Loveable_Bouncer

Ironically this an Australian recipe, lol. But especially as I'm running out of sugar and carrots are sweet. And realizing this recipe is 100% all brownie batter except now flour/trade in beans/veggies. Can try it a bit (did I eat the leftovers that didn't fit in my muffin tin with spoon... maybe). --- FYI Missy has shown me she now knows how to open kitchen cupboards... Darnit. She and Sunshine ended up going into the "cleaning" closest last night as I found bottles on the floor. Luckily doesn't look like she found anything good to lick... but finally bought a pack of childproof locks... Because she also knows one of the cupboards holds some food in plastic bags.... One day I will get her puzzles and an amazing cat highway for that brain of hers... (On another note this did help with some of the baby fever that has been simmering up). I earned a 4th hour of reward from finishing hours, I ended up having to cash in all 4 hours for the reward of $10. Just enough to buy the cheapest (available) walmart mouse. Now to be disciplined with my work and goals to enjoy some Minecraft... *drools at the aniticpation* Downside I hit a wall with cleaning the apartment, I"m very much in the "you can finish it up quick if it wasn't for the mental barriers." Taking a big breath and accepting my fate... as I also have some meetings tonight. Fudge. Also realized when seeing a contractor when coming home from errands, that I have a turnover this week. (Totally forgot even though its in my binder). So I have a busy week ahead. Upside I will get a chunk of my hours and rest next weekend (as the next turnovers are not until end of April... then the season ramps up into moving season).

Not 100% sure, I almost wonder if it ended up being "people pay more if they have a beutiful park" (aka law of gentrification). I know in MN a lot of ponds/lakes I've learned it is actually water management here (every large city I live in was built on swamp/lake land back before all the build up of the 1800). By finding side effects of "making it prettier" that later turn into "oh, water tends to be less polluted when we allow nature to be nature....". I was a bit overwhelmed by my answer lol.... From my understanding the last 20 years of studying have shown us "oh, we like this because it is REALLY good for us". Kind of like the whole quality of life when you bond with animals thing >.> Glad the self-care is kicking in to help get your week started off great!

It worked beautifully! I ended up enjoying supper from a friend in my car and remembered before turning on the car. Whoot! 100% realized how fast my brain has been going. - Yesterday we hit about 80 degrees. With a workday, I decided it had to be a shorts day (which was perfect as I had to clean a hot space). So freshly shaved legs, and another NSV: They fit! And with quite extra loosen up. Wowza... my belt felt so long while wearing them yesterday. Maybe tried slipping in some game time this morning, found out I don't have a functioning mouse. Will be rolling for a new computer mouse lol Hit Meditation Friday and Saturday Sleep.... I did two bad nights 2 in a row Breakfast on point Got the hours one way or another! Didn't complete what I wanted yesterday, but I can wrap things up today if i get focused. Made these muffins this morning to try a new recipe for "breakfast". Quite a big of effort compared to the other recipes, but I will be going through all my carrots to use them up and emulsify in this high fiber sugar high. Realized during the recipe that it doesn't match my goals due to the sugar... so to try another one this week after I use up all my carrots (they are going bad and need to get used up... plus chocolate cravings).

This was a meme I saw going through, lol For us MN's *crosses fingers for the 2040s* Wow, glad you had an amazing experience! That definitely sounds like a once in a lifetime experience. I had a friend who was flying back to Seattle during it, and they said a small elderly group had helped compose the event so everyone could see it. So maybe a couple of ideas in the next couple decades lol

To confirm another reason why (as this sounds amazing), I went to a mental health talk at work yesterday. And the speaker I swear shared a good 10 mins why people should walk by water, looking at a body of water helps slow down the brain/most effective at lowering stress (walking in nature does help of course too). Hope for more amazing walks, and glad there is some sun in the storms you have been dealing with.

Even in stress though you found an answer! More than one time I've found myself to give up fully, but you re seeing them and finding solutions. Also jealous of your ability to find FIGS, I love them. I could eat them ALL the time. But... they are nearly impossible to find here (and expensive). They are the number 1 food that always gives me a hug when I get my hands on them. I'm someone with zero patience when facing the conflict you are facing... to help leave some of the stress from your body. Just ignore if it doesn't fit for you. A few things that I've been told to do constantly to help surrender the stress to something more powerful than me that I've learned are like little spells from a higher power: Ask For Help from Source, Serenity Prayer , Feel my Breath - If

Reward tracked post Reward Key Added up for after 4/11/2024 (starting Thursday April 4th) Breakfast: 7/7! 1 hour rewarded Bedtime: 4/4 1 hour rewarded after Monday, Currently tracking: 3 our of 4! Working: 23.5/40.25 (missed .25 at other job, so going to try to make it up…. 16.75 hours needed >.> Meditation: (Started Saturday April 6th) 4/4 1 hr rewarded Tuesday, 0/4 currently Rewards: 3 hours rewarded! For 1 week not bad. Bummer I won't have time this weekend. But if I stay focused, I will be cashing out one way or another next weekend!

2 hours didn't happen last night, and honestly I can deal for 1 night. I realized I was dizzy and delirious and still ended up taking me 2 hours to settle into rest... The cats made sure I was up at 9 pm to feed them (as I was 100% confused, but they lead me... Sunshine bummed about playtime 2 meals in a row - made up for it before breakfast). Bummer this morning I ended up getting to work late due to my anxiety not kicking in about being late. It wanted to kick in, but realized one "point" why? Meditation was missed 2 mornings in a row... thinking of adding a back up time being "after work in car". Just 5 mins will help daily. Going to trial that this afternoon. Breakfast is good... and easy. Sleep has a LOT of awareness. Even on my "hype focused" phone night on Tuesday I was in bed before 9! Going to wrack up the points later... just looking at what needs to be done in the next week. I most likely won't be able to cash out until next weekend.

Found out the apartment I'm cleaning doesn't move in until Monday...Meaning, I can get some sleep tonight. Fuck yeah (I accidently gave myself the wrong end date so now I'm on time!) Now to write the plan so I'm aware why I need to work tonight (because the bed is calling...) 2 hours tonight and tomorrow (I can pick and choose what I get done- I cannot work more than 12.5 hours on Saturday, my stamina is too low for this consistently) Saturday 12.5 hours. I have so much to work to do in several places that I can give myself some "flexibility" the next 2 nights on where I want to go/ how to get it done... And I can breathe.

20 Hours left of day job. 16.5 hours needed for side job. 1 apartment needing to be cleaned in 23 hours (the true ick hidden in the freezer is done). Last night I had a bonus meeting with my mentor. After making a Finally a delicious in dungeon food post: So last night when I was fighting off the pile of dishes (don't realize how behind you are until realize it will take 2 loads of the dishwasher to complete everything...) I had chicken meat and veggies and cheese but nothing really for carbs (except lots of berries). I was stumped on how to make a good meal. I open the Stone Soup app and looked up "chicken recipes" https://thestonesoup.com/blog/2019/06/10/cheesy-chicken/ This one popped up. I of course didn't have zucchini, but realized I had almost every "alternate" vegetables suggestion. Going bad needed to cook: Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes Added to get the 800 g goal: 1 onion, can't remember if .5 a of yellow bell pepper or 1.5 (ended up being more veggies than I thought). I used up a bin of parmesan on it also (found out it was going bad and needed to get used up NOW). I also used 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce that I had over tomato paste... I poured it on before realizing I needed to "mix it" with the seasoning. Just sprinkled Smoked Paprika and Chili powder all on the top. Followed suit with a hit of salt, and it came out PERFECT. 1st before oven and 2nd Done I realized a while after that I accidently doubled the chicken since the recipe called for "2 fillets" and I think I put 4 from the whole container... Oops, but I had thought "this feels like a lot of meat" when I devoured a third of it... probably was craving the needed protein. Hard part cleaning the kitchen to cook and cleaning while it cooked ended up taking nearly 2 hours. To eat up the meal before a zoom appointment I didn't get to cleaning the apartment until 8 pm. Be upfront I'm running on barely 2.5 hours of sleep (it was GOOD sleep). I'm very much "last minute cleaning"... as I wrap my head around this learning curve. Yesterday I hit the goals (except the still counted detour of my sleep). Current Breakfast menu: -Eggs/cheese with a side of cooked veggies or stir fried in, with a banana and coffee (Most time/savory) -Green Smoothie w/ 2 cheesy eggs (semi-fast, hits the warm/cold flavor comfort). -Yogurt Bowl (greek yogurt, uncooked oats, banana or berries, some peanut butter, and honey). 3 recipes down... which is pretty good. I posted this on another thread but this has been my new go to lunch: https://thestonesoup.com/magic-chickpea-salad/ It's a quick no cook meal that I can make under 5 mins (when the right Tupperware is clean... I found out this morning).

How was the eclipse? We had clouds and rain... so 2nd time of me not seeing it (2017 was the exact same weather lol).

Just getting caught up... A no cook "bean" recipe I've been taking for lunches: https://thestonesoup.com/magic-chickpea-salad/ I put a half of a lemon and baby spinach... (found parmesan is cheap/on sale to really kick up the flavor with salt and pepper). Also... wow on your patience. Wowzah. But definitely vote library My small town library in my hometown said nothing about me bringing my laptop and playing video games with my earphones. They let me stay all day (I even had snacks at times lol... looking back I might have been a favorite for most of them lol/ they knew I was not in a great situation at home). Hopefully your current library has a good "vibe". Also for sleeping, have you thought about buying earplugs? I'm personally sound sensitive and found them sanctuary.... Might be worth buying the cheapest pack for sleep noise in the pharmacy aisle.

When you realize you ended up setting up a 70 hour work week... I'm personally not impressed with my own time management or energy management. Ended up on my phone for 3 hours after an 8 hour extra work day... I needed to work quite a bit more. Chose to sleep last night and work late tonight. Holding off caffeine until after my 10 hour shift. No Games reward until I get my work goal. I'm barely hitting the 20 hour mark, that I hope to shoot out of the water in the next 4 days. Eating breakfast - 100% (will do math later) Going to Bed on Time - Sunday mehh, stayed up really late as I got lost in my own self-sabotage vortex (literally feels like I'm in a dirt tornado.... 100% of the time it is due to emotions bubbling up that I didn't want to face). But win due to no 2 in a row, and working on it. Meditation - Been on a roll, 100%. Noticing how fast my thoughts are running through that any help to slow them down just a little. As I especially feel the anxiety try to hold on. Also I started to do a small massage and stretches in the morning to help loosen the plantar fasciitis pain I've been feeling. I don't 100% known if it is PF but the stretches/massage help with the intense pain I feel that is based in the heal or arch. The video I watched explain a lot of times the pain comes from tight muscles in the legs (and me knowing also the hips). I'm starting somewhere with a regime, that one day I will move up to the hips. ( I know I need Physical Therapy, but traveling to a PT but figure I try to get a stretching program in place before trying to add anything else).

Saturday 3/4 Bedtime - It was basically midnight when I got into bed. Was in bed before the hour.... 2/7 Breakfast - Relaxing morning and really the smoothie is hitting the spot while I make eggs and my iced coffee drink (need to find the recipe I found). 11/20 hours for the week. So need to start on the 29 today.... Both social stuff was PERFECT. The long drive to the retreat and back was the most relaxing as it ever has been (the time to leave and come back almost matches my day job's work schedule). Even got out of my bubble by talking to more people I haven't chatted with before (and really connected with my friends). Look forward to zoom meetings over the summer. Korean BBQ and hot pot was good though 100% overwhelming... I need to come up with a better "basic" plan for myself next time. But had a good time with my friends... We ended up being 730 to 11 and we had to drag ourselves out due to a friend having health issues. They might stop by my place today due to items (and meeting the cats). After the retreat I am adding one more goal. 5 mins of meditation. Just a little bit everyday. I've been working on being present in everyday life but need to work on a daily practice. I have a plan to do it after I feed the cats in the morning (and wake up early on my regular work days). 1/4 ... like bedtime. 1 hour reward and no skipping 2 in a row! Also... while I have a long list of things to do today. I hyperfocused on my taxes this morning. Had them done but the "to pay" amount had me take a pause. Figured out some paper work this last week. Reduced the payback due to paying off loans.... bam. 1 week ahead done (I used to have to make this a 2 challenge goal, and now know what to do next year to get it done faster).

9 hours of pain, where at one point I just started giving appreciation to how much my thumb does for me. Now I know it is all sensitive and stuff (and where ALL the nerves go). But it just a little sore on Thursday (and for a good day I kept trying to rub off the bruise because it looks like nail polish or a thick layer of ick). Thank you for the reminder, I also realizing *keep it simple*. Lower prep throw together foods the better. Yes! I think I learned some good cooking skills from her over the years (like the perfect soft-boiled egg or some tips on cooking chicken). Definitely works for me when I have more energy... but meal planning for the week it hasn't worked... Maybe one day I will figure out what I'm doing wrong. Yes all the wins!