Thom Stépan

So long as you don't get a summer like we had, you will be fine. That bloody virus is causing more problems from the panic than the actual illness itself. We have morons creating shortages of items purely through fear induced shopping. Which is making things tough for those of us with limited funds or mobility. But as the joke goes its not a real national emergency until our #wankpuffin PM pisses of to Hawaii for a holiday. From bush fires to bog roll shortages we know how to party in Australia. 😂

Sonnets. Can someone explain how I ended up in a subject that includes medieval poetry? Yay for English Literature. I must admit I have missed in class studying. I am looking forward to the rest of this subject. I am currently studying two subjects this session, easing my way back into Uni studies. The other subject is a compulsory one, Com 120. Basically it is a how to write an argumentative essay for university type course. My only issue with it is that it is an online course for me, and as we all know I struggle with online learning. Still I will have to do what I can so I can pass the subject. Best thing about studying is that I can use the workload to justify not helping Bec. @Tanktimus the Encourager yeah that word is hard to use. My walking is going well, I added a new block to my walk on Monday [yesterday] so I am now walking 2.8 km. My pace is still around 12.30 - 13 min/km, which I am fine with as it isn't pushing my knee too much. Saw my Dr yesterday and she has put me on a healthcare plan so I can see the physio really cheaply, maybe $20 per visit at the most. I will only get 3 -5 visits in a year, but it is better than nothing. The weather has been cooling down here over the past few weeks which is good. We have been pretty much fire free for nearly a month now, which is nice. That was the longest fire season we have had, more than six months of out of control bushfires. Hopefully we won't need to worry about fires until next October.

So, I spent the weekend helping Bec move into her house in Wagga. I didn't push myself too hard. The kids each have their own rooms which is a bonus. They now live about 5 km away. Which means no more two hour round trips to pick them up and drop them off. So there are advantages, the drawback will be that Bec will probably want me to do more stuff for her. Yesterday I got back into my walking 2.6 km. I also managed to do the same today. Pace was about 13.30 min/km. Just glad to be back walking again.

Thank you for your support everyone. It has been a rough week. Both Nina and myself developed head colds. My Nina also came down sick with some vomiting. I ran out of her medication, and with the whole house move and crap, Bec forgot to put in the scripts for me to collect. which became my fault. Situation normal there. I spent yesterday afternoon at the hospital with Nina dealing with Doctors and emergency staff. Got her medication back on track and she fell asleep by 8 pm. On the walking, I only got three walks in this past week. Eh, better than none I guess. Hopefully back to it when the kids go home. I also missed the first week's tutorials for my subjects. So now I feel like I am behind the eight ball before I have even started. Sigh. @Xena voting is compulsory in Australia, with a $150 fine if your fail to vote. Turning up getting your name crossed off the role and then not actually voting properly [called a donkey vote in Aus] is legal. I am trying to be more politically active. My personal FB page has a fair bit of political crap in it. I have considered the teaching option, basically here in Australia, what would happen is after I have finished my three year Bachelor's degree I can then do a 12-18 month post-grad course in teaching. I just need to make sure I have a major to be able to teach in. Not sure if I will go down that route at this stage. Teaching involves dealing with students, and marking. All the marking. I have a couple of friends teaching at a uni level. The marking is worse than the idiot red tape. High school means teenagers and who wants to deal with them? I do know that a degree means more options than I currently have. So I will plod along and see what happens.

So my kids have been with me for the weekend. They are still with me now. So I haven't stopped in. Still walking everyday. Only did a short walk this morning as my knee was hurting. Not too fussed about that as it is as much about keeping the habit as it is improving my distance and pace. I have the kids, because their mum is in the process of securing a house here in Wagga. Which is a good thing, no more two hour round trips to pick up and drop of the kids every weekend. Bad as I am struggling to feed them. My Theo is helping by spending his money on feeding us. But he is also trying to save money for his first car. He is already paying our agreed amount for board and lodgings. I feel guilty about him spending the extra to cover costs that are really my responsibility. But conversely I am proud that he is being such a kind and generous lad towards his family. Bec hasn't got money to spare as she is trying to cover rental bond, the cost of moving and clean up as well as her normal bills. Tonight is not a good night for me mentally. I am struggling to sleep, worried about so much. Just struggling to survive. Look for something good Thom, something to be grateful for. Something that makes life worth while. Remember when you believed in that? When you thought you could help people live a better life? Help yourself mate, you have the knowledge in that fat head of yours. Ignore the spoiler, it is a digression into personal and semi-political self pity. Something I needed to write to get out of my head. So much for finding something to be grateful for. Looking at my kids as they sleep, I am grateful they are in my life. Oh and I am trying the study thing again. Going to university. Yay more debt. Maybe I will be able to complete a degree this time. I didn't the last time I tried ten years ago. Charles Sturt University has a campus here in Wagga. Looking at studying English and Writing, with a bit of philosophy thrown in. If nothing else it will get me out of the house and meeting people. I need a job, so I can dream again, so I can afford to work towards goals, so I can have hope.

Woohoo, 21 days of walking done. Over the last three weeks my pace has improves from 14.27 min/km to 12.33 min/km. I have also increased my distance from 1 km to 2.4 km. I don't feel like I am pushing things at all. I ease off when I need to and there have been a few times when I have walked a shorter distance rather than push too hard. With my distance I just add an extra block to my walk at the start of each week, whatever that adds to my total is what I get. My pace is just walking comfortably, not really pushing myself, so long as I am a bit short of breath I know I am moving well. I listen to my highland pipes playlist on Spotify, let my mind wander and head on down the road. Sometimes I will check my watch and see what my heart rate is doing or check my distance, but not often. Today I tested doing my leg exercises in my bedroom. My youngest three kids are coming to stay for the weekend [today is Friday for me], and they sleep in the lounge room of my flat. Which means no room to work out. I was able to do my routine in my bedroom okay. I used the bed for the sitting squats. I added Wall push ups to the mix to help the upper body a bit more. I can no longer do push ups, so need to start at the beginning again. But I have done it before and I will do it again.

Damn I missed the open support that we give each other here. Thank you everyone. So for two days I have done the knee strengthening workout. Yesterday I added the bear complexes and dead bugs for the mini. I like the dead bugs, and will keep them in my morning routine. I prefer walking first as I am already dressed for it when I get back. I just drink a cup of water, grab my headphones and away I go. Oh that is something else, I now drink at least two litres of water per day. I was really happy with today's walk [day 20]. For each of kilometre I was under a 13 minute pace. I am currently walking about 2.4 km. Although I will do light days if I am not feeling the best in the mornings.

2 Bear Complexes done and 3 Dead Bugs done. Keeping up with the mini, yay me.

My dear friend, I am glad you found me. I am always glad to have you along for the ride.

Research time. So it would seem common knee strengthening exercises, or leg strengthening exercises include most of what I was already aware of; various squats, leg raises, and stretches that most runners are familiar with. So I will start incorporating a routine that includes 3 lots of leg raises [laid on back, side and stomach], a wall squat sit for time, chair squats [to prevent me from going to low for now], calf raises [good for the ankles as well], standing hamstring curls, standing quad stretches, and lying down hamstring stretches. I will most likely do them either before or after my morning walk, as this will help develop a strong fitness morning routine.

I am doing okay, in the recovery mode from my knee injury last year. My new challenge is over with the Scouts.

I am doing okay. Starting to move forward again.

Yeah I set a challenge up over in the Scouts again as my focus is walking and strengthening my knees.

Starting behind the cool kids with this one. First challenge done. [I am hanging out with the Scouts again]. Now to think about the next two...

Thank you everyone. @Xena, no specific exercises were mentioned, the surgeon just told me to go to physio and build up the strength in my knees. On the plus side he didn't mention the weight issue. Apparently all I did was aggravate the old injury I had in that knee. I was hit by a ute [truck] back in 1992 which did some damage. I had an arthroscopy and scrape back then. I have been walking the last 17 days, and tracking it on my Garmin. Love that toy. Basically the routine is take my Theo to work, then go for my walk when I get back. Theo works in the Bakery Dept at the local Coles Supermarket, so he starts work at 5 am. I am usually out and walking by 5.10 am. I even get up and walk on his days off. Needing to be consistent in my routine. Getting out walking again helped me resolve the looming depression issues. I really missed the walking, so I am glad to be back out there and hoofing it everyday. At stupid o'clock in the morning. But now I really need to look at building strength. So research time again.

Hmm, RES wet and dirty? Situation normal. RES and crew causing trouble? Situation normal. RES being a bad ass and kicking a Mud Runs ass? Situation Awesome! Another old friend is sneaking back in.

One of my earliest friends and inspirations in NF.

Right first up, yes I got through the Black Summer fires okay, so far. Wagga Wagga where I live was one of the main evacuation points for the Riverina region of NSW. The nearest fire was 47 km away and headed south east from me. It did start within 10 km from the farm I used to live on. We did cop a lot of smoke over Christmas and New Year's, one of my son's co-workers ended up in hospital due to the smoke messing up her asthma. My kids struggled to breathe, and we had P2 breathing masks available for the asthmatics. Secondly, I disappeared as Tapatalk for some reason stopped connecting to NF, and still won't let me in. My PC crashed and with a bit of depression creeping in from unemployment, forced inactivity, and a year of failed goals that I just didn't get things sorted. PC is working again. Now onto the good news. I do not need surgery on my knee. I do need to build the strength up in my muscles surrounding my knee. I am meant to attend physio, can't afford it, so that isn't happening. This challenge is about getting out and walking again. I will also research exercises that will strengthen my knee, so to speak. My weight ballooned out over the past few months and I am now 135.1 kilograms or 297.8 pounds. Food is hard, minimal money, sucks. Bluntly I am living so far below the poverty line here in Australia that I would have to hijack a QANTAS plane to even reach it. Odds of getting a job are slim with 200 applications for every job that is available. Employers here are using keyword searches to test resumes against. If you don't have the right keyword, your application doesn't even get looked at. This challenge's goals: 1, Walking Everyday 2. Start strengthening my leg muscles to support my knee and ankle better. 3. Try to move forward from this position of poverty.

You summoned me, Lady Terra? Ah the Walcyrge, the wolf riding witches of the sky. A worthy goal indeed for a shield maiden such as yourself. I shall endeavour to follow along.

Been a quiet week since I took the kids home Tuesday. I am not sleeping well at the moment. Been so drained emotionally that it has affected my sleep. Sigh Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk

Today my Emmilly made this yummy potato salad. Healthy, unhealthy? Who gives a ... It was delicious. I am very proud of her efforts. Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk

Yeah I am working on access to a counselor. Maintaining my boundaries with Bec has always been difficult. 95% of the time my boundaries get disregarded or treated like I am being unfair, abusive or toxic if I try to stand up for them. The whole relationship has been like that. Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk

Great to see you back Seven. Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk

Rough time with Bec the last couple of weeks. Once again I am the abusive guy that doesnt respect, care for or understand her. Now I accept that when I am really upset after being hurt for several days, or when I am running beyond my functional limits, that I get angry and shout and swear. Yes this is verbal abuse. No two ways about it. I voluntarily attended an anger management course last year, to help me understand my temper issues. I was once again told how useless I was for not helping whilst sick and injured. Told I was stupid for doing things in a way that she didnt like. When I express an opinion, it is either ripped apart as unworkable (from her perspective even if I show proof it does work), get told I shouldnt say stuff she already knows, or that I am turning everything around on her to make her look like the bad person. I am stuck not bring able to express myself as it will be considered one of the above things. She has told me on several occassions not to do "dad jokes" and puns as she doesn't like or understand that style of humour. My problem is, my sense of happiness and joy in life is expressed through Dad jokes, puns and double entendrés. So too me, if I am to respect her rules I literally can not express my happiness or joy in life. She can openly criticise anything about me that she finds fault in, and I feel because of her conditions, I can not defend or express my thoughts and feelings to her in any way, because I am abusive if I do. Sent from my CPH1725 using Tapatalk