Candidate Journals

Today was another of those days that went by in a blur. I worked from home in the morning because we had an appointment. I got to the office just before lunch just in time to go get some with a couple of coworkers. After lunch we had a team building event, we went ax throwing. After throwing axes we went to a nearby brewery and chatted for an hour and a half. I got some good work in on my requirements in the morning and after I came home.

Today was Erik's 10th birthday and I think he had a really good day. He is still out of school because of a water leak. Hopefully he will go back to school soon. He got to sleep in so I didn't get to wish him happy birthday until I got home from work. We then did a video chat with his grandparents in Denmark and they watched him open the present they sent to him. After that we went to Melting Pot for dinner and we all ate too much. He says it was a good day and I think so too.

Today was a good day and we celebrated Erik's birthday with his maternal grandparents who both came up from Spartanburg. We had awesome homemade cupcakes in the afternoon with some coffee, well the kids didn't have coffee mostly because they don't like it. Erik had requested ribs for dinner so he got his request.

Friday is always a good day. A lot of people work from home on Fridays which means the office is almost empty. That is often good for productivity. I left a little early today and got home and worked on my requirements. I also got some practice in on my guitar, I enjoy practicing so much it makes me wonder why I didn't get started before now. Ohh well, better late than never. :-) Dinner was family pizza night and we watched Spider-Man: Far From Home.

I worked from home today and got some good work on my requirements. I went on a good long run around lunch time and that made me good and sore for red stripe week class. Still trying to work on the bolo form but I seem to have staff form 2 down finally.

Today was a good day. I worked from home and got some work done on my requirements. When the boys came home from school Erik and I went for a good run around the neighborhood. After dinner we went up to the dojang. Erik is doing his white belt challenge so he was in class as a white belt while I did a mentor session with Master Knight. We worked on staff, stick, and bolo forms along with knife special. Still working out a few kinks.

Everyone got up as usual this morning and we got the day going. I had a full day of work training but before we got started I got a call to come pick up a kid from school. Luckily Angel called around and one of our friends could step in and help us out, After my training I came home and worked on my requirements. Tomorrow we will be going back to the dojang.

Got up early this morning and took the boys and myself to sparring and classes up at Harrisburg. Instructor Foster gave us a good workout during sparring. Erik and I also got a session in with our mentees before our regular class. After class we worked on stick and staff forms. I think I am getting the hang of staff form 2 finally. :-)

It feels like it has been a long week, and it really hasn't. It was very rainy and I opted to go the long way through the overstreet mall from my parking deck to and from the office. Erik and I had a good time going up to the Lake Norman school for black belt class, sadly we were running late and didn't get a mentor session in with Master Knight.

It has been a good week so far. Work has been good and busy. Today I worked through my requirements mostly before heading up to Harrisburg to help out with belt testing. Tomorrow will be the end of the work week but not the end of working on requirements.

Today didn't feel like a normal Wednesday since I had Monday off. While working on my requirements I keep practicing bocho and 1st dan self defense. Especially the specials are not easy to do without a partner and getting that dynamic fight feeling in. Tomorrow Erik and I will go help out with testing.

Today was a day to remember a very important person in American history. It is not just a holiday to where most people are off from school and work. Well Erik and I dragged Patrick out for a run this morning. Both boys were complaining about being cold but both of them ran better and faster than I have seen in a while. I was proud of them. Erik and I worked on finding answers for the written test, next weekend we will be creating flash cards to help memorize the answers. For dinner we did some awesome grilled turkey and black bean burgers.

Erik and I got up this morning and went for a run around the neighborhood. Afterward we had a good breakfast and lunch. Erik and I worked on some poomsaes and self defenses together in the afternoon in between working on the rest of the physical requirements. I still feel a little weak after this Friday but I will be back to normal tomorrow I hope.

Got up this morning and felt a lot better. Manged to go to the dojang for sparring etc. in Harrisburg. Instructor Foster gave us a really good workout. We started working on staff form 2 which seems very complex compared to staff form 1. I will get it though and be awesome..... eventually. Master Knight went over 1st dan self defense and knife special with me yesterday and I am trying to work lots on those to get the moves stuck in my head along with everything else.

I was a little short on sleep this morning but I still got up and got some requirements in before going to work. I was feeling weak but still worked on it. I was really cold in the office but since we are in an older building the climate controls aren't that great. After work Patrick, Erik, and I went up to the LKN dojang and did a mentor session with Master Knight and black belt class. When we got home I felt really cold and it turns out I had a fever, I hope I didn't pass on something on to anyone else. Now it is time for the NyQuil to kick in and I hope I feel better tomorrow.

I got up this morning and got started on my requirements. I worked from home and got some good work in during the day. I went to meet my wife for lunch and then went back home to finish up my work. When Erik came home we went for a run around the neighborhood. After dinner we went to the dojang and got in a good workout.

Day started off like any other week day. Worked on some requirements before going to work. After work Erik and I worked some more on requirements and took a run with the young dog. After showers and clean clothes the whole family went up to SMG for a movie and dinner. Another good day!

Today started out quite rainy and boring. I worked from home today but was stuck in a good bit of webex meetings so I didn't feel like I got very much done. After work I went to the dojang alone. Erik didn't get enough sleep last night and I didn't want him to be short on sleep again. Hopefully he will be ready to go back to the dojang again tomorrow. :-)

Today was not a great day for our solar panels and they only produced around 6% of our total usage. It was however nice not having to wear a jacket going to and from the office. This weird weather is really odd. I keep hearing that winter is coming but so far I see no sign of it. :-) Work was good today and afterward Erik and I went to the dojang to help out with class and get some leadership credit and I got a mentee session in. All in all it was a good day.

Today was the day after the pretest and I expected to be way more sore than I actually was. I expected to struggle getting through most of my requirements but it went rather smoothly. Other than that both Erik and I worked on some essays. It was a beautiful day and it was very nice to walk the dogs in shorts and a t-shirt this evening, very unexpected for January. Tomorrow the work week starts again, good thing I kinda like my job.

Today was the pretest and it was of course tough. Since this is my second cycle I knew what to expect so I wasn't terribly nervous. It was of course tough but now I have a benchmark and it will be nice to see how much I can improve by the actual test. I am sure I will be sore tomorrow. Afterward it was time for a nice shower and some lunch. Dinner consisted of pizza and a movie with the family.

This morning I went to the office as always and had some coffee. I ended up going to get a spicy lamb salad from the halal food cart for an early lunch at 11:30. When I finished it my wife texted and asked me if I wanted to go out to lunch with her. We then went to Lupie's Cafe and I had a bowl of Texas chili. After work we went to the Lake Norman dojang for a black belt class. I think we are ready for tomorrow. For unknown reasons I wasn't terribly hungry for dinner. :-)

Another beautiful day and our solar panels produced well. I worked from home and when Patrick and Erik came home from school we fed the Awakey Snakey a small mouse. After dinner Erik and I went to the dojang for classes and leadership credit. When we came home we fed the Awakey Snakey another mouse and now it should be the Full and Tired Snakey.

It was a good day for solar panels and we got some good use out of ours. I worked from home today and Erik and I went for a run when he got home from school. Afterward we went up to the dojang and helped out with the senior tiger class. I got a mentee session in with my mentee so we are getting that going as well. Now I will sit and practice my guitar a little before it is time to go to bed.

Good day at work again today. Got good work in on my requirements this morning before going to work, After work the boys and I went to the dojang and got a good workout by instructor Foster.

First day back at the office. It was a nice day and I really enjoyed it. Got caught in a late meeting but still made it home in time to go to the dojang for a leadership credit and a mentor session. After dinner we took the new snake out of its home so we could clean it (the home not the snake) and put some more substrate in. The boys are still pondering a name so for now we are just calling it awakey snakey. :-)

Got to sleep in for the last day before going back to work tomorrow. Erik and I took a 2.3 mile run before we had a brunch/lunch. In the afternoon we worked on poomsaes and self defenses. Tomorrow I will be going back to work after a long winter break. I am actually not sad to be going back to work but it has been good spending some quality time with the family.  

I got up this morning and started working on my requirements. Then Erik and I went to the Lake Norman school for a Saturday black belt class. We also got a mentor session in with Master Knight. After lunch we went to look for a snake for Patrick. He got a terrarium for Christmas and he had been doing a lot of research on different snakes. We ended up getting a very sweet ball python for him. We have a very happy son. :-)

Erik had his best friend spend the night and they had lots of fun playing video games. This morning I got up before 8 for the first time this year. While I was waiting for the heating and air guy to come service our system I played some video games myself in between getting some push ups and sit ups in. I have also been working on some skill exercises on the guitar. This afternoon we went to the Harrisburg dojang and worked on self defenses and poomsaes with instructor Foster. This evening we were lazy and bought Chinese food from our favorite Chinese place. :-)

It was a nice day although the rain took the fun out of having solar panels on the house. Erik had a friend come over who is spending the night. Both Erik and his friend went running with me and the young dog in the rain. All in all it was not bad at all. :-)

Today was the first day of a new year. Besides working on my requirements with Erik and doing a 2 mile run, we took a very relaxing day. I got to play around with my guitar and I got to play some video games in between doing some clean up after having friends over for dinner last night.

Erik and I went to Harrisburg to get a mentor session and black belt class in with instructor Foster. We worked a lot on self defense and iron out some kinks. Some of our best friends came over and we watched the Danish queen's new year speech. For dinner we cooked an amazing standing rib roast on the grill with sides. Tomorrow will be the first day of the new year and I expect it will be an awesome year.

Today was a good day with good work on requirements. We also went and got more firewood to make sure we have enough for tomorrow night. Erik and I got some good work in on our requirements and we had a good little run. 2019 is almost over, it has been a good year with lots of positive changes. I am looking forward to what 2020 might bring our way.

Yesterday we had an awesome time with good friends and lots of good food. All the food was Danish inspired with sild (pickled herring), frikadeller (pork meatballs), leverpostej (Danish liver pate), and flæskesteg (pork belly roast). Today we have had some cleanup and we just got back from a run, we made Patrick come with us. The rest of the day will have some focus on more requirements spending good time with the family.

Tomorrow we host a party for some of our closest friends. Today was spent cleaning the house and preparing for having the house full of guests. Cooking will start early tomorrow to make sure everything is ready for when the guests arrive. In between all of this Erik and I worked on our requirements and got another run in.

If I had still been in Denmark today would have been spent with all of my dad's side of the family. It used to be my grandmother who brought us all together and I totally expected it to fall apart without her, however the tradition continues. It is one of the few days a year that I miss being in Denmark, but not enough to go back. It was still a good day.and we went shopping for the Danish Christmas style lunch we planning for Saturday with friends.

Today was a really good day with the family. The kids loved their presents and we enjoyed some good food. Erik and I got another run in and we brought the younger dog with us, unfortunately the old dog is not up to running with us anymore. We also did a video chat with my parents back in Denmark and they got to see the kids open the present they sent. I am glad I don't have to go back to work tomorrow.

Try to get everything going with the cycle. Get some physical requirements in while reviewing my color belt stuff trying to get ready for the pretest.

So I left to go to the office the morning only to get blocked due to an accident earlier in the morning that shut down I-77. I tried to take Statesville Road instead but it ended up being completely backed up as well. That is when I decided to turn around and go home and work from home. It is nice to have that option.

This week is going to be extra difficult. My wife is out of town Monday to Thursday so I am alone with the boys. On top of that I have training 3 days this week so the boys will have to go to afterschool. Hopefully things will go smoothly.

Today Tuesday I am still tired from instructors camp. Physically I have mostly recovered but mentally I feel like I could use a day or 2 off still. Oh well it is not like I want to spend my vacation days recovering from this so I just keep going. Instructors camp was really good though and I had a good time. I personally wish there was a little more time to get some sleep between Friday and Saturday but the schedule does not allow for much. I am sure I will be back again next year.

I had to take a personal day from work to drive down to Spartanburg SC. We decided to drop my car of at Keffer VW to have them fix the breaks on our way our of town. Our trip down there was delayed with almost an hour due to I-85 being closed around Gastonia. Luckily we got things sorted and we got back in time to pick the kids up from school. However my car wasn't ready as expected as they didn't have all the parts in stock. That meant that we had to run up to King Tiger to do class. That was fun and I think we just might do that again.

So today was a good and lazy Sunday with some of our favorite people. We started out with snacking on cheese and crackers while my wife worked hard on making Eggs Benedict for 8 people. It is really impressive to see her master some of these French sauces like Hollandaise and Bearnaise. We had a good time chatting and hanging out. After eating all the boys (young and old) went for a run while the girls stayed behind to talk. After that we relaxed most of the afternoon. We enjoyed a good family dinner with steaks on the grill but we skipped the Bearnaise sauce as we felt that would be a little bit much after the Hollandaise for brunch.

It has been an extra tough week with my wife being out of town for 3 days. It is not because the kids are difficult but we normally share responsibilities around the house so having to do them all adds extra work. That being said it is always nice to spend some quality time with the boys but it is also nice when the family is all back together again.

So I had the day off today because of Presidents Day but the boys had to go to school to make up for a snow day. That meant I had the day off with the wife. We relaxed in the morning before going to watch Black Panther. The movie was really good. After the movie we went to have lunch at at Passage to India. That was good as always and I ate way too much.After lunch it was time to pick up the kids from school. It was a really good day.

So the boys were a junior instructors camp today and the wife had to go to a board meeting so I was alone with the dogs. I spent most of the day nerding around with computers which is always enjoyable. I went to pick the boys up at 15:00 and the wife came home shortly after we did. We enjoyed time with a movie and a good dinner as a family.

I felt somewhat drained of energy today. But I managed to get through the day. I hope I will feel better tomorrow and that this is not sign of the flu that seems to be making its rounds in the office. Now I think it is time to shut down the computer and get a good night's sleep. :-)

This morning we got up and had a good solid breakfast. Then I went to the poomsae and sparring seminar which was really cool. I may be too old to ever be an olympic athlete but I can really learn from one. It was a great opportunity and I am glad we went. The evening was spent in the excellent company of my amazing family.

It has been a good but long week. Today we went to Erik's best testing for his red belt. He was the only one doing Pal Chang so he was all alone and he couldn't hide. He did really well and really showed us all that he has been practicing a lot.

So today it rained most of the day. Luckily it didn't start until after I got back from walking the dogs. Work was mostly uneventful. After I got home I finished up my requirements before dinner. Then I went and did a mentor and a mentee session before going to class. All in all a good day.

I had to work from home since the kids had the day off of school. I wasn't super productive with work but I got the important stuff done. When I went for a run my youngest son came along riding his bike, that made the run even better. Tomorrow is the community service project for the cycle so we will be doing that instead of the usual sparring class and black belt class.

Got another 4+ mile run in today. It was really good and enjoyed getting in the miles. I hope I can get another run in tomorrow. The evening was spent at King Tiger first helping out at family class and then black belt class. Tomorrow I will have to work from home since the kids are out of school.

I was a bad brother and I completely forgot to call my little brother on his birthday. I will have to remember to make up for that by calling him tomorrow. In my defense the time difference between Denmark and the US does not make it easy. Other than that it was a good day.

This morning we woke up and went to sparring. It is not always fun getting up early to get going but I never regret going once I am there. Black belt class was fun too with learning my stick form, now I just need to practice it over and over again. The afternoon was spent with Angel's dad and the kids. We went to a birthday party for one of Patrick's best friends. The kids had a really good time. Dinner was great with chili beans and corn bread.

So TFI Friday is not a misspelling according to my British coworker but a reference to a British TV show. I guess I will use that from now on even if I have never actually seen the show. I have been looking forward to the weekend because I am somewhat frustrated with work. At least we started the weekend well with a good family dinner at The Melting Pot as an early birthday dinner for Erik.

It was a good day and I got lots of stuff done. I worked on a project I have been wanting to get some progress on. I also managed to finish an essay. The evening was spent going to classes and watching a little TV.

So today was a regular day at work but I had to leave a little early so my wife and I could make it back into uptown for dinner. After a nice restaurant week dinner we went to see Phantom of the Opera. It was a really good show and I enjoyed it a lot.

So today we got the pretest over with. I was a little sad that we didn't get to go run, it would have been a good warm-up before doing all the other exercises. During the afternoon I went for a run with the boys and we got the time for Patrick's 1.5 mile run. Tomorrow I will do the timing for my own 1 mile run.

It was a good week. I never actually managed to go into the office. I really do like working from home. The kids school was on a 3 hour delay this morning. I guess they did that so they won't have to make up for one more day. I am still curious why they don't plan for extra days in case we have snow. Statistically speaking it is not unlikely that we will have 1 or 2 more good snowfalls that will shut down the city. Well enough about snow. Patrick and I ended up going to the Lake Norman school for a black belt class since we our own school was closed Wednesday and Thursday. It was my first visit up there but I am sure we will be back.

I decided to heed the warnings and work from home for the 3rd day in a row. Luckily I don't expect to get any complaint regarding that. I did spent some time shoveling snow in the driveway and on the sidewalk. Sadly there will be no TKD classes tonight. We will see if I get to go to work tomorrow, if not then I guess I will work from home again. I feel privileged that I have that as an option, as I know many people don't and these days cost them lost wages.

I took a work from home day as I wasn't feeling 100% when I woke. Luckily I felt better later in the day and was able to go to TKD classes. Tomorrow looks to be a snow day so I will likely have to work from home again, but I am not complaining about that.

Today was a bank holiday so I was off of work. We went to the movies to see The Greatest Showman. It was better than I had expected and I actually really enjoyed it. The afternoon was spent finishing up the physical requirements and taking a little run. Tomorrow I will be back to work.

We got the kick bag set up in the house. We also got the exercise tiles put out so we have a nicer family workout area. The night was spend in company with amazing friends going to the Indian restaurant Copper before heading over to Big Ben Pub for a beer and a chat. The kids stayed home and spent the night with their grandmother. All in all a really good day.

Woke up and started the day with a breakfast before heading to sparring. After sparring it was time for black belt class. Once we got home for I went for a little 5k run. The rest of day was spent hanging up ceiling fans in 2 rooms and finishing up my requirements before relaxing with the family watching "National Treasure".

It has been a good week but I am happy it is Friday. At least I have a long weekend to look forward to. Hopefully I can get to relax some and maybe get some small projects done around the house.

So back to work after the weekend. I can't say I was excited when the alarm clock woke me up this morning but I couldn't ignore it either. Turned out to be a pretty good day at work and then I can finish it off with some Tae Kwon Do tonight. Let's hope Tuesday will be even better.

The day started off with sparring class and then black belt class. When I got home I took a little run just to loosen up a little bit. Both of the kids went to spend the night with friends. The wife and I enjoyed good steaks for dinner. A good way to spend our Saturday.

Work was good today. We have a new team member who is British. Finally someone who understands that football is played with a round ball using your feet and the last letter in the alphabet is pronounced "ZED" not "ZEE". Well I am ending the day with a couple of episodes of iZombie.

I have been back to work for 2 days now. It is good to be back and I am looking forward to the challenges that I will be presented with this year. The kids went back to school today. I think the adults in the family were looking forward to the kids going back, the kids on the other hand would have liked the vacation to last longer. :-)

Today is the first day of 2018. We had a wonderful New Year's eve with great company and good food. We watched the Danish queen's New Year speech and followed it up with "Dinner for One"., before wishing my parents a happy New Year back in Denmark over video chat. Patrick stayed up with us until 1am but Erik went to sleep around 11pm. It was a good end to 2017.

This morning I got up and went to the King Tiger 2018 bootcamp. It was really challenging and a good reminder that I am probably a bit out of shape, I hope this cycle can help fix that. Later today we will have some friends over for dinner and just have a good time.

Today we took a family trip to Spartanburg to see my wife's dad and his wife. We had planned to take my father-in-law go see The Last Jedi but unfortunately that didn't work out. Instead we went to the Beacon to satisfy a craving for a chili cheeseburger a-plenty. It has been more than 2 years since we went to the Beacon last and it will probably take 2 years before we go back. The Beacon just isn't what it used to be or maybe it is me who has changed. :-)

I have the rest of the year off of work. That gives me some good time to spend with them family, and get started on my requirements. Getting back to running was a little tough and my legs are sore but in the end the running should be the easy part for me. Now it is time to get back to enjoying the rest of the afternoon with the family.