Meushell

They really are. The first time I put them on, I was walking like a baby just learning to walk. I held on to everything. My hiking stick helped a great deal. I have gotten to the point where I rarely use the hiking stick, but I still want to carry it. Even if I'm stable, it's just useful for allowing me a bit of a break.

I have this issue too. I found a hiking group on Meetup, and they pretty much sped away on the hike. (Who speedwalks a hike?) I didn't go alone at least, but I left the group after. They just walk too fast for me.

@Elastigirl, it's like having a little trampoline on each foot as you walk or run. I have been having fun with them. It's a work out just to walk in them, and in a strange way, it's easier to jog in them. I get out of breath quickly, but I can finally jog without hurting the next day. Today is actually the first day I haven't worn them since I got them. My body just needed a break. I felt that yesterday when I put them on. It was more tiring than the first day I got them, so I kept it short. --- Michaela and Olex headed northeast. It was longer rides than Michaela was used to. She found herself missing the company of others. She was thankful that she had Olex at least. "We'll just about be passing over your home." Michaela nodded absentmindedly as she watched her two drakes play together. She wasn't sure what the game was exactly, but Amethyst was circling all of them. Olex chuckled. "They get along nicely now." "Yes. How are you feeling? Tired?" "A little. I can go on longer. The dungeon wrecked havoc on my endurance." "You'll get your strength back." "Hopefully before I get back home." Michaela heard that dragons had a strict hierarchy based on strength. She wondered how much of that was true. The flew for another hour before settling down. Michaela begin working on a letter for Amethyst to deliver. The little drake jumped around all over Michaela while waiting. Michaela laughed as it tickled her. Amethyst soon got bored and flew off to hunt. Olex had gone off hunting already. That left Sapphire. "Not hungry?" Michaela said to the drake. Sapphire rubbed head into the grass and kicked a leg into the air. Michaela put her letter down, then went into her bag. As she pulled out a package of meatballs. She watched Sapphire suddenly perk up and flicker her tongue. "Ready to catch?" Michaela asked as she unwrapped the meatballs. Sapphire rolled up on to her legs. Michaela got up herself, and she was soon tossing the food. Sapphire, being as large as she was, barely had to move to catch anything. Still, she enjoyed the game. When that was done, Sapphire found new games to play. When Olex returned, Sapphire decided to go off hunting. "I forget. Where are we headed tomorrow?" Olex asked. He was in humanoid form. "Echo Hills." "Hills. Hills. Ills. Ills." Michaela smiled. "You asked me just to make that joke, didn't you?" Olex smirked. "Maaaybee." "It's going to be a fairly short flight." "Did you finish your letter?" "Not yet, But I don't want to send Amethyst away yet anyway. Sapphire is a bit nervous, and Amethyst keeps her calm." "Yes. I can smell it." "You can smell emotions?" "Most of them, but not with everyone. Some people have a way of keeping calm no matter what they feel. It's kind of annoying." Michaela laughed. "Some of the Amazons seemed that way." "You always get a few among warriors." "Hm. I guess that's true." Michaela made her bed. Olex changed to quadruped form to go to sleep. It was an extra precaution. They were less likely will be bothered by strangers or animals while he was in that form. Amethyst and Sapphire slept by her. They fell asleep almost as soon as they returned from hunting. "Good night." "Sleep well."

I start my challenges on Saturdays, so week one is officially done. I'm a bit behind in some areas, but that can be caught up. Right now, the important thing is… I have jumping shoes! They came in yesterday, and I learned to balance on them pretty quickly. The site says you will learn quickly, and I saw my son learn quickly, but it was still surprising how fast I learned. I do carry my hiking staff. I don't need it most of the time, but it's very good for when I do need it. It also allows me to rest somewhat. You can't just stand and relax in those shoes. They are a lot of fun.

@Xena, thanks. Falling behind is no fun. @Myrik, thanks. @Elastigirl I wasn't expecting the extra week off, so I have more time to prepare. It's a light week. Before the challenge begins, Michaela's story has some catching up to do. --- It had only been a couple of months since Michaela begin living with the Amazons, but it felt like it had been too long already. Most of other ex-prisoners had moved on already. "We'll miss you," Chara said as Michaela was packing. Michaela smiled. Some of the Amazons had gotten a bit annoyed with her tendency to snack, and even she would admit, she was getting a little lazy when it came to chores. Chara and Adhara hadn't seemed to notice though. "Thank you, but I need to keep going. Rojeon has been in contact with his old friends. There might be trouble in Yrch." "Going back home then?" "Not quite. I live in the west. The trouble is in the east." "Maybe you could visit." Michaela stroked the drake, Sapphire, down her back. "Thanks to you giving me a means of quicker travel, I don't really have an excuse not to." She smiled. "I do miss everyone there. It would be nice to see them." She was ready a few days later. Olex approached. "In your, er, taking time to pack, I was able to communicate with my people. They requested I investigate." "You don't get to go home first?" "I would like to get home, but I was captured near home. If there's a connection, this thing might be a danger to my people. The two of us going together might be safer they going separately." "It would be nice to have your company." She didn't want to admit it, but he was the reason she delayed. "Good. I'm ready when you are."

That peanut mix looks good. I want to try that with popcorn.

Rojeon "Roj" Mathghamhain Burke Species: Wood Elf Age: Adult Gender: Male Occupation: Hunter/Guard/Trainer Home: Gul Appearance • Age Appearance: Late 30's / Early 40's • Hair: Black, partly shaven, long, kept back • Eye Color: Brown • Skin Tone: Peach, tattooed • Height: 6'6" • Build: Lean, Muscular • Identifying Mark(s): -- Tattoos on his face, shoulders, upper arms, chest, back, and legs. • Accent: The same as an orc's, having lived with them so long. • Scent: Forest and Earth • Details: Against other elves he would stand out quickly. While he has the typical tall and thin build, he is more muscular and tattooed. He can appear intimidating, usually having a serious expression on his face. Roj holds himself with confidence and a commanding presence. Personality • Loyal, Confident, Friendly, Caring, Generous • He will lead if needed, but he's just as happy following orders. • He took a huge interest in orc culture. Family • He keeps in regular contact with his parents, brother, niece, and cousins. • He now trains many orcs the old traditions they long forgot. Michaela was one of his best students before she was sent out into the world. Skills: • Hand-to-hand Combat • Ranged Combat • Multilingual Strengths: • Excellent sight, especially distances. • Good hearing. Weaknesses: • Iron Allergy • Wood Elf ears are shorter than other elf races. Other elves can hear from longer distances, and are better at identifying sounds and locations. Fears: • Flying History: • Born • Became an adult in his late 30's.* • Left home to see the world. • Traveled for decades. • Settled in Gul. * Elves grow up at half the speed as humans, and they are typically considered adults in their 30s. Soon after, their aging slows down, and it continues to do so until they simply stop aging.

Characters of Terra (I'll fill this out later. LOL)

Still here. I just haven't updated this thread lately. I have finished Orc Flight and An Orc's Drake. Now I have started The Orc and the Dragon. My computer decided to up and die on me, so I can't make any more character cards for now. I will use this thread to make an app keep small character biographies.

Thanks! Quick Character Reference (Pretend Olex doesn't have clothes since, well, he's a dragon.)

Quest 1: Strength Training Week 1 - Days Counted: 1 Week 2 - Days Counted: Week 3 - Days Counted: Week 4 - Days Counted: Total: /12 Quest 2: Trampoline Week 1 - Days Counted: 3 Week 2 - Days Counted: Week 3 - Days Counted: Week 4 - Days Counted: Total: /12 Quest 3: Organizing Week 1 - Days Counted: 2 Week 2 - Days Counted: Week 3 - Days Counted: Week 4 - Days Counted: Total: /12 Quest 4: Foraging Week 1 - Days Counted: 19 Week 2 - Days Counted: Week 3 - Days Counted: Week 4 - Days Counted: Total: /60 Quest 5: Language Week 1 - Days Counted: 3 Week 2 - Days Counted: Week 3 - Days Counted: Week 4 - Days Counted: Total: /24

Introduction: Okay. I've been in the Rebel category for a while now. It's time to try something new. This is Michaela, my favorite orc. My victories are her progress to save the world from an unknown evil. My failures might just doom her. (Yeah, her introduction is just copy and paste from the last time. LOL I might change the picture later.) I have a mud walk coming up in November. I need strength and endurance. Upper body weakness was my biggest weakness in the last mud run. Main Quest: The Adventure Continues (Full size at... https://i.imgur.com/Pi4PqvS.jpg.) An entire city was destroyed, and the people disappeared. Michaela and three others were sent out into the world to investigate. They each went into different directions, and now two of the others have disappeared. Michaela, herself, was captured and kept in a dungeon for a long time. Did her friends suffer the same fate? She made her escape with the help of Amazons. She now has been living with them for a short time, but it's time to continue her adventure. Losing weight is my adventure. No XP here. Whatever comes off will come off.) Quest 1: Becoming a Warrior Michaela still needs hone her fighting skill. (Strength training 3 days a week. I'm going to keep this as a quest until I'm consistent with it. A = 12+ days total. Michaela earns respect from her new friends and trainers. B = 10. Michaela earns respect with the people who matter. C = 8. Michaela is tolerated in her practice. D = 6. People are annoyed to see her. F = 4. No one will train her.) Quest 2: Flying Michaela has a new drake, Sapphire, to get around faster, but it's tiring to ride her. (Before Sapphire was represented by bike riding. This time it will be the trampoline. A = 12. Sapphire loves Michaela. B = 10. Sapphire likes Michaela. C = 8. Sapphire sort of likes Michaela. D = 7. Sapphire loves Michaela. tolerates her. F = 6. Sapphire loves Michaela. does not like her. Michaela must impress it to keep riding.) Quest 3: Organizing Michaela needs to keep her gear cleaned and organized. (I need to clean and organize the house more. 20+ minutes. Aiming for 3 times a week.) A = 12 total. Michaela can find everything! Yea! B = 10. Michaela needs to search more for small items. C = 8. It's a mess... D = 7. ...and dirty... F = 6. ...and buggy. Quest 4: Foraging Foraging is the easiest way to obtain food. (Half of each meal consist of fruit and/or vegetables.) A = 60 Michaela is healthy. B = 55. She feels sluggish. C = 50. She needs to rest more. D = 45. Michaela gets sick. F = 40. Michaela needs to see a doctor.) Quest 5: Language Michaela continues learning drákain. (Studying Spanish in my Duolingo app. Of course, I won't learn as fast as her, since she lives in a fantasy world and I don't. A = 24 days of lesson. Short lessons, so I have no excuse not to do it. Michaela becomes fluent and can begin learning another language. B = 22. Michaela becomes fluent with the oral, but not the written. C = 20. Fluent with the written, but not the oral. D = 18. Michaela struggles. F = 16. Michaela needs someone to translate. Extra Credit: I don't want to forever be behind in levels for past failures, so I want to earn extra points. 1 Point per Day - Bike riding. I'm at 473 points. Real Motivation: Better health. Being able to be active without suffering for it later. I want, in time, to be able to do a pull up. First though, I need to be able to hold my own body weight. I am getting better. I can hold my weight for like three seconds. Before it was half a second. Progress! :-D

(I want to post my new challenge, but I'm still editing, so I'm posting it here until I fix it up.) Introduction: Okay. I've been in the Rebel category for a while now. It's time to try something new. This is Michaela, my favorite orc. My victories are her progress to save the world from an unknown evil. My failures might just doom her. (Yeah, her introduction is just copy and paste from the last time. LOL I might change the picture later.) I have a mud walk coming up in November. I need strength and endurance. Upper body weakness was my biggest weakness in the last mud run. Main Quest: The Adventure Continues (Full size at... https://i.imgur.com/Pi4PqvS.jpg.) An entire city was destroyed, and the people disappeared. Michaela and three others were sent out into the world to investigate. They each went into different directions, and now two of the others have disappeared. Michaela, herself, was captured and kept in a dungeon for a long time. Did her friends suffer the same fate? She made her escape with the help of Amazons. She now has been living with them for a short time, but it's time to continue her adventure. Losing weight is my adventure. No XP here. Whatever comes off will come off.) Quest 1: Becoming a Warrior Michaela still needs hone her fighting skill. (Strength training 3 days a week. I'm going to keep this as a quest until I'm consistent with it. A = 12+ days total. Michaela earns respect from her new friends and trainers. B = 10. Michaela earns respect with the people who matter. C = 8. Michaela is tolerated in her practice. D = 6. People are annoyed to see her. F = 4. No one will train her.) Quest 2: Flying Michaela has a new drake, Sapphire, to get around faster, but it's tiring to ride her. (Before Sapphire was represented by bike riding. This time it will be the trampoline. A = 12. Sapphire loves Michaela. B = 10. Sapphire likes Michaela. C = 8. Sapphire sort of likes Michaela. D = 7. Sapphire loves Michaela. tolerates her. F = 6. Sapphire loves Michaela. does not like her. Michaela must impress it to keep riding.) Quest 3: Organizing Michaela needs to keep her gear cleaned and organized. (I need to clean and organize the house more. 20+ minutes. Aiming for 3 times a week.) A = 12 total. Michaela can find everything! Yea! B = 10. Michaela needs to search more for small items. C = 8. It's a mess... D = 7. ...and dirty... F = 6. ...and buggy. Quest 4: Foraging Foraging is the easiest way to obtain food. (Half of each meal consist of fruit and/or vegetables.) A = 60 Michaela is healthy. B = 55. She feels sluggish. C = 50. She needs to rest more. D = 45. Michaela gets sick. F = 40. Michaela needs to see a doctor.) Quest 5: Language Michaela continues learning drákain. (Studying Spanish in my Duolingo app. Of course, I won't learn as fast as her, since she lives in a fantasy world and I don't. A = 24 days of lesson. Short lessons, so I have no excuse not to do it. Michaela becomes fluent and can begin learning another language. B = 22. Michaela becomes fluent with the oral, but not the written. C = 20. Fluent with the written, but not the oral. D = 18. Michaela struggles. F = 16. Michaela needs someone to translate. Extra Credit: I don't want to forever be behind in levels for past failures, so I want to earn extra points. 1 Point per Day - Bike riding. I'm at 473 points. Real Motivation: Better health. Being able to be active without suffering for it later. I want, in time, to be able to do a pull up. First though, I need to be able to hold my own body weight. I am getting better. I can hold my weight for like three seconds. Before it was half a second. Progress! :-D

Lol. That might help. Sometimes I like adding vegetables into things, but other times I just prefer the vegetables on the side.

Woah. Lots of posts. Good of luck on the sugar challenge, and congratulations for doing well so far. Carrots can't replace chocolate for me, but they do make a good snack. They can be pretty sweet too. Peas too for that matter. I never noticed until I tried adding them to Mac and Cheese years ago. They were disgustingly sweet when eaten with cheese. Happy Canada Day! Do you do fireworks?