The Glowing Edge

Tag: training

  • When You Have a Bad First Sparring Experience

    When You Have a Bad First Sparring Experience

    Sparring is NOT boxing for fitness. When you get in that ring, everything changes. It’s not like drills, it’s not like working the heavy bag, it’s not like padwork.

    Sparring is radically different. Someone is trying to punch you in the face, and when you’re new to it, this can be not only terrifyingly alien, it can be downright demoralizing.

    Here’s an email I received recently about exactly that:

    I love The Glowing Edge, and it has been an invaluable resource to me as I begin to take the sport more seriously. I wanted to write to get your take on beginning to spar.

    I have been going to a boxing gym for two years. The structure of the gym is mostly boxing-for-fitness classes. There’s only one other woman at the gym who spars and I finally had my first experience sparring with her.

    I only went three rounds and I was rattled. It’s much more intimidating than I thought. I don’t know this fighter well. I didn’t feel comfortable asking her to ease up, I was worried that it would embarrass my coach and even though I’ve been going at it so hard in classes and training, all of a sudden I felt like there had been a gap in my education.

    1. What can I do to move forward from a first night of sparring that felt sort of demoralizing?
    2. Am I just being a whiny dumbass?

    I don’t want to be one of those types who only shows up to sparring once or twice and then fades out. But I don’t know how to approach my coach about this. I also don’t want to go back to just doing classes for fun.

    Hey, sparring sister. I know EXACTLY the stage you are in and NO you are not a whiny dumbass. This is 100% normal, and many of us have this same experience. More in a sec. First let me say this…

    Sparring takes some getting used to

    It really does. It’s a whole different game than pad work, drills, everything. That you went 3 rounds as a newbie is damned impressive. It’s some scary shit, right?

    You had your first sparring experience with someone you didn’t really know, and I get that you wanted to not disappoint your coach. Sounds like she kinda overwhelmed you.

    Here’s what the BEST sparring partners do for you

    The best sparring partners hold themselves TO or JUST ABOVE your level so that you can get some good work without getting hurt or demoralized.

    Sure, you may be bruised and headachy, but not so much that you’re like, “I don’t know if I want to do this again.”

    The best coaches make sure this happens. But not everybody gets this kind of attention. Just a fact of gym life.

    This is why you might not get much help when you’re new to sparring…

    Boxing gyms do not survive because pro fighters train there. They don’t make money because someone wants to learn to compete in the amateurs, either. The trainers and coaches are not always even boxers themselves.

    Boxing gyms survive financially because people want to get fit, not hit.

    That’s just how it is. That’s where the money is, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

    However, that means you have to take some initiative if you want to get your higher-level training and sparring work. SO. Here are a few tips for that.

    The process of finding and getting to know sparring partners takes time and balls (ovaries?). If your gym doesn’t always give newbies excellent sparring partners who know how to do this, you gotta start building your own sparring program…

    How to build YOUR OWN sparring program at ANY gym

    1. Get to know some sparring partners.

    Good sparring partners are SOLID GOLD to have. So make sparring friends. Travel to multiple gyms if you have to. Trade phone numbers. Friend them on Facebook.

    The more you actually know other boxers as friends, the more comfortable you will be talking to them in the ring, letting them know what you need, helping them adjust to you.

    Guys are fine for this. Just because you’re female doesn’t mean you have to only spar women. (That is such a bullshit attitude and I see it now and then from coaches.)

    In fact, befriend some big guys. Charm them. Ask them for their opinion, for tips on certain moves. They are men, they love this shit. I’m telling you, this works every time. Hello men? Am I wrong? No I am not. 🙂

    Let them feel like they are “mentoring” you — because guess what? They actually are.

    Then when they’re getting in the ring, ask for their “warm up” rounds. In other words, you’re making it clear that their “warm up” is your “training.” They stop feeling pansy-ass working with a “girl” and start feeling all helpful to a woman.

    I know, cheesy manipulation tactics.

    But it really does work. Women have to be sneaky-asses sometimes in pursuit of bigger goals.

    There will come a day when your rounds are nobody else’s warm ups, and when you’ll shine in the ring. You will be the one all the new people ask for help.

    2. Don’t wait until “sparring night.”

    Hijack the process and make your own timeline.

    I told you this would take balls. Stop being so damn polite!

    The more you can pass off your sparring as “just working on some tactics with so-and-so” the more pressure you take off everyone involved, including any coach who might be nearby.

    FAKE it till you make it. Pretend it’s all very casual — force it to be. Believe me, that helps SO much.

    3. Be consistent.

    Keep at it. The longer you go without sparring, the scarier it gets.

    I’m still boxing while I stare 50 in the face, and loving every day of it. I love when sparring is magic, and I even love the days when I get my ass kicked (the good kind of ass kicking, not the demoralizing kind).

    There’s so much joy and empowerment in this sport; I really hope you’ll stick with it!

    Let yourself be a newbie for a few years

    You are brand-freaking-new at this. I know it doesn’t seem that way, but boxing takes FOR EVER to get good at.

    You’re going to get better at dealing with the punches. You’re going to get better at moving your head and feet. You’ll learn to control the ring.

    And you’re going to get to know more and more people in the boxing world the longer you stick with this. This may be the biggest, most life-encompassing challenge you’ve ever faced on a daily basis.

    It’s totally worth it.

    Photo Credit: kate.gardiner via Compfight cc

  • The 100 Rounds of Sparring Rule

    The 100 Rounds of Sparring Rule

     

    How many rounds of sparring should you have before you enter your first amateur boxing competition?

    I love this question, and coaches enjoy arguing about it. We’re naturally argumentative. We’ll punch you, if needed.

    Seriously. If you make the transition from boxing fitness to sparring, you’re almost always going to be asking yourself the question “Should I compete?” And if you decide to compete, how do you know when you’re ready? Is there a physical bar? Is it about conditioning, or skills? Or is it primarily mental? A mix of both? (more…)

  • Two Things You Want in a Sparring Partner

    Two Things You Want in a Sparring Partner

    The transition from the floor of the gym to the boxing ring can be a bitch. When you’re new, you can barely tell a jab from a cross; the prospect of live sparring feels like being dropped into a pit with Jabba the Hutt’s Rancor (pictured above, nomming someone’s arm).

    So how the hell do you know what to ask for or expect in a sparring partner? Well, you ask someone who’s been doing it a while. I’ll tell you my experience with it, and then you can ask someone else. Find your tribe and they’ll help you get through this.

    Okay, me first. I won’t lie to you: getting started sparring can be pretty miserable. (more…)

  • Before You Compete in Boxing…

    Before You Compete in Boxing…

    Because an amateur boxer’s passbook runs from January to December, there’s a lotta “getting ready to fight” going on in boxing during the last few months of the year. You need to be in good condition and getting close to your weight category position.

    And Thor knows you want to get that first looming match over with, out of your system, and finished with (for good or ill) so that you can move the hell on and start to settle into the competition groove.

    Because the truth is that you operate at about half — or less — of your usual power at your first show. Why? Because of the intensity, the anxiety, and all the (normal) insanity of a boxing event. Plus it’s just fucking scary, that’s what.

    So here’s how to dremel the killing edge right off that wicked blade, and make it a weapon that works for you, rather than slicing you to the bone when you go to pick it up. (more…)

  • Signs Your Boxing Team is Coming Together

    Signs Your Boxing Team is Coming Together

    Are you hoping to get in the ring? There’s actually a way to know if the gym where you train will ever have a boxing team that you can learn and grow your game with…

    I train and also volunteer as a coach at a downtown boxing gym that serves primarily inner-city youth. Because the gym is also a gang-related outreach program, the kids have to fulfill certain requirements — maintaining certain grades, staying out of trouble, working hard, showing up regularly, etc. — in order to stay in the program.

    As a result I frequently see kids come in then drop out or be evicted from the program before I even learn their names. So we might go months without ever having anything resembling an actual boxing team come together.

    Just this week we had an amazing sparring night, and I was once again aware that we’d made it to the point of having a good boxing team come together. It feels awesome, and it’s really satisfying to be a part of something like this.

    Here’s how I know when it’s happening at my gym, and it’s pretty much how you can know if it will happen at yours, too. (more…)

  • Putting Snap in Your Punch

    Putting Snap in Your Punch

    Power is an open secret in boxing, and most fighters hear their coaches talking about “punching through” and “putting your body behind” a solid, powerful shot.

    But there is another, sneakier and equally effective method to score punches, intimidate an opponent, and win your game, and that’s in developing a stinging snap in your punch; particularly your jab.

    A regular jab can be used for a variety of purposes in the boxing ring. It can measure the distance between you and your opponent or it can open the way for a power shot, among other things. But it can be a devastating shot all on its own if you can make it into a snapping whip of a shot, the kind of punch that comes out of nowhere, hits like an electric shock, and disappears before your opponent can even register its presence.

    What gives a punch snap

    A snapping punch is created out of speed and minimal contact. It’s a punch that goes out fast and returns fast. You have to turn it over (right at the end of the shot), touch with sting, and bring it back to guard position in rapid-fire succession.

    A well-landed shot of any kind has a distinctive sound on the heavy bag or mitts. There’s a particular thwack or pop that gives you the feedback you need to know you’ve scored with precision and pain. But a snapping punch has a higher sound, almost like a dry stick being cracked in two.

    The advantages of snap jabs

    1. They save your power.

    When you’re punching for power alone, you will burn a lot of energy quickly, and you run the risk of gassing out. You can’t launch bomb shots rapidly, either. Nor can you spend the entire fight throwing one knockout punch after another; there’s a dance, a balance to be maintained. Boxing is a conscious mental play of the game pieces, and rather than blindly launching everything you have at once, you have to choose your shots.

    2. They’re fast! They buy you valuable time.

    A snapping punch has the great advantage of being incredibly fast. When you get one off, you startle your opponent and buy yourself even more time to launch and score again before they recover. It also allows you to throw more shots than you could if you were loading up power hits one after the other.

    3. They preserve your guard.

    Because your return to guard so much faster, you’re more protected than if you’re leaving yourself open during a push-through or penetrating power hit.

    How to throw a snapping punch

    You have to have your distance exactly right. Throw some measuring jabs out there, and once you know the range for a snap-touch, fire a couple off. If you’re advancing on the jab, you have to put that into your calculations. Try from your stable stance before tossing in an advance, because advance-jabs tend to be more “punch through” than snapping jabs.

    But the biggest secret to throwing a snapping punch is relaxing. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s absolutely necessary. Think about a coiled whip. The stiffer the braided leather is, the less bite the tip will have when it makes contact. But if it’s supple and loose, Indiana Jones is going to make you cry.

    Got snap?

    Leave me a comment and tell me your technique!

    Photo credit: Marco Crupi Visual Artist via photopin cc

  • The Most Critical Boxing Rule Every Fighter Should Follow

    The Most Critical Boxing Rule Every Fighter Should Follow

    If you ask any ten boxers what the most important rule in boxing is you’ll hear things like “wear the right protective gear,”  “find a coach you can trust,” or “learn the straight punches.” And all of those are important in learning to box.

    But as I work each week with the new fighters at my gym, I see one major factor dividing the up-and-coming boxers from the ones who will never make it far in boxing…

    These things are important

    In no way am I trying to diminish the critical nature of the boxing advice you hear online, from other coaches, or even here on The Glowing Edge. Boxing is an enormous, complex sport, and there’s just no way to accomplish much in it without years of solid training and practice. Here’s a list of some great boxing tips, and you’ll get plenty of oil to grease your boxing engine if you follow them:

    But THIS is the dividing line…

    So day after day I’m in the boxing gym, training, coaching, and watching other boxers. And there is one factor that tells me whether or not someone is willing to do the real work of boxing. One single thing.

    And that’s training to the bell.

    I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen guys belly up to the heavy bag, fire off a handful of full-power combos, and then sit back in sheer self-appreciation and deep personal satisfaction.

    Of course it feels great to blast the bag a few times. And there are plenty of days when you want to use every ounce of strength you have, play it all out to see what it feels like.

    But being able to throw 15 hard punches means absolutely zero, zip, nada in boxing.

    Strutting around the gym dabbling here and there is worse than useless — you’re actually in the way of serious boxers and you’re a distraction and bad example to other beginners. It would be better for everyone if you’d just go home and nurse your boxing fantasy in front of your mirror while the rest of us get the real work of boxing done.

    (I so wanted to find a picture of a guy posing in front of his mirror at home, enjoying his boxing superstar fantasy. Go find one and post the link in the comments so we can have a good chortle.)

    If you want to box, train to the bell

    If you can’t go a single full round (2 or 3 minutes) of doing something — punching, footwork, jump rope, shadowboxing, padwork, running, agility dots, slipping, rope work, ring slides, planks, or some other fight-related action — you have not even begun to work at boxing.

    There should be a round timer going in your gym most of the time. If there isn’t, get yourself a timer, or learn to set your watch/phone/music player to time your rounds. Do every single training exercise in rounds of 2 or 3 minutes, with 30 second recoveries. If your round timer has a 30-second bell (which rings to indicate there are 30 seconds left in the round before it ends), use that time to double your efforts and power your way toward the bell.

    If you take a round off, be back at the bags, on the mat, or in the ring and ready to roll when the bell rings. That bell going off should not be your reminder to put down your water bottle and saunter over to the speed bag to resume your work; you should already be there ready and waiting to get the first shot in.

    If you’re running or jumping rope and planning to go multiple rounds, keep going during the 30-second recovery period, but slow down to an easy coast. Then rev back up when the timer sounds the new round.

    If you can’t do a single serious round out of the ring, you have no business getting in the ring.

    If I have any single rule at the very top of the pile, it’s this one. Drill in rounds, practice in rounds, sprint in rounds. Do all your training in rounds, and your transition into the ring will be much faster and better.

    Yes? No? Maybe? Fire away.

    Your turn. What’s your top rule for boxing training? Leave me a comment below!

    Photo Credit: kizette via Compfight cc

  • 4 Ways to Improve Your Boxing Starting Today

    4 Ways to Improve Your Boxing Starting Today

    Sometimes you get in a rut at the gym. You work your way through the same tired-ass routine and come out feeling like you’re not making any major moves forward in your game. Sometimes it just takes a simple suggestion or a new idea to get you moving again. Check out the four tactics below for a refreshing change from the same ol’, same ol’. (Skip straight to number four if you love pain.)

    1. Four Punch Combos

    My sparring partner (and pro fighter) Yvonne gets credit for this one. Most new boxers throw one punch at a time. Even experienced boxers can easily default to single- and double-punch patterns. It’s so common, it’s a cliché: Give it the old “one-two.” The jab-and-a-right (if you’re an orthodox fighter) is as common and predictible as shave-and-a-haircut (two bits).

    To be sure, you can win a fight with ones and twos. But what if you trained yourself to throw three or four punches at a time, rather than one or two? Not only would you significantly increase your potential score, you also throw your opponent off her game, and interrupt the two-punch tradeoff rhythm. Now you’re in control, racking up the score, and forcing your opponent to move and defend.

    Train in four-punch combos. Do it for an entire round. Hell, do it for FOUR rounds. (Can you tell I’m getting off on this whole “four” thing?)

    Don’t make all your shots right-left-right-left; that can be the fastest way to get your shots off, but it can also get predictable in the ring. Mix it up, badass. Toss in a slip, or throw two in a row from the same side now and then.

    I like the guy in the video below, although some of his “crosses” look like straight rights to me… Still, he’s got some shit, right? I would be motivated to stay outta his way.

    2. Four Punch Combo Slip Drills

    It’s easy to work four punch combos into a drill. Ditch your gloves so that you both remember to work for speed rather than strength. Now shadow box with a partner and trade off four-shot combos. She throws four (and moves her feet), then you throw four. Don’t work for touches, work to ingrain the habit of throwing four in a row. Then practice it in sparring later.

    3. Video Yourself

    I hate this one; there’s nothing worse than seeing yourself suck on the replay. But, it also helps you improve. If you’re neurotic like me, try not to pick everything apart. Just get your four shots while moving down.

    Btw, Coach’s Eye is a great app for capturing boxing video, because it lets you slow down the motion and markup the replay.

    4. Four Punch Tabita-Style Sprints

    Wanna kick your own motherfuckin’ ass? Dude, dial summa this up. When my coach is feeling pissy, he has us do these for an entire round. You know, like at the end of a workout. Uh-huh.

    Photo Credit: kate.gardiner via Compfight cc

  • Warrior Woman of the North: Ti Conkle

    Warrior Woman of the North: Ti Conkle

    There are women in the world who absolutely inspire me to rise to the daily challenge of my martial arts training. Ti Conkle is one of them, and there aren’t gems like her just everywhere. In fact, you’ll have a bit of an adventure simply seeking out her company. Ti (short for Titanium, for realz) lives, fights, and perfects her arts in the Land of the Midnight Sun… 

    Tell us all where you live, and how on earth you got (and stayed) there…

    If you looked at a map of the world, located Alaska, wrapped your pointer finger in gauze and took a stab at the middle of the state- you’d probably hit my house (which is why you’d want your finger wrapped). To be precise, that’s Fairbanks, Alaska (64°50′N 147°43′W).

    Like Reykjavik, Iceland and Trondheim, Norway and Yakutsk, Russia- Fairbanks is nestled in the heart of the Land of the Midnight Sun. During the summer, the sun doesn’t really ever set; during the winter months, it barely crests the horizon and civil twilight reigns for about 3.5 hours before The Dark takes over again.

    I was born in Palmer, Alaska and have lived in different portions of the state for my entire life. How I stay here is entirely a different matter: it takes relentless determination to maintain motivation and inspiration through winter months with temperatures hovering around -40. The dark and the cold are the driving force behind my training.

    Ice Fall

    What do you absolutely adore about your environment? Are there things you wish to didn’t have to contend with?

    I crave solitude. Mountains, river valleys, exposed ridgelines and alpine tundra stretch out for miles in every direction within short driving distance of my house and provide the antidote for living in the second largest city in the State of Alaska.

    Contending with the brutal cold, the extended winter that runs from mid-September until April (or May, this year- the coldest spring in the recorded history of Alaska) takes a toll on most folks who live here; I wouldn’t mind a more temperate climate, but the polar bears keep freaking out when the ice sheets melt.

    (Also, here’s a shocking and well-told quick story Ti wrote about an unusual encounter with a moose and her calf…)

    What are the sports that regularly make an appearance in your life? Which was your first love? How did you get started in it, and how did it evolve?

    Mt. Rainier

    In no particular order: mountaineering, ice climbing, rock climbing (wait, yeah, it’s inorder of importance)… cycling (bike commuting to and from work, April – October), fat biking, Krav Maga, running, Crossfit training, Taekwon-do, Brazilian Jujitsu, soccer, white water kayaking… there are probably more, but I’ve worn out the comma key on the keyboard.

    My first love was and still is: iron. Lifting weights. Heavy weights. Good old fashioned deadlift, squat, bench press… these were the foundation of my foray into strength training and conditioning and my eyes still light up when I hear the unmistakable thump of bumper plates jostling collars as a heavy bar gets dropped.

    I grew up on a large farm: tending livestock, growing and harvesting crops and operating farm equipment. There’s a particular work ethic that drives a farmer: things simply have to get done. Every day. No matter the weather, no matter how you feel, no matter what. I simply took the same muscles that I used for throwing 90-pound hay bales over my head onto a wagon and funneled the movement into driving iron. Even today, when too many days have gone by without a heavy workout, I feel it.

    What’s your experience with boxing or other martial arts?  

    KickinMy introduction to boxing was courtesy of none other than Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, in early 2011. He punched me in the head and I was completely hooked. For the most part, the boxing I do is simply a function of Krav Maga: it’s one of many tools in the toolbox for sparring and for conditioning.

    As to other martial arts… I’ve trained consistently in Taekwon-do for several years and will be testing for my black belt (1st Dan) on May 31, 2013.

    I also have the opportunity to train in Brazilian Jujitsu and Judo, as several of the other Krav instructors train, compete and instruct in those disciplines.

    What sport of yours is most engaging or dominant for you right now, and why?

    Right this moment, Krav Maga and Taekwon-do are in a battle to the death, fighting for every available moment of my time and brain space. Krav is winning. I’ve waited for more than twelve years to have the opportunity to train in Krav Maga and am now a Krav instructor, as well as a continuing student.

    How do you train? What does your weekly routine look like?

    Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I’m cradling a cup of imported Italian espresso by 4:10 AM. By 4:45 AM, I’m on my bike and riding to Elite Urban Fitness for the first workout of the day (Crossfit style). From there, I bike to work (I work as an investigator/auditor for State and Federal government)

    By the time the day is half over, I’m outdoors again for a walk or run- depending on weather; then back to work. I bike commute home, regroup and rally gear and head to either Krav or Taekwondo (depending on the night).

    Two nights a week, I train back-to-back Krav sessions and wrap up at 9:00 PM. Two nights a week, I train in Taekwon-do. In between, I instruct classes.

    Weekends frequently find me either rock climbing or racing (running or cycling), in the summer.

    Is yours a solitary journey? Who are your trainers and traveling companions? Does one in particular stand out? How has that person made an impact on you?

    Spar

    My husband, Jeff, daughter, Dez and I all bike commute to work and school (respectively) and we train together at Elite Urban Fitness. Dez is thirteen and wrestles varsity for her middle school, plays soccer, trains with me in Taekwon-do and competes in running races with us. My journey is an adventure in the dynamics of family, training, work and play- and rarely is there enough solitude to fully satisfy me.

    At different points in our lives, all three of us have been significantly overweight and unhealthy. Individually, we have each taken on the challenge of eating to fuel our endeavors, training to meet our goals. Together, we inspire, motivate and rally each other.

    How does being a wife and mother change your sport?

    I’m not only a mom and wife, but also a medic. The combo pack makes me one very fierce, determined, risk-assessing, analytical, compassionate human being.

    I am deeply fortunate to have my best friend as a life partner: he is a construction management engineer and a highly talented chef. I know, right? He does all the cooking at home, which literally fuels my every adventure. Whether I’m finishing an ultra-marathon on a sprained ankle or traveling to San Francisco for work, he’s right there. Cheering me on, believing in me, holding up my half of the sky when I’m gone for weeks on end, climbing… without Jeff, I couldn’t do a fraction of what I do.

    As for Dez… I write about her. A lot. She’s an incredible woman with her own sense of humor, sarcastic wit and athletic prowess. She’s tough, determined and… she’s a wrestler. This spring, when 423 competitors took to the mat at the state championships, she was one of only 15 girls to earn a spot as varsity wrestlers. She wrestled the 160 lb. / 72.5 kg bracket and placed ninth. It was her first year of wrestling and she was one of the youngest competitors on the mat.

    Being a mom to a girl like this has definitely changed my sport: I bring my best game, no matter how I feel, every time I train.

    *   *   *

    Ti is not only a martial arts enthusiast and coach, she’s also an amazing photographer. You can follow her at her blog, Element 22.

    *Please remind me about Ti the next time I whine about working sprints after the temps drop below 40 degrees…

  • How to Get Back Into Training

    How to Get Back Into Training

    We played flu dominoes at my house. First my youngest son, then the middle son, now me. I wrote down a bunch of my whines about it here, then deleted them because they were so onerous. Having the flu sucks.

    And type A that I am, I’ve spend a fair amount of my laying-miserably-on-the-couch time thinking about how hard it’s going to be to get back in the gym, how intensely difficult it is in general to come back after a period of inactivity.

    How fast do you get out of shape?

    I’ve read and heard lots of conflicting opinions on this. Some say that you have to be out for two months before you lose your conditioning. My guess is that they mean ALL your conditioning, because I feel a significant reduction of fitness in two weeks (or less).

    Maybe I’m wrong, but getting in shape feels like climbing a mountain, and if you’re only halfway up, you’ll get back down to the bottom faster than if you’re standing on the summit. Just my non-scientific view.

    And I always thought everyone slides down the mountain at about the same rate, but this old article in the Chicago Tribune says veteran exercisers lose their fitness level at a slower rate. (See, I tried to do at least a little research.) Thank the good baby Elvis something’s working in my favor here.

    First the lungs…

    Fewer mitochondria means less oxygen to your muscles, and the longer you’re out of the game, the faster your mitochondria count plummets. How to build more mitochondria? Err, aerobic exercise. Dammit.

    Then the muscle…

    I barely have the power to shove my 6 pound dog Rocky out of my way so I can shift positions on the couch. Ugh. And according to this guy, you not only start losing muscle fibers when you’re out of your workouts, but your slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers freaking convert to “couch potato” muscle types. I’m screwed.

    So what’s the plan, Stan?

    Life is no fun without spreadsheets. So I have one, even if it only exists in my mind. I’m planning my return to boxing, you better believe it. How do people NOT box? Life is no fun with out boxing. Spreadsheets and boxing. And little dogs. But I digress…

    Truly, I do have a plan. It’s a four-point plan, which is easy enough for my fatigued brain to hang on to. Here ’tis. (more…)