Pallas Athena

P.S. SO happy that you're drawing again! Love your work!

Just one tip, LostOne: NEVER take someone else's word for who or what you are. NEVER. What people say about you or to you is a reflection of who they are, not an indicator of who you are. When your mom says something hurtful, look carefully and you'll see she's describing how she feels about herself, not you. The things we get most angry about in other people are things we usually feel most insecure about in ourselves. Maybe your mother is projecting those feelings onto you because she doesn't know how to deal with them in any other way. That said, it's not YOUR responsibility to fix her, only to recognize the dynamic that's happening between the two of you so you can detach from her statements that aren't true about you. You are NOT your "inner critics", either--those voices we hear in our heads that criticize us. Those voices are learned from others. In the deepest part of your being, you know you are a good person. That's why it feels so upsetting when others misperceive you. One way to deal with those feelings is to write down things others tell you, or you tell yourself, that are negative. Then take each statement and analyze it. "I do a lot around the house." "I take care of family and pets a lot." Basically, find out--objectively--if the hurtful statements are true or not. You might want to keep track of what you do for the family around the house for a week. Just do it quietly, for yourself. Don't bother telling anyone you are keeping track. It's you who needs to be convinced of the truth, not them. YOUR opinion of yourSELF is what needs to be clear. It really doesn't have to matter what others think. You can love your family completely, but also recognize that their opinion of you is ridiculous. Their opinion is not because of who you are, but because of who they are. Your happiness must never depend on someone else's behavior. You have a choice to refuse to believe what others say about you--even family. Perhaps that's the big change you want so badly in your life--setting yourself free of the opinions of others, especially those you love. I surely wish that for you. It would change everything.

Steve, sorry for the newbie question, but what does the "@x" mean at the end of your workout data? I'm assuming the initial part is: sets x reps x weight Just not sure about the @ part. TIA.

Will let you know, Hira. The cool thing is that the treadmill will adjust the incline to match the trail data. Can't match the decline (downhill parts) but should be fairly accurate on the uphill parts. Their machines go to a maximum 20% uphill grade. I don't think the trail will be much steeper than that except possibly on VERY short stretches.

Woot! Finished my 2000th squat today! Behind on posting, but doing well on the squats program, eating Whole30, and walking. Still need to focus more on back exercises. Also checked out the gym I found the other day (thanks for checking, EmCee!). They do have iFit treadmills, so I should be able to go in next Saturday and put in PCT trail map data and see how far I can go in 4 hours. Really looking forward to it (if I can get iFit figured out between now and then)! They also have a couple of trainers with PT experience who know mobility inside and out, so I'll try to work with one of them as soon as time allows. More later... must sleep now...

Sorry the scale was being unfriendly, but you're the boss. You'll get back where you want to be--and beyond! The scale doesn't matter. Maybe part of the increase was dense muscle? Hang in there, Hira!

Brava on rebounding to good eating! Brava on moving the date forward a day! Brava on planning to leave anyway. Your Mom is probably just afraid someday she'll be left alone, so she's acting desperate. She'll probably get over it. Check out the nearest library for a computer. Most have them available. Many are free. You CAN do this!

AJ, it looked to me like you might have your head a little too close to the wall. As I recall from doing these years ago, you need room to get a little arch in your lower back. Also, a slightly firmer surface (not hard like a floor, but not so pillowy) under your head so your head and hands are level might also help. Pillowy surfaces make balance harder.

Brava, AJ! I've often thought you should be one of Steve's success story features.

I'm sure it wasn't very funny at the time, but I have to admit I howled when I read your mishap description. I have similar problems like that all the time, so I can totally relate. For instance, don't ever try doing kettlebell swings without a bra. Different body parts move at different speeds unless they are well secured as a unit, and you don't want anything moving under your armpit when the kettlebell is on its way downward. Big ow. I love how you are always trying new things, or coming at achieving something by trying a new approach. Rock on, AJ!

Wow, lots of pistol work--sounds great! Nice work!

Sounds like you're feeling back on track again--good for you for getting yourself there!

This sounds really awesome, Sam! Sounds like you've already accomplished the title of your challenge! The hiking (and flirting!) sounds fun, and I hope you enjoyed your snow walk, too.

Great workout! So glad you're feeling good about things! Hugs!

Look at you go, grrl! Sounds like you're having a blast, too! Fantastic!