Stro

[Drunk Monk]

There was a story I didn't share related to that.  I'm short for an epee fencer.  Stro, who was actually much taller than he seemed, or at least much longer, used to always yell at me to 'get on top' meaning that I should come over the top of my opponent's arm instead of from underneath.  I was short so it wasn't always like I had that choice.  But he was insistent that you could force your opponent to drop their arm and Peter was giving a lesson right next to our lesson.  So he stops my lesson and yells at Peter to fence him.  Peter, who was also giving a lesson to someone else at the moment, gives me this "WTF Gene, did you get me in trouble? look" look and the two of them start banging it out.  Peter was smart though, and didn't quite fall for Stro's hand lowering tricks.  So Stro got into his zone and started thrashing him in epee.  Never quite understood what he did but he walked away with the touches, leaving both me and Peter like 'wha happened?'

I don't hold my mom at all responsible for my lung.  In fact, she probably saved my life, recognizing that I was going into shock and getting me to the ER.  I blame GOD.  GOD has always had it out for me, especially after I broke with the church.  Dammit.