Juliebarkley is still walking

[juliebarkley]

Julie wipes the sweat from her eyes and tries to peer through the thick underbrush ahead. It is pointless; the shrubs here are too dense to see more than a few metres ahead. Sparky flew in this direction only two hours ago and I saw him dive down, so he can't be much further, she thinks to herself. She shoves another branch aside and squeezes awkwardly past a prickly vine. Still, he must know that I can't see him, and we're not trying to be stealthy. "Hello? Anybody there? Oof!"

 

Julie picked herself back up off the ground, and looked back at the long scar of raised turf she had tripped over. Along the length of the gouge in the ground, she saw torn grass and broken branches. And at the end, perched on a jumbled heap of rocks, was Sparky the crow.

 

Sparky wasn't looking at Julie though. He was staring at the rocks, unmoving. Julie stood back and watched, and as she did, she noticed the curve of fingers in the stones, the point of a horn. Then in a sudden burst of clarity, she could make out the gargoyle's camouflaged form crouching on the ground, Sparky perched on its shoulder. The air was still. No one moved.

 

After several minutes of this, the crow fluttered up to a branch closer to Julie. She turned to face him, and found she could not look away. The world melted away as new images filled her vision: a cacophony of noise - fear, flee, safety - flying high over a beautiful green landscape - air, free, lonely, home - a flash and a bang - pain, pain, fear, pain - then falling, struggling higher, then falling again - home, fear, safe, pain, alone. She lifted her hand to her shoulder, unconsciously reaching for the phantom ache there. She closed her eyes, and when she opened then she could again see the gargoyle crouching the the undergrowth: vulnerable and alone, a long crack running down its left wing.

 

Julie approached the gargoyle cautiously. If Sparky has made contact, it'll be okay with me, right? Still... "We're going to get you home, okay? I'm just going to have a look at your wing to see if we can help. I'm just going to look." She gingerly reached out for the wing. The gargoyle did not move. "Okay, I think we should tie that up to keep it from moving around and hurting." She dug in her pack and pulled out a scarf. "You're just going to have to stretch it out a little bit." Nothing. Sparky, help. "If you want to get home, we have to get you back to the path. There are a lot of branches here. If we don't tie your wing up, the crack will get jostled around and it'll hurt. Please, I know you don't know us and we don't know you either. But we really just want to help you. Could you stretch out your wing just a little?" The gargoyle turned its head just the tiniest bit to look at her. Then it looked away again, and slowly extended its left wing.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. I intend to continue my current 3x bodyweight exercise, 3x running, and Tai Chi on the other day. However, running is soon going to be in conflict with winter, and I don't think I'm going to want to run in the snow. Therefore, I will be flexible about my non-bodyweight days. 6/7 is a pass.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). This goal will stay the same, as it does not feel like a solid habit yet. However, I am going to extend the habit. The vet says one of my cats needs her teeth brushing, I am doing a tooth brushing challenge - let's do it together! 6/7 is a pass for me, 3/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. I don't feel solid enough to level up yet, so I'll keep it the same. 6/7 is a pass.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. This did wonders for me, so I want to do it again. 6/7 is a pass; problems with internet is a valid out.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. I have lots of options here. The thing I do doesn't have to make money directly (for instance, it could be watching an online course or doing research), but it must be a purposeful step towards building something, not just underpants collecting. I am aiming for an hour a day, but I am not going to make the time spent an actual requirement. 6/7 is a pass.

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. Return of the random encounter! I am looking forward to getting started clearing more papers, and basically getting things done and in order. I don't want to take on more than I can handle though, so 3/week seems doable.

 

Also not part of the graded part of the challenge, but I want to get all of the challenge goals done before midnight. I often fail because I leave things too late in the day.

 

Story rewards/punishments:

6 passes: With Sparky's help, we find an easier way back to the path than we took to get here. We arrive quickly and in good shape.

5 passes: There is no easier way, but we have already broken a bit of a trail. We arrive back a bit tired and scratched up. (Do 10 burpees)

4 passes: The gargoyle struggles to walk, and I must carry it most of the way out. It is tiring. (10 burpees and 10 pushups)

3 or fewer passes: The gargoyle can't walk at all, and I am too weak to carry it. I have to build a sled and blaze a trail. This takes a very long time. (25 burpees, 25 pushups)

 

Challenge starts Monday!

[WhiteGhost]

Following!

[juliebarkley]

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 1/7. Zombie running today.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 1/7 for me; 0/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 1/7.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 1/7. Tomorrow I will begin checking out people's challenge threads again!

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 1/7. I feel like I did a lot today - some transcription, signing up for an Amazon Sellers account, sending in the paperwork, and scanning a bunch of books to see what's worth selling.

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7.

[Red1263]

Following to see you help out this poor helpless creature!

 

 

Well... Maybe not that helpless

[juliebarkley]

6 hours ago, Red1263 said:

Following to see you help out this poor helpless creature!

 

 

Well... Maybe not that helpless

 

Helpless... for now.

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 2/7. Tabata of exhaustion.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 2/7 for me; 1/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 1/7.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 2/7. Some challenges looked at; more to do still!

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 2/7. Got an email that my account is approved already (they said up to a week, so I wasn't expecting it to be approved two hours after I sent it in). So I looked up a bunch of stuff about condition and postage rates. I read some, but then my hour was up, so I will read more tomorrow. I also need a good way to record and gather this info. And I need to order padded envelopes.

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7. Maybe tomorrow.

 

Anyone have suggestions for a costume I can pull off with mostly everyday clothing (my everyday clothing is long skirts and flowy tops)? I am working a Hallowe'en event on Saturday, but my only costume is White Mage from Final Fantasy, and I don't want to wear that one as I am doing face painting. At the moment, I am thinking generic gypsy or witch (I think I have a hat), but am very open to suggestions!

[Red1263]

You could do Zombie, or a Zombified ________. With a little creativity, you can also pull off a Terminator, or a Skeleton, or a Day of the Dead Skeleton, or just wear a blank mask, splash blood over yourself and call yourself a Purger

[WhiteGhost]

You could go as a Hogwarts student (Someone else on NF is doing that, but I can't remember who right now...)

[juliebarkley]

Hmm, I still haven’t decided. What does a Hogwarts student look like? I confess I have not seen the movies. This is a party for little kids, so nothing Purger level of scary.  

 

I’m on my phone and it’s being scatty so no nice format today. I have done everything but online work today (even brushing kitty’s teeth).

[Loveable_Bouncer]

My own costume for when I'm a janitor is being a "Positive Muse". By wearing a dress, pencils and large ornamental paper clips in my hair, a coin belt (belly dance belt) and assortment of bracelets and bracelet. While wearing warm leggings and my vibrams (which I get as many comments  on my shoes, and my jingling everywhere I go). The cheapest and most expensive costume I've ever had (each item I've gathered over the years and would total quite a bit of money), but also easy to wear while cleaning.

Of course everyone thinks I'm a gypsie, but working at a Goodwill where people are looking for ideas it works.

 

Maybe have a look around at something around you that is fun and inspires an outfit. What I've learned over the years is finding something that puts you into character, can having working with people a bit more fun.

[WhiteGhost]

I can't get this to show up as a picture, but this is kind of typical of a Hogwarts student uniform

 

https://goo.gl/images/4Zn4P6

 

 

[Norgaard]

What do you do for your online buisness?

 

 

big bonus for having a challenge including your cat <3

[juliebarkley]

2 hours ago, Norgaard said:

What do you do for your online buisness?

 I have a few things I am playing with, all at the "dabbling" level at the moment. I have a whole bunch of books in my discard pile, some of which I intend to list and sell. I also have access to used books through work and other places, so I am planning to keep that going as well. I do some transcription - low pay but reliable. I would like to try some voice acting; got some practice a few challenges ago (and through work), then some other things became more important, but at some point I would like to try an exploratory class to see if it is a realistic thing to pursue. I am also a Braille transcriber, but again would need to hunt down some experience to feel comfortable seeking paying clients. I might try some Etsy stuff at some point, too.

 

The cat is not so keen on her part in this challenge.

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 4/7. Tai chi intensive class. Also learned that the org I am doing Tai Chi with is not considered "real" tai chi by the rest of the tai chi world because they don't do martial applications. I would love to do proper Yang with martial applications (and Kung Fu as well), but you have to take what's available when you aren't in a big city.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 4/7 for me; 2/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 3/7.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 4/7. I have still not looked at my fellow Assassins' challenges! I was wiped today.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 3/7. Refreshed myself on how to rate for condition on Amazon, and some transcription. Still need those padded envelopes!

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7. Maybe tomorrow (for real this time).

 

A good day.

 

I think I am going to try a "Mother Nature" sort of costume. I have a long green dress, and with a light green scarf, straw hat, fake flowers/leaves, little finger puppet animals. I think I can make it work.

[juliebarkley]

Week 1, Day 5:

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 4/7. Today was bodyweight day, but I have felt under the weather all day, and I was afraid that exercising would make my headache worse and throw me into proper illness. I don't want to let down the team tomorrow by bailing on the face painting. This does not count as a fail to me as it was due to illness (or prospect thereof).

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 5/7 for me; 2/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 3/7. I have failed this one this week. Totally slipped my mind (despite being on my todo program - another habit I must build!)

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 5/7.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 4/7. Didn't do a ton, but did refresh myself on the relevant postal rates and dimensions, and reactivate my Small Business account at Canada Post.

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7. I can totally still pull this off. This is encounters done, not days. The next couple of days will have to be more encounter-y.

 

I found a flowery wreath in the basement which is just the right size to wear as a crown of sorts, and some fake flowers I can wrap around my wrist. Costume achieved!

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Awesome for getting your costume pulled together, hope the face painting will go well.

(Personally would call the costume put together a random encounter...)

[juliebarkley]

Week 1, Day 6:

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 5/7. Went for a nice long walk today with The Walk. Phone conked out at the end (battery is old and I think it doesn't like the cold), but that's okay.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 6/7 for me; 2/7 for my cat. 

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 3/7. Why is this so hard?

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 6/7.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 5/7. Picked through another stack of discards for sale books, started trying to figure out postal dimensions and costs so that I can order packaging materials tomorrow and figure out the break-even point of different weight items.

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7. Guess what I will be doing tomorrow?

[WhiteGhost]

3 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

Why is this so hard?

Could it be a problem of viewing this as something has to be done rather than something you get to do?  A lot of things that we view as tasks imposed on us (even if we impose them on ourselves) are much harder to find the motivation to do than things we actually enjoy doing it.  Is there any way you can turn this into something you enjoy and look forward to doing?

[Red1263]

When you're doing your prayers are they the classical kneel down beside the bed? Because you can always pray before your day starts as you're driving or getting dressed. A famous religious man once said (and I'm paraphrasing) "your prayers don't have to be long winded rosaries. You should pray as the holy spirit moves you to. Which can be as simple as saying 'good morning Lord, I give this day to you'."

 

Also will we see pcs of you in costume? 

[juliebarkley]

19 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Could it be a problem of viewing this as something has to be done rather than something you get to do?

Maybe. I think it's also a procrastination thing, and a lack of rewards thing. I just saw an AWESOME rewards system on @annyshay's thread that I totally want to steal though.

 

Week 1, Day 7:

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 5/7. Didn't work out today. Bad.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 7/7 for me; 2/7 for my cat. I could still make it with the cat, if I can find her.

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 4/7.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 7/7.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 6/7. Did not do the online selling-based things I was planning. Did one transcription task to pass, but also chatted with a sort-of friend who shared her experiences and how she's trying to write a comic and contacting people to try to get going. She recommended that I do similarly to find out how to get into audiobook narration (and this would work for Braille, too - I'm stuck there). Just cold call (or email) people and see if they respond. I should, really. My son's drama teacher has literally asked people to get in touch with her if the kids want to get into acting as a career because she knows people. I need to 20 seconds of courage this, else nothing will happen. And really, what is the worst that could happen. Nothing. Which is what's happening RIGHT NOW. So I'm calling that work-related!

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 3/7. Emailed some people that I have meaning to get back to for months. One of them gave me her business card and it had literally been so long that there were two, and I had to contact two strangers with an "I don't know if this was you but if so contact me" email. Embarrassing and hard. And I get to contact three more people tomorrow, one of which is almost a cold call, and two which are like 5 months overdue. 20 seconds of courage, baby.

[WhiteGhost]

17 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

Maybe. I think it's also a procrastination thing, and a lack of rewards thing. I just saw an AWESOME rewards system on @annyshay's thread that I totally want to steal though.

 

If you think it may help, you should totally try it out  NF is all about stealing sharing great ideas  

[annyshay]

4 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

If you think it may help, you should totally try it out  NF is all about stealing sharing great ideas  

... cause assassins. 

[juliebarkley]

Week 1 summary: I passed 4 of 6 challenges (I found my cat!), which means that I will have to carry the gargoyle out a lot of the way, and I will be tired. I owe a forfeit of 10 burpees and 10 pushups.

 

New (short) segment tomorrow! But for now:

 

Week 2, Day 1:

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 1/7. Since I missed my BWW yesterday, I did an experiment today. How long can I hold a wall sit, a plank, and a pullup (lying-down pullup; don't know the real name)? Turns out that the answer is 1:33, 1:15, and 1:06 respectively. I did notice something interesting: in both plank and pullup, but especially pullup, I started to shake very hard, yet my muscles were not even sore yet. I literally looked like I had Parkinson's. Anyone else know why this would happen?

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 1/7 for me; 0/7 for my cat.

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 0/7. Not a good start. In my defense, I really needed the nap I took that messed me up here. The shorter days are making my window of opportunity shorter, too.

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 1/7.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 1/7. Figured out my break-even rate for different weights of package, figured out what shipping materials I need, and where I can get them from. I am ready to start listing, and it feels good!

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7.

 

It's not the best start, but it's not terrible. There's room for improvement, let's just put it that way.

 

Yay, I am excited to make a rewards d20 sheet! I think I am going to use it to motivate myself with my weakest habit, which at the moment is #3.

[WhiteGhost]

6 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

a pullup (lying-down pullup; don't know the real name)?

Is this where you lay down under a low bar and pull yourself up from a horizontal position?  Those are called bodyweight rows (rows because the movement of the arms is similar to as if you were pulling a pair of oars)

 

8 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

I did notice something interesting: in both plank and pullup, but especially pullup, I started to shake very hard, yet my muscles were not even sore yet. I literally looked like I had Parkinson's. Anyone else know why this would happen?

It was explained to me once that it is due to your muscles trying to make minuscule adjustments because the body does not feel stable in that position.  Increasing core strength/stability (like with planks) should help this.  

[juliebarkley]

On 10/31/2017 at 4:39 AM, WhiteGhost said:

It was explained to me once that it is due to your muscles trying to make minuscule adjustments because the body does not feel stable in that position.  Increasing core strength/stability (like with planks) should help this.  

 

That could be. I've probably been too light on core. Is it weird that it is only in the bodyweight rows and not with pushups? There was some shaking in the plank, but man, was it bad in the rows! It started after only about 10 seconds, and my muscles were doing fine up until about 40 seconds.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

With a loud rustling and a crash, two tired travellers emerged into the pathway and collapsed in a heap. Julie was the first to stand up, but only long enough to stumble over to a tree and sit right back down against it. She looked like she could use a bath and a long rest. Two long scratches ran all the way across her right cheek. Her hair was tangled and sweaty, and her fingers ached so much that even the thought of grasping the water bottle and taking a long draught made her cringe a little, but she did it anyway. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Her clothing was streaked with mud and green stains from her knees down. The gargoyle lay motionless where it landed, face down in the dust and gravel.

 

After about an hour's rest, Julie drew herself slowly to her feet again. "Come on," she said to the gargoyle, "we'll never get you home this way. Let's get a little distance under our belts before we settle in for the night."

 

The path ahead ran under a thick  layer of tree cover, and they limped along it as quickly as they could. Neither felt like moving very fast. At the edge of the forest, the path ran through a gate, across a grassy field, over a hill and out of sight. The sun was low on the western horizon, tinting the field a gentle orange. "It's later than I thought. Let's make camp over there." She pointed down the path and gestured for the gargoyle to hurry up. The gate was only a few hundred metres away, and stopping for camp, and sleep, would be so sweet.

 

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the woods to their right and something leapt out of the brush! What was it?

 

Story Rewards/Punishments:

6 passes: It's a bunny rabbit, which they may be able to catch and cook up for dinner! At the very least, it is harmless.

5 passes: It's a boar. Watch out for those tusks! It's been startled into fighting, but it will escape if it can. (10 pushups, 10 rows)

4 passes: It's a giant wolf spider! It's hoping for a meal. Will our adventurers be tough enough? Let's hope so. (10 burpees, 10 rows, 10 squats)

3 passes or fewer: It's a mountain lion. Our adventurers are in trouble. (25 burpees, 25 pushups, 25 squats)

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Week 2, Day 3:

 

Physical: Strength for the journey ahead. Gargoyles are heavy!

1. Move every day. 3/7. Regular workout yesterday, tai chi today.

2. Brush teeth with rinses once per day (with a friend). 3/7 for me; 1/7 for my cat. She waited a while before she ran away, too.

 

Spiritual: Create a more peaceful world. Gargoyles are frightened.

3. 2 prayers per day. 2/7. I made my d20 chart, and I'm going to roll on it every day that I am successful with this goal. Woo! (Also, because I missed @Red1263's post - the prayers are already pretty short (less than 5 minutes minus any personal prayers/supplications at the end), but they have to be done at specific times of day. I'm working my way up slowly to the standard 5.)

 

Mental: Don't journey alone. Gargoyles are lonely.

4. Post to Nerdfitness every day. Post on someone else's thread everyday. 2/7. I was up far later than I was expecting working on an unexpected, urgent task. I had to get up early and just couldn't motivate myself to do this.

 

Financial: Sustenance for the road. Gargoyles are hungry.

5. Do some online work every day. 3/7. I wanted to get a lot more of this done yesterday, but said urgent task got in the way. I only did a little bit today as well. I am planning to do a lot tomorrow, as I have a day off!

 

Random Encounters: Anything can happen on the road. Gargoyles are vulnerable.

6. 3 random encounters/week. 0/7. Might work on this tomorrow, too.

 

My forfeit for week 1 is paid (and it did indeed tire me out)!

[WhiteGhost]

16 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

That could be. I've probably been too light on core. Is it weird that it is only in the bodyweight rows and not with pushups? There was some shaking in the plank, but man, was it bad in the rows! It started after only about 10 seconds, and my muscles were doing fine up until about 40 seconds.

Interestingly enough, I was just reading up on a topic directly related to this. I was researching the differences in terms of muscles used for front and back levers, but for the body stability muscles it is exactly applicable to the differences between planks (pushups) and horizontal hangs (BW rows).  For exercises where you need to push your hips back and legs forward (like pushups and front levers) you are primarily using abs and hip flexors for stability while for exercises where you need to push your hips forward and legs back (BW rows and back levers) you are using mostly lower back and hip extenders to keep yourself stable.

 

Because the primary stability muscle  groups are different between these two exercises, it makes perfect sense that your body would feel much more stable in one relative to the other.

[juliebarkley]

That is very helpful information. Thank you!

 

I once again shut off my computer before posting, so no tidy formatting. I completed all sections of my daily goals today (no random encounters). I have shipping materials on the way now, yay! I was going to enter books when I realized that I have forgotten how my program works and how it sends information to Amazon and Biblio, so that is my task for tomorrow.

 

And it turns out I missed tooth brushing last night after all.