Scaly Freak

There is no need to do that (also, you made some of us worried ) We've all quit on our challenges more than once. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

I vehemently disagree. Reframe them as demon monsters and kill them with fire!! 😈 Ouch! That sounds beyond frustrating. I hope that this situation changes for you, and soon! Holding ground can be a victory. A strategic retreat can lead to a victory. Adapting successfully as our circumstances change, is a triumph at times.

The same way one would throat-slit from behind. Long arms and lots of silence

HP (physical health) Went to the gym tonight. Details below. Stamina (emotional energy) Breathing exercises during and after a frustrating meeting to help me stay focused and avoid self-immolating while on camera on Zoom. The co-worker someone here dubbed the Drama Llama last fall remains a source of frustration and difficulties. She seems to be genuinely incapable of questioning the status quo, or thinking outside the box, or in any way comprehend why either of those two things might be needed in a customer service environment. She also either despises collaborative decision making as a concept or has no idea what it is, because any attempt to involve her in it is met with a frustrated, "I thought you were going to give recommendations for us? I don't understand why you're having us go over this list of objectives together!" Um... the list of objectives that need to be met in order to achieve the project goal are my recommendations. The reason we're going through the list together is to give you a chance to see them and voice concerns before this goes in front of Support Management and you have to implement this whether you like it or not. And in the big scheme of things, this is a small thing.... unless, of course, a person has been having the April I have, with one death from cancer, and one possible-but-not-actually-after-all cancer in the family, who lives halfway around the plant from me. Those things, in combination with a lack of sleep, have completely destroyed my Stamina and Mana bars to the point that I kept it together for another hour in a training session where I thankfully didn't have to be on camera, before heading out for the daily walk with H. Where I vented and ranted and eventually had a tearful meltdown just as we arrived back home. So we went to the gym this evening so I could get barbell therapy and relax while lifting things, and it really helped. The Iron Temple has healing powers. And now I'm going to go read my a mindlessly silly fairy-tale based book, because stories heal too, and I will feel better tomorrow.

This sounds wonderful.

There is no reason to let that stop you from going for the eyes of your enemies. It's somewhat challenging while backstabbing, but it can absolutely be done, and is quite satifying.

Good thinking. I sort of messed up and read the Saint of Steel books before I read Sword Heart, and that is the wrong order, as I discovered when characters in the Saint series started talking about what they did in Sword Heart... ooops.

She is a magnificent writer. I'm developing a level of fascination with her Saint of Steel series that hasn't really happened to me since the first time I read Terry Pratchett... What Moves the Dead is actually one I have not read yet.... I did just finish reading Nettle and Bone though, and it was quite thought provoking.

Well, our job during this unexpected visit is to support you. Attacking Dave doesn't accomplish that. And google tells me the ones I liked so much are the Surtr dice. Hmmmmm....... You definitely are not. (Disclaimer that to me it depends a lot on why the guest is visiting, how long they are staying, and whether we had a chance to plan for their visit or not. In your situation, contributing to food is still cheaper than staying in an Airbnb or a hotel, so they should hand over some funds to you. ) In theory you can pay your stewards and administrators with the valuables and treasures you find while adventuring..... right? 😇 Crossing fingers and hoping for the houseguest leaving early!

The backstabbing is indeed very satisfying. And fun.

Yeah, I call bullshit on that. I can see letting it from from the over-90F outdoor temperature to room temperature before opening it, for reasons I already mentioned, but that's not going to reverse any damage, only confirm it. Perfumes are not port wine, and I can't think of any good reason for why they should be treated as if they are. All perfumes react somehow with the skin they're applied to. The surface pH-level, whatever was applied to the skin before hand (in my case, sunscreen or body lotion), if the skin begins to sweat during the day, etc. That's why real perfume counters advise you to wear that sample they put on your write for a couple of hours at least, before making your purchasing decision. And why a perfume might end up smelling different on me than it does on you, as Everstorm already pointed out. For example, the choco-musk smells overwhelmingly of vanilla and sugar on my skin, and very little else. I'd be more inclined to blame this than to blame a fraudulent bottle, by the way. It's not exactly Chanel profit margins here.

I'm sure there is a water management side to it as well... though here it is most likely because they wanted rain water to be able to drain to somewhere, because when it does rain in desert climates, it does its best to make up for lost time. Yeah... it's weird how that almost seems like a pattern, doesn't it...? Something is wrong with everyone then. ducks are mean and aggressive and their poop is gross. (The spring migration patterns strike again... the ducks have arrived in our neighborhood!)

I personally would much rather have my cats get into their food closet, than into the cleaning supply closet, but obviously a stronger preference is neither. Good call on childproof locks, and good job getting them so quickly. If your problem-solving cat is very food fixated, you can try putting treats underneath a see-through plastic container and let her try to figure it out.... it's a simple puzzle, but if she likes it, it might keep her occupied for a while?

I don't particularly look for hypertrophy from any exercise. I tend to look at results from how my daily life goes, and if an exercise makes my muscles stronger, I accept it happily without questioning how or why. And yes, donkey kicks makes my glutes and hamstrings stronger.

I keep forgetting the name for them, but yes, donkey kicks is what I'm thinking about. The leg itself is not heavy, no. But engaging every muscle and moving slowly makes it a "heavy" exercise, that works all the muscles surprisingly hard. I've gotten worse DOMS from some bodyweight exercises than I have from barbell lifting, when I've done the bodyweight exercises correctly. And even if it doesn't lead to "overload", it's better than no exercises, especially while travelling. (I built a Darebee library for back when my work made me travel and it's served well.)

Brief challenge progress report: HP (physical health) Yesterday was gym day. Exhausting, but more than worth the effort. Felt great once the immediate after-workout tiredness lifted. Mana (mindfulness/mental health) Remembered Friday. Forgot Saturday. About to sit down and meditate again after typing this. Stamina (emotional energy) Friday: Lots of reading and relaxing. Spent time at the music social event in LOTRO again. Saturday: Colored a large number of pictures in my app whenever I needed a break. Sunday: Nothing yet, but my day is just getting started. I have reactivated the FTS-talisman, and I am planning a journal entry this evening. The journal is on my pillow, so it won't be forgotten. Update: Mediation has been done. Currently cooking a lemon-pepper bacon gravy turkey for H. because his birthday is this weekend, and turkey makes him happy. Also, I like cooking it.

Leg lifts, maybe? Starting position is on all fours, like a the cat-cow pose in yoga, and then slowly lift one leg to full extension, hold for a moment or two, then lower it and repeat with the other leg. Engage every muscle between hips and toes and go slowly for full effect.

Most recipes created in the US can easily have the sugar reduced by a third or by a half, without any difference to flavor or texture. Worth trying, maybe...?

See, this is why we need to avoid attacking/vilifying Dave. I'm glad you were able to talk privately, and that you are getting more help and support from him. I hope you're able to get a good night's sleep in your bed, and wake up rested and refreshed tomorrow. Good sleep makes everything better. Your dice collection is amazing. I'm intensely jealous of the marbled red and orange ones with gold numbers, at the bottom of the mosaic.

I can tell, from experience earned while working as the front-desk/retail person in a shopping mall hair salon, that every single type of hair product is sensitive to extreme temperatures, including the hair oils. We had an inventory shipment ruined because it was missed and left in direct sunlight on a loading dock in an ambient temperature of 90+ Fahrenheit for several hours in the afternoon. Every single bottle smelled wrong (yes, I had to sniff test all of them, because the salon manager wanted a full accounting of how much inventory had been ruined), and the texture was off for several of them as well. I don't know if perfume oils are as sensitive, but it makes sense to me that any chemical compound could be altered when exposed to extreme temperatures. That said, a perfume that is so unstable that the process of shipping it to the paying customer makes it unusable for any amount of time, that's a poorly formulated product that needs to go back to the R&D team. Poorly sourced... that would certainly explain it, and would be very unfortunate.

Is it possible that the one you opened was damaged somehow? Left outside to lean against a metal surface in direct sunlight, or something like that? Personally I would hang on to them for future forced gift giving occasions to a person I dislike, but that's me.... and to be honest, those don't happen nearly as often now that I'm not working in an office anymore.

That was horrifyingly specific. And the thank you reaction is because I had not actually placed an order yet... and now I will not have this very upsetting experience. Your sacrifice is appreciated.

Oh, interesting! I wonder is this is why every city park large enough to accommodate it has a pond?

This morning I woke up to a good-news message in the family group chat: The x-rays and CT scans are completely free of signs of cancer. A referral to an oncologist has been made, but as of right now there is nothing for an oncologist to treat. Phew! I have today off work, because I really needed a break. H and I went to early lunch/late brunch at a local restaurant with a patio that overlooks the small river running through town. They have tall trees around the patio and large umbrellas, making it possible to enjoy the river view without suffering from too much sun exposure, and the food was delicious as it always is there. As we were eating, we noticed people walking on the greenbelt by the river, and H suggested we should take our daily walk right after the meal and explore along the the river. It was the most destressing walk I've taken in months and we have resolved to go back to the greenbelt for more walks in the future. I didn't have energy for a workout yesterday, but I've meditated both days, and I'm making an deliberate effort to make smarter choices when it comes to food and drink, because certain things like (sugar, caffeine, alcohol) feed The Flame, and we don't need that right now. The river of course has bridges along the greenbelt, to make it easy to cross back and forth. During our walk we past one that had a really nice view of the river, so I took a picture. We are facing the current here, if I dropped a stick into the water it'd drift towards us in under the bridge and keep going, and it would go fast. Swimming absolutely not permitted in the river at this time of the year. Spoiler tag because big photo.

I take everything back. Start shit with this partner. I'm joking. Mostly. But the complete lack of effort too meet you halfway is not okay when something bothers you this much, and I completely understand that you're feeling alone. Feeling like you're not being supported in your own home is difficult and can become painful over time. If I may suggest... add this to the list of things to talk about when the visit is over, when you discuss ground rules for visitors. Because looking into this situation from the outside, Dave's behavior is advertising to observing outsiders that his guest is more important to him than his wife is, and that should never be the case. The two of you are a team, and one of the most fundamental aspects of being team mates is that everyone does their part. Edit to clarify: I'm trying to strike a balance between supporting you and validating your feelings, while also trying to avoid attacking or vilifying Dave. If I missed, please let me know so I can adjust for future posts. That is perfectly fine. Feeling graceful or positive is not required, or expected. Ouch. If I may suggest.... when a battle cannot be win, the next best option is to retreat. In your situation, that will most likely mean leaving the house as much as you can. Go to work early and leave late. Leave again as soon as you get back and set up a space for yourself in a library or park, or any other outside place that will accommodate your need for solitude. I your house guest and your partner are not going to lift a finger to make this experience easier for you, then your priority needs to be to do whatever it takes to care for your own mental health until this visit is over. If "whatever it takes" means they never get to see you during the day, or they eat nothing but rice and beans for the next three weeks, than that's a problem for them to solve, not for you. You are doing your best to take care of yourself, because someone needs to and it doesn't sound like they're even realizing it's needed. Yeah, that's where my brain went too... Mine actually took it a step further and suggested composting outside own backyard, for easier concealment, and to plant an endangered species on the compost site to discourage impulsive digging in that spot as well. I'm going to go back to reading murder mysteries now. 😇