obax

Some other things on my mind that aren't specifically part of the challenge but do involve doing a thing (just not the type of thing I'm focused on, per se): Eating healthier lunches - take-out is so easy when you're out on the road and don't really take a lunch break, but it sure isn't healthy for me every day... No specifics on this, just trying to keep it in mind when grocery shopping, and if this challenge goes well may be a focus down the line. Picking away at my writing - my main WIP is stalled in the middle section, and I've got a couple side projects that, if I'm going to get serious with, will need some serious thought to pin down the stories. It remains forefront in my mind, but I don't do as much work here as I maybe should. No specifics here either, but this may become a focus down the line also.

I'm enjoying the peaceful pixels. Following along for good vibes.

Following along!

For today I did some calf and soleus stretching, some 1-leg RDLs, and some air squats. They all felt bad and good at the same time. I'm going to try to remember to do some more of the same later on as well, but remembering is not my strong suit...

I've been in a funk for a long time now. It started as a general life funk, and while some things have improved, working out/being active has not been one of them. My physio has been gently urging me to get moving again, and I know I feel better when I move, but doing it regularly has been a challenge. So, inspired by @Cheetah, I'm going to try to (re)start simple: doing a thing is better than not doing a thing. This is a mindset I struggle with, if it's not exactly what I want to be doing I don't wanna do it, but it's a place to start. I'd like to focus on mobility for now, but really any kind of movement will do. And I'm going to try to remember to post here about it each day, because I could use the accountability, if left to my own devices I will not form a new habit no matter how good it is for me....

Following along, and joining you in your quest to do something rather than nothing.

Whatever Today Is Kinda forgot this was a thing..... Whoops...... General update for the time between my last post and today: I've been pretty good with the gym 'til now, next week might not be great because I'm working afternoon and the morning classes fill up real quick and I've already missed out on Monday and Tuesday... It feels a bit pointless anyway, my new work schedule starts the week after next, and when I was signing up for classes today I looked at the earlier classes and they were all filled as far ahead of time as is possible, with lengthy wait lists, and there's no way I'm ever going to be on the ball enough to snag a spot on the regular. Which means I'm probably going to have to quit this gym, and that really sucks and makes me unhappy. Gonna sulk about it for a while, then see how I feel about the other options. Food stuff has not been good, I really don't understand why it's so hard to just buy groceries, and then eat them... Got some stuff yesterday, but then got lazy about cooking today. I'll have to try to make myself do it after work tomorrow, which hasn't been very successful in the past, but if I don't at least cook the chicken it's going to go bad, so maybe that'll get me going. Creative stuff has been ok, been doing lots of work on the D&D stuff, but no writing. This is less than ideal but there are only so many hours in a day and I made a commitment to my friend to get this done in a reasonable amount of time, whereas the writing is just for me and has no deadline. Hopefully the new work schedule will help me find a bit more free time to be able to split it between the two.

So far so good.......... _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thursday 5 January Long day at work with no food, I had to rush out the door and didn't have a sandwich made ahead of time. It ended up being a mostly positive day by the end of it but it took a lot out of me, and I got Wendy's on the way home. No gym, I cancelled and don't feel bad. I haven't been this sore in a very long time, even walking across flat ground was painful. Add to that the less than idea fuel and the fact that I'm hella tired, and I don't think it was the wrong choice. The only downside is that I can't make it up tomorrow because of an appointment. I'm typing this directly after work, so nothing creative yet, but I have plans for later. I didn't end up doing anything last night, I mostly just dozed on the couch while watching Critical Role.

A feral raccoon would dip their leftover pizza in rancid ranch dressing and garbage juice first, though, so....

Tuesday and Wednesday Gym done both days, and hoo boy am I sore. I think the 2 weeks off over christmas was probably not a bad thing, as far as my hip/SI joint is concerned. My quads and traps beg to differ... Homemade sandwiches and fruit for lunch both days. Chips for dinner last night, pre-gym meal of pasta tonight, and I haven't eaten dinner yet but it'll be something proper-ish (ie. not chips) and not takeout. Had a late appointment last night so I got home late and just watched the end of The Search for Bob without doing anything else creative. I may put on another one-shot (Dalen's Closet, maybe?) and fiddle around with some loot lists and/or monster creation. Or I may just veg and watch, I'm pretty tired. Currently uncertain if I'm just really tired or getting sick. My sister has a cold and I was in close quarters with her over the long weekend, so it could go either way.

I have a sleep disorder that makes mornings harder to adjust to than your average bear, I've tried and failed several times in the past. That said, the fact that I'm leaning towards that solution rather than working out at a more preferred time at a different gym is an indication of how much I love this gym, so............ I usually ride the wave too (clearly), though this feels like one that'll stick and isn't likely to be a passing fancy. DMing, maybe, we'll have to see how I like it if/when I ever get to it, but D&D in general, I think I'm properly hooked.

I also feel this so hard. Fingers crossed for places of our own for all 3 of us!

Monday 2 January Day off in lieu of the holiday being Sunday, so I slept in real late (tomorrow is going to be sooooo early...) D&D all afternoon, I don't think anyone intended for it to be a 5hr long session but it was. So, no exercise (it was a lift I wouldn't have normally done anyway), did not eat well (gobbled a bagel before D&D, ate a few chips during, and then way more chips after) nor did I cook. I did go to the grocery store and get some sandwich stuff for the rest of the week and some chicken thighs with which to cook some soup or stew or something. When I got home from D&D I did a bunch of creative stuff, mostly map drawing, while also watching Critical Role, catching up on some one-shots I never watched (The Search for Grog and The Search of Bob, though I didn't get all the way through the latter). It was basically all D&D, all day long. I forgot to time the map making, but I'll give myself a couple of hours at least. It was probably more but, like, if I count the entire time it'd be almost the whole amount in one night (not that that's a bad thing), and also I did a lot of draw a thing, watch the show for a bit, draw another thing, watch the show for a bit, so it wasn't really 4hr solid. I've gone through the gym app and signed up for this week. I have no choice but to go 3 days in a row. I wanted to go Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, but I have an appointment Friday that conflicts.

The late class thing probably isn't an option, most weekdays there's actually a class after the last Crossfit class which is Olympic Lifting (which I'm terrible at), so the gym is being used until as last as 8:30pm I think, and I can't imagine the coaches would want to hang around after that just so I can do my thing, and doing my own thing during the Olympic Lifting class would probably be disruptive. Open gym is basically just a time when the gym is open and a coach is there, but no classes are running and the people using the gym are free to do as they please. But, as you say, the class aspect is part of what I like, though when I really think about it it's less the class aspect and more the coach aspect. I feel like I need to ask several questions of a few different people to make a fully informed decision, but #1 or #5 do seem like the most straightforward...

I can't think of any snappy titles this time 'round, but I'm makin' a challenge anyway! I came back after a long while to the pre-Christmas mini-challenge, and that was the first official stating of goals in a good long while. It was a bit of a mixed bag, but generally had a positive trajectory, but as soon as it was over I slid back a bit. So, this time it's not going to be much different, just with a longer timeline. 1. Healthy Body Continue with going to the gym 3x/week. This fell off the week before and after Christmas, for reasons (most of them actual reasons and not just because I was lazy), but thing should be back to normal this week, work-schedule and gym schedule-wise, so I should be good. 2. Healthy Eating Still nebulous, but this was one I felt fairly good about overall through the mini challenge, and the one that seemed to continue on a positive-ish trajectory after it was over. I wasn't perfect, but I also wasn't shooting for perfection, and I'm still not, but less takeout, during my workday in particular, and more self-made meals is the goal. The big thing with this is getting to the grocery store regularly, so that'll be the main focus. Sandwich ingredients and portable fruits that can be eaten while driving at the very least, with the added goal of cooking some stews/soups to keep in the fridge/freezer for dinners (this last bit was in the last challenge too and was the part that didn't happen at all). 3. Healthy Mind Last time this was focused only on my writing, but I've recently veered off on a D&D related tangent that's been taking a lot of my time (not a complaint, and it's 100% my own fault, because why use pre-made worlds/adventures when it's so much more difficult and time consuming to create your own?!). I don't want to forget about my book (it still feels weird to talk about it that way), but sometimes a break isn't a bad thing, and I'm legit enjoying the campaign creation process. So, same goal as last time (5hr/week), but any creative pursuit counts towards this (the main ones being writing and D&D creation), and we'll see how I feel about the D&D vs book balance/progress at the end. This is a work in progress goal, I'm aiming for more consistency. I have a tendency to glom onto new pursuits with 110% then drift away in a some amount of time, and with both writing, and now D&D, I don't want that to happen. I'm hoping a bit of 'do it anyway' strategy even when I'm only sort of feeling it (or not feeling it at all) will lead to it being more of a habit and less of a whim. Turning whims into habits has never, ever been my strong suit, so it's probably going to be an endless journey, but still one worth embarking on, I think. Something to Think About Spoilered for length, because it's not directly related to this challenge, but suggestions welcome if you feel like reading through a novel's worth of overthinking.

I recall this period of time 😉 Following, of course

When I was in the darkest of my dark times I always tried to tell myself to do it anyway, whatever 'it' was. I very often didn't want to, and it very often wasn't as enjoyable as it had been, and very often I didn't put in the level of effort I had in the past, but the doing of the thing was, in and of itself, a success, even if sometimes it didn't feel like it. Some days 'it' was getting out of bed. Some days 'it' was going for a walk or to the gym or to the hockey game. Some days 'it' was eating a balanced meal, but every day, I tried to do 'it' anyway. I'm the first to acknowledge this is not easy, and the first to admit I wasn't always successful, but on those days I told myself the thing would still be there tomorrow, and if I couldn't do it today, I could try again tomorrow. I tried to look at my feelings and acknowledge they were there and that they were not going away any time soon, and the thoughts about myself that just wouldn't shut up were also there but I didn't have to accept them, and they could only stop me if I let them. Sometimes it was too much and I let them, other times I didn't, but either way, each day is a new opportunity to try again. It's a hard path to have to tread. You've got people in your corner, always remember that, you may be walking a dark and lonely path, but you're not walking it alone.

Following. Love the theme!

Today No gym, as per the plan McDonald's for 1 meal, real food for another. I was all hyped up to get writing after work today, all day it's all I was thinking about, and now that I'm here I'm exhausted. I'll probably have a look but I don't know if I have 2hr in me. I've surprised myself in the past, however, so we'll see.

Yay for sudden inspiration! It's always a good feeling, and worth taking the time to really dive in when it happens!

Today Gym: done. So many squats........... Food was good, I had a sandwich for 'breakfast', then a bagel with cream cheese and tomato before the gym, then cooked more fish and had that with roasted potatoes and veggies for dinner. Also made Lord Eshteross's Maple Ginger Cookies with Tumeric for D&D tomorrow, and they turned out pretty good, even this maple-hating Canadian liked them (and I actually think they could use a bit more maple). No writing yet. I'm currently debating, it's a bit late to get started but I could probably do a bit of revising before bed and call it good. I have to work tomorrow so I shouldn't stay up too late (though that's never stopped me before). I did spend some more time on my mini-campaign, drew myself a map and plotted a few side quests/encounters as well as the main quest, which all interact in some way or another. I have 1 main quest and 4 side quests, and doing the side quests will lead to more info on the main quest, and also get some helpful items, as well as ample opportunity for random encounters and some areas for random exploration. I have no idea how long that would take to get through, it feels like maybe a little too much for 1-2 sessions, but maybe 2-3? It'd be easy enough to pare down and spread the same info out over fewer quests, and some of the info will probably overlap anyway, so I feel like I'm on the right track. I still have to do the math part of creating the encounters, which means I'll need to get my hands on some stat blocks, I'm hoping for the Monster Manual for Christmas (but will just buy it for myself if not), and get my friend to make her character and make the NPC I'm sending with her. I know I can look lots of stuff up on line but I like to kick it oldschool with the books, and also I have no idea what to google since I really don't know what monsters already exist (I got a few from Reddit which inspired the main quest story, but need to to find their stat blocks, and I don't even know if they're designed for 5e or how much that matters, or if they'd be too much for a beginning character, so still lots to learn and do). I'm having fun with this regardless, even if it goes nowhere I'm enjoying myself. Update: giving myself another 1.5hr of writing, I forgot to hit the timer again but I think that's about right. Just more revision, and it's resulted in even more needed revision, but such is my process.... Hopefully I can get a couple hours in on Sunday after work and get myself all the way to 5hr for the week.

Today Off work today, since I work the weekend. Supposed to be a gym day, but I opted out. The weather changed drastically overnight, which left me with a massive headache (fairly common for me). Advil pushed it into the background but didn't get rid of it. The weather change also brought a day of freezing rain, so I didn't have a lot of desire to leave the house. That said, I did go out later in the day for a few groceries, and the main roads weren't terrible, but I still felt like blah so I left the gym cancelled. Since I was at home all day I ate fine, sandwich and apple for lunch, giant mixed fruit bowl from the grocery store for a snack, chicken burger for dinner. No writing. I maybe could have done some but I was only sort of feeling it. Instead I put The Legend of Vox Machina on in the background and fleshed out a town, some NPC's and the BBEG's backstory for the D&D 'campaign' I'm making up. Just characters and worldbuilding so far, I'll have to take some time to really sit down and learn how to build an actual quest with encounters and such, I might spend some time over Christmas on that, we'll see. I won't count this as writing, but it was enjoyable and creative, so I'm not sorry I spent time on this today.

Today (Thus Far) No gym, as per the plan. Good on food so far, I had another office day (and how can that be so much more exhausting than a day on the road?!), so I had a sandwich and pear for lunch and more of my fish and potatoes for dinner (yes, I eat dinner at 4:30, it's old-person dinner and it's glorious). I will likely get hungry later, and I should probably figure out better snack ideas than a bunch of cheese and crackers or chips, because that's what's available to me right now, but one step at a time (which sounds like a bit of a cop-out, and it is, but also, I'm guilty of letting my focus jump around and never fully focusing on any one thing, so I'm continuing to focus on eating homemade lunches and that's it for now). And speaking of focus jumping around, after I posted my writing update last night, I was actually considering getting into bed early, but then my brain decided it had other ideas and took me down a wild path that has led to a story outline for a short D&D campaign, which resulted in a very late go-to-sleep time and the resulting OMG-I'm-so-tired today. I've only just recently started playing, and have never DM'd, but am interested in trying it some day. A friend is also interested in trying it and we're both kinda shy, so I've been giving some thought to doing a short 1-on-1 session or two with her, to give us both a taste in a safe space, and what came out of it was a story I'm kind of in love with. There's a lot of work that will need to be done before it's playable, and it might actually be too complex as a 1-2 session 1-on-1 game, but it'll be fun to think about and work through. It sounds like my in person group is open to other people trying DMing for short or longer periods too, so it'll be worth fleshing out regardless, I think. If nothing else, it'll be a learning exercise, especially when it gets to the nitty-gritty aspects of actually planning encounters and such. As for actual writing, I'm leaning towards not tonight. I'm very tired, despite the office day it was still a day, which did not help at all. I also have a late massage appointment and it usually a good idea for me to not get too invested in whatever I'm doing before appointments or I'll forget about the appointment entirely (it would not be the first time, and my massage therapist is too nice to charge for a missed appointment even though it's her livelihood, so I actually feel worse when I miss than for other appointments where I do get charged, because then there's at least consequences to my actions...) And the newest episode of Critical Role is calling my name, so that's probably going to be my go-to for tonight. I've got Thursday/Friday off this week so I should be able to devote some time then.

In my years of working with animals, I've noticed dogs are similar to people in a lot of ways, there are definitely extroverts and introverts in the dog world. My youngest is very like that, will run around all excited to say hi, then go do his own thing, though he does have a few 'besties' he'll always play with for an extended period. My oldest does 3 seconds of sniffing to say hi, then has no interest in interacting with dogs at all after that. I imagine it's the dog version of a nod or chin jut as a greeting, which is how I greet most people, so I can relate. What breed is Winnie? I feel like this is something else you've mentioned but I also can't remember... Also woo for productive lunches! And I really like the horse painting, I think it's got a lot of depth and I really like the expression in the eye in particular.

Yeah, knowing and feeling are two very different things, some days I feel like it'd be so much easier if they were, and other days I appreciate that they're not. It's all valid and all a natural part of life, but that doesn't make it any easier to work through