cut 5Q

A lot of things seem to be coming together at the moment, and they are all positive. I achieved my 5^th Kyu Aikikai today. The Sensei had three comments; I messed up the entrance to shomen uchi Ikkyo, I didn’t put my feet up on my toes for nikkyo, and the most famous one: my posture needs work. The posture comment was to be expected. I was reluctant to take the test, but eventually after so many people asking me if I was going to test, I gave in to the pressure. Our Sensei asked me twice, and I assumed after the second time she would keep asking until I said yes, out of respect I decided to do it. I am glad in a way that I did it, because I learned a lot of the aikido language. I wish that I could get more spiritually from it other than what I bring myself to where I practice daily. I get the spiritual learning from the outlaw school that I participate in now and again. I feel very good about myself and feel like I am on the road to harmony with myself. I can feel it happening and it feels amazingly calming.

On to the next topic, on my birthday I received the letter from my health insurance regarding the approval of the coverage of my sexual reassignment surgery. I just have to write a short letter and send a copy of the document to the surgeon to obtain an appointment. When I last spoke with the doc, he told me the waiting time is between four to six months. It may happen still this year that I finally get fixed. I almost did a total flip out when I opened the letter. I was hoping the answer would come before my birthday, and it is extra nice that it came when it did. The health insurance also decided to reimburse me for the cost of the psych evaluation. That money is my very thin safety net. I also got my vacation payment from work this month, so things are looking up again financially.

I found the letter in my mailbox as the aquanun and I returned to my place from France. She treated me to an aikido seminar in Paris for my birthday. My sweet kR0K. I rented a car from the motor pool at work and we drove there on Friday during the day so that we could start the seminar on time. We had a very romantic drive through the French countryside through the champagne region. We arrived around three and went to find the hotel. The hotel was no great shakes, but we only really needed a place to sleep since we would be busy with aikido the whole time. I wish that we could have done some touristy things, but in the end there was no time. My legs were toast by Saturday night, and I still had Sunday to make it through. I made it though, luckily.

more to com….