Life Has Been Happening

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-26-2004
Life Has Been Happening
11
Mon, 09-11-2006 - 3:29pm

Just wanted to say hello to everyone. I went camping with my family the last week in August, which began September that Friday. My husband joined us mid-week. He got a cold. We had rain the first evening we were there, in northeastern Michigan along Lake Huron, but the rest of the week was nice. I love camping. It's such a break for me.

When I got back, I had two job interviews the second back to work after Labor Day. The day after the two job interviews, I was offered one of them. That was last Thursday I believe. I was so excited. I gave notice that day since they want me to start the new job next Monday.

The owner of the dojang, Master Johnson, and husband of our Hap Ki Do instructor Master Jamie, had gone into the hospital last week with an infection. He was making improvements on Thursday when I talked to Jamie. On Friday afternoon, she left me a message saying he had passed away early Friday morning. His heart had stopped, and he was not able to recover. I went to the dojang to be with Jamie. Two of the black belts from HKD class were there too. We helped her make phone calls to other students, and I contacted my editor and my husband contacted the other newspaper for stories since their dojang has been part of the community for nearly 50 years.

We went to the funeral this morning. It was standing room only. Jamie is doing OK, busy with the arrangements and things of course. It was sad on Friday when Master Johnson's kids came by to make some of the arrangements. They asked her to get what she wanted him to be burried in. She was about to hand one of his sons his oldest black belt, and she just began to cry and cry. It was hard to watch. Also very hurt by the loss is the 4th degree black belt who teaches HKD often. It's like he lost his father.

I know Jamie plans to continue to operate the dojang. I'm not sure how long they will be closed, but I doubt it will be very long. It will be tough to be there for a while, but he wouldn't have wanted us to quit training.

The rest of the week for me is just hang out here at work until Friday, my last day here - finally. That's also DH's birthday. I have the 5k Saturday morning as well.

So life has been happy and sad and most of all crazy busy.

I'll try to catch up and see what's going on here in the next couple of days. Hope all of you are well.

lorie6-26-09.png Lorie 6-26-09 picture by runningwomen

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Thu, 09-14-2006 - 12:38pm

Watching my daughter in TKD and being on the peripheral of that it is just different compared to "work" families.


Brings a bunch of people together that only have that, TKD or your case HKD, in common and not a lot else. Young, old, professionals, blue collar etc. Just a very different dynamic and I've grown to respect certain people as parents, people, etc. that I normally wouldn't have had an opportunity to meet.


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