CM charts a course on autopilot

[CourtnieMarie]

 

You know when you’re driving along and realize you completely spaced out for a few seconds or more? You don’t remember how you’re suddenly at exit 5 when you swear you only just passed exit 1. That’s what the last 6 months have felt like for me. I’m not sure how I’m getting things done at all. It’s just happening. I used to be a diligent planner and now I can barely be bothered. I’ll maybe make a plan for something an hour before it happens. It’s stressful but I haven’t had the capacity for anything more this year. I’ve asked spouse for so much more than I used to. there are pros and cons here and I’d like to get back to a middle ground at some point. for now…right out the gate we got us closing on a house and then the tough mudder. then a bridal shower, a wedding (5 hr drive one way), and a camping river float trip. these are all great fun things! it's just a lot. and moving our stuff somewhere in between… I’d like to add another gym session per week but I just don’t think it’s feasible right now. I’d rather try to get more sleep on a more consistent basis and maybe plan ahead a bit more.

 

Weekly challenge goals:

• one full body workout: weights at the gym or tough mudder circuit.
• one 30 min running sesh
• bring weekly sleep average to 7h40m. TV off by 8pm for Mon-Thurs. Fri -Sun in bed by midnight 11/15 nights.
• food – 3 weekend vegetables
• track yoga – 30mins; bridges and clamshells

Overall challenge goals:

• Confirm dad’s health insurance
  • Look at current secondary policy
  • Talk with an accountant regarding his scenario
• survive moving
  • pack up 10 more boxes, 2 per week
  • set up internet
  • clean new house
  • change address with post office, work, bank, credit cards

 

[Mike Wazowski]

Love it! Seems like a bunch of us are taking it easy on ourselves this challenge, must've been that type of year so far.

[Harriet]

Do you think the autopilot just happened because of stress and too many things to do? Will things quiet down soon, after you move?

 

Driving by hand, lol. So retro. Good luck! 

[CourtnieMarie]

42 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Do you think the autopilot just happened because of stress and too many things to do? Will things quiet down soon, after you move?

Absolutely i think that's exactly how/why it happened! Things will definitely quiet a bit after moving (though because we're so busy, moving is going to be a long drawn out process) and should quiet down even more after attending our fourth wedding this year which is in september 

[raptron]

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

I’d rather try to get more sleep on a more consistent basis and maybe plan ahead a bit more.

YEAH. Get the sleep instead!

 

Just thinking about moving amongst all of those activities.... 

[WhiteGhost]

1 hour ago, CourtnieMarie said:

right out the gate we got us closing on a house and then the tough mudder. then a bridal shower, a wedding (5 hr drive one way), and a camping river float trip

That's a whole lot of stuff coming all at once.  Good luck getting enough rest...

[Harriet]

32 minutes ago, CourtnieMarie said:

Absolutely i think that's exactly how/why it happened! Things will definitely quiet a bit after moving (though because we're so busy, moving is going to be a long drawn out process) and should quiet down even more after attending our fourth wedding this year which is in september 

When will the moving be all wrapped up?

Four weddings? Love is in the air! I haven't been to many weddings because all my German and Australian acquaintances are apparently atheist hipsters who will probably just be living together indefinitely. 

[CourtnieMarie]

7 minutes ago, Harriet said:

When will the moving be all wrapped up?

August 15th

 

7 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Four weddings? Love is in the air! I haven't been to many weddings because all my German and Australian acquaintances are apparently atheist hipsters who will probably just be living together indefinitely. 

haha yesss, one is family, two are very casual, and the fourth seems similar to mine (hints of the traditional without the fuss). i'm 32 which seems older for the traditional time that folks get caught up in those years of ALL THE WEDDINGS. it seems to me that all it takes is one or two really good wedding parties that set off the domino effect. i remember which two weddings i went to when I said, ya know, this could be fun.

[Deckard Gainz]

26 minutes ago, CourtnieMarie said:

i'm 32 which seems older for the traditional time that folks get caught up in those years of ALL THE WEDDINGS.

 

I'm 33 and I've averaged 3-5 weddings a year for at least the past 3 years (3 this year so far). I think it sounds just about right.

[Mad Hatter]

Gah so many things! No wonder you feel it. Even surviving is quite the achievement you know.

[CourtnieMarie]

21 hours ago, Deckard Gainz said:

 

I'm 33 and I've averaged 3-5 weddings a year for at least the past 3 years (3 this year so far). I think it sounds just about right.

wow!! definitely more than we've had. i think this is the most we've had per year so far. hope you're not telling me it gets worse  

i should say that i actually love weddings for the most part! i enjoy dancing and celebrating a lot. though it does take up a lot of time if they're not local and with everything else going on, they're just an added thing to consider into my schedule. but i'll definitely have a blast once there

 

20 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Gah so many things! No wonder you feel it. Even surviving is quite the achievement you know.

thank you for the reminder. you're absolutely right!

[RedStone]

Excellent to hear you're taking it as easy as possible - all the sleeps!!! What else can we do? We've all been in the - too much life at once - situation, and just rolling and going is all we can do to stay sane. Hearts and love! You got this!

[Harriet]

23 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

i'm 32 which seems older for the traditional time that folks get caught up in those years of ALL THE WEDDINGS

I'm also 32. No weddings in sight except amongst my Catholic, Bavarian in-laws. My slightly younger friends are focused on their jobs, and our older friends are skipping the party and going straight to babies. Seriously. Lots of babies in the last few years.
 

22 hours ago, Deckard Gainz said:

 

I'm 33 and I've averaged 3-5 weddings a year for at least the past 3 years (3 this year so far). I think it sounds just about right.

I think there must be some cultural differences at play... One friend told us he "didn't believe in marriage" when we told him that's what we were doing. Well, fine, but we're doing it anyway. I think it's considered "spiessig", that is, tediously middle class, by Mr Harriet's cool German friends. 

[CourtnieMarie]

5 hours ago, Harriet said:

I'm also 32. No weddings in sight except amongst my Catholic, Bavarian in-laws. My slightly younger friends are focused on their jobs, and our older friends are skipping the party and going straight to babies. Seriously. Lots of babies in the last few years.
 

I think there must be some cultural differences at play... One friend told us he "didn't believe in marriage" when we told him that's what we were doing. Well, fine, but we're doing it anyway. I think it's considered "spiessig", that is, tediously middle class, by Mr Harriet's cool German friends. 

there's a lot to unpack here - i wish i had the time! but succinctly, you can not believe in something but still respect your friends and family who do believe in that thing.

 

 

Week 0 – Monday

 

I worked from home. tried to visit my grandfather but he hadn’t moved to the rehab place yet. I did a grocery shop and had brunch (2 hot dogs haha). then went to visit my dad.

 

I went home and ate some ice cream, did a bit of work, and watched TV. I also emptied my closet of anything that I’ve not been wearing and packed up half a suitcase for moving. I cooked up a fish chowder for dinner with enough leftovers for lunches.

 

I was completely overwhelmed on Monday and needed the day at home to be productive and lazy all at once.

 

Week 0 – Tuesday

 

Slept in but got in some yoga after work. work has been slowing down a tad since the dizzying craziness of May and June so that’s good. Spouse worked from home to get her car fixed and ended up cooking dinner for us.

 

Week 0 – Wednesday

 

went to the gym in the morning and did a semi-cardio lifting sesh to pretend to prep for the tough mudder

 

deadlifts

115x8x5

 

incline push ups

6, 8, 10, 5

 

squats

120x5x5

 

inverted rows

10, 10, 12, 12

 

visited my dad after work and didn’t have time for much else besides dinner and going to sleep!

 

Fitness: 0/5 runs, 1/5 workouts, 0/5 bridges & clamshells, 9/30 yoga

Sleep: 0/3 midnight cutoff, current avg 7h7m

[Scaly Freak]

On 6/27/2019 at 2:29 PM, CourtnieMarie said:

you can not believe in something but still respect your friends and family who do believe in that thing.

 

Is that the official formula for health family relationships and friendships? It looks familiar..

[CourtnieMarie]

On 6/29/2019 at 9:29 PM, scalyfreak said:

 

Is that the official formula for health family relationships and friendships? It looks familiar..

[CourtnieMarie]

Week 0 – Thursday

 

outdoor jog/walk that only lasted a mile: 1.08 miles in 17 minutes.

 

crazy day at work trying to close things up for the weekend but also lots of new work coming in. phew.

 

Fitness: 1/5 runs, 1/5 workouts, 0/5 bridges & clamshells, 9/30 yoga

Sleep: 0/3 midnight cutoff, current avg 7h19m

 

Week 0 – Friday

 

did some yoga in the morning which included bridges and clamshells then it was off to the races!

 

final walk through, deed recording, lots of signing paperwork. we own a house!

 

we got a cleaning service in for our unit and mostly putzed around making lists of fixes, etc. I’m going to have to clean a few more things so I’m not counting that service as checking off my challenge goal of cleaning the new place. we were back “home” and in bed by 9:30.

 

Week 0 – Saturday

 

tough mudder! there were crazy thunderstorms on our way out to the event but luckily we didn’t get rained on and it was pretty cloudy during our time slot. so no sun beating down either. I think we skipped about 3 obstacles out of 13 so not too bad! I slipped off a log and fell on my butt, no harm. my forearms got pretty scratched up army crawling in the rocks and dirt. a few bruises here and there but overall nothing major! I did have a bit of a panic attack in a closed off trench. I didn’t start freaking out until I was close to the end though and I think it was because I heard someone coming through behind me and just felt rushed and cramped, etc.

 

we grabbed lunch nearby and stocked up at a favorite package store. we also did a quick grocery shop, then back home for a shower. we grabbed a few things to bring over to the new house and worked there for a few hours and hung out for a few hours more. we left by midnight though!

 

veggies: salad

 

Week 0 – Sunday

 

we had a wedding shower which ended up being great to see some friends we hadn’t seen in a while.

 

we went right to the new house from there and finally figured out a part of the busted fridge. cleaned a few things and I watched Spouse install new locks on the exterior doors  

 

veggies: spinach, salad, asparagus & mushroom frittata

 

week 0 scores!

Food: 4/3 weekend vegetables

Life: 2/10 boxes packed; 0/2 moving; 0/2 dad insurance

Fitness: 1/5 runs, 1/5 workouts, 1/5 bridges & clamshells, 24/30 yoga

Sleep: 3/3 midnight cutoff, current avg 7h32m

 

a pretty successful week! we own a home and nothing major went wrong. we packed two new boxes up and were able to move around a dozen previously packed boxes into the new house. we completed our second tough mudder and I nailed most of my goals! huzzah!

[Mad Hatter]

Yeee awesome job on the TM! AND on killing your goals!

[Mike Wazowski]

On 6/27/2019 at 10:25 AM, Harriet said:

I think there must be some cultural differences at play... One friend told us he "didn't believe in marriage" when we told him that's what we were doing. Well, fine, but we're doing it anyway. I think it's considered "spiessig", that is, tediously middle class, by Mr Harriet's cool German friends. 

I've just learned a new favorite word - can you start a running series of describing other things your husband's cool German friends consider spiessig? Now I'm dying to know!

 

On 6/27/2019 at 3:29 PM, CourtnieMarie said:

there's a lot to unpack here - i wish i had the time! but succinctly, you can not believe in something but still respect your friends and family who do believe in that thing.

PREACH!!

 

 

CONGRATS ON THE NEW HOME!!!!! Seriously so excited for you and Spouse!

[JustCallMeAmber]

2 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

we own a house!

CONGRATS!

 

[CourtnieMarie]

3 hours ago, Mad Hatter said:

Yeee awesome job on the TM! AND on killing your goals!

thanks!! i did need hindsight to allow myself a pat on the back for the TM. i did worse than last year but also had a lot happen between then and now!

 

1 hour ago, Mike Wazowski said:

CONGRATS ON THE NEW HOME!!!!! Seriously so excited for you and Spouse!

 

50 minutes ago, JustCallMeAmber said:

CONGRATS!

 

ty ty ty tyyyyy!! we're very excited. i used my warrior skills to "fix" the fridge part i mentioned earlier. I busted out the ice dispenser bucket because a previous tenant had put it in incorrectly. doing that broke a piece of (unnecessary) plastic and now the thing slides in and out perfectly. and it is no longer housing stale bread chunks and tangled plastic bags. win win!

[Harriet]

1 hour ago, Mike Wazowski said:

I've just learned a new favorite word - can you start a running series of describing other things your husband's cool German friends consider spiessig? Now I'm dying to know!

They have different levels of judginess, and they don't usually tell me to my face, but spiessig-ness might include:
Women dying their hair blonde or wearing high heels; disapproving of recreational drug use; heteronormative relationships with traditional roles; liking popular things; not enjoying the fact that Berlin is so filthy; preferring representational to abstract art: and I don't know what else. I'm pretty sure they're judging the s*** out of me for being unemployed and doing all the cooking and not liking electronic music and declining to go to concerts or take LSD and also not dominating the conversation in German. A couple of them only started treating me with interest and respect when we discussed politics and philosophy in English and they realised I am actually pretty frikkin' sharp.

[Harriet]

3 hours ago, CourtnieMarie said:

a pretty successful week! we own a home and nothing major went wrong. we packed two new boxes up and were able to move around a dozen previously packed boxes into the new house. we completed our second tough mudder and I nailed most of my goals! huzzah!

Congrats on the house!!! Someone else mentioned the tough mudder recently. It sounds kinda fun.

[CourtnieMarie]

16 minutes ago, Harriet said:

They have different levels of judginess, and they don't usually tell me to my face, but spiessig-ness might include:
Women dying their hair blonde or wearing high heels; disapproving of recreational drug use; heteronormative relationships with traditional roles; liking popular things; not enjoying the fact that Berlin is so filthy; preferring representational to abstract art: and I don't know what else. I'm pretty sure they're judging the s*** out of me for being unemployed and doing all the cooking and not liking electronic music and declining to go to concerts or take LSD and also not dominating the conversation in German. A couple of them only started treating me with interest and respect when we discussed politics and philosophy in English and they realised I am actually pretty frikkin' sharp.

just keep being you seems to be the moral of the story. they'll come around bc you're awesome. or they won't because they're not.

 

15 minutes ago, Harriet said:

Congrats on the house!!! Someone else mentioned the tough mudder recently. It sounds kinda fun.

it is fun! they are very much about only doing the obstacles you feel comfortable doing, there's no penalty for skipping. and everyone is willing to lend an assist where needed, some of the obstacles require teamwork. we do the half or 5K version because it's more fun to not do 8 miles.

[WhiteGhost]

13 hours ago, Harriet said:

They have different levels of judginess, and they don't usually tell me to my face, but spiessig-ness might include:
Women dying their hair blonde or wearing high heels; disapproving of recreational drug use; heteronormative relationships with traditional roles; liking popular things; not enjoying the fact that Berlin is so filthy; preferring representational to abstract art: and I don't know what else. I'm pretty sure they're judging the s*** out of me for being unemployed and doing all the cooking and not liking electronic music and declining to go to concerts or take LSD and also not dominating the conversation in German. A couple of them only started treating me with interest and respect when we discussed politics and philosophy in English and they realised I am actually pretty frikkin' sharp.

So it seems to me that these "cool German friends" are basically just run of the mill "hipsters"