JediNickD

151.2 lbs this morning. Karate practice after stretching. Feeling good about my combos and form. Working the breaks, which are progressing nicely. I hit hard with 2 sets of 10 reps with tornado kicks on the swinging bag. Only one or two I felt concerned about. I had my EPIC WEEKEND and got stuff done. Friday night, I bought a new long screwdriver and dismantled the speaker for church. Nothing obvious to repair. The tweeter is probably damaged and needs replacement, but we'll likely replace the whole speaker. The next day, I found my missing screwdriver. Still missing a few others though. Saturday morning was a lesson in what not to do replacing a front strut on the Prius. I started with the passenger side strut. Things went well disassembling the under-the-hood components to get access to the top of the strut, but I needed to loosen the bearing bolt while it was still attached to the car, then I needed to take the stabilizing bar off first while supporting the assembly with a jack. Once off, I discovered the dust boot rubber was torn to pieces, I put it back together as best I could, but will need to replace the bearing and rubber boot. The lower insulator was also rotted. When I got to the driver side, everything went much smoother, but I discovered the dust boot on the passenger side was installed wrong, which meant I reinstalled it wrong. Ugh. Explains why the boot was torn up. The old struts were certainly worn out so I should get my warranty redemption. Just need to send them to the manufacturer. I had planned to replace the rotors too, but the brake pad mounting bracket bolts would not budge. I need to borrow a torch and apply some local heat to help loosen them. I didn't get to the van work, due to rain on Sunday, but knowing what I know now is certainly helpful to be prepared for the rotor work. Monday, I started my Jury Duty service. Just sat and read my book all day. They didn't need me today, so I'm working today, but still need to call in tonight.

149.0 lbs this morning. Three great games of racquetball this morning. My elbow is sore and my backhand was lousy, but I hustled and played really well. Last night, I had karate class. We worked on breaks. I'm getting more confident in each. Taking my time to set my feet and breath will be key. Planning to work on the cars for Saturday, since it will be gorgeous out. I have rotors and struts for the front of my Prius. I have rotors, PCV Valve, and spark plugs for the van. It looks like I'll have all day, so I'm going to do the Prius first. The van needs the rotors changed. Hopefully, I can get to them too, but Sunday is always an option. The thing I worry most about is being able to find all my tools. My wife and roommates have borrowed stuff recently, but I went looking for a screw driver and noticed they hadn't returned everything. In fact, I still need to find that screw drive to repair a speaker before church service. I might have to do that tonight to ensure it gets done. EPIC WEEKEND AHEAD!

151.0 lbs this morning. I ate jalapeño cheddar popcorn last night. Delicious but on my no-no list; therefore, I'll literally pay for it. Karate practice this morning. Working on my breaks for the test in April, my tornado kick power is improving, but I'm still getting dizzy after 5 or 6 of them, or any other consecutive turning or spinning moves. Not sure I can fix that, but I know I can avoid it where it matters. At spar on Saturday, we were working on building a combination which is adaptable. They like to teach spinning combinations, because you can track your opponent and maintain momentum. I would need to break up my spinning techniques to avoid getting dizzy. Something like rising edge side kick, front-hand punch, back-hand punch, back leg round house, spinning back fist, punch, back leg out-to-in kick, tornado out-to-in kick, step behind or a skip in side kick, back fist, back hand punch, front hand punch, front leg round house. The first four moves are to try to score a quick point while driving my opponent off the starting spot. Once they are retreating, I chase with a spinning technique. Since the spinning technique only nets my a 180 arc, if they move left, then I need to pivot left with the back leg round house. Typically, they won't move that direction as it is towards my back, but it is the right move out of the gate. If they move right, then they move right into my round house, which depending on their body position I may need to adapt it to a out-to-in to score a controlled head kick, or pull it into a hook kick to land my heel in their stomach. If I don't score in the first 4 moves, then a spinning technique followed by a back leg technique allows me to gain ground and keep the attack flying. The back leg out-to-in switches my stance to set up my tornado kick. The step behind or skip in kick gives chase again with a punch combo once I am inside their kick range. The front leg round house is a quick adaptable kick which should score if they retreat to avoid the punches. It is crazy to think that just a year ago, I was trying to avoid getting overwhelmed by an opponent throwing thought-out combos like this. When people beat down "The Karate Kid" for Daniel's accelerated training, I now have my own martial arts training experience to throw at them.

Lima beans get a bad rap. I'm not eating them as a side like black or brown beans, but you can mix them in a dish like any other bean, except chili. Don't make lima bean chili. :-P

I got some soccer practice in on Friday. Spar class on Saturday morning (won both my point matches without conceding a point). My combo speed is getting quicker allowing me to overwhelm my opponent while tracking targets and finding openings to score a point. We'll see how that goes against a more advanced fighter at the test. Swam at a birthday party on Saturday afternoon. Sunday, we went to a botanical garden and walked for over 2 hours. Did pushups and squats before bed both nights. I also did a bunch of work around the house, laundry and dishes included. Cooked Shepard's Pie for dinner and it was finally a hit with the family. Typically, they don't like it, but I did three things differently. First, I used a mix of veggies instead of just corn. It had lima beans, green beans, peas, carrots, and corn. Second, I smoothed out the mashed potatoes with boiling the potatoes longer for no lumps and added extra butter and milk. Lastly, instead of taco seasoning on the grounded beef, which I didn't have, I blended my chili seasonings and dumped some taco sauce in. The meat was tasty, but I think the veggie mix and potato consistency made the dish a hit. It's not the healthiest dish, but it is one I love to cook and eat. Glad, I finally got the family on board with it.

First Aid Training completed. Really great class. After kicking my own butt all week, I hit the hot tub this morning to rest my sore knees and right elbow/forearm. The knees have been sore all week after my sprints. I thought I hurt something. Then I did quadrupedal movements on Wednesday, which didn't help. My right elbow and forearm is hurt from too much racquetball. My racquetball partner is on travel today, so I will be doing other cardio stuff like soccer, biking, and/or running. I might wait for the weekend and give my knees a full day. I'll see how I feel at 1030 and make the call then.

I replaced the shocks and struts on my '92 Camaro back in 2000. I remember it taking a while, but not too difficult. I actually had them replaced on the Prius 3 years ago, but when I got my tires rotated, the mechanic said that the front tires are wearing too fast and it is likely the struts are worn out. They are under warranty, so I can replace them for nothing if I do the work myself. $600 to have someone else do it. I did buy a cheaper brand, because I didn't expect to keep the car another 5 years when I did it. I went cheap on the tires too. Looks like a bad combo.

I'm making plans for my Epic Quest goal this challenge. I have a few opportunities to do something epic on my list. Tomorrow, I have First Aid training. The last day of the challenge is my Karate Test for Brown III. I'll be giving a speech on Confidence at the test, so that will be a milestone in itself, as it will be the largest non-Toastmaster audience I will speak in front of since my older brother's wedding. To practice the speech, I plan to work on my 3rd Advanced Communicator Gold award for Toastmasters. I could probably complete one of the manuals for that award (halfway). I added a few physical feats to work towards, as well: a 50-rep Push Up Set and 10 Leg Lifts in a Free Head Stand. I have also started my research project for my IJRS Novice Exam. I'm planning to write an inspirational paper about "How to Use Fear and Pain for Growth", a lesson Jacen Solo learns in the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series novel "Traitor". It is a simple concept for applying to body building and conquering a fear of something, but it can be applied to all sorts of situations, specifically, emotional pain from grief and loss. I'm re-reading the book to pull the specifics. I need to find self-help books and articles which reference the same ideas as support for my conclusions. I have some epic work to complete on my Prius. The struts need replacing. I'm going to look into doing it myself this time. I also have epic work to do on the van, replacing the valve gaskets. Should be fun.

150.0 lbs this morning. Finally getting back down. I need to get more spring mix. Filling up on greens helps. After deep stretching, I did sprints and ab workout at the gym this morning. Yesterday was karate practice with some bag work. I'm working on breaking power for my tornado kick for the test. The power is all in the hips. I get two or three good ones on the bag, then my hips are too tired for to deliver the power. I just have to keep practicing to build that stamina. At the advanced test, I'll need that stamina as breaking is the last part.

The next event is April 13th at the District Conference. Fortunately and unfortunately, I won't get to move on with my placement. I would have liked to have performed well enough to win, but that weekend in April is already packed with stuff for me with our karate test, my daughter's play performance, and my daughter's birthday. I was not planning to compete at all because I knew this date months ago, but my friends twisted my arm to have a member compete. I'm happy with the winners moving on. Maybe in a few years, I'll try again, but I really want to coach or mentor another person competing. I feel that coaching and mentoring is what I do well.

I finished 3rd in the Humorous Speech contest and went 2 seconds over my time for the International Speech contest. A little disappointed in being disqualified, but felt my effort was good enough for 3rd, which is all I care about. I didn't feel like I rocked it like I did at the Area Contest. I did do really well with reading the audience and improvising, but I let that get in the way of hitting all my points and staying in my time. I'm not going to beat myself up over it but I will learn from my mistakes.

Speech contest tomorrow! Excited and nervous, but I'm prepared with material I am confident in.

2 PRs today. Standard Push-ups 44 AMRAP, Diamond Push-Ups 28 AMRAP. WOOT!

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge.. World 1 was my first extended stay through 22 challenges. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals. In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, Disc Fissures, and more. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I have maintained my core and back muscles to ease the pressure off my spine, but in the end I defeated World 3 by transforming my life into a new form. With chiropractic care for my spine, hitting the high ranks at karate, starting the new Toastmasters program called Pathways, and working to complete my Novice training at IJRS, World 4 feels like something new everyday. I just keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good fight lightin' it up, and level up my life! Challenge Lesson: "The Legacy of the Jedi is Failure" [Spoilers for The Last Jedi] Each failure is a moment from which to learn and an opportunity to try again. The Jedi Order failed to keep their own ego in check. Serving as the Republic's peace keepers, they put themselves in an authoritative position. They became a tool of the Senate and Supreme Chancellor. They should have never taken such a position. Having Force sensitivity and a do-right upbringing gave them integrity which the Republic could trust, but humility should have never let the order accept such a role. It became their undoing, giving rise to Darth Sidious, Count Dooku and the Galactic Civil War, and Darth Vader. Luke suffers the a similar failure thinking he could recreate a Jedi Order to protect the New Republic. As soon as he sees darkness, he thinks he must destroy it, which was an authoritative moment of judgement resulting in the birth of Kylo Ren. I'm sure we will learn more of this relationship in Episode IX. Luke later learns from Yoda that his failures are opportunities to learn and try again, which is why we see him challenge Kylo Ren spiritually, to try again to teach Ben Solo in the ways of the Force. Individually, we fail all the time. We use that failure as a learning tool in what not to do. We also can note what went right, what went well, where our strengths are. We can lean into those areas as we try again, while understanding our weaknesses and pitfalls. Through failure, we succeed. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 4 Level 9 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. Track time and distance. STA +1 Walking: Fortify the Spine - 1000 min total, 250 weekly. CON +1 Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly. Track reps for push-ups and sit-ups AMRAP and daily total. STR +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 1100 min total, 275 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STR +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions for 24 of 28 days. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days. CON +1 Keep on cutting out the crap - No CheezIts, limit snacking at work, 6 Dr Peppers a week, and limit cheese to 6 meals a week. CON +1 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 80 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 20 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (16), Laundry (10), Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (32), Yard Work (2), Animal Care (24), Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (10) WIS +1, CHA +1 Epic Quest - Complete something EPIC! I want to be able to look back at my four week challenge and say, "that was the challenge I did X". My challenges tend to be a lot of the same old. I've given myself plenty to improve in small steps, but I also want to see big strides in the things I've been working on. What box can I check? What have I been procrastinating? What am I focusing on? WIS +2, CHA +2 INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($81.40 carried over) REWARD: For each week in which I complete 22 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 20 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without at least one hour for Personal Projects. REWARD: $10 for each HIIT workout. For a healthy heart among other things, HIIT is recommended by my health coach. I don't like them, but they are a necessary evil. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without a HIIT workout. REWARD: $2 for each day with weight below 150.0 lbs. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $10 each day with weight above 151.0 lbs. REWARD: $5 for 1 Sprint/Run/Bike workout (minimum 10 reps/30 min/10 min), $10 for second, $20 for third and up. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $10 for each week without one of these workouts. BONUSES: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour PENALTIES: Lose $10 for eating pizza, candy, popcorn, CheezIts, pretzels, potato chips. Lose $10 for more than 6 Dr Peppers a week or more than 6 meals with cheese a week.

World 4 Level 8 Challenge GRADES: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. 2 Sprints (10 reps), 2 Jogs (30 min), 2 Bikes (10 min), and 2 Racquetball sessions. Track time and distance. STA +1, DEX +1 A = 350 min, weekly met, milestones met. I'm going to move the Milestones back to incentives for the next round. As I track time and distance, I can set milestones for each challenge. With 2 of each, I forced myself into diversity which I customarily don't do. I prefer to do what my body tells me it wants to do at this "advanced" age. Making them incentives will give me something to push for (like a reach goal), but won't force me into a workout box. Walking: Fortify the Spine - 800 min total, 200 weekly. STR +1 A = 1330 min, weekly met. The weather is getting nicer for outside walks. Audio books on the phone will make those more beneficial. Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly. Track reps for push-ups and sit-ups AMRAP and daily total. STR +1, STA +1 A = 380 min, weekly met, tracking done for push-ups (37 max reps, 105 reps most in one day, 465 total for the challenge). I'll likely skip sit-ups again. Squats, leg lifts, planks are all more challenging and fun. Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1, STR +1 A = 560 min, weekly met. Keeping it consistent while increases the intensity of the stretches slightly each week. Added a new back and hamstring stretch with the strap which is helping a lot with my karate kicks. Karate: Training and Practice - 1000 min total, 250 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STA +1 A = 1210 min, weekly met, tracking improvement in my karate binder and progress in spreadsheet and binder. DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions for 24 of 28 days. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days. CON +2 A = 28 days for each. Flawless victory. Weight and measurements tracked. Keep on cutting out the crap - No CheezIts, limit snacking at work, 6 Dr Peppers a week, and limit cheese to 6 meals a week. CON +2 A = Need to continue this as there were some close calls where I had to slap my hand. The no CheezIts is the toughest one. I miss them, but I can't do moderation with them. When I get a box, I can't resist them and it disappears in a matter of days. There is 21 serving in a box, which means it should last WEEKS with only me eating them. It has to be cold turkey. Mmm, cold turkey... LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 72 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 18 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (15) Laundry (8) Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (25) Yard Work (2) Animal Care (32) Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (8) WIS +1, CHA +1 A = 107 hours, weekly met. Fell 7 hours short on animal care. In the last, 4 challenges, I only came close to 32 hours once, whereas, I am always over my Other Chores goal. I need to make an adjustment to my goals or priorities. I don't think anything is being neglected with the animals, but I do feel cleaning is neglected. So much dust and animal shedding in the house. I might try vacuuming daily to see if I can clear up allergy issues the whole family is having. INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($140.90 carried over, Week 0 $45.50 earned, $75 spent) Challenge Earned $306, Spent/Lost $336, End of Challenge Carry Over $81.40 REWARD: For each week in which I complete 20 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 16 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour (Epic Nerd Camp, Extra Life, Jedi website, VHS-to-DVD conversion project, etc) CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without a Personal Project hour. REWARD: $20 for each completed IJRS lesson. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without completing an IJRS lesson. BONUSES: Life: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). (73.5 hours, with 40 on reading/writing/mediation) $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. (20.5 hours) $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour. (16.8 hours) Workout: $5 for each cardio session over 30 min $10 for doubling any weekly minimum PENALTIES: Lose $10 each day with weight above 149.5 lbs. Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any day. Lose $5 for each morning not weighing in. Lose $5 for CheezIts, more than 6 Dr Peppers a week, and more than 6 meals with cheese a week. Lose $1 for each snack.

I had my follow-up Heart Health coach call. Cashews, pecans, and raw peppers incorporated into meals and snacks. I've done them before, but they aren't cheap to keep up. The peppers get boring, too, but I'll have other options on occasion, like boiled eggs, peanut butter, or a bit of dark chocolate. I'll stick with them a bit better this time. I've kept up with apples and OJ. For exercise, he recommended HIITs. Another thing I've done before and got away from, because it gets tedious and can be demotivating. Trying to beat my rep count in a given time is always fun; however, I tend to get hurt (back, knee are common ailments, this month has been my elbow). I get disinterested in working out when I come back to an exercise and I'm not able to reproduce past results. It's worse when an injury hampers me from even getting close. I stopped tracking my personal bests, because it just kept bumming me out. I also don't like wasting workout time messing with a timer. Instead of a timer, I typically will do four exercises in succession with a rep count and each exercise hitting a different muscle group in Assassin fashion (push, pull, legs, core). Pull ups, squats, crunches, and leg lifts. Push ups, toes-to-bar, box jumps, and chin ups. Mixing it with karate could keep it interesting. I prefer to push the rep count or complexity of the exercise to increase the intensity. I might do 20 standard push ups in the first set, then try to do 20 type-writer push ups in the second, and 20 clapping diamond push ups in the third. Or switch the order if I'm doing it at the end of my workout (after karate practice, a run, or sprints). Mixing in the time element every once in a while would be a good plan though. To avoid "beating the previous" mentality, I can mix up the time intervals. One day 20 sec intervals, next time 28 sec, third time 35 sec, another 22 sec. Keeping up the motivation is the key, but that key is hidden in the drawer of knowing yourself.

The Toastmasters Area Speech contests were last night. Typically, it is a 2 hour event of two contests (Impromtu and Inspirational in the winter/spring). This year, they eliminated the fall contests and added the Humorous contest to the winter/spring contests. I expected a 3 hour event, but then they combined the two other areas to pool resources. It isn't tripling the 3 hours, but it is adding anywhere from 2-10 speeches per contest (44 - 220 minutes). And that was in a perfect world without the arrival delays of judges and contestants, a ballot counting snafu, and the multiple leadership huddles to ensure the Directors were all on the same script. We started at 6pm and ended at 11pm. I hope the Directors learned valuable lessons about expectations, preparation, and seeking guidance. Unfortunately, this was a one shot event for them. They can try to pass on what they learned to the next leadership team, but they don't always listen. Having done the jobs before, I had concerns from the inception of the event. When I got a face to face with my Area Director the week before and got to know him better, I was comfortable airing some of my concerns, namely the running time for a weeknight contest. He was a little naive about their ability to just "make it happen" in 3 hours. I'm sure I would have been a little naive, too, but I was always overly prepared for the events and heeded much of the advice I received. With the cold, I stuck it out. As for the results, I thought I did really well with the Impromptu speech with only one small mistake, but the judges saw different as I finished 3rd behind two acceptable efforts. I'd feel better about it if they were spectacular. I'm actually happy to lose, because impromptu is not my forte and for each contest first and second advance. The other two contests, I placed 2nd. The winner in each was spectacular, so was happy with my finish. My performances in my opinion and some of my friends in the audience would rank among my best all-time. The humorous speech was a slightly modified classic of mine which got me to the District stage in 2017 (the last Humorous contest). I felt the elements I added could put it over the top. And I didn't feel I missed any marks. The winner was just out-right amazing and deserved the win. I plan to keep it the same for the Division contest. I just need to rehearse the new stuff a bit more. The Inspirational speech was a brand new speech, which I wrote through the few days before and was still working out the details as I walked up to the stage. It was unrehearsed and practically off the cuff, where I only knew the opening, main points, and how I wanted to conclude. The speech was about taking advantage of opportunities when they arrive to achieve your goals and dreams by being dialed in to "Who you want to be", "What you really think", and "Why you are doing it", which lends perfectly to my personal experiences with public speaking. Going in unrehearsed forced me to LIVE the speech purpose while delivering the speech, which in retrospect I feel like it would have made my point more clear, but I likely would have done it in a way which would have resulted in the judges deducting points for admitting to not being prepared. I'll have to contemplate that for the next level. I got to bed around midnight and was up at 2:30am to let the dogs out, then up at 6:30 to get ready to work. It's been a sleepy day.

Cut off is March 12th, so it is right around the corner.

I'm working on two new speeches for tomorrow night. I have the old speeches ready in case I need to change gears, but original content is what will win at this round. In order for me to make an impact with my speeches, I need to do something unpredictable and that is what my humorous speech will be about. On Saturday, I earned my Spar stripe through 4 matches where I was a force. It is only suppose to be three matches, but the timer made a mistake in the second match shortening it, so they had to add a fourth. For the most part, I felt that, with the opponents they gave me, I just had to keep my energy up and demonstrate my combo and defense to the instructors for those matches. I felt I controlled each match with power and finesse where necessary, kept my energy up and pushed through the toughest spots. I paced myself well without pulling back. It felt awesome. My muscles and lunges ached like crazy after, but I didn't let it the ache hinder me until it was over. When I started attending spar class, I retreated a lot looking for an opening against more experienced, quicker fighters. Saturday, I had everyone retreating from me. That won't always be the case, but it felt good to see my improvement, especially over the last two months going for that stripe.

Been away a while, but challenge is going well. Back down to 150.4 lbs. Got the peppers for breakfast. I think I have been struggling with dehydration after workouts and karate, so I have Gatorade powder to add to my water bottle. It's been helping. In karate class last night, I finally earned my Orange stripe for my combos. I've been working on them since December receiving details a ton of times. It is a difficult set, so I expected the work. I have to have all my stripes by March 11th. I have two left: Red for Spar and Purple for review, which I have to get last. I should earn my Spar stripe tomorrow, but it is ok if I don't. There are two spar classes left after this weekend. It just shortens the time to earn my Purple stripe. I am reviewing everything already, quizzing myself. I am also preparing my breaks and spotlight. For my spotlight, I might do a 5-7 minute speech on Warrior Spirit or Coaching. I also think coming up with my own combo set would be fun. Decisions, decisions... I might need to have the speech ready by Tuesday to compete in a Toastmasters contest, though. I entered three contests: Humorous, Impromptu, and Inspiring. I have previous speeches I can use for the two prepared ones, and the impromptu contest is just that, but I want something fresh. Decisions, decisions... Work is going well. Earned monthly bonuses the last two months. So that rocks.

Talked to a Heart Health Coach on the phone last night (as part of my Health Insurance Wellness Incentive program to cover my deductible). She gave me some better options for breakfast and let me know I should reduce my peanut consumption and replace it with cashews and pecans as they are healthier for the heart. Peppers are also a good veggie to eat in the mornings. She mentioned egg whites, but I'm not sold on that. And I love me some runny yoke. So I need to buy peppers and cashews (pecans are too expansive and not appetizing without roasting). Then I need to eat them. Those are goals for the next two weeks. Easy enough, right?

The weekend was busy around the house. Oil changes, laundry, fixing a few things, and GAMES! Saturday afternoon, I attended my Extra Life guild kickoff meeting. The Guild Leaders gave a presentation and talked about what they do. I decided to help out with social events like today's kickoff. They brought up needing content from the community, but took ZERO pictures of the event. A room full of streamers and no one was streaming. I'm going to get that fixed. After the presentation, we hung out and played board games. I brought some kid games, but there weren't any kids this time; however, the other Extra Lifers enjoyed them just the same. Ice Cool is flicking and spinning Penguin game where he are escaping you class at school to eat some fish, but the hall monitor is out to catch you. Kittens in a Blender was a big hit among those that played even though they were reluctant to actually blend the kittens. I had no issues and tried to blend often. MANIACAL LAUGH! At home, we played 3 crazy rounds of Mystic Vale with expansions on Saturday night. The first two games were super quick 30 minute games with players hardly touching the Vale, which was fun and exciting, but getting those extra abilities is really fun so, we added ALL the victory points for an insane two hour game. We went through almost all the cards in the Commons and Vale. I scored 48 points, but I knew that wouldn't be enough (I scored 38 points in the first game which I won). The winner had over 100 points and bought more than half of the Vale. On Sunday night, we played Artemis, which is a Starship Bridge simulator with each player taking a station aboard the star ship. I was captain first, commanding and coordinating all the players. I had to teach the game controls at the same time, but every one picked it up and had a blast. Epic Nerd Camp is running the game in conjunction with a LARP for an away-mission, so we had to get some experience playing the game anyway. After a practice round, I turned up the difficulty. We did well in the beginning jumping between hostiles and neutralizing threats. At the end, an armada came out of a gas cloud near us while docked at a space station. We got overwhelmed by at least 10 ships attacking us and the space station at once. We had to abandon it and were about to try to nuke the armada when the time expired. Next, we added a second ship as one player wanted to try running it all himself. I took Helm and Comms which worked well in concert, directing the friendly traffic for supplies. In the third round, I added Weapons to let our Science and Engineering officer focus more on those tasks. Switching between Helm and Weapons is tricky if your in a dogfight, but most the enemy ships are not very maneuverable. Monday morning, it was back to the grind regardless of the snow. Stretching and Karate tuning my combos with a bit of bag work for my morning workout. Work and a lunchtime Toastmasters Officer meeting. This evening could be karate class, but the weather will probably keep us home. I'll be cleaning up my bedroom, so I can get through taxes. Yay! :-(

I have this one in my signature, but I thought I'd share the second half: "We are what we repeatedly due. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -- Aristotle

Welcome back for another episode of The Exciting Adventures of JediNickD! It was a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that I joined this site and started my first challenge.. World 1 was my first extended stay through 22 challenges. I took a hiatus from NF and came back with a new direction for my goals where I warped to World 2, which I defeated in a Boss Fight slaying some mighty big goals. In World 3, I continue to develop my fitness, getting my body in the best shape of my life, even with the Degenerative Disc Disease, Arthritis, Disc Fissures, and more. Through physical therapy exercises and karate, I have maintained my core and back muscles to ease the pressure off my spine, but in the end I defeated World 3 by transforming my life into a new form. With chiropractic care for my spine, hitting the high ranks at karate, starting the new Toastmasters program called Pathways, and working to complete my Novice training at IJRS, World 4 feels like something new everyday. I just keep on L-I-V-I-N, fight the good fight lightin' it up, and level up my life! Challenge Lesson: "I Need to Know How to Wield It" [No Spoilers this time for The Last Jedi] Everyday the human body changes. Old cells die and new cell are formed. I read recently that in 7 years, the skin cells of the human body have been completely replenished with new ones. One could argue that the person you are in 7 years is a completely new one. I'd say that the person you have become in 7 years a slightly modified replication, with natural aging appearance, augmented with new experiences and memories to enhance skills. Those new experiences are the ones which help us grow challenging ourselves in new ways. Occasionally, those new experiences will awaken a new passion or bring out a new skill. This can be an exciting or scary time as our comfort zone, status quo, personal priorities, etc are challenged and changed to make room for the awakening. Personally, I have a few new awakenings. I am interested in playing more Magic: The Gathering outside my close friends. The passion I have for the game and the newest release is pushing my interest into doing more than just playing the game with purchased or thrown-together decks. After playing in a Prerelease event, I feel confident I can recognize synergy among cards, use that synergy to build a strong deck, and play socially and competitively without making judgment errors or game play mistakes which would result in embarrassment or upsetting my opponent. These events are not free and require time; therefore, I'll have to pick and choose my battles and balance my other priorities. There is a Cosmic Encounter (my favorite board game) tournament in May which I am very interested in; however, I am also intimidated by the scale of it. One could prop up the other. My IJRS Jedi Novice Training and Karate Brown III training are in the final stages, which is exciting, but I am facing the question about what do I do with it. For both, the natural progression is to teach others. The IJRS may ask that I help tutor Novice students. I want to put together a website to put my knowledge and philosophy out there for others to learn from (I do that here a bit with these lessons). For Karate, I sempai classes, leading small groups. As I progress, the leading will progress as well. When I reach black belt, I may be asked to lead classes. I have to ask myself, what is my personal goals for teaching? How much commitment will it take? Where does it fall on my priorities? There is also Epic Nerd Camp, which I want to be more involved with, but I don't see myself being able to commit the time necessary to do it and meet expectations. I have a lot of desires and commitments which I keep trying to fit in. I keep on looking at my evening Toastmasters club thinking that I will need to step away from it to make time for these other things. But that is such a small commitment compared to the things I am looking to expand on. What else will take a backseat? The scariest part is that is all MY stuff. What about my wife's stuff? My kids stuff? My life is their life which means it is all OUR stuff. The priorities and commitments will be sorted out one way or another. The stuff which doesn't fall on all our lists is the stuff which falls to the bottom. I need to ensure that every voice and passion is heard to craft my stuff to fit the others. Because we share our lives, how I wield my awakened passions is integral to how my family will wield it. My Main Quest and Mission: My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow. World 4 Level 8 Challenge: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. 2 Sprints (10 reps), 2 Jogs (30 min), 2 Bikes (10 min), and 2 Racquetball sessions. Track time and distance. STA +1, DEX +1 Walking: Fortify the Spine - 800 min total, 200 weekly. STR +1 Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly. Track reps for push-ups and sit-ups AMRAP and daily total. STR +1, STA +1 Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1, STR +1 Karate: Training and Practice - 1000 min total, 250 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STA +1 DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions for 24 of 28 days. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days. CON +2 Keep on cutting out the crap - No CheezIts, limit snacking at work, 6 Dr Peppers a week, and limit cheese to 6 meals a week. CON +2 LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 72 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 18 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (15) Laundry (8) Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (25) Yard Work (2) Animal Care (32) Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (8) WIS +1, CHA +1 INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($140.90 carried over) REWARD: For each week in which I complete 20 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 16 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour (Epic Nerd Camp, Extra Life, Jedi website, VHS-to-DVD conversion project, etc) CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without a Personal Project hour. REWARD: $20 for each completed IJRS lesson. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without completing an IJRS lesson. BONUSES: Life: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour. Workout: $5 for each cardio session over 30 min $10 for doubling any weekly minimum PENALTIES: Lose $10 each day with weight above 149.5 lbs. Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any day. Lose $5 for each morning not weighing in. Lose $5 for CheezIts, more than 6 Dr Peppers a week, and more than 6 meals with cheese a week. Lose $1 for each snack.

World 4 Level 7 Challenge GRADES: FITNESS: Cardio: Speed and Stamina - 320 min total, 80 weekly. 3 Sprints (10 reps), 3 Runs (20 min), 3 Bikes (10 min), and 3 Racquetball sessions. Track time and distance. STA +1, DEX +1 A = 380 min, weekly met. I sprinted, I jogged, I biked, I racquetballed. 3 each was a bit of a dream though. Looking to improve performance in each. Walking: Fortify the Spine - 800 min total, 200 weekly. STR +1 A = 1590 min, weekly met. I did a lot of walking at Universal Studios... Exercise: Lifting and Bodyweight - 320 min total, 80 weekly. Track exercise weight and reps. STR +1, STA +1 A = 340 min, weekly met. Started well with tracking, but fell off. I really don't want to do this for everything. Maybe pick one or two exercises each workout to track or push myself for extra reps. I'd use a notebook, but I'd have to fill it out during the workout which interrupts flow and enjoyment (after the workout, it is no different than the spreadsheet). Flexibility: Stretching and Physical Therapy - 560 min total, 140 weekly. DEX +1, STR +1 A = 570 min, weekly met. Karate: Training and Practice - 1000 min total, 250 weekly. Track progress towards belt. Track improvement on all material. DEX +1, STA +1 A = 1150 min, weekly met. Tracking is going well here. I have a notebook for material and I can make notes for improvement while tracking progress. DIET: Weight Control - Track weight. Complete measurements before or during Week 1 and again during or after Week 4. Watch portions and make healthy choices for 24 of 28 days. Track lunch portions for 24 of 28 days. Track "fasting" after dinner nightly for 24 of 28 days. CON +2 A = 25 of 28 days. Just two days during Universal Studios trip and Super Bowl night. Keep on cutting out the crap - TBD CON +2 C = I never specified the crap so I can't give myself an A, but I did recognize a few problem foods and resolve to cut them back. CheezIts and Pretzels are an addictive issue due to saltiness. I should never eat either. I need healthy and frugal ways to replace those snacks, which has proved difficult. Why is healthy food so expensive? I think I just need to workout at lunch time. I'm always less hungry when I do that plus it forces me to eat lunch later, then I end up snacking less. LIFE: Get Stuff Done - Complete 64 Hours of various Chores and Maintenance, with at least 16 hours each week. Chores and Maintenance are the following areas (goal hours for challenge) Dishes (10) Laundry (8) Cooking/Cleaning/Dusting/Vacuuming/Trash/Other (20) Yard Work (4) Animal Care (32) Home Renovation and Auto Maintenance (8) WIS +1, CHA +1 A = 88 hours, weekly met. INCENTIVES! Working hard for CASH! ($486.20 carried over, $380 spent, $34.70 net earned, $140.90 new carry over) I had plenty of expenditures this month with new Magic: The Gathering cards and the Universal Studios trip, but I earned it ;-D REWARD: For each week in which I complete 20 or more hours of Chores and Maintenance, I will put aside $10 to spend how I see fit. CONSEQUENCE: For any week where I complete less than 16 hours, I will give up $10 of saved cash. REWARD: $5 for each Personal Project hour (Epic Nerd Camp, Extra Life, Jedi website, VHS-to-DVD conversion project, etc) CONSEQUENCE : Lose $10 for each week without a Personal Project hour. REWARD: $20 for each completed IJRS lesson. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each week without completing an IJRS lesson. REWARD: $1 for each night of fasting after dinner. Fruits and veggies allowed in small quantities, but no dessert or snacking. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each day without fasting. REWARD: $1 for each day with a small, healthy lunch. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $5 for each day without a small, healthy lunch. REWARD: $2 for each morning or night of brushing and flossing. CONSEQUENCE: Lose $2 for each morning or night I forget to floss. Lose $10 for NOT flossing for the full day. BONUSES: Life: $1 for each hour working on Jedi Training (mentoring, reading/writing, charity, meditation, IJRS lessons). $2 for each hour working on Toastmasters including meetings. $2 for healthy grocery shopping or healthy meal prep. $2 for each Home Renovation or Auto Maintenance hour. Workout: $5 for each cardio session over 30 min $10 for doubling any weekly minimum PUNISHMENT: Lose $10 each day with weight above 149.5 lbs. Lose $5 for eating more than 2 slices of pizza in any day. Lose $5 for each morning not weighing in.