x Valkyrie x

I love your challenge! I love Christmas time and soaking up the cheer ❤️ 
 

I love that you and Mr. Incredible sing together, that’s so nice!! 

I am so here for pie! I discovered my love of pie and pie-making this year, too!  When I saw pie in your title, I knew I had to follow along.

Much time has passed since I last sojourned here, and many pounds have been gained...15 or 20 since January, actually...Time to organize a mission to recover the athlete within. 

I have had a renewing of the spirit, following an unexpected 12 days off of work, in which I finally decompressed from working in healthcare during this crazy time, and found myself reconnecting to both myself and God. And with this renewal, I feel like I can finally focus on the basics- Water, sleep, veggies, protein and steps can make a big difference in body and mind, and I want to nourish both a little more. 

I’m on stricter than strict quarantine until December 19th, when I’ll brave international travel to see my one true love, whom I haven’t seen in 9 months. This means no pole dance or aerial silk classes, no friends visiting, just staying home. THIS is truly what the internet was created in preparation for! 
 

To make things a little more fun, I’m using the Expedition RPG quest builder program (Expedition is a cool, player-created content RPG card game) to build myself a quest, based on Call of Duty Modern Warfare, which is my current obsession.  I almost have the first 3 levels finished, so I’ll publish it by this weekend and share the link, if anyone wants to play along, the Expedition app is free!

The focus on the missions are playing outside, taking walks, doing some flexibility and strength stuff, and taking down the fictional Al-Qatala terrorist group, while I work my way up from green recruit to steely-eyed veteran. 

I’ll post more when I have more! 

27 minutes ago, chickie.monkey said:

Week 2 Wrap Up

There was some improvement this week, but I am still struggling.

 

Food

I ate all the bad food all the time. I ate junk food, ordered out, and didn't plan or prepare meals at all, and I feel it. I feel terrible mentally, physically, even psychologically. 

 

Fitness

• 10 laps around the house at least 3x a day - Not every day, but did do it on some days. Not sure how many

• If it’s not raining, go for a walk (even if it’s short) - For the first time in a long time, it didn't rain all week. I didn't take advantage of it. GAH!! So frustrated.

• Strength training 2x a week - I'm not enjoying the bodyweight workouts, but I did them. So there's that.

 

Life

• Do assigned daily chore - Did pretty well with this. If I missed a day, I made it up. All chores completed for the week.

• Mindfulness - meditation at least once a day. None. And it shows

• Gaming/TV - only allowed once cleaning and fitness goals are accomplished for the day There's been way too much gaming

For this next week, I'm going to drop the bar as low as it can go and break down the basics even further. AND if I can accomplish all of this week's goals, I get a t-shirt prize!!

It has come to bribing myself to do basic human tasks.

 

I made a chart to keep track

Sometimes you just need some loot to make the quest worth it. I’m on “daddy can I play?” difficulty level for life right now, I totally feel ya. 

W2D6/D7 

Movement ✅❌ (I did have a 6 day streak, and hit my 5/5) 

H2O ✅✅

study ✅✅

Bedtime ✅❌ (got my 5/5) 

Funny thing is happening- I’ve been maintaining my weight for about a year, but slowly getting a little fluffier (like, gained 3 lbs over 6 months), and I’ve been totally fine with where I’m at. All of a sudden, I’m starting to feel anxious and obsess a little about it. I think it’s just that with everything going on, I’m trying to exert some control in my life. I’m just reminding myself that I’m moving more, which is badass, and badassness has nothing to do with weight and everything to do with effort. 

W2D5 

oh my gosh, I’m so, so tired. I’m going to go to bed early tonight.  I’ve been tired all afternoon, that 5:30 wake up is kicking my butt!

However, tiredness aside, today has been a badass day! 

Movement✅ Elements Day 1 AND I walked to the gas station down the street from work to get a co worker a soda instead of driving(because we want to keep the nurses  sweet, and there’s like a weird thing where nurses hate the rehab team, but I’m working my way into their good graces. I ain’t too proud if it means a less hostile work environment 😹) about a 15 minute walk round trip.

I guess, basically, I want to increase my NEAT, get fitter and have more energy, and I’m hoping I’ll lose weight as a side effect. I’m pretty uncomfortable with my body right now,  but I’m also the most comfortable I’ve ever been with my body, if that makes any sense? Like, I’d like to lose some fat and look better in my clothes, but I also love my body instead of hating it the way I have in similar situations in the past. 🤷‍♀️

H2O✅

Sleep ✅

Study ✅ 1 hour and it finally started to make sense the fourth time I ran through the test.

Finances/Work hours ✅ y’all I made an extra 63% this paycheck compared to the previous paycheck (which WAS catastrophically and unusually low on hours in fairness, but still!), and I paid off a credit card on Sunday. Now with this current pay stub showing my actual earning potential, I can apply for a consolidation loan and be on the road to debt free in 3 years or less. I’m so excited!

I also worked on my Wonder Woman cross stitch and made a double batch of sugar cookie dough, which I will cut out into Easter shapes and bake tomorrow. Then I can decorate them on Saturday, and I plan to take a batch for the night staff Saturday night, since they never get any goodies and it gives me a chance to practice without having 48 cookies in my house all weekend tempting me. (My altruism, as you may see, often has ulterior motives😹🤷‍♀️)

23 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Oh, that is so cool that you and your husband are doing Elements together

We made it through the whole thing this morning- I went a bit ahead of him, since my time was limited, but it was great to have him as a motivator to get it done. I’d have slept through my alarm if I hadn’t known he was waiting for me. #peerpressureworks

On 4/4/2020 at 9:14 AM, chickie.monkey said:

I’m a one game at a time kind of girl. I just (mostly) finished Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Still have side quests to do - that game is SO AWESOME. Now I’m all about HZD. I’m not very far, but I love it. Any game where I get to be a bad ass female makes me happy. What are you playing now? Honestly, I just upgraded from my SNES (yes, it still works and I still play it. 🤣), so these fancy gaming systems are still new to me. #OldLady 

I’m also a one game at a time person! I tried the original AC and found it really repetitive, so you find Odyssey is better?

I’m still doing the Frozen Wilds content on HZD, and...I’ve recently started playing Overcooked...it’s so stressful/fun 😹 The next game is going to be A Way Out. It’s an online co-op game, so my husband and I are going to play that, since he’s stuck in Ireland and I’m stuck in the States. 

Nothing wrong with SNES! XBOX360 was the first console I really played on, before that I was PC, now that I’ve gone Playstation I doubt I’d ever go back to xbox! 

W2D3/W2D4

Movement: ✅✅ y’all, I have gone on a walk for the past 3 days, and today I got up early and did day 1 of Elements with my husband, and after work I went for a 9 mile bike ride. Badass. 

H20 ✅✅ Water water water water

Bedtime ✅✅ I’m so not a night time person that this is the easiest one for me. 

Study time ✅✅ I’ve spent about 3-3.5 hours between yesterday and today. I feel discouraged because I’ve put this time in and I’m still on the same unit (unit 10/11, i’m sooo close), but math is really hard for me. I’m going to schedule an appointment with the online math tutor because I am struggling so hard to get to a point of actual comprehension rather than guessing. This whole math class is a humbling moment for me because I’m used to being fast at school. 

Tomorrow, we’re doing Elements again at 5:30 am. we only made it through the warm up today before I had to go to work, so I’m hoping we make it through the whole workout tomorrow. 

5 hours ago, Ranger Hal said:

 

Yes, I'm on one of the local volunteer search and rescue teams. It was really nice to see the mountains last night, even if I didn't do much hiking. The moon was out and the snow on the tops of the mountains was beautiful.

Sounds lovely, actually! Did you find the person? 

11 hours ago, Ranger Hal said:

SAR mission last night and although I didn't do a lot of walking distance wise, I'm going to count it as this morning's walk because it technically was morning and being up that late meant I didn't get a walk in before work. No creative thing tonight. I need more sleep.

What is a SAR mission? Search and rescue? 

W1D7/W2D1/W2D2

Movement ✅✅✅

H2O ✅ ✅✅

bedtime ❌ ✅✅

W1 work hours: 37 woo

W1 study hours: 5 😹😭

Math class: stillllll working on it. But the online platform is working finally, so that helps. 

I did a hiit workout on Saturday after a 30 minute walk, I went for a walk yesterday and I went for a walk today! That’s three days in a row!! 

I also paid off a credit card yesterday and it felt awesome. 

I studied about an hour today and 1.5 hours yesterday. I keep meaning to clock my time so I know how long I’ve studied, but I keep forgetting 🤷‍♀️ 

4 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Ok,I just assumed when you were both in the states that now he had a green card.  

A fair assumption haha. It's been a complicated 2 years. We almost didn't make it. But things are really good now, and we're working toward residency 😃

7 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

That cake is beautiful! I missed that your husband is in Ireland. How long is he there for?

He was here for 3 months, and went back in March 14th, right before the borders closed. We are working on getting his green card, so I don’t know how long it will be, probably another 10 months or a year, but he’ll be coming back again for a visit hopefully in the summer. I moved to Ireland for a year and a half but it really didn’t work out, so we’re doing the States instead. 

21 hours ago, Ranger Hal said:

Week 1, Day 5 Thursday

Morning walk: (5/7) short walk

Workout: (3/3) Workout 3A

Dishes/Clean: (5/7) Washed dishes and swept most of the kitchen

Vegetables: (5/7) salad

Creative/Garden: (4/7)

 

Didn't do a creative thing, but I'm opting to go to bed instead of staying up to do something I don't want to do.

Sleep can lead to creative things, so I’d say that was a wise choice  

W1D6

 Movement ✅ stood and baked for 6 hours after work, it counts 😹

H2O ✅

study ❌ I will get at least one hour tomorrow and Sunday 

bedtime ✅

work ✅ I worked 37 hours this week. I’m proud of myself. My job is such that I can adjust how much time I work, and it’s been an act of will and discipline to stick to my schedule and stay for full shifts.

In some areas, in doing great, and I others...well, I’m going to adjust my tree branch heights a little lower...

for this math class, 8 hours a week is going to be pretty good going. My brain is fried after 1-2 hours and I feel like a losing loser as my 12 hour goal is nowhere near achieved. 

Movement: 3 days a week would be good going because I’ve counted baking twice this week instead of actually doing something a bit extra 😹 

I rock at bedtime and drinking water and going to work. 

Mom other news...

I made this vanilla bean cake with orange curd filling and vanilla bean Swiss meringue buttercream today. I wasn’t actually a huge fan...the curd needed more butter, and the whole balance of flavors was too sweet for me, but I really enjoyed making it! It’s kind of good I don’t like most of what I make (the sweet stuff is always too sweet for me!), because my waistline would be in big trouble. 

Also, I got up early two mornings this week and got to talk to my husband before my afternoon slump right after work, which is when I normally call him. It was really nice, and I’m proud of myself because getting out of bed has been a tough one since he went back to Ireland. 

Tomorrow, I am going to do a hiit workout, a walk or a bike ride first thing in the morning for my 20 minutes of movement.

On 4/2/2020 at 1:01 PM, Ranger Hal said:

 

The photo of that looks amazing!

Haha thanks, it was pretty great to eat 😹

On 4/2/2020 at 4:20 PM, DaemonCorax said:

I love the Living Room Coffee Shop. WFH is so weird for me. I've been having a 20 min "coffee date" via zoom with a friend every couple days.

That’s so nice! My best friend and I are doing Hunt a Killer mystery boxes and we’re going to go through the next box over Zoom. I can’t wait!  I’m glad and not glad that WFH isn’t an option for me...I’d probably nap a lot when I should be working. 

W1D4

You ever have a meal that just feeds your soul? Salmon, mashed potatoes, asparagus, home made French bread and wine that I backtracked 15 minutes to get (I NEVER backtrack 😹). All this stress, working really hard, missing my husband...sometimes a good meal really makes a difference ❤️ Also, 2 glasses of wine has me crying at 9-1-1:Lone Star, and my face feels a little funny...#lightweight

i also got up 30 minutes early and was able to have coffee and Skype my husband this morning. I’m grumpy after work, so we’ve decided to try a pre-work call. 7 hour time difference is brutal, but we’re making the best of it, and it set me up for a wonderful day.

anyway, quest stuff:

Movement ✅ I did side lunges while I brushed my teeth, heel raises as I washed my hands, held a wall sit while I dried my hair, and did almost all the exercises with my patients today, or other exercises while they did their reps.I held a walk sit while my patient did seated leg exercises, and heel raises while I did my paperwork.I did squats while I watched a math tutorial tonight. I’m pretty certain I got my 20 minutes 😹

H2O✅ Got my last 25 Oz before I started on the wine  

Work ✅ 8 hours

study✅ 1.4 hours (3.23/12)

finances 🤷‍♀️✅ I spent $43 on alcohol today because I got my vanilla beans in the mail and had to get my extract going(pictured below!), plus white and red wine, and cider (I never go to the liquor store, so when I do, I stock up😹)...but I’m not spending money on anything else right now, so I’m putting it under “fun money” and it fits the budget, goshdarnit.

51 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I added the rest of the yellow onion I had minced with more oil and some blueberries. I let that cook for about three minutes, stirring as it cooked. I then added a mixture of 3 tbsp maple syrup, 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 2 tbsp beef broth. I let that simmer, and thin sliced the pork chops. The pan sauce went over the pork and it was heaven on a plate.

I would never have thought to use blueberries. Brilliant, it sounds delicious. 

W1D3

Movement ❌2/5 Going for a walk tomorrow :) 

H20 ✅3/5

Study✅ 1.08 (1.83/12...I better do a bit more tomorrow, but well done me for doing any of it. Can't wait to finish this math class and move onto easier things, like neuroscience or something.😜)

Bedtime✅

Work ✅ 7.5 hours today. 

Kind of a phbbt kind of day, a bit grumpy after work and low on energy. I can't get myself to exercise or get up on time, let alone early enough to do anything before work (I leave for work at 6:30, I usually end up getting out of bed at 6:15.) I want to want to, if that makes sense, and I've done it in the past... But strugglebus. 

I did work on my math class, even though the math lab is down and I could probably rationalize not working on it, so I am proud of myself for that. Water and bedtime are the easiest of my low hanging fruit. I'm doing well at turning on an audiobook and then not looking at my phone again when I go to bed. I'm doing well at drinking 100 oz of water.

I would like to do better with the activity quest and I would like to do better with study times. Either of these objectives could be addressed by getting up twenty minutes earlier and using that time wisely. I'm not sure I'm quite ready to actually do that, though, if I'm honest. It doesn't seem to matter if I'm in bed by 9:30 and asleep by 10, 6 am feels way too early and I think it's probably dread of the day more than lack of sleep...work is pretty stressful right now, and life is just a bit tough in general, and my response to stress and subsequent depression is usually to sleep. Tomorrow I'll get up right when my alarm clock goes off (I'll use the 5 second rule, and launch out of bed like a rocket!), and when I find I have ten minutes extra before I have to go to work, I'm going to read my just-for-fun book as a reward. Baby steps. 

Woot woot, well done!! 

41 minutes ago, Elastigirl said:

So, I made sauerkraut today.

Please, do share your recipe! I looove sauerkraut! 

Im 100% with you about limiting social media. When it’s all you see, it becomes even bigger in your mind than it actually is and it’s hard to keep perspective or discipline your thoughts.

How do you like the Elements workouts? I have the program but had a hard time getting into it...mostly due to laziness, really.

W1D2

movement ✅ 2/5 20 minute walk with mom 

H2O✅ 2/5

Bedtime ✅ 2/5

homework✅ .75/12 (😹😭) 45 mins, then the online math platform crashed, so it was clearly time to stop. 

I was a huge grump when I got off work today. I was talking to my husband on my way home (7 hour time difference means I get off work shortly before he goes to bed, so it’s the only chance to talk, really) and I was so irritable and just needed some alone time to decompress. Alone time is in vast supply during quarantine, so that’s good. 

After some decompression time, I went downstairs and told my mom that I had wanted to go to a coffee shop to do my homework, and I was bummed by current affairs.

She promptly made us both iced coffees, we warmed up some of my homemade cinnamon rolls, and we played gin rummy in the “living room coffee shop”, while the tv played nice indie music on Spotify.

We talked about what a cool, chill spot this was, and how we really liked the food and drinks, and what great value! It even had a shop cat, who was really cute and friendly! Then we “walked home from the coffee shop”, and took a nice loop around the neighborhood pond. 

It was all a bit silly, but it really felt like we had gone somewhere and it was just the break from the ordinary that we needed. My mom hates to walk (her feet hurt), so the fact that she went for a walk with me was really, really nice. Also, the cinnamon rolls at Cafe Living Room are the bomb. 100% recommend.

6 hours ago, chickie.monkey said:

I love this Challenge! I have logged so many hours in HZD lately. The one thing I’m loving about all this is the ability to sit on my couch and game endlessly without feeling all that guilty 😀 
 

I’m here for the badassery and food porn. 

 

 

Ahhh it’s such a beautiful game! I cried at the end because it was such a beautiful experience start to finish. I now have probably another 5-10 hours of collecting and side quests to do. I’ve only gotten partway through Frozen Wilds, and I love to collect. #gottacatchthemall 

I so feel you on the self-fulfilling prophesy of bad habits! And it is so hard to do anything when you’re depressed -.- I like the simplicity of the goals, life is so crazy right now, I think K.I.S.S. has to be the rule of the day! 

Is HZD your main jam right now, or what are you playing mostly?