Gaaaaahhhhhhh --and good cell phone news for everyone

Today was my first frustrating day of karate. I still love it, don't get me wrong. But I'm learning the seisan kata (a kata is a series of movements, punches, blocks and kicks; "seisan" is the first one as a white belt)--it's a central component of earning my first promotion and it's HA-A-A-RD. I haven't actually counted yet, but I'm willing to bet that there's a good 100 seperate steps, movements, etc. in this kata that you have to perform in a certain order and in a certain way (a punch isn't just a "punch"--your arm, wrist and hand all have to be held in a very particular position).

At first, of course, the kata was easy, because I was only learning the first few steps. And each class, we'd add a few more and build onto it. Now, I'm pretty far into it (which is good)--but I'm so FAR into it that now I'm forgetting all the stuff that came at the very beginning. =-) Sensai warned me on my very first night that I'd have days like this. It's like teaching, I guess--some days are fantastic, spirit-lifting days that remind you of why you started it in the first place...while others leave you feeling like you're at the bottom of a well, trying to claw your way out, making a few feet of progress only to fall to the bottom and have to start all over, wondering if you'll ever see the light of day again. (Oooh, that was good. LOL. That's what we teachers call "descriptive" or "vivid" language. It's also a simile, actually, albeit a long-ass one.)

Anyway, that's how I feel right now. Sensai was right about something else too, though: days like this leave you even MORE determined to get back out there and master whatever it is you're struggling with. So, if you'll excuse me, I have some practicing to do.

----------------

Is it bad that I have a mini-crush on this 16-year-old brown belt in my class? Not in an I'm-going-to-end-up-on-the-evening-news kind of way, but he's just so shy and quiet that he's adorable. At first, he couldn't even look me in the eye. I started teasing him, though, and he's come out of his shell a little. He can now make eye contact (but only for a couple of seconds at a time, LOL). The only time he gets braver is when he's showing me how to do something. He'll catch my eye in the wall mirror and demonstrate a kick or a punch, and he can hold the eye contact then (or when we're partnered up for drills--but that presents him with a whole new set of issues, because any time he has to throw a punch anywhere near my chestal area, he gets all flustered and embarrassed, LOL). Anyway, my project continues to be to draw him out.

----------------

In the best news EVER, Yahoo is now reporting that a Superior Court judge in California has ruled that the practice of charging consumers a fee for ending their cell phone contract early is illegal and violates state law. Whoo hoo!!!! The article states that of course, cell phone companies are already vowing to fight this vigorously, as those early termination fees are a huge part of their revenue. And this ruling brings up a lot of other issues and possible problems/concerns--but it's a start. (And I can finally switch from T-Mobile, since right now I'm locked in with them until roughly 2043.)

The full article is here http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/99655