Week 10: ...and Amy

1. Hey, what happened to Week 9? (oh yeah, that was my screw up, sorry)
I think asking a question and answering it yourself is cheating.  However, your answers to my questions at the end make up for it.

2. What's seeming more likely at this point: heading straight on to PhD program or getting some practice time under your belt first?
It comes down to UIC.  I found out that Cure Violence (nee' Cease Fire) is based out of UIC, which makes me even more excited to get a PhD there.  I'm on the waitlist, you'll recall.  I think if they don't accept me, I'm going to defer my UT acceptance and try to work for a year in Chicago.

3. Have you actually done any work inside the jail or only in the transitional program? (I ask because I've started my trauma group at the detention center and am curious about how jail atmosphere/regulations might compare with detention center atmosphere/regulations.)
Both.  I'm doing an anger class in the jail once a week.  I'm doing two anger groups at the re-entry center.  I'm also seeing individual clients at the re-entry center, but not in the jail.  One of my current challenges is finding a way to encourage practicing mindfulness in the jail.  While doing some work around that, I noticed that Travis County Jail and Travis County Correctional Complex (I do not know the difference between these two; maybe it's a county/city thing?) are both participants in the Prison Yoga Project (http://www.prisonyoga.org/mission/prisons-involved/).  Please to be investigating that and reporting back?  Might be useful for your work, too (I'm assuming you're working at an immigrant detention center, which is a different thing...?)

4. Still doing your New Years resolution push ups? (we are)
Yep!  I'll confess I've missed a total of 3 days (2 in a row and then one sometime later).  I made up for them by doing them later (so when I missed two days in a row, I did 30 on the third day, etc).  I've also been gradually upping the difficulty -- I started out doing all 10 from my knees (what KJ taught me to call "junior pushups," because fuck calling them "girl pushups"); in Febuary I went to 5 from my knees/5 from my toes, and now in March I'm doing all 10 from my toes.

5. What's your favorite color?
Blue, mostly.

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In answers to your questions:
-Yes, you can stay with us in May (though not really room for your friend to stay here too unless you guys want to camp in the yard in our tent)
I figured.  'Sokay, she's a big girl.

- All jobs are going well for all of us. I have five or six of them right now and am hoping there will be a way to consolidate that down a little soon!
Per our conversation the other day, you actually have 8.  I feel like that's too many jobs.

- Kids are good. Garin has advanced yellow belt + patch so will likely have green the next time you see him. Nyle takes soccer classes and is the coach's favorite (we think). Nyle is also fascinated by making "hand weapons" and can recite several of them (he goes around muttering: seiken, uraken, koken, tetsui, shotei, shuto, heito, toho, nukitei)
It's interesting being at VWMA and hearing their different words/pronounciations.  For example, what we call 'tie-key-oh-ko' they pronounce 'tie-oh-ko.'  They also have, as part of their ritual, something that has the word (or root?) of gassho, and the hand position is the same, but it's a longer word (or maybe it's two words).  To bring it back to hand positions, they have a uraken (no break in the wrist), and the word they use is recognizably related to 'uraken' but is slightly different.  Mind-boggling in that 'similar-yet-different' way.

- Garin is now reading Spanish at a 1st grade level (though he isn't good yet at generating his own thoughts in Spanish); English reading is at 3rd grade
I am so impressed by bilingualism at any level; I wish I had a second language at the 1st grade level!  I'm surprised his reading is only 3rd grade level, though.  I bet it doesn't stay there for long.

- Nyle asks about you frequently and wants to Skype
I want to Skype, too!  We should set up another Skype date.

- Scott's fine, enjoying his last couple months of independence in the garage apartment before having to move in with us as a cost saving measure for everyone
Are y'all still moving in July?

- The dojo is good (including Amy Jones Bike Rack) although I haven't been recently because Jess was out of town last week for a conference so I didn't get non-kid time
You should bike there!  It's only, what, 14 miles? Assuming you stopped by my old apartment on the way, which I don't know why you would do (except maybe to give my landlord grief on my behalf, I've seen nary a cent of my deposit).  Anyway, if you took a more direct route (I'd suggest taking Guadalupe down to MLK, going through the Capitol grounds, Congress down to Mary, and Mary to Lamar), it'd probably be slightly shorter.  Of course, from your place to Sun Dragon puts you crossing the bridge at approximately half way, so you'd be going uphill both ways, which would suck a bit.

- We all miss you lots but will understand if you don't move back (that's Mel - Jess would say "waaahhhhhhaaaaaa, you have to move back! - not because she likes you more than I do, just because she likes to keep her people close -note locations of her family members versus mine- and I want to live vicariously through you)
See, I like this -- this way, no matter what I do, I'll get the approval of one of you. 

As you can tell from my answer to your second question, it's seeming less likely that I'll move back this summer.  But Chicago's not that far, and the Thousand Waves/Sun Dragon connection will work in our favor.  And of course, that's all assuming I can make the Chicago thing work, which is not at all assured.  And if I don't, I'll be back in Austin.  And if I do, I'll be back in Austin...eventually.

- You should buy primitivo, negroamaro, or beaujolais if you want something lighter. 
I should remember to write this down is what I should do.  I got a nice, smooth Cabernet Savingon (sp?) last week.  

If you send the plane ticket, we will come drink it with you. Hell, if you send the plane ticket, we'll bring the wine!
Don't tempt me!  Actually, if it was just one plane ticket, I'd probably have already bought it.  I'm not sure if I can swing 4.  But I'll see you in May, at least!