I've been grinding away lately, with my holiday preparations, my training, my never ending job search and with home projects.  I even have been doing some tattoo studio research. My next competition will not be until at least November, barring any super-fight opportunity, so I will have plenty of time to heal.

Let me start with the home projects...Within the past two weeks I've gone ahead and put up drywall in my basement then taped and applied joint compound.  It still needs another application of compound before it gets painted, which will probably happen this week or next weekend.  Overall this wasn't too difficult to do and didn't come out looking that bad thankfully, since I'm no Bob Villa.  Also, with the help of my cousin Gerard, we ripped up a carpet and installed a hardwood floor in the living room.  This was a bear and you couldn't pay me to do this again.  My back and hip were on fire from bending and squatting down while installing it.  There is still a small part left, but that is only cutting, fastening and painting the quarter-round which goes along the edges of the room.  It will be nice to have all this shit done, I hate having unfinished projects sitting around and I hate having a messy house.

On the job front,  I've no real news.  I apply here and there, whenever I see a position that I remotely qualify for, but nothing has come of any of it yet.  There have been some nicely worded rejection letters though.  I have expanded my search to the Boston area and to Ireland (one of the benefits of possessing dual citizenship is the ability to live and work there) as well. Both places have a much larger selection of pharmaceutical companies then the capital region does.  Ideally, I'd prefer not to have to move but it is what it is at this point.  If I have to move to get the experience which I lack or more money, so be it.

Training has been progressing as well as it can be.  I have been focusing on controlled aggression, trying not to play into my partner's game and on being more analytical and patient while rolling.  I've been finding myself more comfortable in bad positions, and picking up on subtle things like timing.  Mainly though, I feel confident, and confidence can carry you a long way.  Speaking of confidence, we have a pair of guys (Joe and Brandon) who are competing in the Master's World Championships at the end of the month.  Each of them has been moving crisply and aggressively, flowing from attack to attack.  It's pretty to see but not so pretty to run into though lol.  I think both of them will do fine in Vegas.  

My holiday is just over a month away!  We are ironing out a few things but we are basically ready.  We still have to pick up Euros, settle on how to get to Logan and finalize our itinerary.  I did manage to find a place to get a training session in, but I still need to shoot them an email as a courtesy.