Sparring was fun tonight

[pegkerr]

Whoa, take notice of that. The entire world must have tilted an extra few degrees on its axis: sparring was actually fun tonight.

It helped, of course, that when I got there I was REALLY in the mood to hit something because of various acerbic comments that had been made at dinner by someone who won't be named about how the spaghetti noodles were sticking together because I hadn't rinsed them properly.

I worked hard and enjoyed it. And I won one of my bouts, very hard fought, against someone who was a lot younger and more advanced than me.

Then I came home and had a GREAT talk with Fiona. About karate, and high school and adolescence and growing up. We've decided to make a ritual on Monday nights to talk together, maybe over tea, on Mondays after I get back from sparring, since our dinner hour is so rushed, what with two karate classes. (Delia will usually join us, but she was extra tuckered and so went to bed early.)

So now I am in charity with my family again,

Yes: to get over a snit, go to the dojo and hit someone.

Then come back home for some lovely mother-daughter bonding.

Comments

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

That's funny. I just saw a show with Lidia Bastianich yesterday who admonished people for ever rinsing their pasta. It takes off all the stuff that holds on the sauce.:)

[jbru.livejournal.com]

I take due notice and refrain from saying anything that remotely sounds like "I told you so," lest I become the one on the wrong end of a kick from one of those long legs! ;) Glad you had fun and yes, some vigorous smacking about of things that can take some vigorous smacking about is a great way to blow off some steam.

And a lovely chat with Fiona as a bonus! Hurrah!

[jbru.livejournal.com]

The Minimalist at the NYT was on a kick of using the water one cooked the pasta in as a base for a sauce for a while. Great for colored pastas and capable of producing some surprisingly thick sauces. So yeah, no rinsing! There's good stuff on there!

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Tell the fambly that even I, world-famous idiot in the kitchen, know not to rinse the pasta - for the reasons listed above.

That is freaking awesome about winning the fight against the younger, more advanced person!

[serenya-loreden.livejournal.com]

When I was in college, and in a bad mood or stressed, I would go lift weights. I loved lifting, and I'm sorry I lost that. I really need to get it back -- I never enjoyed any other form of exercise in the same way. But, I think I understand what you mean -- there is something about that exertion, and raw power, that is such a reliever of emotional energy.

[msss.livejournal.com]

On that note, have you read Princess of Wands by John Ringo? I think you might relate...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't. Yet another one to add to the stack!

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Sometimes ya just gotta hit something...

And yeah, don't rinse the pasta.

[slrose.livejournal.com]

Here's a link to the free sample.

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009360.html#009360

It's a complete novella, the first section of the book.