Mudd becomes a Big Damn Hero

[Mudd]

Firefly-themed challenge! @WolfDreamer's Avatar challenge last time was the first one I saw, but all of these themed challenges are really inspiring. Keeping it nerdy is key to keeping it fun for me, and I'm a HUGE Firefly nerd. The plan is to create goals around the crew of Serenity, trying to match them to personality traits. Some of these are definitely a stretch.
 

Mal (Sleeping/Reading)
“Captain, don't you know that kissing girls makes you sleepy?“

Spoiler

Goal 1: Consistently be going to bed at midnight or earlier.

Goal 2: Start reading at 10pm.

Goal 3: Finish The Magnificent Nine. (currently about 2/3 of the way through)

This is probably the biggest stretch in terms of trying to make a character fit a goals. I needed a sleep/reading goal somewhere, and I'm not sure who it would be a better fit for.

 

Zoë (Core)
“Have you ever been with a warrior woman?“

Spoiler

Goal 1: Do my core workout every day. (Missed 4 days)

Zoë's defining characteristic is probably more like loyalty or something, but I wanted to work in a core workout somewhere

 

Wash (Running)
“Wash, change course and go for hard burn. We're running.”

Spoiler

Goal 1: Run this 3.16-mile stretch of trail near me in 28 minutes. (Success! First attempt was 31)
Goal 2: Run at least 8 miles without stopping. (Did the 8 miles, but I stopped)
Goal 3: Run 5 times every 2 weeks

Goal 4: Do at least 3 HIIT days (1 completed, shuffle currently broken)

I wanted a running a goal, and I think it sort of made sense for Wash, if you think about how he's the one keeping everyone moving. I think humor is a more defining trait for him ("Come on, Kaylee. We all know I'm the funny one."), but I have no intentions of becoming funny.

 

Kaylee (Fix my bike)

"Machines just got workins’ and they talk to me."

Spoiler

Goal: Fix my bike, specifically the front rim. (Only fixed a couple easy things, but this is now on hold until after I move. It'll be cheaper at the new place)

My bike is no Serenity, but I'm hoping that if I treat her proper, she’ll be with me for the rest of my life.

Jayne (Strength-training)

"You wanna do a set? I'll spot you."

Spoiler

Goal: Be able to do 50 consecutive push-ups. (Success!)
Goal: Be able to do 10 consecutive pull-ups. (currently at 9)

Goal: Do ten 30 lb bicep curls with each arm three times a week.

Jayne being the strength-training goals seemed obvious. The quote is a pretty obscure one from "The Message." Let me know if you can think of a better one about Jayne being the muscle.

 

Inara (Music, specifically banjo)
“It was the languages I struggled with. And music, at first.“

Spoiler

Goal 1: Get my string fixed (this week). (Completed, though I ended up having to replace the whole banjo)

Goal 2: 30 minutes of practice, twice a week.

Music seemed like a good fit for Inara, but I really struggled to find a quote. The one I found was actually cut from the shooting script. Let me know if you can think of a better one.

Book (Diet)

"The important thing is the spices. A man can live on packaged food from here ’til Judgment Day if he’s got enough rosemary."

Spoiler

Goal: Stick to about 2000 2200 2100 calories a day (ideally 180g of protein, 60-80g of fat, the rest of carbs). (I keep adjusting to try to be losing about 1 lb/week)

Initially I was thinking Book might be meditation goals, but I needed a diet goal, and I couldn't think of who would be a better fit.

 

Simon (Studying. Specifically Mongolian)
“Went to the best Medacad on Osiris, top three percent of my class, finished my internship in eight months. Gifted. Is the term.“

Spoiler

Goal 1: Read through chapter 8 in my textbook.

That feels sort of ambitious, seeing as how I couldn't do less last time, but a lot of it is review. I really need to take this goal seriously. It's probably my most important one.

River (Dance)
“River was more than gifted. She was... a gift. Everything she did, music, Maths, theoretical physics -- even dance -- there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us.” 

Spoiler

Goal 1: Learn one new dance move each week (or at least spend 30 minutes trying).

There are a lot of ways I could have gone with River. It was down to either this or learn to kill people with my brain, and I think dancing has more practical applications for the way I've been living my life. Seriously though, I've been looking for fun ways to burn calories, and I think dancing might fit the bill. Ideally something I could use at a wedding, instead of just kind of shuffling around awkwardly. Like, I don't know, the running man or something.

 

[oromendur]

31 minutes ago, Mudd said:

Goal 1: Learn one new dance move each week (or at least spend 30 minutes trying).

 

 

Dance? Did someone say dance? What kind of dancing?

 

I'm a big ballroom/Latin/swing nerd myself -- and I'm slowly going crazy without my dance life  The COVID has really cramped my style. You know, with partner dancing being the whole 'go out and exercise in close contact with strangers' thing that it is (sigh)

 

Awesome challenge! Very ambitious, but, hey, so was Firefly.

 

Good luck! Here for aimin' to misbehave...

[WolfDreamer]

 

Thanks for the mention! I am glad you enjoyed my themed challenge and especially glad you discovered many more! Firefly is an amazing choice for a themed challenge. Captain Mal will continue to be one of my favorite TV characters of all time. You have some excellent goals in there that both fit the theme and are specific to your needs. Well done.

[Ann of Owlshire]

Awesome challenge theme!

[Snarkyfishguts]

Best show ever. I love the challenge set up! Your goals are fun!

[juliebarkley]

Damn, that's a lot of goals! Are the running and strength goals your targets for the end of the challenge? Where are you at right now on them? I ask because I am far from those targets, so if you could realistically hit them by the end of this challenge, go you!

[Mudd]

On 6/21/2020 at 8:52 PM, oromendur said:

Dance? Did someone say dance? What kind of dancing?

I love swing, though I'm still a beginner. For this, I was thinking maybe more along the lines of hip-hop? Stuff I can do solo, for sure.
 

On 6/25/2020 at 3:52 PM, juliebarkley said:

Damn, that's a lot of goals! Are the running and strength goals your targets for the end of the challenge? Where are you at right now on them? I ask because I am far from those targets, so if you could realistically hit them by the end of this challenge, go you!

Thank you for asking about where I'm at. People checking in gives me a push that I think I really need right now. The running and strength goals are what I'm hoping to have by the end of this challenge, but they're things I started last challenge, so I'm not quite at square one.

Right around the time this challenge started, I moved from Oklahoma (where I was living alone) to the Twin Cities area (where I've moved in with a friend who has also been living alone). I'm planning to be here through the rest of this challenge. There are definite mental health benefits to being near a friend again, but there are also for sure ways in which it makes the challenge harder.

Mal (Sleeping/Leisure Reading)
I've been awful about this. I haven't even been tracking the times to see how bad I've been. When my sleep schedule gets thrown off, it throws off everything else, so this is one I want to address quickly. I have done some reading outside of my designated nightly time, so partial credit there. I'm also adding a goal to finish The Magnificent Nine (a Firefly novel) by the end of the challenge.

Zoë (Core)
I only did my core exercises three times this week. I used to do them later in the day, but I think I'm going to have more success if I do them as a break during my workday. In the evenings, I mostly just want to hang out.

Wash (Running)
My new "3-mile" route is technically a little longer than my old one. It's only 0.15 miles more, but that's more than a minute of extra time I need to give myself. I was hoping that my starting point would be 30-minutes, but my times last week were 31 and 32. It wasn't until my second run this week that I hit 30. It's not exactly an amazing start, but I think it's good enough for me to feel like my goals are challenging but realistic. I can hit 28 by the end of this challenge. I feel like I "should" do a HIIT run tomorrow, because those seem to pretty consistently increase my time, but I'm more in the mood for a longer run. Maybe I'll do my 8-mile goal?

Kaylee (fix my bike)
I haven't gotten the front wheel replaced yet, but I did put pressure in my tires and fixed an alignment issue I was having with the back wheel. So I haven't taken care of the long-term issue I want to address, but at least my bike is easy/comfortable to ride around now.

Jayne (Strength-training)
I've done a little experimenting with my friend's in-home gym equipment, but I need to pick something and stick to it now. I was hoping my friend would be game to weightlift semi-frequently, but he just hasn't been in the mood. Because I don't have any experience with this stuff, I don't want to do something like bench press without a spotter. For now, the plan is to just do some dumbbell and elastic band exercises three times a week, which I succeeded at this week.

I used to do pull-ups three times a week, but it took a while to find a good place to do them at this new place. I did them today for the first time since moving here. I had moderate success trying to do them at a park nearby, but it just isn't the same. I also did push-ups today for the first time since the challenge started, but that needs to become a 3 times a week habit too. The next time I do them, I should start by checking out my max.

Inara (Music, specifically banjo)
I bought the replacement strings, and the plan is to put them on the banjo after I finish this update. I need a goal for next week though.

Book (Diet)
This is the hardest part of living with my friend. He's been kind of struggling, and food is part of how he copes. What's tough is that he talks about food so much. When he wants to go to Dairy Queen, he'll bring it up literally 10 times throughout the day. He actually brought it up three times just while I was typing out this update. I'll try to change topics, and he'll keep saying we should go to DQ. I think part of the reason he puts pressure on me to go too is that if he's going with a friend, he feels less guilty about it. I haven't gone overboard, but I've definitely caved a couple times. I gave myself an A+ on my diet last challenge. So far this challenge, I think I'm earning a B. He's a good dude. I just need to figure out how to talk to him about it.

Simon (Studying. Specifically Mongolian)
I had one of the best lessons yet this week. I felt really good about the prep I did. If I could consistently be putting in that level of effort, I think I'd be in really good shape. This is my single most important goal this goal this challenge, so I'm glad it's off to a good start.

River (Dance)
I haven't done this yet. I guess I'll give it a shot after I string my banjo?

[Stronkey Kong]

Why Mongolian? If for no other reason than "Why not? It's a super interesting language."

 

Following.

[juliebarkley]

1 hour ago, Mudd said:

When he wants to go to Dairy Queen, he'll bring it up literally 10 times throughout the day. He actually brought it up three times just while I was typing out this update. I'll try to change topics, and he'll keep saying we should go to DQ. I think part of the reason he puts pressure on me to go too is that if he's going with a friend, he feels less guilty about it. I haven't gone overboard, but I've definitely caved a couple times.

I take it he's not the type that you can say, "Dude, if you want to go to DQ then you can go. You don't need me to come with or give you permission. Tell me all about it when you get back!"

 

I haven't been to DQ in 25 years. Is there anything at all on the menu that fits into your diet goals? Not a whole meal, but just anything so that you could agree to go with and not scupper yourself?

[Mudd]

36 minutes ago, Chris Tarly said:

Why Mongolian? If for no other reason than "Why not? It's a super interesting language."

 

Following.

Thanks!

I'm not sure if I can totally explain why I'm so enchanted by Mongolia. I've never been there. I've never met anyone from there (or I hadn't, until I started getting tutored online).

Part of it is the idea of a massive grassland with incredibly low population density. Just as a wild space, I feel like grasslands are deeply underappreciated. The way some people feel a connection to being in the forest or mountains, I feel about grasslands (not that I don't also love forests and mountains). Being able to see wildness to the horizon in each direction is really appealing to me. It's terrifying, but in the good way.

Mongolia also has some cool wildlife. Przewalski's horse, the world's last wild horses, once extinct in the wild. Wild bactrian camels. The Gobi bear, a subspecies of brown bear native to the world's fastest growing desert, which seems insane to me. Pallas's cats. The Mongolian saiga, a crazy-looking antelope that I feel is my "spirit animal." And I even think just grass itself is way, way cooler than people give it credit for.

But the largest part of it is the culture. I feel drawn to real-life nomadism. There's something about a community that moves together.

I'm a researcher, and sort of by accident my focus has become the intersection of psychology and conservation. My big project last year was about what people think should qualify a species to be classified as "endangered" and where those attitudes come from. Mongolia is a country with a relatively new government and a lot of unusual environmental issues (insanely rapid foreign investment in mining, terrible air pollution in the capital, the world's fastest growing desert, an average annual temperature increase of double the world's average, etc.). I think, coincidentally, I have a skillset where I could be useful in Mongolia. I'm applying for a grant that would help me explore what kinds of environmental policy Mongolians would like to see. My odds of getting it are much better if I can demonstrate some basic language skills.

Sorry. That ended up being a long rambly answer.
 

45 minutes ago, juliebarkley said:

I take it he's not the type that you can say, "Dude, if you want to go to DQ then you can go. You don't need me to come with or give you permission. Tell me all about it when you get back!"

 

I haven't been to DQ in 25 years. Is there anything at all on the menu that fits into your diet goals? Not a whole meal, but just anything so that you could agree to go with and not scupper yourself?

I like this approach too, and it's what I've been trying. He's not totally unreceptive to it, but I think it needs to be said more than once or in more than one way. He just now said we should go to McDonald's. We already went to Taco Bell earlier today (I didn't get anything). What's weird is that it seems to be more about having the company than about me getting something. I passed on McDonald's, so he ended up not going.

 

My diet isn't so strict that I couldn't ever get something from Dairy Queen. If I allowed myself a small blizzard once a week (or the equivalent somewhere else) but was otherwise eating responsibly, I could still feel really good about my diet goals. I was initially hoping my friend and I could have the same rule, but I haven't yet managed to get him to commit to anything after multiple attempts. I'm at a point now where I'll more firmly stick to the limits I impose on myself. It just sucks to feel like I constantly have to be saying, "No, dude. I can't go."

[Stronkey Kong]

26 minutes ago, Mudd said:

Thanks!

I'm not sure if I can totally explain why I'm so enchanted by Mongolia. I've never been there. I've never met anyone from there (or I hadn't, until I started getting tutored online).

Part of it is the idea of a massive grassland with incredibly low population density. Just as a wild space, I feel like grasslands are deeply underappreciated. The way some people feel a connection to being in the forest or mountains, I feel about grasslands (not that I don't also love forests and mountains). Being able to see wildness to the horizon in each direction is really appealing to me. It's terrifying, but in the good way.

Mongolia also has some cool wildlife. Przewalski's horse, the world's last wild horses, once extinct in the wild. Wild bactrian camels. The Gobi bear, a subspecies of brown bear native to the world's fastest growing desert, which seems insane to me. Pallas's cats. The Mongolian saiga, a crazy-looking antelope that I feel is my "spirit animal." And I even think just grass itself is way, way cooler than people give it credit for.

But the largest part of it is the culture. I feel drawn to real-life nomadism. There's something about a community that moves together.

I'm a researcher, and sort of by accident my focus has become the intersection of psychology and conservation. My big project last year was about what people think should qualify a species to be classified as "endangered" and where those attitudes come from. Mongolia is a country with a relatively new government and a lot of unusual environmental issues (insanely rapid foreign investment in mining, terrible air pollution in the capital, the world's fastest growing desert, an average annual temperature increase of double the world's average, etc.). I think, coincidentally, I have a skillset where I could be useful in Mongolia. I'm applying for a grant that would help me explore what kinds of environmental policy Mongolians would like to see. My odds of getting it are much better if I can demonstrate some basic language skills.

Sorry. That ended up being a long rambly answer.
 

 

Thanks for sharing. That's actually really cool, and a pretty awesome set of reasons to learn Mongolian.

 

When I was in grad school (Genetics and Evolution) one of the profs in my department (same floor/lab space even) was breeding Przewalski horses on his little hobby farm as part of the conservation effort.

[Mudd]

7 hours ago, Chris Tarly said:

When I was in grad school (Genetics and Evolution) one of the profs in my department (same floor/lab space even) was breeding Przewalski horses on his little hobby farm as part of the conservation effort.

That's super cool!

[Mudd]

Update!

 

Mal (Sleeping/Reading)
Back on track here. The plan is lights out by midnight, and the worst night this week I had the light off by 12:16am, so that's basically a win. The average was actually a couple minutes before midnight. I didn't always start reading by 10pm, but I also did a lot of reading outside of my scheduled time. I read the first trade of a few things I wanted to try out - Rat Queens, Moon Knight (Lemire run), East of West (which I haven't finished yet). I finally got around to reading World War Hulk. I also read the first issue of Captain America and a few chapters of the Firefly novel I've been working through.
 

Zoë (Core)

Haven't missed a day this week! Boom!

 

Wash (Running)

I ran three times this week, so success there. I tried to do 8 miles last Sunday, which I probably should have realized was ridiculous considering how hard it was when I did a 10k not that long ago. I finished it, but most of it was a walk/run. My run yesterday was interval training, which has historically been really good at getting my speed up. Hopefully I see results from it tomorrow.

 

Kaylee (Fix my bike)

This is still on the To Do list.

Jayne (Strength-training)

I made a plan and stuck to it. I managed 7 consecutive pull-ups (up from a max of 5 before). My habits about this weren't great before this week, so I'm kind of surprised I've made any progress. I haven't checked my max push-ups in a while, so that's probably something I should do this coming week.
 

Inara (Music, specifically banjo)

Sadly, I couldn't find a way to fix my old banjo. Fortunately it was still under coverage, so I got it replaced. The new one arrived in the mail a couple days ago. I spent yesterday getting it tuned. I haven't really put in a good practice session yet, but at least I finally have a banjo I can practice on.

Book (Diet)

There's still pressure from my friend to be bad about my diet, but I've successfully resisted. We got pizza yesterday, and he was bummed when I only ate two slices and saved the rest. We planned to make strawberry shortcake today, which I figured into my diet, but when he went to the store this morning, he also picked up a pack of cinnamon rolls (which are a favorite of mine). There's no way for me to have leftover pizza AND strawberry shortcake AND cinnamon rolls, so I passed on them, which he was bummed by. I've been sticking to my calorie limits, and, outside of today, I've been good about eating lots of veggies.

 

Simon (Studying. Specifically Mongolian)

At my lesson this week it became clear that my vocabulary is much worse off than my sense of grammar. I picked up some flashcards, but I haven't actually made them yet. I've kept up with assigned homework though.

River (Dance)
The plan is to do it once a week, and I haven't done it once yet.

[juliebarkley]

Your last update sounded like you had a very successful week! How did last week treat you?

 

On 7/4/2020 at 8:16 PM, Mudd said:

At my lesson this week it became clear that my vocabulary is much worse off than my sense of grammar. I picked up some flashcards, but I haven't actually made them yet.

Have you tried Anki? It's free, and fantastic for spaced repetition vocab memorizing. You just have that little bit of a learning curve to learn how to make the cards the way you want them and you're away! Or (though making your own is better) there are some premade decks for Mongolian as well.

[Mudd]

Clearly, I have not been good about updating. The challenge itself has actually been going pretty well, though.

 

Mal (Sleeping/Reading)
I've only had one late night in the last couple of weeks. I think I've basically successfully formed a good habit here.
 

Zoë (Core)

I was consistent for so long, but then I only did it about every other day for the last week. I've switched to a harder workout, which is good. As long as I don't let my skipping become a pattern, I'm in an okay place here.

 

Wash (Running)

My ipod shuffle broke, so I haven't done as many HIIT days as I wanted, but I've been I've been super consistent about running. I allow myself a day off every 2 weeks, and I haven't used one in a while. But that's probably because I haven't done a HIIT day or a longer run in awhile. My goal was to be able to do my 3.16-mile route in 28 minutes, and I've been stuck at 29. We'll see if I can lose that last minute this week.

 

Kaylee (Fix my bike)

I'm actually putting this on hold. I fixed my bike enough for it to be rideable. I'll be moving in a week and a half, and it'll be easier to do the rest of the fix at the new place, so I'm saving it for then.

Jayne (Strength-training)

I've been super good about it. I'm at 9 consecutive pull-ups (if I do pull-ups before other arm stuff), and I'm shooting for 10. I hit 50 consecutive push ups. I've added some elastic work and some dips. I've been bench pressing half my bodyweight, which I feel pretty good about considering I'd never done a bench press before this challenge. Before I move (and lose access to some home gym equipment), I might ask my buddy to spot me so I can check my max.

 

Inara (Music, specifically banjo)

I've practiced, but not as consistently as I'd like.

Book (Diet)

I set what I thought was a pretty moderate calorie goal, aiming to lose 1 pound a week (averaged over a few weigh-ins). For a few weeks in a row it was closer to 2 pounds, which I think makes it harder to also be gaining muscle. I adjusted my goal up 200 calories a day, but then my weight loss totally stalled for a week (technically I gained a tiny amount). I've recently adjusted back down to 2000, and now I'm losing 2 pounds/week again. The math doesn't seem to work out, so I'm not totally sure what to think. Maybe my calorie counting just wasn't as consistent as I thought? I guess I'll go back up 100 calories a day and see what happens.

The only reason I'm worried about losing weight too quickly is that I want to keep making solid progress with my strength goals. I have been making progress, but pull-ups and push ups are bodyweight-based, so I wonder how much of my progress is just from losing bodyweight, not actually gaining muscle.

 

Simon (Studying. Specifically Mongolian)

I'm applying for a grant to conduct a research project in Mongolia. I drafted a letter in Mongolian and went over it with my tutor. I actually reached out to a second tutor, to get a second opinion, just to make sure I was translating everything I wanted to say in the best possible way. The letter is to a contact at a university in Mongolia who I would want to write a letter of affiliation for me (which I need for the grant application). This is probably the thing going on in my life that I'm the most excited about. I think the grant is a longshot, but it feels really good to have something to put hope in. It's probably also good for my Mongolian to talk to another Mongolian, hear another accent, and have things explained in another way.

River (Dance)
Haven't done it once yet. I'm failing you, River.

[oromendur]

On 7/21/2020 at 10:39 AM, Mudd said:

River (Dance)
Haven't done it once yet. I'm failing you, River.

 

Dude, I feel this. Zoom classes really aren't the same (sigh).

 

There's always this: https://twitter.com/i/status/1277575769036857345

[Ann of Owlshire]

You’re doing great! And that grant to study Mongolian sounds awesome.

 

I always measure my challenges by “did this challenge inspire me to do more than if I hadn’t done one?” The answer is usually yes XD 

[Mudd]

On 7/23/2020 at 10:02 PM, oromendur said:

 

Dude, I feel this. Zoom classes really aren't the same (sigh).

 

There's always this: https://twitter.com/i/status/1277575769036857345

This is so inspiring! That's amazing!

[Mudd]

Alright, here's my final assessment of how well I did:

Mal (Sleep and Leisure Reading)
I consistently went to bed by midnight, often earlier (I think there was only one exception). I didn't always start reading by 10pm, but I did A LOT more leisure reading than I normally do, including a lot of unscheduled reading time, so I feel pretty good about that too. I still have a few pages left of The Magnificent Nine (a Firefly novel), but I read a lot of other good things. I guess I know I could have pushed myself a little harder, but I definitely succeeded in creating some better habits. I'm giving myself a B+ here.

Zoë (Core)
This was a consistent habit for so long, but I started missing a few days at the end. I did switch to a much harder routine though. I'd give myself a B on this one.

Wash (Running)
I just barely hit my goal of doing my regular route (3.16 miles) in 28 minutes (and some seconds, this time a lot of seconds, but I conveniently don't track those). I also did attempt an 8-mile run, though it involved much more walking than I'd hoped. I exceeded my goal of five runs every two weeks. The intent was to schedule three runs a week and allow myself to bail on one run every other week, but I never wanted to bail, so that's pretty awesome. I didn't get in all of the interval sprinting training that I wanted, but that's because my shuffle (which I use to know when to sprint) was on the fritz, so I'm not going to feel too bad about it. I'm going to give myself an A here.

Kaylee (Fix my bike)
I did enough to keep my bike rideable, but I didn't address the bigger issue I want to address (which somehow feels in the spirit of Firefly). But I put this on hold because I knew it would be easier to address where I'm moving to next week. I think I have to give myself a D here, but I don't feel too terrible about it.

 

Jayne (Strength-training)

I succeeded at being able to do 50 consecutive push-ups, which blows my mind. When I started working on this earlier this year, I'm not sure I could do 15. The form was even mostly pretty strict. I also just barely hit my goal of being able to do 10 pull-ups, but I don't feel nearly as good about the form. I kept up with the bicep curls and added dips, bench press, and some elastic work for my shoulders. Jayne is probably my least favorite character (though I love not liking him), so I'm almost bummed he gets the A+.

Inara (Music, specifically banjo)
The fix was harder than expected, and I ended up having to replace the whole banjo. I only ended up practicing a couple times though. I'm giving myself a D on this one too, which I feel a little worse about because I don't think I have a good excuse.

Book (Diet)
I stuck to my calorie and macro goals pretty consistently in the face of pressure to cheat from the buddy I'm living with, so I'm calling this one an A+ too.
 

Simon (Studying. Specifically Mongolian)
This one is hard to grade because my goal shifted. For starters, I switched textbooks. I drafted a pretty good professional letter in Mongolian. I ended up scheduling a couple extra lessons, which both turned out great. I started more concretely developing my vocab list and building flashcards to work on it. I made some progress getting some Mongolian media so I can get my ear used to listening to the language. That's all stuff I feel good about. But ultimately I'm just not making the progress I want to be making. My tutor says my biggest barrier right now is adding to my vocabulary, which I could definitely spend more time practicing. Sadly, I think I can only give myself a C with this. This is probably the grade I'm most bummed about (same as with last challenge).

River (Dance)
Total fail. F minus minus. But it also wasn't a challenge that was very important to me, so I'm not too heart-broken. Maybe next time, River.