tinywonder

I do recommend Circus 1903, it's straight up A CIRCUS, I thought it was going to be a play about the circus, but nope, it's a little big top! Lack of sales doesn't bother me too much, I just gave my friend with a 3 year old my child size viola to fix up or make a craft project out of... I like it when things go to the right people or places, money is great, but so it giving something to someone who loves it. As for running, I am DELIGHTFULLY FAILING SO HARD. I've just been a mess, I went hiking with my mother last Sunday, wearing my trainers, and left one at their house 3 hours away. I'll get it back eventually. I need to just wear my parkour kung fu shoes (not that I do parkour, but would love to get there), but remembering to pack them isn't happening. I am hiking again today, it's not running, but it's good for me and outdoors-y. I've lost some weight too, which is great, wasn't necessarily the goal, but it's always a little bit the goal, and my energy level seems to be balancing out. Didn't have grocery day this week, but bought almond milk and smoothie makings yesterday as I had run out. So this week I am just making food out of what is on hand (there's plenty on hand). And I've signed on to play an accordion festival in Greenville, SC for my birthday in September, so that's ridiculous and fun. Time to bone up on my accordion and see what happens!

Update! Especially alerting @Mad Hatter, I just went to see Circus 1903 last night, and it was glorious! They are on their national tour right now, and it is worth getting to if you can! As for goal-age... I am still kind of failing at the running part... I just have had no time, but I am not sweating it (literally), I am hoping to strap to it this week. Keeping track of calories has worked well, and while Monday is usually my grocery day, I went to the Indian market with my folks (who I visited this weekend), so I might make a list tonight and push my shopping day back a few. Did a second yardsale, which was alright. I hardly sold anything, but did trade some boots I never wore for a comforter I was checking out. Winter will come back, eventually, and I will be READY. The few items of value I want to sell that are left I will put on etsy or ebay this week (new subcategory under my House-In-Order goal). Should work out. OrI'll start to think of them as some proverbial albatross and will be glad to donate them just to be rid of them. I need to do laundry tonight, I have not gotten home yet from my weekend away. Got to get back into the swing of things, get my mind back into what was once exciting monotony... but the CIRCUS, friends.... ah. I miss it.

Thank you for seconding the advice, I am still tracking everything, and usually landing around 1400 kcal a day, but that varies, I'm keeping an eye on my energy levels, etc. I'm feeling pretty good, but it's been horrible weather, I've not been making any strides with the Zombie 5K training. Still, getting on it this week, I intend. Had out yardsale, made a little over 130$, which goes to my Conference Fund. I have some neat things left over I'll try again at a punk rock yard sale at the local dive bar on Saturday, then maybe ebay the rest, or find friends who want the stuff. It feels good. I also bought a table saw for 20$. I am going to be needing one for home improvements soon, so double bonus. Today is Monday and I have my list (it's still not terrible long, which is good) and I am hitting up the store after work. Going to run some bags and boxes to the recycling center too, in an effort to keep getting my house in order. I might do a quick "does this really bring me joy?" check, and add what fails it to the Punk Rock Yard Sale pile. Also, I mentioned I am strapped for cash a bit, but I have amazing friends and people are coming out of the woodwork asking for commissions! It's awesome, I'm set to make about $400 it looks like right now, and I opened a gumroad store of older images I did for them to pay what they like for the high res files, and it seems to be working out okay, not tons of money rolling in, but small amounts that I don't have to do anything for, the work has already been done! I'm also taking commissions from people for prints that I can then put up on the store, and it feels like it's going to work out, if I can keep the schedule up. I'm going to try to build an hour or two studio time into my daily schedule. It's neat because I am making an art budget from selling art, which is what I want. I appreciate donations, but I'd rather, since this isn't an emergency, just a cool opportunity that is expensive, "earn" the funds by offering art. It's what I love to do anyway, just need to keep the pace up. Other than that, I am on track with goals, except the running one. I don't feel bad about it either, but I do want to get started. I had some difficult news, nothing too serious, just difficult, and I'd love to go for a run to clear my head. I really want to become a person who can do that. Running as a form of meditation. Okay, I've written enough, back to work!

@Mad Hatter: Thank you! Doing it! As a thank you:

Oh! That's pretty heartening to hear! I don't normally track this sort of thing, so just accepted 1200 kcal as okay. I think I remember hearing 1500 kcal at some point, and figured maybe the goal was somewhere in the middle. I mean, I'm not going to go eat a ton of anything at the moment, but will have something when I am out of work in a few minutes. If you (or anyone) knows of a better calculator, please let me know, meanwhile I will just keep using this one because it's to hand, or switch over to the FitBit one, because I have that app, and I'm all for consolidating app-titude. Even if the "goal" kcal count is wrong, I will continue tracking intake so I know what it takes to power a me through the day! I am so glad you mentioned that! I don't think I'd faint or anything, but glad the float-y feeling is probably because I've been under-eating (not massively so, but enough) since the challenge started. I'm going to eat so much curried kale tonight it'll be ridiculous moderate and good for me.

As much a I love talking about my weirdo yard sale (and it's true, it is part of my goal, so hooray me!) I am oddly starving today. Been feeling great, and tracking my calorie intake, but today, I don't know if it's blood sugar, or what, but I am out of it and feel like I need to eat something. I had a protein-y smoothie for breakfast (handful of berries, protein powder, chia seed, flax seed, almond milk, kale, and ginger) 280 calories or so, so I feel like my protein and iron should be okay. Then lunch was an apple, celery and hummus, (low calories, probably also in the 250 range with the hummus. Then I still felt hungry/floaty and ate an apple (70 calories)... Been drinking my morning coffee throughout the day, but also water...I'm not sure what's up. It's a weird thunderstorm-y rain day today, so that might even be affecting me too, this is why I am so interested in measuring everything so I can have sort of a control group to measure variables against... Oh well, I feel a bit loopy, we'll see.

Here are a few: "Boring by comparison" "I have a cat" "I live in the woods" "My cat is deaf and cross-eyed." "Tiny-town Townie" "Did I mention my cat?"

Indeed, secretly he's spoken for. My ex-housemate who is also a puppeteer is going to get it, and he can make whatever he wants with it (or just have a talking, dancing lobster, I mean you do you), and he says I can borrow it whenever. The perfect match. I have a few gems of the collection people have put their names on, but I am still going to document it all at once in the yardsale

Ohp! Trying it, thank you, @Mad Hatter, I'd have never found it in settings. Photo to come, it's buried in my car, but I intend to document this insane yardsale very well! He's basically the lobster version of those big mouth Billy Bass, or whatever they were called. I was planning to take him a part and... "alter" him. But I have no time.

Also, update regarding my goals, I drive a little Prius, I love that thing. I am just short enough to fold down the back seat and sleep in it (I built a little semi-permanent bed in the back)... but my point is: That poor car is STUFFED full of STUFF to bring to my friend's house tomorrow to prep for our joint yardsale this weekend. My house is far from "in order", it's sort of being trashed in the process, but there will be more places for things to find their home afterward, and a Prius-full of stuff (vintage rollerskates, two undersize violas, an automaton lobster, you know, the usual) is a good feeling.

Hey, @Twilight and @Mr.Six, and well... now that I look at it, practically everyone but me. Where is the option to add a nifty signature to your comments, namely one that links you to your latest challenge. I just popped over to my profile and didn't see it, and I don't see one here, and I can probably clean out the HTML cobwebs in my brain to make the links, but is there a "signature/post script" section I've missed? Thanks! And welcome to whatever nonsense comes out of me on this thread!

D'aawwww~ Thanks. It's true, I guess:I did a bunch of neat stuff in my late teens and twenties,that set me on this path of being a fairly well balanced insane person. (I used to say, andoftenstill do that I am "professionally ridiculous", and it's true. There's a business minded knack to it that I love. Clowning comes super natural to me, but it can also be learned. But my band was pretty weird and spooky-silly and we painted our faces a lot, I got really good at pulling odd faces and just improvising with the other two guys. Now it's sort of the same, but the guys aren't there, so it's just me being unabashedly ridiculous, which is fine!

Haha, yes! I am friends with most of the Center for Puppetry Arts people! They are fantastic! Hooray vegetarian Zombie Runners!

I'm taking three Japanese courses on Memrise, It's maybe 10 minutes a day, more if I'm into it. I've taken all game apps off my phone, and replace that time with Memrise, it's a similar oxytocin-boost type feeling. I also pace while I'm doing it, which keeps me from being sedentary. I was in Japan for a few days and immersion did just sort of click. I couldn't speak well, but I had a simple understanding of most of the things around me. Even got a little miffed that the trains were announced in Japanese and English, because after a few days I didn't need English guidelines. Circus stuff I was less acrobatic (though I'd love to be moreso!) and more just a clown, I was at Nerd Camp last year and dressed up as Chaplin (thrown together from stuff in my closet, because I have a very good closet) and busted out a bunch of ridiculous improvised routines, will do again, I am sure. I also was in a circus-y cabaret punk rockband for 8 years, and ran around with a lot of anarcho circuses, and worked with them on music-y things. Also puppets, etc, with a circus bent. And I used to play camp-counselor for Ringling Gold, I made friends with their band and we all would hang out in various cities and I'd sort through the circus drama (because really, it's a bit like highschool). I've never signed on to work with the circus, but it was always this loose option, I could never work out in time, and now it's gone... very sad, just... a big part of American history came to an end. I also have a dream of making puppet shows about PT Barnum's autobiographies (I strongly suggest looking them up, they are insane, and he's an egomaniac, it's great)

Also, I'm especially proud of last night's rainbow dinner. All from stuff I had on hand

Problem: nothing! I have been planting SO MANY GRAPES because I want fruit in my yard. I also have a teeny baby Yuzu tree from Japan (I didn't bring it back, I imported it, actually, it probably came from Florida, but the seeds were from Japan... I love yuzu. Stupid much.), and I just bought fig tree number two! ANd blue berries, raspberries and lesser known better tasting wineberries are all over! Yes, mint is a pest in the garden, but the BEST in the yard (get it!? A rhyme!) Have I explained my process? I forget, apologies if i'm repeating myself: blend mint and water in a bender. Let sit. Strain. Make iced coffee over night with the mint water. Enjoy your new life, because holy damnit. I did stick to my list at the store (the list grew some, almond milk, celery, kale, because my kale plant is not producing enough yet), and a good thing too, because I just got in to an amazing conference that is going to cost about $2,000 for me to attend, but it's worth it... but DAMN. I have written them about a payment plan, so I hope that works. I have an emergency Tardis bank that I keep forgetting has $1,000 in it, so I might put that in my bank account, then slowly restock it. It's for these sorts of adventure emergencies. I'll be making a short film and a marionette with some of the most amazing puppeteers in the country (including film making with Marty Robinson, who is a sweetheart, but always catches me off guard when he brings out Telly Monster. Telly was my favourite growing up with Sesame Street. I am so excited!) I'm still trying to get to Japan too, at the end of the year. I have plans to make a digital music album and sell it via a fundraiser sort of thing, so people can help me out, but get something in return (I don't like straight up gofundmes unless it's an emergency or tragedy). Also there's a $1,000 scholarship to study abroad in puppetry that I qualify for, so I might hitch my Japan wagon to that, and if I get it, I go. If not, I will work my くし (kushi - bum) off to get there.

Oooo! Following all this craziness because I'm circus people (circus bands and other nonsense, and ran around with Ringling off and on)! What are you using to brush up on Finnish? I'm doing a similar practice with Japanese (I'm hoping to go study puppetry there at the end of the year), but the only free and useful app seems to be Memrise (Duolingo doesn't have Japanese, might have Finnish though).

The garden is wet. It's been raining for days, and I've not been able to finish prepping my plot to plant everything, but once it stops raining, I'll be putting in my sprouted seedlings of redventure celery, kale, poona kheera, painted serpent, and dragon's egg cucumbers (those names are too great to pass up!), pink catmint, black krim tomatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini, water melon, canteloupe, and I think a few other things.... And I have ten mint plants for my yard (trying to have it cover and choke out the grass. I can't eat grass, but I love mint! As for shopping, I usually have to do it after work, which isn't quite after a meal, but at the same time, if I've made a list, I am good at sticking to it. All I need to get tomorrow (Monday, my grocery day) is kale and almond milk. Everything else I am using things I have on hand. Would love to be poked if I fall off the world now and again! What's in your garden?

Hahaha! Yes, I have nothing against quinoa, but I do notice the "put it in everything" approach. And I love Indian food!! I have often said Indian cuisine is the main reason I find it so easy to be vegetarian, and so difficult to be vegan. I'll look into mealtime, for sure! I sort of want to have a few new recipes to try going into a week for meal prep plans, etc. I'll see what it does for me, thanks!

Hello all, I've fallen off the internet a bit, but I am clawing my way back to the forums and just in time for the 4 week challenge! I'm setting out my goals as such (from the nifty worksheet): Put House in Order (Konmari Method) 4 Weeks of Calorie Counting, goal is 1,200/day Zombie 5K Meal Plan for the week, and making one shopping day. I have already started the KonMari method of putting my house in order, but I am hoping I can finish it up in these 4 weeks. My reward to myself (another chore) is to paint my living room when I am done. Hello, Batcave upgrade! I'm also trying to measure my calorie intake. Somewhat as a diet plan, but also because I like collecting information like that, and I feel like I can't help but course correct decision making if I am actively keeping track. Using "MyFitnessTracker" which I saw suggested by someone in the FaceBook Group. Zombie 5K, I'm using the Zombie Run 5K app, and it's time to get back to it. I am on week 3 now, so will be working through the program in the next four weeks. And meal prep/planning. I'm trying to save money this way too, by making my grocery shopping an all at once errand, and not picking up more than I need as the days go on. It should mean more time for running and gardening after work. Monday is my shopping day, with planning going into it on Sunday. That's about it... but really, I'd love some help with accountability. I am thrilled that as I write this the "MyFitnessTracker" pinged my phone and told me I hadn't logged my lunch today... which is true, I've not had a chance to eat lunch today. Planning will help with this, I do hope. Any plans? Ideas? Friendly advice? RECIPE IDEAS? I need all the help and suggestions I can get there, I love them. I'm a vegetarian, if that makes any difference. Paleo-ish, but not super much. I eat pretty healthy already. But recipe ideas make me happy! PS, if you're interested in my big mega plan, I filled out the worksheet here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XHD01rm1i72EPEqmMX8NEBuE3GMinTrkeWV0nxZ0rNo/edit?usp=sharing

Lovely! Good job! And even better job hiding the spoilery text! It's been a hot minute since I've used forums, so I am rust as all get out. I clicked them all, my faction is totally Rheno, glad to see it lines up with my ideals as well. I can't wait to learn more, but I'll be out of the country when it all goes down. We shall see.... Out of curiosity, how did you solve it? Was there a key somewhere? Or did you just crack it by process of elimination etc?

Sure! Put it up! And maybe share this thread on the men's group. I can share it in the women's group, and I've shared it with Camp NF. I haven't actually had much time to look into the cryptic emails, but I want to, and it'd be nice to have a go-to place to catch up on it.

Hey Nerds, It occurred to me as I looked over the latest weird email we received from Steve (sort of, really Staci, but the video was Steve... oh whatever, you got it), that I want a place to go to discuss these, that is open to the NF community at large. I am starting this thread to do just that. More to come soon, I just wanted a place to link to. We'll see if it works. Facebook has its claws in us deep. But what better way to communicate in a rebellion, than a cryptic underground message board that is far from the peeping eyes of Mark Zuckerberg?

Hey! I want advice, tips, clever hacks, and we can all share them! I am flying to Japan in a few weeks, and I am bringing ONE BAG, it looks like it's going to be the Ebags' Weekender Convertible 2.0, if you care. And NO PERSONAL ITEM. This means literally EVERYTHING is going in there. For two weeks. So, got any advice? Here's some ideas I've had so far: I'm packing a superlight 60L folding duffel to check for the trip home. I am rolling my clothes. Speaking of clothes, I'm wearing/layering heavier clothes on the trip, and what's in my suitcase are older underoos and socks that are seeing their last days. I'm going to dispose of them before returning home. Then I get to buy fancy new socks and undies at home! Same for clothes only if they are in nice enough condition, I'm donating them before I leave, thus freeing up room in my carry-on for souvenirs see: the good stuff. The nicer clothes I am keeping I'll wear out of the country, or roll up and shove in the checked bag. I am taking a 1x2x1" (rough estimate) cut of a Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap bar, which is super multipurpose, and peppermint is refreshing, I've found it's helpful when you feel bedraggled or under the weather. It can be soap, shampoo, laundry detergents, whatevs. It's wrapped in a cut of old towel. Instant washcloth. I just ordered some cash at my bank, in advance, so now I have about $500 worth of spending yen. I am bringing my favourite travel pillow, which is a cylinder of memory foam, and embedded in it is segmented pipe, so I can wrap it in whatever position works (I think I'm stuck in the middle seat, most likely, as my flight got changed so... them's the breaks. I'm wearing boots, packing low profile sneakers... I am also bringing a back up phone! It has no sim card, I am using it as a camera, I can change out the Micro SD cards, and I can recharge the phone/camera via USB, even better, I have a powerbank. I am grumpy that swank cameras don't have this ability, but my old Samsung G5 worked fine as a camera, and it shall again. I also have a 360 camera now, which I am hoping to make a shared online archive of immersive photos of neat places. I think it's a cool idea, but I am not totally comfortable with making it work yet, and it sucks battery pretty hard. That's sort of my plan, and some of it is clever travel hacking, that maybe will help someone else in the future. Does anyone else have any tricks for travel, especially light packing crazy travel? I want to geek out on insoles or soaps, or foldable microfiber towels... Let's talk! I used to tour around for a small living, and learned a bunch about traveling domestic, etc, in a band, and often it translates over great for international travel, but I am always looking for new ideas. Problems or issues I'd like help with: I have a Surface Pro 3 laptop I am split on taking. I sort of think it's a good idea, I'd keep it in a waterproof bag, and it's a fully functioning laptop, and drawing surface (I'm an illustrator), it'd be massively helpful for the 21 hours or so of travel to and fro, but then I have to haul it around everywhere. It's small for a laptop, but had a charger, and such. Just looking for input. Air China is pretty strict on economy carry-on restrictions, namely my carry-on shouldn't be more than 11kg. I am hoping no one takes my bag away to weigh it, but I am trying to keep my belongings down to around the 15lb mark, and I am afraid that might be super difficult. We'll see.

Hello! Thank you for the info! I have my rail pass, Suica card, and Ghibli ticket already (I've been planning this trip for months and if I ever feel a little down, as it's been a rough year for me, I just do a little Japan prep for my New Years in Tokyo!). I am off to the bank today to pick up about 50,000 yen, maybe more (I exchanged $500 USD at my credit union for the lowest exchange rate), though I fully expect to be withdrawing more when I am there. Right now I have a hotel in Tokyo (near Ikebukuro) for the entire 12 days of my trip, but I plan to ditch my stuff there a bit and go to Kyoto and hopefully one other city I haven't decided. I wish I could visit the Kaze no Denwa (Wind Telephone), which is not a super well known thing, I suggest googling it, but it's in Ootsuchi, which is very from Tokyo and I think I won't be able to make it. I'd also love to go to the abandoned Nara Dreamland, but with my poor and basic Japanese, and no local guide, I think I'd be more likely to just end up arrested. I'm going to hit up plenty of shrines because it's the New Year, especially the Maneki Neko shrine, any Kitsune shrines, and every Tanuki shrine I can fine. I'm also going to the Robot Restaurant, because it's insane. I'm taking my new 360 camera, which should only add to the insanity. I am going to make a shared Flickr album with photospheres of my trip through Japan, which should turn out pretty cool if it works. I'm going to do most of my souvenir shopping around NewYears and buy random fukubukuro, and see what we end up with. I'm also meeting a friend there from Spain who is buying fabric and accessories for her job at Harajuku, so I'll tag along with her. My last day I plan to stay out all night, visit Tsukiji Market around 3:00am, watch the fish auction, eat a final sushi breakfast and take the train or a taxi (why not, it's my last day) to Haneda and catch my flight out at 8:30. There are tons of plans floating around in my head, but those are some of the points... any suggestions beyond them?