Slow and steady... [Manarelle]

[Manarelle]

Not a big 'do for the new year, just keeping on.

 

Goals:

• Sewing: finish another pair of work pants.
• Exercise: kick the crud and resume weights and running, keep up PT.
• Thermoplastics: bracer is on hold 'til painting weather resumes; start Mjolnir.
• Languages: Add weekend reviews on kaniwani, keep at it.

 

I know, it's not fun and exciting, but I'm in a good place and want to keep working at all of these things. 

[Red1263]

You keep doing you, Manarelle!

[@mu]

Very crafty! Following up!

I had to lookup kaniwani and now I understand it is for Japanese? I initially thought it was a language on its own perhaps

[Manarelle]

7 hours ago, @mu said:

Very crafty! Following up!

I had to lookup kaniwani and now I understand it is for Japanese? I initially thought it was a language on its own perhaps

 

Heh, yes, sorry. Wanikani is the main website that teaches you Japanese kanji (first three levels are free, if you're interested). It gives you the Japanese, and you provide the english meaning and pronunciation. Kaniwani was developed as a sister site where it gives you the english, and you have to provide the Japanese. I only recently discovered it and am trying to catch up to where I am on the first site while keeping up on French and Russian as well. 

[Rooks]

In for another challenge!

[UnquietBones]

Keep on keeping on! I'm looking forward to seeing the build of Mjolnir, the bracers were nifty! (I have serious crafty-wants-its for that material now.) ((gah))

[@mu]

8 hours ago, Manarelle said:

I only recently discovered it and am trying to catch up to where I am on the first site while keeping up on French and Russian as well. 

 

Wow that's awesome! My mother tongue is French  
I'm also curious about thermoplastics, can you do this at home or do you need like a workshop? you work on figurines / action figures?

[Grandkai_NL]

Following!

[Manarelle]

15 hours ago, @mu said:

Wow that's awesome! My mother tongue is French  
I'm also curious about thermoplastics, can you do this at home or do you need like a workshop? you work on figurines / action figures?

 

C'etait longtemps depuis je l'ai parlé, mais si vous voulez discuter, faites-moi en savoir! The thermoplastics is actually fairly undemanding in terms of materials. I use the same space I use for sewing, just with a teflon pad to work on, and a makeshift sanding booth (cardboard box) for, well, sanding. A heat gun was the biggest purchase I needed to make, apart from the materials themselves. I'm just getting started, my previous two challenges were working on a bracer for a female Thor cosplay, but since it's too cold to spray paint outside, that's on hold for now. If I can get Mjolnir to the same point, I'll start on the next bit, then just have a big painting party come spring. 

 

21 hours ago, UnquietBones said:

Keep on keeping on! I'm looking forward to seeing the build of Mjolnir, the bracers were nifty! (I have serious crafty-wants-its for that material now.) ((gah))

 

Well, Mjolnir will be out of eva foam, not worbla, but if you can clear your hobby swamp, I highly recommend worbla. It is a lot of fun. 

 

Unrelated, got back to the gym yesterday. Was able to do about 85% of my usual workout, which isn't bad for exactly two weeks' time off due to sickness. Biggest problem was that it was frigid in there, so every time I started breathing heavily, coughing resumed. Have a doctor's appointment at the end of January to see about whether that can be managed; just taking lots of breaks in the meantime. 

 

Have slacked on sewing this week, instead watching/ listening to a Let's Play runthrough of the first Assassin's Creed while sort of looking up Russian vocab in prep for Friday's lesson. It's complete justification, but I'm loving it, and I did finish vocab, so I'll take it. 

[@mu]

2 hours ago, Manarelle said:

C'etait longtemps depuis je l'ai parlé, mais si vous voulez discuter, faites-moi en savoir!

‌Bravo! Y a une toute petite faute (C'était longtemps depuis que je l'ai parlé => ça fait longtemps que je ne l'ai pas parlé; et: faites-moi en savoir) mais c'est très bien vraiment ! Et on peut se tutoyer peut-être ! Bon courage ! Ce n'est pas une langue facile à mon avis ! Y compris pour les Français eux-mêmes ha ha

 

You do weights at the gym?

 

 

 

 

 

[Manarelle]

On 12/28/2017 at 12:27 PM, @mu said:

‌Bravo! Y a une toute petite faute (C'était longtemps depuis que je l'ai parlé => ça fait longtemps que je ne l'ai pas parlé; et: faites-moi en savoir) mais c'est très bien vraiment ! Et on peut se tutoyer peut-être ! Bon courage ! Ce n'est pas une langue facile à mon avis ! Y compris pour les Français eux-mêmes ha ha

 

You do weights at the gym?

 

Heh, merci. Je suis sur que je fasse beaucoup de fautes, mais c'est pourquoi il faut practiquer. 

 

I started at a gym in September, was doing a boot camp class. Hard to keep up when I have to pause for coughing, though, so I switched over to the weights side once it got cold. Somewhat surprised that I don't hurt today, after being sore going into yesterday's workout, but I'll take it. 

 

Week 0 review:

• Sewing: nothing yet, might work on that over the long weekend.
• Exercise: twice to the gym, twice cardio, will do PT tonight. 
• Thermoplastics: found a pattern for Mjolnir. 
• Languages: Done; Russian class went better than usual, so there's hope. 

Spent a fair bit of time watching AC and writing, but I'm easing back into things. Successful recovery week. 

[zeroh13]

Following!

[juliebarkley]

On 12/26/2017 at 2:29 PM, Manarelle said:

I know, it's not fun and exciting, but I'm in a good place and want to keep working at all of these things. 

 

You are wrong. It is actually quite interesting. Following!

[Manarelle]

13 hours ago, zeroh13 said:

Following!

 

Hey there, good to see you again. And guild leader nonetheless, congrats!

 

11 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

You are wrong. It is actually quite interesting. Following!

 

Aw, thanks, and welcome back. 

 

The long weekend went well; I did weights on Sunday, then did PT Monday, since the gym was closed. I got the hard part of pants done, and hope to finish them off this week so I can focus on Mjolnir. Still no DOMS since Friday, not complaining. 

[zeroh13]

26 minutes ago, Manarelle said:

Hey there, good to see you again. And guild leader nonetheless, congrats!

Thanks! Life got pretty hectic so I didn't really venture out of the Rebel Guild much for a couple challenges.

[raptron]

Agreed that it IS fun and exciting to keep working on these things.  

[traaki]

Here here! I love same-old same-old challenges. MOAR THERMOPLASTICS

[Love_Of_Snuggles]

On 12/26/2017 at 11:29 AM, Manarelle said:

Languages: Add weekend reviews on kaniwani, keep at it.

 

Happy New Year Manarelle,

 

I have to ask, how many languages do you know or are learning?

[otterbyte]

Thermoplastics sounds so interesting...and Worbla! I had to go look it up. So much fun possibility there.

Can't wait to see Mjolnir! Are you going with a Marvel-type pattern, or are you going back into the Norse Mythology for ideas?

[Manarelle]

On 1/3/2018 at 7:46 PM, Love_Of_Snuggles said:

I have to ask, how many languages do you know or are learning?

 

No worries. Never officially tested any of the languages, but I consider myself professionally fluent in French, moderately fluent in Russian, and a baby beginner in Japanese. Can get by in several others due to dabbling, but those are my official, focused languages. 

 

23 hours ago, otterbyte said:

Thermoplastics sounds so interesting...and Worbla! I had to go look it up. So much fun possibility there.

Can't wait to see Mjolnir! Are you going with a Marvel-type pattern, or are you going back into the Norse Mythology for ideas?

 

Worbla is a lot of fun to play with - if you have the time and wherewithal, I highly recommend it. I am going with a Marvel-type pattern - while I liked the Jane Foster/female Thor series, I'm particularly taken by this version of female Thor for sensible (mostly functional) badassery. I'm sure the final will look significantly different, due to beginner skills. 

 

This week has been up and down so far. Got more work on the pants done, but taking a break due to increased work frustration that I don't want to carry into sewing. Found a French online course about electric vehicles and am exploring Russia's legal system with my tutor for language practice. Workouts continue, got to up a few weights this week. Made the mistake of looking for "women's sweatpants" on amazon and spent 15 minutes getting frustrated at "omg so cute but thin fabric" reviews before going to men's sweatpants and finding useful things. Pardon my rant, but that annoys me quite a bit. 

[Love_Of_Snuggles]

On 12/27/2017 at 5:13 AM, Manarelle said:

keeping up on French

 

What do you use for this?

[@mu]

On 1/5/2018 at 4:58 AM, Manarelle said:

Made the mistake of looking for "women's sweatpants" on amazon and spent 15 minutes getting frustrated at "omg so cute but thin fabric" reviews before going to men's sweatpants and finding useful things. Pardon my rant, but that annoys me quite a bit. 

 

On 1/5/2018 at 4:58 AM, Manarelle said:

Never officially tested any of the languages, but I consider myself professionally fluent in French, moderately fluent in Russian, and a baby beginner in Japanese.

 

This is great. Speaking multiple languages contributes to world peace, I think

[Manarelle]

On 1/5/2018 at 12:13 PM, Love_Of_Snuggles said:

What do you use for this?

 

Currently, I'm using this MOOC (online course) for practice, and to learn about electric cars, because why not. I've been speaking/ studying French since 7th grade, so it's really just keeping in practice and adding vocab at this point. 

 

Week 1 review:

• Sewing: Pants are about 3/4 done. Still lots of redo-ing seams because I didn't take comprehensive notes the first time. 
• Exercise: Thrice to the gym, twice cardio. 
• Thermoplastics: None this week, want to finish off pants first.
• Languages: Done.

Work week was rough; hoping the next one is better. Spent time watching a play-through of AC to get past wanting to damage people irl. Not quite finished, but reminded my why assassins are awesome (go us). Looking forward to a (relatively) balmy week with temps in the 40s. After two weeks of single-digit temps, I intend to go out and sunbathe in 40°.

[@mu]

Et hop là,  week 0 and 1 pretty much nailed!

 

Do you find yourself mixing up languages sometimes or getting into language blanks? The way the brain is working is fascinating sometimes.

For instance, if I use a messenger and have to type quickly  (and I'm writing to friends who know the same languages), I tend to use a mix of languages using the shortest words available (eg English vs French, English usually wins ) . Or sometimes only one word in one language carries the proper meaning, it's not available or not as "true" in another language. We get into this language soup, which would probably terrify a language academician, but it works and very efficiently at that.

Or, if I have a friend talking to me, whom I know can speak to me in several languages, sometimes I completely blank out. My brain got what she said, but I'm not sure which language she actually used and I'm not sure what language to use to answer. So my brain goes blank, I have the answer in my head and yet the output is not coming. It's a weird feeling.

 

[raptron]

Hope this week goes better on the work front. And yesss, for warmth finally. We might get as high as 60 this Friday (...?!!?)