Candidate Journals

not a bad day today! played soccer with my tkd boys and had a good time in class. then studied or a big exam tomorrow :/ not gonna lie....its gonna be a hard test tomorrow. but nothing is gonna stop me for the Black belt test coming up soon! im ready!

My Uncle Rob ' s funeral was today. I was crying a little bit. I had never been to a funeral and cried. I felt like my life was ruined forever. I'm not sure if I can get through this cycle without him here. I am glad that God has his back and I pray for him. I knew that he wouldn't live for long, but I didn't know that he would die this quick. I just wish you all will pray for me, and I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

I'm so glad that today things settled down at work, I have been puttig over time like it's going out of style and at this point in the black belt cycle I don't need to add more to my plate.

Ok, this cold weather is for the birds. I'm so done with it. If it turned 100 degrees with 95 percent humidity tomorrow, I promise I would not complain. Master Chelley and I went for a run today and then worked on PMAA curriculum. I still have to work on section C. I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with a lot of my physical requirements now. But to stay sharp and make sure I'm ready for Apr 4th, I need to keep it up.

Dear Journal, Just lost all my entry. trying to borrow computers from where ever as I go, Last night tried to resurrect mine but no luck. Yesterday when to sparring in Mint Hill and doubled back for BBelt and PMAA class, Trying to meet up with Mentee but having a schedule issue. Praying for a compromise on her part, Lets see what today brings, And to God be the Glory.

Dear Journal, Just lost all my entry. trying to borrow computers from where ever as I go, Last night tried to resurrect mine but no luck. Yesterday when to sparring in Mint Hill and doubled back for BBelt and PMAA class, Trying to meet up with Mentee but having a schedule issue. Praying for a compromise on her part, Lets see what today brings, And to God be the Glory.

What does perseverance look like? This morning it looks a lot like me. I must confess that I did not want to get up at 4:30 and go run in the rain and do requirements. I, however, did. The same thing that usually happens on most runs happened this morning. I was glad that I had made the effort to get up and run. It is so peaceful at that hour and I was blessed that the rain/drizzle had stopped by the time I got out there. It dawned on me that I could be perhaps counting my running time as meditation time. I use it for a time of reflection and goal setting. This morning I was looking back over this BB cycle. I could not run the entire 1.5 miles in the beginning. Now I run the entire time. I have run in 22 degrees weather. I have run...

Everything Started out of Sorts this morning when the school Called with a 2 hr delay Then within minutes my Job location Sent a text stating they had a 3 hr delay.On the upside it gave me an earlier Start on my requirements.I went to Black Belt class tonight and stayed for PMAA . Both were good classes .I also Was able to Meet with my Mentor before Class.. Its been a long day I still' am terribly far behind with my work. Maybe I will get Caught up before the end of the weekend.for now, I need to call it a night.

I am going camping this weekend with my boy scout troop. Only 3 guys from my age group are going but we are cool because we are friends at school. we are gonna go on a hike so i guess that might be some requirements haha. We have to cook our own food and our menu for the weekend is: Fun Dip, Soda, Chips, Toast, Nutella Sandwiches, and Zebra cakes. As long as my bud doesnt throw up on my in the tent this weekend will rock. :)

Well these past few day the weather has been a challenge for my walking, I'm going to double for the next few days so I can catch up where I need to be. Yesterday was a great experience going to the Levine Children's Hospital taking all the toys and toiletries. Knowing that it goes for a good cause that it will help the children and their families make it a little easier on such a hard time in their lives, that they don't have to worry about what we take for granted every day. It made me feel very good to be able to help.

Hey, guys. I am happy that we donated to Levine Children's Hospital yesterday. I can't believe how much had changed since I was in there. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about that. Well, I was at my Dad's house, and I was sneezing so much. My dad told me to take my pill. It was a big, pink Ibuprofen. But when I was just about to take it, I must not have drank enough water with it and it got stuck near my esophagus. I was having a hard time swallowing stuff for a few hours. When I finally did swallow something, the pill desolved. But before it did, it must have torn a hole in my esophagus. Like my mom said, we were in the hospital for about 31 days. I am glad that I was able to walk out of that hospital alive. So, giving them all...

Last night we went to the Levine children's Hospital to drop off our donations. I was overcome with emotion and as a result was quiet. I can't imagine having to spend anytime there with a child in the hospital. It is a wonderful place and does amazing things. They really know how to make those heartbreaking stays so much better.It is funny what I think about or use to motivate me during my runs. This morning it was 30 degrees and very damp but thankfully not raining. I did my 1.6 miles in 25:10. I was a lot slower today, I guess because I am just so tired. I did not rest much last night. However, when I got to the 1/2 way point in my run, I imagined that I had just touched the red cone in front of the golf course sign and I was headed back to the...

Started my day forgetting that today is St Patrick's Day, needless to say I had no green in my wardrobe. That is not a good thing when the first half of your day is being spent with preschool kids who all felt it necessary to remind me...  It must have been the cold rain too cause today from the get I just felt off and a bit edgy.  Tonight doing my poomsaes i kept making mistakes, starting one and finding myself doing another.  Must be tired and distracted too...  On a good note. We Candidates took our 'toys and toiletries' collections to the hospital this evening. It felt good knowing we were doing something that would be helpful to others.  I unfortunately have spent too many nights at the hospital with TJ when he was a baby. He was a sick little guy.  I understand how big the little things can be....

Hello!! Today went well! Except for the fact it rained the whole day and I had work straight after school :( aahhh the rain needs to stop!

Dear Journal. Just left the YMCA. was there at the break of 5:30am. Still need a computer!! At Kinko's as we speak. I feel pretty good. About to meet me Mentor to see if I've retained anything since Thursday. The brain's not the same any more. They say you hit 50 and its down hill from there. Worked on some of my old poomsaes and self-defenses, ran and worked a little cardio. Also went over some exercises I learned in Sparring Class. Looking forward to the Joint Community Service Project today. Go Team!!!

Good morning. Just got back from my run. I was blessed because it wasn't raining when I went. It was a damp 37 degrees and the winds were intense. I did not see any animals this morning or any people either. Today we (the Black Belt candidates) go to the Levine Children's hospital to take our items we collected. I am looking forward to going. I have some friends from church that had a daughter in there recently. It was my first experience with going to Levine, however I was familiar with it prior to visiting Abbie. It is an amazing place. Well, got to get going on more requirements.

Went to the mall this morning to get suit fitted for my HOSA competition :) then worked out in the rain :)) it was soo much fun! Ended the day by going to my temple for a religous event and eating out with friends :)

Ive been thinking about yesterday's physical test.  I was worried about improving from my pre-test because my body has felt so run down. I was pleased overall and I did improve since the pretest. i was still not able to do a pull up but Instructor Lloyd said "thats a point five" and even that is improvement because I actually had some upward movement. At the beginning of this cycle I had no movement and couldnt even hold my chin above the bar in a hang.  Maybe one day I will actually be able to do a pull up.  This cycle is teaching me that I can do things I didnt think I could... I am stronger than I realized.Today Ive experienced my normal Sunday soreness. Ha. Seemed a little more intense this morning.   I have tried to do some extra requirements today, still playing catch up.  I spent most...

Today was a long tiring day. first i woke up at 6 and did some requirements. then church at 9. then went over to my grandpas house and just watched TV the whole time so that was tiring. just got home and now I'm gonna got eat a nutella sandwich.

My burpees are getting better today but my knee still hurts. Since I missed requirements yesterday after my tests, I really tried to catch up some today after church and a nap, but it was hard. As my knee gets better, I'll get better. I start Spring Break this week and my Mom and I are going to the beach on Saturday. I can't wait. I still will have requirements to do but I can have a little fun and swim some. Even though my j nee hurts.....I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

Dear Journal, Looking forward to my weeks ahead. Today it rained. Awesome for the tree, grass and plants. Wooked on a little of everything today. Took it light with my physical workout. trying to give my body time to repair. Family, is very important to me, but its seems I'm gonna have to put things in perspectives these next few weeks. Three more weeks

Today was great. I didn't wake up until 7:30 (perfect for me), made muffins for the crew, then went to the store. Ran a few errands, then took the kids to Benchwarmers for about 2 hrs, then celebrated at BW3. Came home, cleaned the house and did requirements and laundry while watching basketball. Unfortunately, my Wolverines couldn't hit the hole today. But this loss will fuel them for the NCAA tournament. Now it's time to get back on some requirements and laundry. A really nice Sunday...

Good morning!! Today is the day after our physical and written test. I am still smiling so hard that my mouth hurts. Which is ironic because I recently told someone that I think that was the only part on me that wasn't hurting due to the Black Belt cycle. Now I can say that anymore. :-)I am so proud of myself. Yesterday I did the 1.5 mile, that took me 25:12 on January 18th, in 21:32 minutes. No need to check your eyes or clean your monitor. That is accurate. I had to ask Instructor Lloyd to repeat my time because I thought I heard wrong. Plus I improved on the number of sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, and V-sit-ups that I did. I did not get a pull-up yesterday but it will happen someday. Oh, I also made a 100 on the written test. Quite a red letter day for me yesterday.I...

Dear Journal, Whoohoo....I passed my test today!!! Life is good. I have to admit. I struggled through on 3 hours sleep. Half way done. Now the hard part for me. Gonna need to muster up some more time to getter done!! Instructor Schneider... You're my Hero. Love you Lady!!

WooHoo! Written and physical test complete. I passed the test. Didn't miss any answers. I did better on my mile by a couple of minutes compared to my pretest. I am SO excited! A tiring day though.. physical test, black belt class and then sparring class. I had to take a nap when I got home. I've been trying to catch up on my missed requirements from Thursday tonight. I'm beat now. I'm going to call this a day and start a new tomorrow. Congrats everyone!

Well today was the physical and written test. At the beginning of the cycle when we were doing our base line I run/walked the 2.5 miles in 30 min 54 sec, today I did a power walk and did it in 31 min 9 sec - a lady was running my way and as she passed me she said to me that I'm a pretty fast walker as she was trying for a while to catch up to me, sit ups I did originally 38 today I did 40 , push ups I originally did 14 today I believe I did 22 (I lost it when I started laughing with all the cheering!), burpees I originally did 10, today I did 16, V sit ups I originally did 15, today I only did 10 (I'm disappointed on this one), pull ups I originally did 1/4, today I'm claiming 1/2, and today...

i did ok but passed my physical test but i don't know about the written tests well i hope all of you did great on your test and never give up!!!

Today was amazing i passed my written test with a 100%. i studied for a longtime so i guess it helped. i did pretty good on my physical test i think i need to make up a couple of things. then my mom, dad, cousin and i went to five guys after it to,i ate the most food out of everyone.then we spent time with our cousin because we never get to see her. then i went to go watch the play hairspray at my school with Natasya Hartle we had fun together, me and her haven't hung out in the longest time so i missed her alot. then i came home and got ready for bed.

Hey, guys. I'm feeling a little bit better, but my knee is still a bit swollen. I put a lot of ice on it and I have been walking around pretty fine. And I passed the test. But..... we all know that it's really about the physical fitness test. But even if I don't make it, I WILL NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP!

What a tough physical test today. I could really feel the difference of breaking my requirements up and doing them throughout the day vs back-to-back. I'm most disappointed that I only got 43 sit ups done in a minute. I needed to do them faster. I wasn't at my physical limit (unlike v-sit ups and pull ups). But if I step back, I did well overall. For a 43 year old mom, I feel good about my physical well-being. I'm also disappointed that I missed one on the written, especially because I knew the answer, I just didn't realize that the detail was required. What matters most is that I know it though.

Today we do the physical and written test. I am a little anxious just because of the health concerns from earlier this week. I feel pretty confident about my abilities but I am afraid of over doing it and having the same problem or making something worse. However, my doctor's Physician's Assistant, whom I saw earlier this week when it happened said it was ok to do the test today. So I will do it with confidence to the best of my ability.

Written and physical test tomorrow! Cant wait!! I got this easily! Well maybe not the written test...too much studying for me this past week so I hope I pass. Goodluck to everyone!

Dear Journal, My day was very hectic today. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. It's Been challenging not having a computer at home. Thank God for support of friends who will let me scan, and type documents. Whew!! Just finish dropping in required documents. Now I will take my tired carcass home. Did my physical requirements today. My body should be getting stronger but I am constantly sore. Having the knowledge of a Massage Therapist but I am not taking care of self. I know that I am running on empty and my muscles do not have any recovery time. They are atrophyed.

Tomorrow is physical and written test day. I think I am ready but I am nervous. My knees, worry me... But like everything, I am going to show up and just do my best.I am going to call it a night, this is the earliest I have been able to get in the bed all week. The rest will not hurt me. Good night all.

Tomorrow is the big day. It's our Physical and Written Test. I will be well rested and ready to go! I'm still not sure about pull ups, but I'll do my best. I wish you all good luck, and I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

Well today is a pretty full day. Work kept me going all day long. A lot of my co-workers, even my dentist, donated a lot of items for the Levine Children's Hospital. This community service is a true "community" effort. Went to Lowe's and purchased our Spruce trees. Looking forward to the physical and written test. We are a step closer on completing our journey.

Testing is only one day away! Soo much studying and stress. School exams and tkd exams and internships...sooo much work. Aaahhh anyway good day at class today. I wish everyome luck for saturday. We will all do great!

I am on a quick break, In between events at my Kellogg's shoot tonight...So I thought I Should at least try to do a Journal entry,So far it has been a long day. My Shoot this morning ran over because they added stuff to the Schedule and then with the hour ride home it left me with only a Couple of hours to Unload and recharge before heading to this evenings job.. I knew this was going to be a crazy week. I wasnt prepared for how exausted I feel Or for how far I am behind on everything.I am so glad I got my essays done.I studied for the written test some more this morning during breakfast. I feel good about it, Just hope I dont panic,I got my tree (shrub) the other day. I chose a Japanese Holly. I have never been very good with plants. The attendant assured...

to day i had an amazing day with a capital A well i went to school and got a 100 on a i little quiz that was easy after that i went to science witch was awesome i won the iditarod i felt happy i got a free homework pass just because i won well when school was over i went home and did all my home work but when i got home i got locked out for almost 2 hours because my parents weren't there so when they came back it was to late for me to go to BB classes  

Had a pretty good day except for this morning, my first block teacher said some choice phrases i am pretty sure she isnt allowed to say. Its a good thing that she is leaving the school anyways on friday. i had to stay after for practice again but this time till five. then my cousin Kimi and some of her friends had come over to say hi before they went snowboarding tomorrow. she said that she was gonna stop by on saturday and say hey again so i cant wait i dont really get to see her and her family often.

Today i took a EOG in science and i revived a 3. my teacher put it in the grade book as a 85 so i got a B. i was a few points away from a 4. I am having a ecosystems quiz/test in two days so i want to study hard and try to get a 100 because that might boost my overall grade to a B. I still have to finish typing an essay for school.

Essays...check. Written test questions answered and studied...check. Recommendation letters...check. Community service items...check. Tree bought...check. Daily physical requirements...check. I think I'm ready. I feel much stronger now than the beginning of the cycle. It's a long physical test and I am worried about being able to meet all the requirements without my knee distracting me. I'm going to try to rest my body tomorrow to give me the best chance for Saturday.

We had testing for stripe belts tonight in Belmont. Everyone did great! I love that we have more parents training now too... During my run/walk tonight my knee is acting up.. they both have been screaming lately but tonight the left one was making the most noise. I hope it holds on. I feel like I should be getting stronger with all the pushups I've done but honestly I think they are getting tougher. Tomorrow is a busier day than today so I'm going to call it a night.

Dear Journal, been trying to post journal for the last 90mins: first my computer crashed then my iPhone won't publish my entry. So, here I am starting all over again. Please work, please work. Wanted to type up my handwritten essays. Had a very long day today. Started my fist client frirst client at 7:30am. Worked til 5pm. Met with Mentee. Trying to come up with a game plan to fulfill all requirements before Saturday.

 today all started out at school witch was pretty awesome when i went to math i had a test it was hard well she said if you don't finish your test then we haft to stay in the room with her well P.E motivated me to work faster and to not be lazy the best part is that my P.E was going to play knock out witch is a pretty good game if you like free shots and basketball well when that was over i went to all of my classes and i went home when i got home i went straight to KT i had a mentor session there also and when i was done with *that* (again!!) i went home took a shower and stared doing home work when i finished i started doing my journal!?.  

Woke up early today so i could get to the school at 6 to help out with career day. i helped out Mrs Hartle when she was there to tell thew kids about Tae Kwon Do. I had a good time with her there and just helping out the school just feel great. then i went to class and when school ended i had to ride the bus today because there was no practice after school then i went home and just worked on my essays tomorrow i will definatly be done with them and i will turn them in. but all im waiting on is my recomendation letters

I don’t want to go into details but do to health issues my doctor has told me to not do extreme physical activity until after I have a CT scan on Friday. I am doing poomsaes and self-defense. I can’t and do not want to believe this is happening just days before my physical test. I have worked so hard to get my running faster and to exceed the rest of my goals with sit-ups, push-ups etc. I have many people praying that everything turns out good and one test did come back normal so that is great news. I am trying to not worry and keep a positive attitude but this is very frustrating. I have come too far and we are too close for this but on the other hand I have to pay attention to my health.

While shooting this morning I received an email requesting changes on the video I have due for Thursday's job. I only had time today to help with the MID class. In order to get the changes complete and ready for delivery in the morning I had to completely change my evening schedule. I wasn't able to attend classes as I had planned. and now I need to try and do some requirements before calling it a night. Wow.. I'm only in day two of the week and I'm already so far behind. Hang on!

So my knee has decided to give put on me every 10 seconds -_- great. Back to the doctor and hopefully better by saturday! Hardly did much today except for studying

today i had a great day it all started out with school but i felt a little sick in P.E i felt really hot but i felt better when i got home in P.E i played knock out witch is awesome i won only once its ok because the teacher said i could only win 1 time so every time i was about to win i would give it to the other person well when P.E was over i went to all my important classes like math etc, when i went to social studies i learned about the romans they were a really large empire. when i was done with school, i did home work IT WAS EASY but the bad part is that i finished at 6:30 i felt like 20 min but it was actually like half an hour well after that i watched a little TV and then...

Dear Journal,I missed my mentor this morning, and I feel like I'm making a lot of progress. This is a beautiful day today and I would like to catch up on my sparring and leadership one credits. I don't know exactly what to do because time is against me. I'm going to hope for miracles! I find it very difficult not to be there to support my family having one car makes doctor's appointments, school, along with everything else tricky. I will do the best I can to travel to various schools by any means necessary.

My spring pictures are tomorrow, and I can wear whatever I want, as long as I change back into my uniform. I will handsome in my bowtie. I will be having to have spring break earlier than most schools. I will be going to Myrtle Beach, but I will still be doing requirements. I wish all of you good luck for Saturday. I WILL NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP!!!

Dear Journal, What an amazing day today turned out to be. Weather is warming up, its staying lighter longer. Today was my date to be mute all day. It was pretty challenging but what an empowering exercise. It made me realized not to take speaking for granted and to look and experience life through another world. I found myself earlier during the day furstrated that I had to wite things down but as the day went on i got a little more creative. Awesome Exercise.

today has not been long enough. I still have so much to do. Since early today my time schedule has been off. I need to do some more requirements and haven't even had a chance to do more than unload what I shot today. Not a good start on my week. Here's hoping the rest of the week is not so out of whack. I've got to stay on top of things. I keep telling myself to not fall apart now.

Today went great. Perfect weather and perfect day at school. No hw and no stress. Teasting this week and ive been studying sooo much. Im ready. I know it

I am happy because i am going to be on a commercial. i went to KT today witch was awesome the class i took was *hyper* the class is always awesome because its hyper well after all of that i went with my dad because he had to work but the my mom picked me up. when i got home i did some requirements while i was doing this i was listing to a song called *happy* witch really motivated me to do all my requirements i got a lot done even homework i did home work so fast that i was amazed that i can do that fast when i was done with my requirements ( still listing to *happy*) well i got another  email  about my audition well it said that i am going to in a new movie i am going to be the adopted kid well i...

Today i had a lot of homework so i didn't have a lot of time to do my requirements. But i did do some. i will catch up on the weekends.

Well I have to state that loosing an hour sleep I highly dislike. My sleep is very precious to me, and being deprived an hour is no good. Now I'm done complaining. Today I was waiting at the Park and Ride (for those of you don't know I take the bus to work downtown) for my husband to pick me up, he was running a little late as he was also picking up our daughter Mary from school as she had JROTC drill practice. Well while I was waiting I was mentally and physically practicing my Wong Ho 3 and Wong Ho 4, people were looking at me kind of funny, but it comes down to you don't care because every minute that you have the opportunity to do something and you chose not to do something is time wasted, and I don't have time to waste.

Today was not bad, i found out that my first bloc teacher is leaving on friday. she wasn't my favorite teacher so that made my day. then in 2nd block which is ROTC my teacher wasnt here so we had a substitue but another ROTC person taught the class. then i had spanish where i found out that i had gotten a 90 on my written test. finally there was fourth block my civics class were we didvocab then watched a film called the secrets of secret service. i stayed after for feild day practice again, there i did tug of war the whole time. my hands hurt now because the rope is so old. but the sad thing is i cannot fo to the feild day super intendence cup because the same day i have to test to see if i pass and m able o get my third degree,...

My aunt audrey came over yesterday. I thought she was here just to talk to my mom, but she actually brought a bunch of other stuff for the donations. I was just surprised. I have been doing a really good job at this community service thing, so that made me feel great. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!

Good morning. I got up and did my run this morning, after doing some push-ups, burpees, sit-ups and inclined pull-ups. I am looking forward to when I strike that sweet balance of being light enough and strong enough to get my body up there to do a real unassisted pull-up. I did my run in 23:15.04. I was a bit slower today, in part due to lack of sleep. Although I went to bed at a decent hour, I did not rest well. I noticed that I have become obsessed with getting my run done faster. I also noticed that I prefer running in the morning before the exhaust fumes get bad. Also I saw two bunny rabbits this morning on my first time around my loop. The second time around I did not expect to see them again but I saw one of them in the same yard. It was...

Dear Journal, Got up early so I could fulfill most of my requirements for the day. Went to Church. Gave one of my Sisters a ride to and fro because her truck broke down. The Sermon today at Church was beautiful. It was on being lukewarm with your love for God, One Another and the Loss. Had a couple of clients today and came home and stained the draws on Cade and Chol's furniture. I hadn't done that before. It felt great knowing that I accomplished something. Looking forward to meeting with my Mentor tomorow.

Hoefully this journal entry goes through. It hasnt for the past few days. Aaahhh. Anyways I wish we didn't have school tomorrow. But we do. Today went well! Cant wait till testing

I spent a good portion of the day trying to finish up essays and as of tonight I have finished all of my essays excluding the one for our community service project.  Done! I have an extremely busy work week ahead of me and wanted to get as much off my plate as possible.  This feels like a bunch of weight off of my shoulders. Today was like most Sundays have been after taking a black belt class and a sparring class I have struggled with requirements.  I still find I am always more sore after taking two classes back to back.Next weekend is the written and physical test. I have been studying, again I know I have a crazy work week too I think I am prepared and hope I dont panic.  On the physical side, this has been a tough process and to be honest my body feels tired....

Well, today I found out that one of my neighbors died and was buried leaving his wife and two sons in a tough financial situation as his illness was an extended and costly one. As a neighborhood we are standing up and helping in any way that we can this incredible family. It gives you pause to think how short life is, that you should not waste any time on things of no importance, that family is the most important thing in life. Love one another. Be good to each other. Support each other. Love, laught, live!!

today was a great day the sun was shining and i got alot of stuff done. realy tired right now sorry gonna be short :) bye

I am done with all of my essays. Yessir, I am a very good student. I will be home doing requirements for the cycle and I will be tired by the end of the week, but I can do it. The only thing that I can do is get them done by Apr 5th. I WILL NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP!!!

today i went to my other audition it was awesome because they accepted me and know i am going to do a commercial but know i am waiting for an agent to call me so i can do a commercial well i felt happy,after that i went to church AND WHEN I WAS DONE with that i went back home and know i am watching the hunger games catching fire witch is a pretty great movie so far wow!!! this was a short 

Today was a really tough day. Today I did my empathy training and I bound my left arm in a sling. So the day was a challenge in that regard but then we had my Uncle Sonny's memorial service this afternoon. Only "having one arm" was so difficult. One good thing about doing the empathy challenge today was being able to share with my friends at church about why my arm was in a sling and therefore I was able to share more about King Tiger and the Black Belt cycle. After church I met my dad at Uncle Sonny & Aunt Jackie's house along with the rest of the family. While there my dad gave me some pictures of Uncle Sonny and their mom (my step-grandmother). I was not expecting to see a picture of my mom amongst the pictures. It immediately brought tears to my eyes. I don't know...

Today was a very calm day,pretty much i woke up and ate breakfast went outside and tanned. then i finished an essay and a half of another one. then i had calledtwo of my friends to see if they could hang out but both of them were busy sothe rest of my day i just chilled.

Today I focused on essays. I have been writing them throughout the cycle, but as of yesterday I still had the 3rd dan specific essays to write. Well, to be fair, I had written about 7 pages of my Korean history paper, but I still had 3+ to go. The research is what takes the longest. I also needed to help a friend, do some cleaning, go to BJ's, and watch Jess' tennis match today. At this point I still have 1 essay to go. But it's only 7pm...the night is young...

"Running water never goes stale, so you gotta be like water and keep on flowing..." Bruce LeeMore aches and pains today.. I am still recouping from Thursday night's sparring class.  Ha.Even still I had a good day and I did get two classes in and was able to get a good bit of requirements done. I was also able to make up some miles thanks to the weather and managed to shave a few seconds off my time. Still not able to run an entire mile but am working on a run/walk program. I did some pull ups yesterday and today that I have never been able to do before without the assistance of a band. I'm Still not able to do the required pull up but I feel like I have made some improvement.  Since the weather was so nice I spent some more time outside working on my punching...

I think today was one of the best and most challenging days of this cycle. It started with my 1.5 mile run and I did it in 22:47.82 which just made my morning. I thought yesterday was a fluke but when I broke 23 minutes again today, I knew it wasn't a fluke and I wasn't dreaming. I went to Saturday Black Belt class and stayed for sparring. I always enjoy working with Master Randle and Pam Russ. After class I stopped and got some lunch and when I got home Hans and I went for a 2 mile walk (some jogging) in the awesome weather. After we got home I practiced both staff forms, single stick, bolo, attack & defend, staff attack & defend and some other poomsaes on my patio in the back yard. That was so peaceful and relaxing to be outside practicing. I would take breaks and...

today i went to a audition well i thought i did horrible but it turns out i did pretty good they called and said i was one of the top 5  and that know i haft to sign a contract so i feel proud of my self for accomplishing my goal well know i haft to go tomorrow i haft to go to anther audition at 10 well know i might be on tv! witch makes me happy so HAPPy.

Today Was NOT the best day. I woke up tired and didn't seem like I got any rest. I got to KT and was in a really bad mood. It just wasn't a good day but I did get a lot of work done. I didn't feel like I did too well in sparring class but I know it's just one bad day. I got my fingers kicked and jammed and it really hurt. My Mom told me it was OK and I needed to just get some rest and re-group. That's just what I'm going to do because I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!

Dear Journal, sometimes I over think things. Had black belt class and I think I left my brain at home. My sparring class was AWESOME! I believe my strength is Sparring. I learned a lot. Just got off work and about to head home. Wish I could go some place quiet to study and rest. Need to get the rest of my requirements in before next weekend. Study, Study Study.

Dear Journal, Woke up and felt much better. Took my workout light today. Did not want to regress. Went to the YMCA and only ran a mile. Had lots to think about. Defnitely to finish the course and need be a little better at time management. I had Bible Talk after work and was encouraged by Spirit of the women I help lead. They are all rooting for me. I cant wait to see what unfolds over the next few weeks.

Tonight I went to Black Belt class. It was a Small Class ... only 3 of Us students,I like it when I get to attend a "little'' class, it gives opportunity for more personal critiquing:  We worked on our Poomsaes and Self defenses. ...Tomorrow, Saturday Black Belt class and another Sparring class, My body is running tired. I am calling its night,. Need the rest.

Today is International Women's Day. At work, our company has a Women's Network and we met for lunch to listen to a speaker and celebrate the advances of women. The speaker was full of energy and good stories. One of her suggestions was to travel abroad to broaden your perspective. I totally agree with that. I can really appreciate life in the US after staying in many other countries. We are so fortunate in the US. Our daily complaints are really put in perspective when you think of the air quality in China, women's equality in Saudi Arabia, the violence and theft in Brazil. We really have it good.

So, I bet you think that since it was pouring rain and cold this morning that I didn't run, well, you are wrong. I ran this evening when I got home. It was so different running in the daylight, with my contacts in and with traffic. I really enjoyed the change of scenery even though I ran the same route, just in the daylight. I am so excited that I ran my 1.5 mile loop, the same one that I have been running, (remember that up to now my best time was 23:50) tonight I ran it in 22:46.50 !!!! Well, I am going to go finish up with 45 more push-ups, some sit-ups, etc. I am so happy with my new running habit that whatever happens with the rest of the cycle & test, I have already won.

I went to KT Lake Norman today for Sparring class. It was a lot of fun! We did kick boxing in class, which I really liked. It was raining really hard and we left a litle early to try to get to black belt class. I made it just in time. I also finished my volunteer project essay today too. I'm really tired but I'LL NEVER GIVE UP!!

I have a torn meniscus in my left knee and always wear a brace when training. Since starting the cycle my right knee has started troubling me so now I wear a bandage on it.  I have hurt my right hand, I am wearing a bandage on my hand to assist and make pushups more bearable.  My back is an on going problem and many days I am wearing a back brace.  Tonight at sparring class during warm ups I felt my ankle twist... Tried not to pay it too much attention, I have enough body parts screaming so one more really didnt seem like much, but, as I was leaving The pain began to increase.  Tonight I am icing my ankle.  Looks like I may be adding another brace to my lineup.   Whew, I keep this up and I may need a one big full body brace.  The only...

its been raining almost all day, its freezing to. i have been practicing the hole day i had some home work but not a lot, i had a great day at school it was a pretty fun day i did great on my math test i think i made a 100 i know for sure i did after math i went to P.E i had a great time there because i was shooting 3 pointers all day after that i went home did my homework and when i was done with my homework i did a little mine work out for my self i was really fit they workout was only about an 1hr for me it felt like 20 min TIME GOUSE FAST QUIck!!!

I got quite a bit accomplished today with requirements and such. I'm keeping pretty busy at work also. Overall a pretty good day.

Rainy day at school today. Had to take a really long test and it was boring. anyways i hope it snows tomorrow the weather man said it would.

Dear Journal, I remember when we had our initial BB meeting to discuss what "the cycle" would entail. After leaving the meeting I thought about how in the world I would get through this 10 weeks of physical and mental training when both my knees, shoulders, back, right hip and elbow hurt: virtigo episodes; I have one vehicle, 3 jobs. Sometimes I would ask myself "why am I doing this again?" BUT, Most of the times I found myself being grateful that I have not quit, that I'm making history and I'm a part of something great. I wondered what message am I sending to my family and friends and what legacy to I want to leave behnd in my journey as a Black Belt. I know what I dont want (quitter). I know I have to go the distance. If not for self, then for the others that will come...

Very productive day today. I went to school and I had to wear my JROTC uniform:). In second block which is my JROTC class i am platoon leader which is the top person in your class. I led the uniform inspection today because my partner wasn't there, Overall they look nice. then i had to stay after for practice i worked on my hangtime and then simple relay. went home and got ready for sparring class were we were kick boxing. then i had to leave to go to diving practice, i worked pretty hard and i can tell ya'll that im going to be pretty sore tomorrow. so pretty much i was working out all day.

This morning I overslept by 20 minutes but I did get up and ran my 1.5 miles. I don't know what is going on. I think I am getting sick. Today I have felt really bad and wiped out. Plus I didn't get a full lunch hour so I did not get in as many requirements. We had a great class tonight and I got a lot of burpees in along with self-defenses. I always enjoy working with the Little Tigers. My mentee was still out sick. I hope to get to work with him next week.

Ben was my helper today. He asked me questions for the written test while I was taking him to and from school. He also did requirements with me (he did his baseball homework). And he attacked me for self defense. I have to get my essays finished this weekend. And I need to do some deep cleaning in the house!

had trouble logging in today. Really need a computer.. Did lots of review on old ciriculum. worked really hard to stay abreast. Now need to find time to add dropbox items. Not sleeping much. Can one die from a lack of sleep?

had trouble logging in today. Really need a computer.. Did lots of review on old ciriculum. worked really hard to stay abreast. Now need to find time to add dropbox items. Not sleeping much. Can one die from a lack of sleep?

Today went by fast! I hope those who tested today did great! Cant wait to see who got their new belts next week! Cycle is alsmost done. Only a few weeks left. Almost done! Aahhh 3rd dan here I come

Today went by fast! I hope those who tested today did great! Cant wait to see who got their new belts next week! Cycle is alsmost done. Only a few weeks left. Almost done! Aahhh 3rd dan here I come

I did my empathy training today.  I can only say I am glad it is over. Having failed at my first attempt this was my second.  I found the day to be exausting. I tried to do things as I normally would on a Wednesday but found I was constantly having to come up with new methods to do somethings that On a normal day I would have put no thought to at all.  I have had to ask more people to help me today too than I probably would have in a week... Maybe longer, and to boot it was for simple tasks, like tying my belt or opening a snack bar.  Now to finish my essay.Thank You Master Evins !!! For the generous credits from Instructor's camp.. I really did enjoy myself too! I have collected a good number of things for our community service project. Thank you to eveyone who...

Well I'm getting back to a routine after recuperating from instructiors camp. Getting my sleep back to a more normal amount of hours. Is kind of funny what little sleep can do to you.

today i was maybe a bit tired because of all the classwork i had,i am having a test tomorrow *wish me good luck* well my teacher said the test counts twice so i study all day i am still studying but in between that i was doing requirements i got a lot done now i am working on a work sheet thats due tomorrow i had a great day at band to because i learned a new note! it a b flat this note is a really low note on trumpet and it makes one of the weirdest noise ever well tuba has a double b flat witch is so low you cant hear it well i was to tired in band that i count get the high notes out.  

My day was alright, found out i have an A in Spanish which made me happy. I looked at cheek cells and onion cell under a microscope. then i watched a bullying play at school about cyber bullying. then i took a test in civics i feel like i passed it, and hopefully i did. then i stayed after school for feild day, there were only like 10 people there and me and my friend were the only people actually doing something. we both did flexed arm hang then a whole bunch of diffrent kinds of crunches and then some pushup to help our strength. i also ran my 2 miles around the track. my mom and i helped out at family class and afterward we went to teach our mentees. mine loves me alot but i put my foot down when i have to. after that session we went to...

Whoo! I did a lot of stuff today, and I am almost done with my essays. I just need to get my volunteer and my role model essays done. It is a lot of stuff but I don't think I have a choice if I want to be a 1st degree black belt. I am a little bit tired, but I can see it in my future. Me becoming a 1st degree black belt. Wow! I WILL NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP!!!

Instructor's camp was awesome. And the credits Master Evins allocated to us for participating made it super-duper awesome! Thank you, sir! Today I got a noon class in at LKN, then taught family class this evening. I got about half of my push ups and sit ups in and some poomsaes during classes, but now I need to hit the rest of my physical requirements. Oh, I also reviewed my test questions today...went through them all twice. I also asked my peoples for my letters of recommendation late last night. I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Good morning. Last night I worked with Kate and Master Chin with our Little Tigers class. We worked on some self defense moves. The little tigers don't understand how important those moves that we are teaching them may be to them someday. I pray they never get grabbed but hopefully they will remember what to do if they do get grabbed. We also worked on self defense in our Senior Wang Ho class. I am getting a little frustrated. Russ, my mentee, has been in class twice in 3 weeks. One week he was out of town, the next week he was sick. The one week he was in class on both Tuesday and Thursday he said he couldn't stay for mentoring after class on Thursday. I was hoping we could work together both days so I could catch up on my number of sessions. Last night he wasn't there someone...