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So, life happens, and sometimes you lose your way a little. That's been my 2017 so far, and it's time to get it back together. I'm dealing with a finally admitted serious case of burnout, and I'm not helping myself (job coach was happy and surprised I actually admitted the burnout). Along with that, the lady friend and I had a major reset in our relationship, and well, I just kind of let myself drift. So, in order to start helping myself, need to bring it back for a reboot. Nothing fancy, just work on nailing the basics again. Food - Eat all the veggies. Clean up the carbs. Get back to more regular cooking, and kill the late night snacks. Sleep - get some (including weekends!). Get to bed on time, and lock the cat out if he doesn't stop wanting company at 3 am. Suburi - do some, either just plain cuts, or kata review. Add in some daily stretching and related movement, and see if I can get a subset of basics rolling again.

Quick sketch of what I'm thinking of this challenge: It's going to be busy at work, it has the potential to be stressful, and I need to manage that: Sleep - check in with the Black Ribboners a few times a week, and continue to work on habits. I may start modifying wake up time, Cooking - eat some damn veggies (I've been slacking...made a huge amount of braised pork shoulder Sunday though, so I'm set for protein for the next several days). I have both broccoli and Brussels sprouts in the fridge though, so there's no excuse. PT - the shoulder is doing better, but still need to keep with the PT. We're on a 3 week cycle at the moment, since I just need to focus on the exercises I've been given. Continue the nerve glides throughout the day Do the full mobility work 2x per day. Do the band work at least once per day (it's supposed to be really easy, so if it feels good, can do more). Suburi, because, suburi Take, or at least plan a small road trip (maybe to the coast), because I have a new car (zoom zoom) to finally replace my dearly departed subaru. Retool my 401k - I was reviewing it the other day, and noticed there are some things I need to re-balance, and funds that I want to shift. So - research and update. I don't think it will take all 4 weeks, but I do need to set aside some time to dig in. Have fun - it's the holidays! (i.e, tap my inner Arch Chancellor).

This will be largely a furtherance of the previous challenge, with some additional bits. So - Sleep: Get out of bed when I wake up, unless it's the damn fuzzball waking me up at 4 am because he's lonely. Start winding down at 9, in bed by 11 at the latest most nights. Collect a black ribbon. Suburi: Do it in the am. Wake up, pick up a weapon, swing it. Repeat. If not in the am, then in the afternoon. Use kata as suburi formats, working on smoothing out. Contact a couple of different locations about setting up a class. (this is deferred for the moment, but will keep an eye out for anything that might pop up). Stress: Still going on. There's some transition at work - we're reviewing and updating a lot of training materials, handbooks, etc., and developing some roles to create better consistency between three shops (two right now, a third will come online in the spring next year). On the plus side, I'm working with a lot of great people. Still. Stress. There's also some transitional stuff going on in my personal life, which isn't necessarily helping (as transitions are want to do). So... Stretch, daily. - Nothing radical, but I tend to tense and shrink in when stressed. Stretching counters that. Go for a walk. See sleep and suburi Food: Continue the habit of cooking good food at home. Dance (Bonus if it happens): Start up lessons again (especially a group class, since they are a little cheaper) Go to actual social dances. Add ons: For the black-ribbon portion of sleeping: Yes, oh yes, swearing off the V-word, oh my. A sing-song around the harmonium and some cocoa and we shall see some zzz's.... - this portion is going to be developing as it goes along. I plan to be looking into sleep habits, how my bedroom is set up, and possibly other ideas as they are thought up or found while researching. I'm starting with the wind-down and in bed by 11. For the joints - I have creaky elbows and now a shoulder, and this is not pleasing me. I've found that hanging on a pull up bar and doing some work to make sure the muscles are holding the joint properly in place has been quite helpful. I plan to keep doing this at least a couple of times a day. I'd love to work into a pull-up progression, but we'll start with the shoulder, elbow and grip work (the latter of which affects the elbow, at least for my particular brand of low grade tendonitis). Suburi will help this, too, btw. Happy week zero, everyone!

Howdy Y'all! This has been in many ways the summer of slack, not the least of which not participating in challenges, or commenting much on forums. It's been pretty status quo in terms of health and habits, so still some things to clean up, and some habits to get back into. Hence the reboot. Nothing fancy this time around, and, apologies to Sarakingdom, no planned Pratchett quotes (although I may have to find my inner Vimes at some point). So - Sleep: Get out of bed when I wake up. If it's before my alarm (damn you, summer sunrise!), tough noogies. Start winding down at 9, in bed by 11 at the latest most nights. BTW's - sleep masks are at times useful. I discovered that this summer since I don't have black-out curtains, and there are bright street lights on my street (bedroom on the street side of the house). Suburi: Do it in the am. Wake up, pick up a weapon, swing it. Repeat. Use kata as suburi formats, working on smoothing out. Contact a couple of different locations about setting up a class. (this might be deferred 'til later in the fall). Stress: This is a biggie at the moment. There's some transition at work - we're reviewing and updating a lot of training materials, handbooks, etc., and developing some roles to create better consistency between three shops (two right now, a third will come online in the spring next year). On the plus side, I'm working with a lot of great people. Still. Stress. There's also some transitional stuff going on in my personal life, which isn't necessarily helping (as transitions are want to do). So... Stretch, daily. - Nothing radical, but I tend to tense and shrink in when stressed. Stretching counters that. Go for a walk. See sleep and suburi Food: Get back into the habit of cooking good food at home. Speaking of - anyone have any good recipes for grilled veggies? The next two weeks are supposed to be hot (actually hot - mid 90s), and I'd like to a) have some veggies, b), not heat my kitchen (no A/C). Anything with zucchini is a no, because I can't stand the taste of it (makes me gag, seriously - I don't know why, just can't stand it). Dance: Start up lessons again (especially a group class, since they are a little cheaper) Go to actual social dances. So, again, no goals per se, but working on habits and routines. Seems like a good way to cap off the summer and head into fall.

Quick place holder for zero week. Preview: Suburi will be maintained, and if the weather cooperates, may involve naginata suburi outside, so I can actually swing a blade without knocking things off shelves, knocking over fireplace tools, or putting holes in the ceiling. Measurements will be taken. They may even be recorded. Metrics baby, yeah. Travel plans...they are a happenin' Weight will be lessened. Pratchett will be quoted. Also - hell dropped a couple of degrees - I actually went for a walk today.

Now with 1000 Elephants!!! err....cuts with the sword.... Read your Pratchett. Following hot on the heels of the last challenge.... is the last challenge. I'm keeping the same primary goals, to whit: It does you good to get out in the fresh air... "We have swept well. Let's go to the gardens, for is it not written, 'It does you good to get out in the fresh air'?" First assignment - get outside. I have a yard to putter in and clean up during spring, an old, old maple I need to get some more mulch under (probably another 4 yards, if I actually want to get to the drip line), a park with trails under trees nearby, and well, it's Seattle- there's green space everywhere. +1 for a walk +5 for general outdoor activity (cleaning up the yard, tending to some of the beds around the house, etc). +10 (or more) for any possible big work - like mulching out to the dripline (that might be in the next challenge). Minimum to pass - +20. Practice, for out in the world "We'll slice our way there," said Lu-Tze, and he stopped and turned. "You think you can do that?" "I've done it hundreds of times--" Lobsang began. "Back in Oi Dong, yes," said Lu-Tze. "But there's all kinds of checks and safeguards in the valley. Oh, didn't you know that? Slicing in Oi Dong is easy, lad. It's different out here. The air tries to get in the way, Do it wrong and the air is like a rock...." Second assigment - Kata and Suburi. This takes on some special meaning to me now. I'll detail it more throughout the challenge, but essentially I'm receiving a teaching license in my martial art. My training brother and I have been tasked with setting up the date and event, etc (we're both receiving license), I've got a lot of thoughts going on behind this one. In the dojo, with the familiar faces and small number of students we have, things are somewhat easy. We know each others' faults and strengths. It's helped learn how to 'see' as a teacher, but there's still so much to learn. While it's not part of this challenge, a larger quest in this year will be establishing my own school, and navigating all that entails, and being ready for the real world of students I'm not familiar with. So - Suburi (cuts only) - +1 per session. Bonus point for naginata suburi, which will have to be outside. Kata or waza practice - +1 per class or session at home. (certain techniques with the naginata can be done with a bo or don't go overhead, so can be done inside on rainy days). "Her house! So amazing! A palace! New sheets every other week! And cook? Just to taste her Beans Baked Upon the Toast a man would give up a cycle of the universe!" (Lu-Tze, expounding upon the Way of Mrs. Cosmopilite) Third assignment - practice the Way of Mrs. Cosmopilite. It's spring cleaning time folks. Closets to empty, porches to clean, bokken to sand an oil, and all that jazz. There are a lot of little projects to get done, and a few big ones, and it will help keep me from too much couch time. +5 for project. Also - cook often and healthy. I'm not a bad cook. Not amazing, but I enjoy what I make. Need to just keep check on this habit. More veggies, fewer leftovers, and using them up when there are. "Ook." Fourth assignment... Not sure yet. Place holder if I think of something else. Options include kettlebell fun, meditation, and duolingo (Spanish), or possibly something dance related. Then again, I may just play with any or all of those. Ook is a very useful language. Unless otherwise specified, +1 for a useful activity (fun things included). I will just be using points for tracking, and may award bonus points as I see fit.

I'll probably detail this more later, but I will likely be porting over most of the point goals from the last challenge, and modifying a few. As of mid-December, I'm on blood pressure meds. Nothing to nasty (so I'm told), and will be having follow up appointments in this month to make sure there aren't side issues. The ruts in the road are habits and habitual actions (or lack thereof) that have added up to being in worse shape than I thought. Anywho - major goal #1 for this year - get off the med. Previous challenge ideas seem to be congruent with a game plan to do this, so, in no particular order: Meditation - some kind of mindfulness practice. I did this regularly in college actually, but have been having a hell of a time getting back into the habit. Suburi - This is a combination of skill building for Buko-ryu and an adjunct mindfulness exercise. A short session is also a great way to feel more focused at the start of the day. Extended past basic cutting, there is a lot of body mechanics work to play with. It's also a great support to partner exercises in class. Dancing - continue with lessons, and get my butt to some social dances. There are two per week that I know of, and I have no real excuse to not be making a couple a month. Also good for blood pressure - lots of body movement combined with a lot of stepping, focus, and just having fun (probably the most important, really). I'm not going to worry to much about sleep - I find when I'm more active I actually sleep better. I'm also still curbing drinking, which makes a large difference. I don't have really any food goals - I may explore those a little more in a future challenge. There are a couple of other things from the last challenge that I wrote about adding in, but failed to do. I may consider them for the next challenge (kettle bell work, etc). Happy new year everyone, and happy new challenge!