Lee School of Dance : The Soup Dance

[sm]

You be careful out there. - Hill Street Blues

I happen to like Soup with Open-Faced Extra Extra Sharp Cheese Sandwiches.

The weather at the moment - though hot and humid - temperature is supposed to drop like a rock. It has been raining like hell, high winds, very very dark...

I was hungry.

Now I happen to like my Old Hickory Knives, True Edge Ontario Knife Company Made in USA. I happen to have a favorite one, the Paring knife just does everything well. Oh - it is wicked sharp! Easy to sharpen, to touch up...it really holds an edge. Not bad for a $1.98 Carbon Steel knife from the Hardware Store, even has a wood handle...

Soup is being nuked, Cheese sandwich is being toasted...you are supposed to whack off a piece of cheese and nibble while waiting, says so ...somewheres...I know I read it...had to, always done this...

So while I wait for the Ding of the Nuke 'em and the Ping of the convection oven...Did I mention how darn sharp and how well these Old Hickory's keep an edge?...I am reading...reading notes and waiting...

Ping! Grab mitt, set pie pan onto hot pad containing my 3 toasted sandwiches. Block of cheese I am whacking still in left hand, I had set the knife down, had picked knife back up...read...wait...read...whack, nibble...read...

Ding! "ooch, ouch, oouch, HOT!!" Guess who reached in without a mitt, with Old Hickory still in that hand? Gee you folks are good. Now part of this Soup Dance requires cursing, and stuff in hands getting tossed every which-a-way. I let go of the Soup Mug, I may be in the South, don't take me long to test a mug of Soup's temperature tho'...

There is a phenonomen about knives being in flight, Humans for some reason try to catch them or break this flight. So I batted this knife against the cabinet, knife batted back, so I batted it back some more - then somehow managed to kick it with the side of my tennis shoe and ...ah, the power of cheese. Another eighth of an inch and Old Hickory would have gone plumb thru the block. My hand was was in the path of flight. I guess that means the Block of Cheese stopped an immediate threat. I need to look into this more as another tool in the toolbox. One of them there "non-firearm" weapons...umm.

Well it is said I cannot dance - other than holding on and snuggling under the pretense of Slow dancing...
I have the Soup Dance on my Resume' as well, not the first time I have done this dance - and if folks are honest - they too have done a similar dance... *ahem*

I recommend the Eagles Seven Bridges Road - What I danced to anyway...

Old Hickory? Did I mention how well these things keep an edge? Just wiped it down like I always do, put it back in its spot for the next time I need it...

There is a reason I keep a Old Hickory in the truck, and have used one afield to clean/ skin game...

"Just a buck-ninety-eight Paring knife is all..."

Steve

*ahem* - some folks will understand this moreso than others...*grin*...

 

[exoduster18]

Lee School of Dance.....isn't that in the Baden, PA area?

 

[TrapperReady]

Steve -

Way back in high-school, I spent a good bit of free time juggling. If I'd had any looks or sense, I'd have been juggling dates. Instead, I spent my time digging around in computer manuals, programming and learning how to keep 3 or 4 objects in contstant motion somewhere in the vicinity of my limbs and noggin.

Anyway, the monk-like existence (scholarly study, continual practice of complex physical skills, and *ahem* abstinence... <dammit>) led to outstanding reflexes and the ability to catch or kick most anything within range of my body. This ability was enhanced in college by playing hours upon hours of hackysack with others who shared a similar background as I. I'd venture to say that most (if not all) people I encountered playing hackysack were also dateless programmers.

Over the years, this has proven quite handy. In the kitchen or garage, I've often saved fragile items (under undue influence of Mr. Newton) from sure destruction by either a miraculous catch or deft deflection. If I drop something, my instincts take over and it's very rare for that object to make full contact with the ground.

However...

I still need to work out an OVERRIDE of some type to remind me that very sharp or very loud objects require a different response.

 

[hso]

I've used legs and feet to slow/deflect falling objects, but when I started collecting knives I very quickly learned the "Blade Show Hop".

This is where the knife/tomahawk/sword get's dropped and in a swift deft movement you hop back while throwing your hands up in the air like a stop-action of the Lindey Hop. This allows the sharp/pointy thing to hit the ground instead of your instep.

To this day there isn't anything that I won't automaticaly try to slow with leg or foot, except for a piece of cutlery.

 

[pauli]

fifth rule of firearm safety: if you drop it, DON'T TRY TO CATCH IT!

applies to knives, too, obviously.

this is the one i'm best at. i've spent my whole life avoiding things being thrown at me, and if i drop something, i tend to just get out of the way.

now if only i could get my karate instructor to stop throwing bricks at me.

 

[TrapperReady]

now if only i could get my karate instructor to stop throwing bricks at me

Pay your dues on time.

 

[middy]

I love Old Hickory knives, especially the 3 1/4" paring knife the 8" butcher knife and the skinner. That's a complete set of hunting and camp knives right there for less than $20. Throw in a smooth steel and you're set.

I can't find them around here though. All the WalMarts and hardware stores have replaced them with stainless junk knives made in Taiwan. :banghead: