2002-04-10 - 9:59 a.m.

Just call me Aikido Boy

Welcome to Wednesday. It's Hump Day, kids, and for me it's going to be a long, hard climb. I took yesterday off from work because I felt like H-E-double-hockeystick and all I wanted to do was sleep. I got up at 7:30 and called in that I wasn't coming in and went back to bed. Unfortunately, they're doing renovations on the swimming pool at my apartment complex, which means that there was a jackhammer running about a dozen yards from my window. Starting at 8 am.

I could scream.

I did not sleep in as well as I wanted to. Which sucks. But I refused to get out of bed until 10:30. I putzed around, and managed to take a nap in early afternoon. I then went out and did a few errands, and bought myself a new geeky toy, courtesy of my tax return. (Hey, your Palm Pilot's in my cell phone. Hey, your cell phone's in my Palm Pilot.) Sure I'm a geek, but I'm happy to admit it.

RockGirl took off from work early and we futzed around for a bit, and had an early dinner. There's a place within walking distance of my apartment that is widely recognized as the *best* barbecue in town. Seriously, we're talking Westword's Best o' Denver for five years straight. After two years in this apartment I'd never been there. I have to say the BBQ chicken sammich (that's how they spell it on the menu, "sammich", couldn't you just die :) was pretty damned good, though I still prefer the one at Red Robin. But the atmosphere was cool, the music was the blues, and the wait staff had that comforting cross between friendly and perturbed that made me feel right at home.

So last night (irrespective of the fact that I was supposed to be sick), I went to my first class in stage combat. Wicked cool. I can already tell that I'm going to totally like the instructor. I'd swapped some emails with him some time back, looking for instruction in stage combat (found him on the web, natch), and he remembered me as "that King Lear guy". By the end of the first class, I already had a nickname. Aikido boy. (Um...if I haven't mentioned it, or you weren't paying attention, I studied Aikido off and on for about six and a half years. I have what some people would refer to as a brown belt, and at my peak, was maybe six months to a year from testing for my black belt.) The instructor even did a special demonstration at the end where I threw myself to the ground in a generally spectacular manner. This class is unarmed and general stuff, but I'm starting another one on broadsword with the same instructor in a few weeks. I totally see myself getting really into stage combat. I can see myself getting certifications and becoming a fight director, maybe even an instructor. Hmmm...maybe I should do more than one class before I plan my life, huh?

Let's see what else? I couldn't sleep again last night. Up until 3:30. Damned tired today. What else is new?

Got an email today about a read-through performance of a screenplay. Basically I have an audition for it coming up (though I have reason to believe that the part is mine to lose), then (hopefully) a few rehearsals and then one performance. We'll see. I'm pretty excited about it.

Okay, I better do some work before anyone realizes exactly what it is I do with my days.