brotherhood of steel

this morning someone sent me a message asking how i'm doing, and i was half asleep as i responded: "overall? happy". and i guess it's true! i'm enjoying my work a lot more, now that i'm taking it a little less seriously, and i'm *really* enjoying being back in training, and i'm slowly discovering things around here and finding my feet.

life here is very different when i'm not constantly worried about the well-being of someone else who's unhappy.

---waking late this morning was just an indication of how well i was sleeping. i timed everything badly, and ended up running in the rain to the dry cleaner having forgotten my receipt; i didn't have enough time to come back and return with it, so i had to put it off until evening. i left work later than i'd planned to and ended up running in the rain to get there just as they were closing their doors... but they were kind enough to let me in.

work:
a reversion to some annoying it failures, but an introduction to the requirements of my new responsibilities. full agile (as opposed to the watered-down version we'd implemented before) is a new paradigm, not difficult to get but it does force me to rethink some of our tools and practices a little.

---one of the developers invited me out for lunch, and newk'd and i joined him. turns out there's this great place two blocks from the office with a really cool vibe, great food, decent coffee, beers (not that we drank during the day, but it's nice to know they serve them) and a stage that looks about right for anything.

the clincher? when the wrap i ordered arrived and didn't look (or taste) like the tofu and carrot that i'd ordered, i carried my plate over to the counter to ask what was in it.
"oh, don't worry sir, it's definitely vegan!"
he didn't need to continue to describe the ingredients, we were all good. and it tasted really good. on the way out we noticed chocolates on display, and i inquired as to whether they contained dairy.
"oh, no - and we make them here!"

okay, so i shelled out $4.50 for a bar of chocolate. it was delicious! then i consulted the exchange rates to note that i'd just demolished a bar of chocolate that cost me NIS 16. and in rand? FORTY RAND! holy crap.

then i wondered about how much i've been spending on albums from itunes: something like R90 each. damn, but south african currency has gone to shit.

while we were chatting and eating i mentioned an idea i had years ago (and pitched to my mother and pg in the hope that they'd like it enough to want to get involved), and i was pleasantly surprised to hear how well they thought of it and to be presented with a link to a group of people in montreal who might be interested in taking it further.

---on the way to picking up my laundry in the evening, i walked out into the perfect post-rain sunset. everything was perfect, the smell of rain and the reflections on the pools in the street, the clouds creeping away to let the sun peek out through the branches...

i was going to be late for mma, so i took the opportunity to go shopping instead. i discovered that my fly was wide open on my return from supermarket. :(

---that first run let me know that i'd taken some ankle damage somewhere, and it flared up a couple of times during the day. "you probably shouldn't go to kickboxing in that state," someone said. hah! the kickboxing was the best part of the day, my foot was better than fine and if i hadn't gone i would have no idea what i'd missed! i'm definitely improving and a few times i *felt* that i was getting things right (the things i learned in boxing, it's the same shit).

i'm in love with my gym. everyone works hard, they're all respectful, and they're all quite friendly. not just polite - one of the guys was ordering gear online, and to save cash he was putting all the orders together. even the coaches were in on it (buying from the gym is ridiculously expensive), and he asked if i wanted in. sure! we agreed to meet up outside the gym, so i returned home to get cash and went back to find a whole group of people hanging around, including some of the trainers. i didn't smoke with them (yeah, i'm pretty sure that wouldn't have ended well), and was amused when a group of large men walked past while i was deliberating over whether to pick up headgear for muay thai and i was told to ask them.

eh?? bear in mind that this was standing on the pavement late at night after the gym had closed.

they were only too happy to give me advice. once we'd sorted things out and i handed him a cash note, he informed me that any change or extra shipping costs would have to be worked out in drinks.

yeah, i definitely dig my gym. thinking back to taekwondo in israel, a fighting gym is very much a brotherhood. and this one is quality.

---back to the apartment:

there's something magical about a standard light switch turning the internet on and off.

i'm totally sucked in to how i met your mother (season 7). unhealthily so, like, i have a hard time not pressing "continue" at the end of each episode.

i had a quick chat with my mother, and *knocks wood* it looks like we're both doing well. what i find fascinating is that she's been waiting for half a year for a job she really wanted, and as soon as she got another (very cool) job last week they called her back for the first one and told her they'd like her to come in. how does that work?!

---okay, it's late and i've written too much. and perhaps playing a few minutes of the first penny arcade: on the rain-slick precipice of darkness wasn't wise: it's beautiful.