Tialoredron

Goal 1 Suffered through class today and finally purchased the month; so now I have to go otherwise I am just burning money. Goal 2 I actually got to bed at 2210, but I only got 6 hours of sleep; I was a bit groggy this morning and I know I will need more sleep as I won't be able to do 6 hours a night back to back. Looks like I am moving bed time to 2100 or so and see how that plays out. Goal 3 Spent money on a crossfit class, but it was about time I did. I have a great plan of wanting to finish lining the shelves in the kitchen this weekend; so we will see how that goes. Goal 4 Still just lurking around here >.>

Warrant Officer Tialoredron stands on the boarding dock in front of the U.S.S. Ranger and checks the roster ensuring he is at the right spot. Although he attended the Academy, he declined the traditional Ensign officership knowing he truly wanted to work the more technical problems for Starfleet as opposed to the Command everyone else seemed to want to be involved with. His Vulcan lineage was apparent, but he wasn't purely Vulcan either; to most humans he was Vulcan enough, but Tialoredron cared nothing on the semantics of social protocols and treated most everyone the same as he wished to be treated. He was just another cog in the Starfleet Machine and he was quite alright with that. After seeming satisfied he began to board and found the person he needed to report to immediately. @Raxie Good afternoon, Lt Commander Raxie, if I might introduce myself I am Tialoredron and I was trained to be a Comm Technician but can certainly handle anything needing repair behind the screens and consoles. I trust we will have a most beneficial relation to assure our success in the mission.

Goal 2: Not a great start to say the least. I don't recall what time I laid down in bed, but I do remember breaking away from the screens at midnight and this morning my fitbit says I only got 6.5 hours of sleep. I feel like the sleep was good, but I need to fix my sleep schedule. Attending a Going Away Diner that ran way later than I had hoped didn't improve things to well, but I did walk about 3 miles in total since the restaurant was only 1.5 miles from my house. Goal 3 Pressed the reset button on my credit card today; so now I am missing 6k from my emergency/slush fund. Again, I don't feel too bad about this; sucks that I wasn't able to afford everything on my normal paycheck and tuck money away for other hobbies/projects, but c'est la vie. Goal 4 Spoiler for rantiness Good news is I went to a social event irl last night; it went way longer than I thought and I had a decision point I could have returned home to maybe accomplish my sleep cycle goal but I decided to stay out. This wasn't for anything NF related, but maybe it helps break some barriers? I read through the Rebel Introduction threads for the first page, but I haven't responded to any of them. Anxiety is kicking in and I see that there has already been an outreach by other members. I am also toying the idea of signing up for the mini; you know what...eff it *goes to sign up* So I don't normally do yoga or strikes, but I do have the NF yoga courses and it'd be good to get back into doing it for stretches and I haven't trained anything combat-wise besides the mandatory fun classes from the Academy (hehe...*ties in irl AF Academy to "Starfleet" Academy*; Boxing and unarmed combatives)

Week 4 results Goal 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week Goal 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve Goal 3: Stop hemorrhaging money Goal 4: Be more social

Week 3 results Goal 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week Goal 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve Goal 3: Stop hemorrhaging money Goal 4: Be more social

Week 2 results Goal 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week This week I only attended once. Definitely not a great showing and I don't consider this week a win by any stretch. With DragonCon coming up, I will only be able to make the classes up until Wednesday, maybe Thursday if I really want to work the clock but I plan to be at the airport to make sure I give myself enough time to travel to the airport and get through security. Goal 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve Average of the week is 7.604 hours of sleep per night! I had 3 nights that were sub 7 hours as well, and all nights were greater than 6 hours of sleep. Goal 3: Stop hemorrhaging money Thiss week I did play a bit fast and loose with my money getting ready for DragonCon, and I can only imagine I will be spending a bit more than I would really like to during a weekend...but....DragonCon. Goal 4: Be more social This week I welcomed 8 new-ish members to the Rebellion. I am starting to realize this isn't a great metric as far as it is just counting the new Rebel Introduction threads, but it is accomplishing the purpose of getting my butt to be more active on the forum, so I will take the win where I can. Overall, the week was about 50/50. Not great, but not bad either.

Week 1 results Goal 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week Goal accomplished albeit a little off schedule with Te, F, Sa. Next week's plan is M, Te, Th, Sa but the goal will still just be 3x/week Goal 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve 13-19 Aug I averaged 7.362 and very close to getting 7.5 hours a night. I had 3 nights at sub 7 hours, one of which was even just over 5 hours. Goal 3: Stop hemorrhaging money I believe I did decent enough this weekend, only had the one splurge of In-N-Out and bought a trimmer/weed whacker. Everything else was bills, food, or gas. So Dragon Con is just the weekend after as well and I believe I will be in a good position to make sure ends are meeting as well. There is a local Ren Faire I was thinking of going to this upcoming weekend but I don't think I can really afford to now. Goal 4: Be more social Welcomed 10 new (1 actually was returning) members to the Rebellion. I only had one day where I got hit with the feels and didn't even look into it but will be bouncing back into things for next week. Week 1 crushed, even if only just barely

Week 0 results Goal 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week I made 2 classes this week; not bad for having started Wednesday knowing Friday was going to be a unit PT day. Purchasing the class has definitely motivated me enough to ensure I get to the classes now since otherwise I am burning potential cost saving (cost per session) Goal 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve Taking the average and backtracking all the recorded sleep I have for the past week, on average I am getting 7.419 hours of sleep a night. But that stat is a bit misleading since I have extremes of 10 hours of sleep on one day and a little over 5 for another. A majority of the time I was getting to sleep around 2200, so I am going to attempt to move that up to 2130 for the next week Goal 3: Stop hemorrhaging money Mission successful for the past week; my only big ticket purchase was Crossfit classes at $109 and 3 restaurant trips (one was $220 but that is becuase the bill wasn't split so I took it on my credit card and folks paid back in cash). I do want to afford a weed whacker or a trimmer so I can better landscape the yard as it is starting to crowd into the sidewalk and the edge grass has built up near the flower beds. The Credit card reset payment has alleviated the immediate burden of worrying over the interest charges for over-spending myself, and as I am about to get paid in a few days any leftover money will be distributed to the savings account I dipped into and paying off other debts. Goal 4: Be more social Welcomed two new Rebels to the forums; one has already started her first challenge and the other is still finding her way. Coupled with IRL social activities has made this past week very rewarding. All in all, Week 0 intent met.

His hood worn low over his face, the man seemingly steps out from the shadows where no life seemed present. He takes a look about the place, seeing familiar faces and begins to remove the hood and you see Tialoredron is back in the Ranger Halls ordering a round as he slumps into a comfortable position at the bar. He seems exhausted from his long hiatus, but yet an ever-present smile and a promising outlook of life in his eyes says he's ready to get back to his life fully swinging. Man, feels like I have been gone for years! I suppose moving did turn out to be more stressful than I had anticipated and some of my worries about life are still affecting my life choices; other times I know I am just using excuses to dig my own hole and not get back into my grove of continuing to be better than I was yesterday. I had moved to my new place at the end of May (28th) and over two months later I realize I hadn't gotten into my old routine of working out, working, gaming, and sleep like I once had figured out prior to the craziness that was all of last year (being broken into 4 times, robbed twice [The guy was caught and now am working to get my stuff back]; deploying halfway across the globe [moving my stuff into storage for 6 months]; moving to another rental for 4 months and moving again to where I am at now where I have bought my first house). A few things have kicked me back into gear and recognizing that my life was at a bit of an imbalance and I wasn't happy about it; I told myself I would continue working out and find a new box to work Crossfit at (thanks to a coworker who happens to be a coach, I found a box), but attending only once two weeks ago I haven't motivated myself to go back as I need to make the morning sessions and I stay up too late and sleep in the mornings; my old game group meets two hours before I can realistically sign in after work on Fridays and I am still looking to recruit members to join my occult D&D sessions I want to be running for Saturdays, but there doesn't seem to be as many gamers as my old location; the call out for assistance in Guild Leaders and Ambassadors and my want to give back to the NF community any way I can.... I am sure that there are plenty more hidden reasons that I am secretly beating myself over without my conscious self realizing, but one thing is certain; I have lots of problems and my over analysis paralysis is getting me nowhere. I am drawing a line in the sand and jumping over the hurdle that is the excuses I have been using for far too long. GOAL 1: Attend Crossfit classes 3x/week Going to start things off relatively slow for me; I want to build up to attending 4x/week but I don't need to injure myself as it has been quite some time since I have consistently exercised. I plan on M, Te, Th for Crossfit as F is mandatory PT day for my unit and as a PT leader I may be called in to run Wednesdays sessions. The classes that I can make are the 0530 classes so that will drive another goal of mine (more later). The box also has an 0800 class on Sa and Su; those would be great if I can motivate myself to go to as well XD GOAL 2: Get the sleep I need; get the sleep I deserve So with the 0530 show time, that means I need to leave my house by 0500 and I should set my alarm for 0430 (maybe less if I can be really efficient in the morning). I have a fitbit to monitor my sleep and have set a goal for 7.5 hours of sleep. I have noticed I have ~60 minutes on average of "wakefulness" throughout the night according to the tech and it only counts deep, REM, and light sleep cycles (super cool, but how trustworthy is the tech at actually capturing this data?). I need to work backwards from my required wake-up time and make sure I turn off my electronics and at least be in bed. The last few weeks I have been staring at my phone knowing nothing good came from it and blinking at it when it shows 2300. 2200 needs to be my NLT time to start the 10 minute routine of locking up the house and laying down for 6.5 hours of sleep, an hour less than my 7.5 hour goal. I should set 2100...but the few nights I had attempted to go to bed I was restless. Small steps, then...small steps. GOAL 3: Stop hemorrhaging money With the purchase of the house, I have made some choices for immediate work to be done. Notably, I upgraded the plumbing from galvanized steel to the modern plastic of most modern homes and upgraded the circuit breaker to put in an electric clothes dryer. I still need to knock a hole in a wall for the dryer vent, but I am at the point that house projects can now wait. The house is riddled with holes in the internal walls, but it is minimally livable and I can work on cheaper projects (such as unpacking all my clothes boxes and doing laundry). I have plenty of projects I want to do; bookshelves for the dining/gaming room, putting shelving above the washer/dryer in the laundry room, replacing bedroom light fixtures with fan/light (only have lights for now); backyard projects (patio overhang, Jacuzzi/hot tub?, pool?); gutters (I live in the desert, so it doesn't rain often but it does rain and the runoff need to be directed elsewhere besides the front entrance >.>) and the list just goes on. This isn't really a SMART goal as there is no defined timeline or a particular method to accomplishing the goal, but the intent is to ensure this upcoming statement is the only one with a possibility of being charged interest with my credit card if I choose to not dip into savings. With the savings, I can afford some of the other projects, but I don't want to have that as my go to. I will pay off what's leftover for the credit card, manage my bills, resave to 10k "emergency" slush fund, and then re-contemplate the expensive house projects I want to work on next. Maybe I need to prioritize the projects as opposed to doing what I did of "this needs to happen now!" GOAL 4: Be more social And by more social, I mean more so being an active NF member. I put my name in to be an Ambassador, but I am embarrassed slightly by my lack of presence in the community. I have been reading threads in the Pub section as well as the Ranger Guild hall for the last couple of months, but as far as making "useful" comments I tend to not say anything. I am hopeful that just participating in the challenge helps out in making me a more active member. I don't intend to spam for thread count, but I will consider it a win if I just even welcome a new member once per week. I want to be able to welcome all our new Rebels posting their introduction thread, but it seems so overwhelming to me and I don't want to put an impersonal canned welcome message (I realize even that little bit can help foster community belonging for our new peeps, but *ugh* I just want so much more of myself!) So this last goal, what I would like is to find a Ambassador mentor; I want to be useful in some context for our awesome Guild Leaders or filling in a gap that maybe the listed Ambassadors can't cover for life reasons, or whatever. I need someone to help guide me in the right direction and I realize that there is no easier answer for this on what needs to be done...but without any sort of direction I will just wander about the forums and ghost all the things as I have been doing.

*evil laughs* mwhahahahahaha! Good....Good...Give in, to the Rebellion.... *secretly dominates people with "Good Idea Fairy"*

*pops back in from the shadows* Hey folks! I know I am not the most active of members but I have always loved what the NF community has done and Have been chugging along my own epic quest without really reporting in. I have been stalking, spying, hunting, following some of the "issues' of the NF community and saw the call out for GLs and Ambassadors and got to thinking. Aren't we all technically NF ambassadors in some way? Rangers are definitely awesome more so than other guilds and is why I stick around Do the Rangers need further assistance with GL or Ambassadors? IRL stuff is keeping me busy and has been for a while; so much so I feel like I am using my move as a crutch. It might be a bit selfish and self-centered, but I'd love the opportunity to have a reason to jump back into the forums and this could do it. I feel like it is about time I get around to giving something back to the community as opposed to just sticking around and watching. I don't think I'd be able to take the mantle of GL ("With great power comes great responsibility" -Uncle Ben; and with great responsibility comes great amounts of time to dedicate to an already busy schedule); but I'd like to see if there was a need for an extra body available to help as needed and reach out to new members and convert to the occult, show how awesome NF and the Rangers are.

My move-in is nearly complete; I have my bed set up, the guest bedroom set up with furniture in place, my office desk, gaming desk, and TV set up and functional. Dishes are making their rounds through the dishwasher with sanitize settings because I like to not smell cardboard and storage as I eat. I am lacking in a few things (shower water flow is low and none operational washer drain as well as no dryer hookups) but I have a plumber coming Monday to replace all the galvanized steel piping in an effort to correct and prevent future problems. Talked to my coworkers and found out one of them is a Crossfit coach at the local gym, so I am planning to start training again next week (Cost is cheaper than my old location!). Hope all you peeps are doing well!

The man limps in, reeking of something foul, asks the barkeep for a bucket of water before he trudges outside and dumps it over his head. He walks back in, soaking wet and exhaustion is apparent from his face and his posture. He orders a shot of whiskey and a dark stout as he settles himself at the bar, looking about to see what new friends he is about to converse with... Well friends, my move has mostly completed. I am situated and living in my own purchased house (as still owned by the bank :/) but it is mine own. Had a few issues with the home already in that the pipes are galvanized steel and had been sitting for some time, clogging many of the aerators and requiring cleaning/replacing along with a broken knob on the shower/bath. I have already installed all but three blinds (three left face the backyard, so meh) and have recently gotten my shower functional again. Household goods don't arrive until the 19th, so I have a few more weeks of sleeping on an air mattress and eating out but I believe things are going splendidly. As ever, we will see how things go, but I will be participating in challenges in spirit for now and keep working on upgrading/improving my condition with diet, exercise, and now my improvements to my house. Hope all your challenges are faring well!

Time for an update? (Way past time for an update >.>) Househunting list as exploded to well over 9000 100 but about a third have pending offers with about ten being off market or sold; I have the houses racked and stacked still in order of preference so next week will hopefully be smooth and I will purchase a house somewhere in the top 20 of my list (10 of which are Pending/Off market, so it's really like a top 10). Mustang costume was good enough; at first I hated it (*whines about materiel too thin, not wool, fit/feel wasn't right*) but the more I wore it the better I felt about it. Took it to my friend's place to model and the other guys started the process to purchase on the spot. It definitely isn't terrible, but I am still intent on eventually making the costume myself and I want to make the uniform out of wool as I believe that is what the materiel would be made from. The accoutrements were nice though since I don't need to worry about the pins or cord, but I will need to get a ribbon rack with his ribbons and larger gloves. I want to get a wig as well (I have short brown hair and growing it isn't an option and I don't favor dying my hair either). I didn't even look for a green tank anywhere, but the whole moving thing is kindof distracting. So, to complete the past four weeks then: Goal 1: Get VA Loan: Completed (Pre-approved for 300k) Goal 2: Buy House: In Process (Trip next week to do on site tour and start close-out process) Goal 3: Complete Mustang Costuming: Complete enough (effort is for group FMA for DragonCon; need new gloves, a wig, and want to add the ribbon rack) Bonus Goal: Complete Guile Costuming: In Process (Low risk, just need to get a green tank) Over all, I'd say this went pretty well. Next week will be crazy as I will be hyperfocused on househunting and then three weeks of "Oh crap I am moving!" So I may not participate at all for the next challenge on the forums. I will still be leveling up my life one day at a time though so I will be back once I am properly settled into my new place (basically having my internet and computer up and running essentially).

Two weeks in the books; House hunting list has grown to 52 potential homes, but 6 of which have been sold or are off market and 9 have pending offers, so only 37 homes are on my list. Surprisingly, my top three picks are still viable. Just threw down a little over $2k for airline tickets, rental vehicle, and hotel for the last week of the month so I will get to spend some time seeing the houses myself before I have to commit. Mustang costume comes Thursday, so very excited for that. I actually found an old pair of BDU bottoms I must have gotten from when I paintballed and was pleasantly surprised they still fit! (Keeping in mind it has been a little over 8 years since I last paintballed). Could have sworn I was a 32 in waist back then and am now sitting at 35, so maybe I got them big and synched it down with a belt but I don't think I would have had that forethought to buy clothes too big for me back in high school >.> *high-fives past self for accidently thinking of future self* I still need to go get a green tank, but otherwise I think I am mostly complete for Guile. Just need to get some muscle mass going and grow out my hair a bit, so just a matter of time.

Oh look at that, guess who got voluntee-old I will be the Unit Fitness Program Manager at the new station! *inward monologue* "You get to do Crossfit, and you get to do Crossfit...EVERYONE GETS TO CROSSFIT!"

One week down; preapproved for 300k and a list of 35 homes I am interested in, racked and stacked in a nice little excel spreadsheet I sent to my realtor and wanting to get feedback on the market in the local area to see if there is anything I should avoid (high crime, long market dwell times, overpriced sell tags, etc). Took the alternate route with my Mustang costume; site sells one for $78 so going to see how it looks when it comes hopefully next week. I have low expectations but the site made it look pretty good all things considered. Worse case I just paid $78 for a good set of accoutrements that I would need to get anyways. Ideally I wanted to make the costume jacket and pants (and half-cape skirt thing) myself and out of wool...but that's expensive and requires more skill and time than I have at the moment. Additional benefit, $78 for backup costume if I don't find the time after traveling to work on starting my cosplay arsenal. Additional note: second cosplay for DragonCon will be Guile from the Street Fighter series. Need to get a green tank and comfortable BDU bottoms at local Goodwill or Surplus store and I will be good to go (already have dog tags and plan to use the same boots from the Mustang cosplay). I like simple, simple is nice XD

Well, the productivity machine is used in the creation of certain electrons put in such an order that an orator can guide his conversation to seek the approval of a dumb, different, or dangerous event or set of events meant to test certain boundaries of mechanically scienced hardware. These electrons are formed in a standard manner that none seem to actually enjoy, but not a single soul has offered alternate means to present an orators problems and their solutions, so the peasants of the cubicle farm are stuck with the tools they have because they only have the knowledge of the tools that were given. *All manner of electrons were killed in the making and sending of this message*

Tales of Adulting! *swooping star with rainbow contrails* Imagine if you will, walking back into your office after PT/lunch. During the hike, you see out of the corner of your eye a bug flying nearby. It's form familiar, you believe it to have been a wasp or hornet. You ignore it as your best act of defense from being stung by an ornery insect fueled by hate, rage, and the powers of the dark side. You no longer see it after several steps and the coast seems clear. You enter your building, the cool air from the A/C hits your face and you take a moment to enjoy the relief from a hot Florida day that this modern technology has provided. You hurry into your office to get back to work and set your gym bag down and you see a wasp, for it flies out in the open and you have ample time to study it and scream inwardly as the hate infested flying object now exist between you and the socially acceptable exit of the door to your office. You think about the window, it is a viable escape route, but you may alert the dangerous creature as it can sense your fear and a better means of escape is needed. An idea comes to mind; just as before, ignore the danger and walk by as if in total control of the situation. Success! The creature seemed intent to become one with it's Sun god of Fluorescent emissions! Travel to the building custodian quartermaster, and in a calm even voice, ask to acquire the weapons of justified smiting of flying creatures whose existence threatens much pain towards the owners of the inhabitants who dwell within. Return to your office and see the beast is still in worship, sneaking in as close as you dare to set up your roguish sneak attack with the weapon of alchemical ranged smiting. you take careful aim to avoid your means of productivity, and as the stream connects with the foul beast, it becomes disoriented as your missile hit true with minimal collateral splash. It falls to the floor, and takes off again to fly approximately two feet off the ground before you take a second shot of thine wrathful alchemical smiting. It falls to the floor again, and feeling more daring, you approach your vanquished foe to provide the swift death and the assurance that the pest of inhuman wrath has been completely vanquished. You return to the quartermaster to release your weapon so that others may benefit, and you rejoice as the quartermaster notifies you he plans to spray the building this week to prevent future hate-mongering wrath-infused exo-skeletal rageful flying barbarians.

Things are moving along; pre-approved for the loan; completed the PT test (scored under what I was hoping to but still passed; first time I will need to take it again in 6 months); and will be working on costuming Wednesday and/or Thursday with a friend. I have some 50+ homes I am currently looking at in the area I will be moving to, but only about 15-20 I am actually truly interested in (some are over budget, some too small sqft, some too low of a price for what I am looking at considering prices around town and thus raising some red flags in my head). As I get closer to House hunting leave, I will be refining my list as well as considering new additions to the market, so I expect it to be very fluid over the next few weeks.

I will be buying a house at the new location; should be there for about 3 years. Rentals for my requirement are way out of budget and I have no option for on-base housing. I am in the air if I am going to try to sell it at the end of three years or put it up to a rental agency when I next PCS.

*slips into the shadows*

*Tunes in the radio...the old school analog knob kind and fiddles with the antenna to get a better sound*

For your amusement: XKCD comic I am using as inspiration https://www.xkcd.com/616/ Military is very nice in that we have Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and I want to have monthly PITI payments under BAH; if utilities can be covered by BAH all the better (and superiorly better if it can cover other bills like telephone and internet). Having that I was able to figure I can afford somewhere around mid-200k house (BAH where I will be is $1545) and am attempting to get approved for 300k loan. I have a hard requirement of having a garage as I have a beautiful '96 Trans Am with custom paint and have Agreed Value Insurance on it which requires sheltering in a garage. Everything else is nice to have. I was in a Townhouse with about 1.4k sqft, and am now residing in a house with 2k sqft (only for the few months; after some issues at the townhouse this is really nice). So I am looking for at least 1.5k sqft, but more importantly is kitchen size/layout as I enjoy cooking. Bedrooms don't matter to me, but due to sqft-age, it will be the 2+ that I would want so I can host a guest overnight if needed. Always willing to take free advice

Nothing super fancy this time around; plenty of life stressors already in work seemingly moments after I have just gotten back and still moving into my new place after deployment and now prepping for a PCS. PT test next week, with about another month of "normalness" before SHTF and I go full PCS/moving priority. I will be making 3 sessions of Crossfit per week as I normally do and cooking/prepping my own lunches as well. Biggest goals coming around are submitting and getting the VA Home Loan approved, finding an affordable range I can afford in BAH for the Principal, Interest, Property Taxes, Homeowner's Insurance, and some portion of the utilities so I can have more disposable income based on my prior promotion base pay rate (yay more disposable income for retirement savings!); finding a house that fits into the Home Loan affordability, moving in at the end of May and also need to complete my Mustang Cosplay prior to traveling, so by then end of next month as well. tl;dr Goal 1: Get VA Loan Goal 2: Buy House Goal 3: Complete Mustang costuming Probably won't be posting to often...because life >.>