Candidate Journals

Good Saturday morning! I am jazzed with how well our group did last night. We each have many things to continue to work but as a whole we did well. That was the quickest Black Belt Testing in which I have participated. Everyone had a great attitude and listened well with strong energy and open minds. I am very proud to be part of such a great group of Taekwondo practitioners.  Going Strong!  PJL CEC 

I am looking forward to testing with all of my fellow Black Belt Cycle Candidates. We are going to have fun performing all that we have learned together. Good luck everyone!    PJL CEC  

The half marathon went well. I enjoyed the remainder of my Sunday with my wife & daughter basically resting and replenishing calories.  Today I had my annual physical. My doctor was quite pleased with my visit. He said it was nice to have an easy one, that he had been having tough ones all morning. He told me to keep up the good work. I will be receiving the results of my blood work in a few days.  I will be heading to the dojang in a few minutes. All in all, another great day in life.  Blessings & Peace to all,  PJL CEC 

So, it's actually a half marathon on Sunday. In order to participate I am going through a marathon. I worked this evening and then drove to Apex where I am staying with my parents. I will pick up my race packet in the morning and drive back to work in Mooresville. Then I will drive back here tomorrow night so I can wake up Sunday morning for the race. The fun part is I will get to several folks from King Tiger Taekwondo.  PJL CEC

My work schedule is definitely different than most. I work 5 to 7 days per week. My shift usually starts before noon and goes well into the evening; usually ending between 10:30 and Midnight. Those are good days. Sometimes like Easter, or last Wednesday my days are 14 to 16 hours long. I am not complaining in the least. I love what I do. I am putting things into context. Today was a good day. I arrived at work at 11:30 and finished at 10:30. Eleven hours is a nice short day.  My work week schedule runs from Wednesday to Tuesday. During the lighter business weeks like today through next Tuesday I can schedule myself off up to two days. Since I am running in the Raleigh Half-Marathon on Sunday, I am scheduled to be off Sunday & Monday. That means I had to work tonight instead of having my Wednesday...

Good morning Thursday, let's have a good day together. We are off to a good start having run 5 miles and doing some requirements. Next, the grocery store and then work. Looking forward to the half-marathon on Sunday.  Live in Peace,  PJL CEC 

Today we will be driving to Raleigh NC to join my brother and sisters and their families to celebrate the 90th of Jack Lloyd sr. The young man is still full of life and has always been my truest hero. To this day my favorite compliment is "you're just like your dad".  Yesterday, Easter Sunday, I worked from 0500 to 2100 serving 1200 patrons at Epic Chophouse. My culinary team was outstanding throughout the entire day. My Fitbit says that the marathon day equated to 21,095 steps covering 9.81 miles burning 4355 calories.  PJL CEC  

...is like no other business. Curve balls come at you constantly. I absolutely love the intensity and challenges. Yesterday was full of them. I went to work at 0715 and left last night at 2330. I am about to go back. I definitely lost some time yesterday, and will through Easter Sunday when we will serve about 1500 people.    PJL CEC 

Monday was as solid as I had hoped. Although I had to go to work for a few hours in the early afternoon I managed to complete all my goals for the day, and then some. The remainder of the week is going to take some concentrated effort. We are very busy this week at the restaurant which will be culminated by Easter Brunch. We are expecting 1500pp on Sunday.  PJL CEC 

First day off from work in weeks. I am looking forward to a nice 5 mile run and Taekwondo classes this afternoon and evening. I hope everyone has a great day.    PJL CEC 

Saturdays are my personal marathons; Sparring Class, running, Black Belt Classes and work until around midnight usually add up to 22000+ steps & 5000+ calories burned. At least that's what my Fitbit tells me. I love Saturdays.    PJL CEC 

So, taking inventory of one's stock is necessary in business; and in our personal life and endeavors. What is the cost vs the gain? Becoming a black belt has it's cost. We have to put in a lot of effort on a daily basis, not just when we are "on-cycle". We have to constantly train our minds & bodies on a higher level. The gain is well worth the effort. We have a sense of achievement. We earn something that few have. The important part is like in business, we have to get up and put forth an equal or better effort everyday. Here's to being a black belt.  PJL CEC 

Inventory - counting and assessing goods on hand. We do this informally on a daily basis in the food service industry. Most restaurants or clubs do this formally on a monthly basis to calculate Cost of Goods Sold; otherwise known as Food Cost, Liquor Cost and Non-Food Cost. At Epic we use a 13 month (every 4 weeks) cycle which is more accurate. So, although I am usually off work on Wednesdays I am heading to work this morning to do inventory with my sous chef. The bad part of this is that I will miss the Wednesday morning class at TKD North Charlotte. The good news is that I will be through before noon.  I have already done my first two sets of push-ups, sit-ups and burpees; some pooms and some self defense. I am looking forward to classes this evening. I am also very grateful to Master Chelley for...

I am hoping everyone has a Terrific Tuesday. I am heading to LKN Dojang for a session with Master Chelley Hartle and then on to work. I still have plenty of work to do.    PJL CEC 

Good morning to another Glorious Day in God's Kingdom, it is a beautiful day to do some yard work and then spend the afternoon at King Tiger LKN. I should be able to run and fulfill multiple requirements today. I hope everyone has a great day.  PJL CEC  

A few weeks ago our Rector, Reverend Sarah Hollar asked the congregation if anyone liked testing. I was the only one who raised a hand. I do. I actually enjoy testing because I feel it validates the work you have put forth in learning or practicing something. I really enjoyed the testing today. I still have work to do in all aspects, yet I had a great day. And at the end of the day of testing and working I burned over 5300 calories.  Sincerely,  PJL CEC 

I am looking forward to our physical & written testing on Saturday. We will be moving forward into the final phases of our cycle. I have much to focus on during the last four weeks.    PJL CEC 

Good morning, a very busy Thursday is on tap. I have completed my first set of cycle requirements for the day. Now on to prepping food for this weekend's IC, then work. Definitely jazzed about IC though. It's always a fun weekend.  PJL CEC 

As usual, Wednesday was a very good day on the cycle. I was able to attend morning and evening classes, run, do requirements and submit a journal entry. I like it. 

Going to be another long Saturday. I should be at the North Charlotte Dojang by 0830 to run and take classes. Then heading to work until midnight. The crazy thing is I like it.    PJL CEC 

I have been very lax regarding my daily log and numbers. I have got to make it part of my routing, either at the beginning or end of the day. Excuses for not doing so are lame. I hope everyone is enjoying the journey.  PJL CEC 

Wednesdays & Saturdays will be my strongest days this cycle. I was able to attend/lead multiple classes, do a Mentor Session and a Mentee Session, run and had time for other requirements. I believe I am getting into the rhythm of this cycle. Have a great day everyone! PJL CEC 

I am having a good start to the week. I had a good Monday and Tuesday is starting well. I have my mentors (Masters Conrad & Chelley Hartle and Master Chris Knight). I have my mentee Jennifer Gould with whom I had my first session. We are working on her Poomsae Sa Chang this week.  

Started my day with 2 sets of push-ups and sit-ups before driving from Virginia Beach to work. I then did two more sets of each after work. I am ready to get back into full swing after a very busy restaurant month. 

Well, the cycle is one week and one day from full completion. Tomorrow night is our Overnight Test; Saturday is our Demo Test and then our Tea Ceremony is scheduled for the 17th. While the past several weeks have been a major part of the journey, the cycle truly includes all of the hours and sweat that have gone into my 2nd Don Black Belt these past 2 years. I have enjoyed all of it and I am looking forward to the next leg of the journey. See you all tomorrow night! We are ready!

This weekend i registered for the Kukkiwon Cup. so, the training ramps up.

Had a nice day at work and then a terrific evening at King Tiger North Charlotte. Had a nice 4 mile run in 36 minutes, lots of kicks in BB class and good PMAA class. Looking forward to my drive to Raleigh tomorrow to visit my folks. My father will be 87 on Thursday. The icing on the venture is that Jack will be meeting me there and then coming home with me on Thursday. Have a great week everyone!

Monday's are still awesome. Unfortunately my schedule change for Spring Quarter has me working 1230 to 2245 on Monday & Tuesday for the next 11 weeks. Today was fun at the LKN Dojang due to it being Fitness Day. Had a lot of fun with my two classes. Thanks to Masters Conrad & Chelley for allowing me to teach these classes during this cycle. It has been awesome.

We had a really good Saturday at King Tiger. We had our community service project, black belt class & sparring. Un fortunately I had to leave sparring early. It was for a good reason though.

I have quite the busy weekend ahead, but it is a very good thing. Every morning I thank the Lord that I am able to rise and accomplish whatever the day presents. My morning prayer is that I glorify the Lord as I do them. I look forward to seeing everyone for our community service effort tomorrow. Let's share our gifts.

This has been an awesome cycle. I cannot thank everyone enough for every part they have played. I would like to give a shout out to Masters Chelley for all their efforts in keeping us all on track. I would also like to give a shout out to Masters Hartle & Cavazos for working with me on Hapkido and PMAA. 16 days until testing!

We are rounding third and heading for home. Hopefully we will trot across the plate and not have to slide in headfirst. I had a very busy 48 hours yesterday through today. I still got in 2 miles yesterday and 2 today along with a BB Class, a PMAA Class and requirements. The bummer was missing classes on Monday.

I am enjoying reading everyone's journals about the physical & written tests. I am very proud to be part of a group collectively striving to perform at such a high level. It is an honor to work with such fantastic young adults. Keep up the great effort.

Many people look at testing as an onus; I see testing as a culmination of what I have learned (or not learned). It is simply a measure of where I am so I can better determine what I have to do to get to where I really want to be. Tonight I had the honor of taking my Third Dan Physical and Written Testing with Master David Cavazos. We both did very well for a couple of 57 year old gents. I ran my 2.5 miles in 20:35 at a pace of 8:08/mile. I wanted to be sub 8, so I still have work to do. I did well with the remainder of the physical requirements as did Master Cavazos. We now begin to prepare for our final testing phase on 10 & 11 April. Let's get this!

I had a good day in spite of the dreary weather. Usual day on the job. Then went to Phillip O'Berry Academy to be a tasting judge for their 2nd annual Taste O'Berry event. The event ran a little long so I was not able to get to North Charlotte to attend Black Belt Class, but I did make it to PMAA. That was good. On to the busy weekend.

It was just another terrific Wednesday today. My Latin Cuisine Class did very well on their Group Practicals; feeding me some really good food. The remainder of the day went well also, run, requirements and classes.

I am not the least bit Irish, but I enjoy & embrace the diversity of the holiday. It is light hearted with good food & culture. I hope you enjoy some resprite while staying on track.

I got back on track today. I hit the mental/physical wall during the latter part of last week. Today I was back in the attack and succeed mode. I had a good run, did requirements throughout the day and enjoyed classes. It all felt good.

The Lloyd's of Huntersville enjoyed a very nice Sunday starting with church, then a few chores followed by lunch with the Hartles. The evening was spent reading and getting ready for the week ahead.

I have to say the last few days have been tough to push through. It would be easy to say that it has been my schedule, but I know I could have done more. Today should be a strong day helping at LKN and then BB & Sparring Classes at North Charlotte. Of course all of this pales to what is truly important; that is keeping Master Evins, Melissa and their entire family in our prayers today.

Had a nice day today. Latin Cuisine produced some good Caribbean food of which I ate too much. Stopped at Anytime Fitness to do some requirements and than ran a mile before helping w/testing at KT LKN.

The weeks are rolling by on the cycle. We are 12 days away from the beginning of the end. Our essays will be due along with our Letters of Recommendation. We will be taking our written and physical tests. I hope everyone is preparing well. 

In the end it was a good Monday. It was a struggle at times though. I was tight during my run as and could have easily skipped kick boxing, but stayed the course.

We had a great Mentor/Mentee session with most of the BB candidates at the Stevens home focusing on the written test, essays & requirements status. Enjoying the journey.

Totally good day! Started at KT LKN, then a Master Evins Black Belt Class and Sparring Class sandwiched by two 2.5 mile runs. The icing on it all was the scale reading 175.8 this afternoon. My target at the beginning of the 24 day challenge & BB Cycle was 175. Now it is 165 - 170.

I really enjoyed and made the most of this beautiful day. Enjoyed a very good coffee meeting with our Rector, Rev Sarah Hollar, had a very good Garde Manger class and made it to KT-LKN for BB class & mentor/mentee sessions.

I am keeping the Evins family in my thoughts and prayers this evening. Please take a moment of prayerful silence.

I had a very good Wednesday as we are cruising along through the cycle. Today's weather added to great day. I hope everyone got out to run and do other requirements.

Totally grateful for the credits we earned at Instructor's Camp this weekend. It just adds to the already incredible weekend.

Love Mondays at King Tiger LKN. They are a wonderful marathon from running to classes. I really enjoy every element.

Riding home from another strong energizing Instructors' Camp discussing the multiple take always. For me, the progression of sparring kicks to boast confidence is fantastic.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

Awesome first night at Instructors Camp. Poomsaes with Grand Master Lee, base elements of Il Chang with Master Honeycutt, staff forms & defense withaster Osborne. Not a lot of physical requirements so happy I did some earlier.

I had a good day today with a nice workout at Anytime Fitness in Huntersville. Looking forward to seeing much of our King Tiger extended family this weekend at instructors camp. 

Things did not align well on Tuesday limiting my numbers. Came back with a very strong Wednesday. I used our family membership at Anytime Fitness to run on the treadmill and work out, then went to LKN for a full evening of classes & requirements.

Monday brought a good start to the week which we know is going to end well with Instructors' Camp. I had a terrific Sabbath Sunday with church & family. Monday was a good day at the LKN dojang with classes, pooms and requirements. 

Dealing with a very sore throat I throttled it down a little today. I attended BB & Sparring Classes but did not run. I did bump up my requirements a little when I got home.

I had a very enjoyable Thursday. Work and Taekwondo both went very well.

I had a good day today. Although we had a delayed start to morning classes because of the weather my Latin Cuisine produced some wonderful food. Then the Optician told me that my eye is completely healed and I am cleared for my eye exam. Then the weather cleared & stayed just warm enough for my run. Finally, we had some really good sessions/classes through the afternoon at King Tiger LKN.

I hope everyone is taking advantage of the snow day completing some requirements. It wasn't a great day for running, so I went for a 3 mile walk in the neighborhood and on the greenway. Spent some quality time with the wife and daughter as well.

The inclement weather kept a lot of folks at home, quite smartly. This allowed plenty of time to do poomsaies & self defenses. I hope everyone is safe and plans to use their day off from school to do a lot of requirements.

I know it is late in the day, but I hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. We had a good & productive day in our world. Bracing for whatever winter weather we encounter the next few days. Honker down stay warm and requirement on!

I thank God every day for all the blessings he bestows upon me. Today was another great day in life. I was able to judge a High School Cooking Competition this morning, attend a Taste of the Nation Committee Meeting, teach Garde Manger class, prep more food for Saturday night's catering and spend some time with Betsy & Kate. And, I still worked in lots of requirements. I am looking forward to BB Class tomorrow. Depending on how much I get done, I hope to stay for Sparring Class as well.

I had a great & productive day on many counts. Along with working in my daily requirements I took care of some automotive issues (a trip to DMV & an Oil Change), prepped food for a catering Saturday evening and taught class. Spent a nice evening at home at the end of it all. Heading to bed and another great day in God's Kingdom tomorrow. Blessings & Peace to all.

Okay, so we are well into the Spring 2015 BB Cycle knowing that the "wall" is coming soon. The wall is that moment in the cycle when you feel the effort. So, before it gets here and tries to slow you down, take a look at the great effect it is having on yourself. I for one have noticed the reduction in my spare tire. It is like a New England Patriot football, deflated. This inflates my desire to continue the effort. Keep trucking everyone!

I had a very nice Tuesday at work then home and finally at the North Charlotte Dojang. The weather was really nice for run and the classes went well.

Enjoyed Monday afternoon & evening at the LKN Dojang. The rain eased up for my run, remaining requirements were attained, classes went very well and best of all Master Chelley was back. Looking forward to tomorrow. Live in Peace. 

So it is raining. That's cool. I will run and attend class anyway. Heading the eye doc this afternoon and then to the LKN Dojang. Be careful everyone. PJL CEC

We are in full into our BB Cycle and rolling along nicely. I do need to get busy on my essays, my new skill and studying for the written exam. On a good note, I aced my last class for my BS in Culinary Management this week scoring a 99.7 for a 4.0 throughout the program. As soon as the BB Test is complete in April I will begin Graduate School working towards my MBA. Every long term goal should have several small term goals that support it. We must always be challenging ourselves. Blessings & Peace to all!

So, I went back to the eye doctor this morning (3rd visit this week) and he informed me that my eyes are vastly improved AND how extremely lucky I am. "If this ulcer had developed in your line of vision it would have caused permanent vision loss." As it is I will probably have a small scar in my cornea even though the ulcer is healing. I will probably not be able to wear contacts on a permanent basis either. More likely I will have to wear glasses or choose Lasik surgery. Considering my active life style I will probably choose the surgery. On another positive note, this week of visual impairment has not slowed my BB Cycle progress any. I am looking forward to "seeing" everyone tomorrow. Blessings & Peace to all.

I had a full and interesting Wednesday that included a trip back to the eye doctor. My right eye is doing much better, but the ulcer in my left cornea is still there, although about 50% reduced in size. I have to continue with the eye drop medication and wearing glasses. I also have to return on Friday @ 10. The day as a whole went very well. My Latin Cuisine Class produced some very good Brazilian Braised Chicken and other goodies. Things went well at the LKN Dojang also. Arrived there at 1630 and left at 2045 having done requirements and various classes. Looking forward to Saturday's BB & Sparring Classes.

Today went very well considering my eye situation. My culinary students did very well in Garee Manger; I finished my last assignment and then went to the North Charlotte Dojang where I garnered several requirements.

woke up Saturday morning with an eye infection which had gotten progressively worse as the weekend proceeded. I went to the eye doctor this afternoon who informed me that I had an ulcer in my left cornea. This brought on the infection in both eyes. She prescribed medication (eye drops) which I have been putting in my eyes. I was a tempted to call is it a day and not go to the LKN Dojang; but persisted. I am happy that I did. I managed to have a good day in spite of my blight.

It was a really good Saturday at the North Charlotte Dojong; 2 mile run, Black Belt Class & Sparring Class. Through in requirements and it became a Super Saturday on the eve of the Super Bowl.

I have a very good friend/fellow chef who likes to say "we all have the same 24 hours, how do you use yours?" This week I believe I have been using each of my 24 hours very well. All of my endeavors, Church, family, teaching, schoolwork, BB Quest & community service are going very well. Yesterday I arrived at AI Charlotte by 0700 to do homework, then taught Garde Manger class. I then took care of some grocery shopping and went to King Tiger North Charlotte. While at the dojang I had the honor of assisting with classes, ran two miles, took BB & PMAA classes and did requirements. I then went home to wrap up the day and meditate. All in all, a great 24 hours. As of this publication on Friday, I have done a lot of my requirements, I have submitted my second to last homework assignment for...

I had a good Wednesday afternoon & evening at the LKN dojang. I finally took my pre-test and gained a lot of requirements. The highlight of the day was making new friends in Adult Class and Kickboxing. I still look forward to KT TKD everyday.

Life's wonderful journey allowed me a great evening at the North Charlotte Dojang yesterday. I was able to assist Master Knight with several classes and then take the BB Class with Master Cavasos.

Started the weekend with Pretesting on Friday. Aside from being late due to traffic it went quite well. My scores were good but that just means I need to work even harder to maintain them; and to be at the same level with everything else. Drove to Virginia Beach to drop Jack at Naval Air Station Oceana returning home this afternoon. Managed to get in some requirements and miles through the process.

I am totally jazzed about pretest tonight. Every step we take is another step closer to our goal.

Took a moment to add all of my credits from the Inter-school tournament, Boot Camp and the Sparring Seminar. I like the affect it had on my totals! I recommend participation in school sponsored events.

I had intended to do my white belt challenge this week, but thought better of it. I did not think it a fair week to do it since we did not have class on Monday and I will be in Virginia Beach this weekend. On another note, it was another beautiful day so I did a 3 mile run and my jump ropes outside. Hope everyone is doing well.

Totally gorgeous day! Enjoyed it with a 2.5 mile run and then did requirements in driveway with the exception of push-ups and sit-ups. I did those throughout the day.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that". Martin Luther King. On this day on which we celebrate the legacy of a great American I volunteered as a Exam Proctor for the American Culinary Federation. While this is done on a volunteer basis, I truly enjoy doing it. Had a really good workout session later in the afternoon with some folks from the Lake Norman dojang. Ran 2 miles did jump rope rounds, sparring rounds and poomsaes. Hoping to continue spreading the love and light in the world. PJL

Enjoying the day with family and friends. Live is truly good. Message from this morning's sermon from Rev Sarah Hollar @ St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Huntersville, "are we recognizing the Greatness of God in one another?" Looking forward to the week ahead! White Belt week.

Quite the terrific day. Started with homework; then ran 1 mile, 3 hour Sparring Seminar with Australian National Team members @ King Tiger and another 1 mile run. Then dinner with family and the movie Lone Survivor.

Day one of the 24 day challenge is pretty much in the books. It was a really good Wednesday to boot. Had a god day at work, a visit at the dentist, and then ran, took TKD (2) kickboxing classes. PJL CEC

Enjoyed a good day at work; then did homework. Taught the 6:16 class @ LKN and took the 7:05 class. Did a lot of requirements which I am not able to log yet. Looking forward to BB Class @ North Charlotte tomorrow evening. Blessings & Peace

A good week of getting started ended with a fun King Tiger Boot Camp Saturday morning. Today was a great day at St. Mark's Episcopal. Our First Sunday Embracing the Sabbath focus was on programs in our community that offer people the opportunity to help others. There are so many beautiful people doing great work for others in this world.I hope everyone has a great week ahead.

The first week of this segment of my Taekwondo Journey is going well. The focus for the week is running and Poomsaes. Throw in a Tuesday midday class with Master Evins and I am having fun. Looking forward to the entire journey. 

Three Sparring Classes in one week along with finishing all of my other requirements prior to testing, I can finally say that my cycle is truly & completely finished. Yeah man!

So, we had color belt testing at the LKN Dojang yesterday and today. It was fun helping them. I was able to work in a sparring class today as well. This leaves me one more sparring class and my cycle will be truly complete.

I had another typically good Tuesday of classes and workouts. Most importantly I did another Sparring Class, leaving me two more which I will complete Thursday & Saturday.