MEDICINE BALL

Another piece of new equipment for the backyard dojo: a ten-pound medicine ball. The plan is to increase the amount of strength training and conditioning I do each week.

This morning, I went and worked out on the outdoor "gym" equipment at a nearby city park. It's mostly resistance-type weight training machines that use your own body's weight against its muscles. Which meant that I felt every throw and catch and movement of that medicine ball tonight, especially in my pectorals.

MATS

Breaking in new backyard dojo equipment. 24 square feet of interlocking ¾" foam mats.

Squatting backward fall. Three-point landing.

MARTY

Working out with my homemade bag (Marty) in the backyard dojo tonight. I'm enjoying these dusk workouts.

The bonus is the buzz of dragonflies as they swarm overhead, hunting mosquitoes.

BREAKING BOARDS

Breaking boards. Backyard dojo. Dusk.

TESSEN

Someone (not me) was practicing Tessen-jutsu (art of the iron (war) fan) in the backyard dojo. So I had to try the fans, too.

TIGER CATCHES ITS PREY

Qigong in the backyard dojo after a workout in the karate dojo. Tiger Catches Its Prey. Yi Jin Jing.

TSUKENSHITAHAKU NO SAI

Tsukenshitahaku no Sai. Kobudo in the backyard dojo. Dusk.

SHOHATTO

Shohatto. Backyard dojo. Dusk.

MOSSBRAIN

In addition to Giant Hand, this weekend also saw the creation of Mossbrain.

The Nephew and The Niece were placing moss into my ears. That turned me into a zombie named Mossbrain. They didn't know that could happen, but it did. They were chased. There was some screaming.

Today, Mossbrain came to life on a paper doll art card that will be sent to The Niece. Once the main Mossbrain art card was completed, I realized that accessories were also needed. Two pairs of glasses were created, one of which is translucent. Two pairs of gloves were cut out. The gloves will also be partners to Tiny Hand, which was Giant Hand's partner-opposite. (Tiny Hand already went home with The Niece.)

GIANT HAND

We celebrated the Independence Day weekend with family, food, games (kubb and cornhole), and just hanging out in the back yard with everyone. Then Giant Hand arrived.

The Nephew was talking about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their weapons, so I went into the house and grabbed a few weapons for him to see and try out—sai, wooden sword, kali sticks. When he and I were "battling" with the kali sticks. There was a self-inflicted minor injury to his hand, followed by tears. 

I asked The Nephew if he needed a replacement hand. He insisted that he didn't, but I was already on my way to the physical Troy's Work Table for cardboard, scissors, art marker, and masking tape. Giant Hand emerged.

The Nephew wouldn't wear it, so I did. It was connected to my arm by a masking tape "watch."



Giant Hand enjoyed petting the dogs.



Giant Hand was even worn by others and was able to warm up at the fire pit later in the evening.

JAPANESE DEATH POEMS

Poking around at a couple of used bookstores today, The Child pointed out Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death to me. It's a book that I've given over the years to a few of my favorite people, but I secretly always wanted my own copy. I missed it while perusing so when The Child turned my attention to it I was elated.

(It's also a perfect fit for my current SWORD/NO SWORD work-in-progress poetry project.)

TACOMA DOG and TWT

Today was a day of beautiful Pacific Northwest summer weather. It was also a perfect Troy's Work Table Day, which included all three (four) TWT elements—books, art, and beer (and wandering).

The Child and I stopped by Hi-Voltage Records because the band Working Men's Club was recommended to me and somehow I missed their debut album. I picked up a copy of 2020's Working Men's Club.

Then we stopped by The Red Hot for hot dogs to go. We learned that supply chain issues have left TRH without any spicy brown mustard for The Child's "The Red Hot" dog and without Mexican Coke so we ended up with cans of RC Cola.



We stopped by Tacoma's Wright Park to enjoy our lunch. My Tacoma Dog was perfect.

We wandered into the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory before heading off to browse at both King's Books and Tacoma Book Center. 

I picked up a couple of books. Then it was off to home for a dinner of homemade tacos and beer, followed by the final three episodes of season three of Umbrella Academy.