretty hard to get a bunch of requirements worked on. The plan is to continue working through our essays as well. Unfortunately, I need to travel for work next week and will not have as much class time as I usually get, so getting as much in this week as possible. I am really looking forward to the service project this weekend. It should be a great experience. There is no better feeling than helping others in need. I also think it a great opportunity to spend some time with our fellow black belt candidates as well. Get to know the people we are training with better.

Today is Monday and I could easily fall into the typical Monday mood... but I am really trying to stay positive on this gloomy (weather) day. It has already been an interesting day at work, found out that some decisions were made around our business that affect the team, and I am not sure the decisions were made with all the right facts. That could be a problem, but trying to keep myself and my team in a positive mood. My plan is to grab the day and make it a productive day. No time like the present. I hope others do the same. Enjoy your Monday!

It was a pretty good week. Had a business trip to San Francisco, CA. Met with a client out there and had to provide a business proposal. It went well and we are moving forward. Good things. Had a great day today. Did the Kickboxing class with Master Marcus, and did Black Belt class as well. We worked on staff and sticks. Great way to end the day. We are ready for our official pre-test run tomorrow, since the sidewalks were still a mess last weekend. Looking forward to it. This weekend is about working on some essays and  exercises. Hope everyone enjoys some outside time. Should be nice this weekend.

Got up this morning and started the morning with a good breakfast with kids. Then Nate and I did some workout. We then started to clean up his Legos and Nerf stuff. Got the room back to normal, and then off to run. I spent the afternoon cleaning up the garage and getting some shelves installed. We took some breaks to do some exercises throughout the day. Nate then had Basketball at Huntersville Elementary with Dream Big, and he had a blast. Came home to find my daughter had started dinner which was a surprise. We had dinner and finished the evening with the last of our exercising. Then, the plan is some TV and off to bed. This will probably be the first full week these kids will have since the holidays. Crazy.

Hello everyone. I added my Kukkiwon Cup credits to my 1/18/2018 tracking stats. I really liked the Kukkiwon event. I really like to spar, which is my favorite part. Poomsaes and Breaking are good too, but sparring is what I enjoy most. It was a great experience. The group of gentlemen (four) I was paired up with were all great folks from different schools throughout North Carolina. It was great to talk and hear their experience. Most of them are like me -- doing this with their children. It was also great to hear how Tae Kwon Do has changed their lives. I know it has changed mine. I am in a much better place both physically and mentally. The sparring match went pretty well. Although I did not win, I feel like it was the best match I have competed in as of yet. I controlled the situation and was...

Well... I am stuck in Cary, NC. I had to travel here for work, and now I am stuck here to the snow. I hope that I can get back home tomorrow. Not terrible, but would much rather be home. Catching up on work and getting training done. Should warm up tomorrow, so we will see if I can get back to Huntersville. Everyone stay safe and off the roads. It is too dangerous to travel if you do not need to. Take care.

Hello everyone. My wife and I took our daughter back to school today. She starts class back up tomorrow. This trip really reminded me that although she is legally an adult (18)... she is still very much a child/teenager. She still very much still needs us for financial and moral support. My daughter is very book smart, but her "life-skills" are sometimes lacking. I just find it fascinating how she view things in life, and how little she really knows about what is ahead of her in the coming years. But, I am positive I was no different. I am still learning as time passes. I am extremely excited for her and her future. I cannot wait to see the directions she takes. But, we will always be here to support her... but hopefully we can lose the financial support some day. :-) Nate spend most of the day at King...

It was a good day. Got up this morning and went to church with the family. Great way to start the morning. Made lunch and spent some time with my daughter as she leaves to go back to college tomorrow. Nate and I got our run it and worked through our daily exercises. We are both making progress, but concentrated on poomsaes and self defenses. Plus going through our core knowledge for the pre-test written exam. Less than a week. Want to be prepared. Nate had basketball camp and then headed home to make breakfast for dinner... my favorite. I could eat breakfast for every meal. We finished our exercises and had a Nerf war upstairs. Finished up... put Nate to bed and had some work to finish up for tomorrow. Now I am writing this. Going to finish up and head to bed.

Today, work was mostly about talking with my team on the events over the last few days and continuing to keep them motivated and moving on things. Not a bad day, just long with phone calls and questions. Plus I am still swimming emails... I usually do not do much work over the weekends, but this might be the exception to get caught up. Nate and I went to Black Belt class and it was good. I found myself getting a few poomsaes confused when we were practicing even though we continue to do them at home. I honestly feel comfortable that repetition is getting sunk into my brain, but still making a few minor errors. Got a week to get those bugs out. It was a good class and continue to practice Bo Cho items as well. Came home from class to Olive Garden. My wife had gone an picked up take-out. Then...

It has been an interesting few days. They made some announcements at my work which affect my division and I was told that the person I report to right now will no longer be in charge. They also announced that they are building out the division to include more functions, which is perfect and overdue. However, they have not announced who might replace him or what specific functions will be brought together. Now, there is a ton a speculation going on who and what, but no more communication. Of course, I have a team of people and I need to keep them motivated. I have literally spent the last few days running around talking to everyone to gather any facts or information. I have some intelligence, but nothing concrete. Bottom-line... this is a case of wait and see. It might even be an opportunity for me, who knows. We still have work...

Overall, not a terrible Monday. Normal morning... and I actually got a few items on my work to-do list done, which does not always happen when start with reading email... so I decided to start on some tasks and do email later. Much more productive. I truly believe that people email to just email something... I would say on average only about 10% of emails I receive matter. I could probably say the same for the emails I send as well. It is a little crazy. Will people just pick up the phone and call me. It will truly save time and energy. I really did not make any specific New Years Resolution, but I think I might try and not send as many emails and communicate in other ways (phone or in-person). Anyway... kids got out of school early (Lincoln Charter) for the potential weather which was just rain. It is...

Today started off very slow and a little later than normal. I actually slept in which is pretty rare in our house. It was good and bad. Good sleep, but that meant less time to get everything done. We got up and went to church. Good sermon - it was about giving ourselves to God. I truly believe we need to give back to our society and community. In our house, we try to give back as much as we can. My wife does it everyday as a nurse. It is something we instill into our children as well. There are so many without in our own country and even in our own community, that we have to help. It is great to see our children ask how we can help. After church, then Nate and I got right into exercises and our daily run. Good day. We really spent time...

Started my day at King Tiger (Lake Norman). I really enjoy the Saturday morning classes. Big class with many new faces. I got in some exercises. Then headed to Master Evins' school for Bo Cho Dan class, and got to practice some more. I felt like to did pretty well, but still need more practice. Spent the early afternoon continuing exercises with Nate, and then we went to Lowes to get some stuff. Came home, knocked a few items off my to-do list, and cooked dinner for the family. Steaks on the grill... I realize it is still very cold out... but I will work through it for steaks. Had dinner and met up with some good friends this evening. Great day, and looking forward to tomorrow.