Much to the apparent dismay of my coworkers, I elected to spend nearly a half-hour of quality time with the makiwara that are planted outside the Mapleton dojo. Because the rubber pads on the makiwara have been well loved, there are a few distinct grooves that you’re mostly forced to punch into. I don’t mind […]

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For interested parties: I will not be at Karate tonight. My uncle’s father, Art Ladendorf, died on Saturday and we have to go to his visitation. While technically not a relative of mine, he was frequently there over the years for birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Christmases. He was one hell of a Euchre player, and a […]

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Yesterday I did something so far out of the realm of geekdom that I almost don’t believe that it happened: I operated heavy machinery. As part of my new employee orientation, we got to go out to the Proving Grounds and drive around some of Caterpillar’s most kick-ass equipment. I got to operate a wheel […]

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