Scaly Freak attempts to lift things again

[Scaly Freak]

Despair is not a talkative opponent, which suits Scalyfreak just fine since talking would be a waste of energy she cannot afford to spend right now. Since springing her ambush on Scalyfreak, Despair has hounded her, hunted her, and refused to let up for hours. Breathing seems to take a lot more effort than it used to, and Scalyfreak has long since come to the conclusion that facing the beast head on is not a wise strategy. 

 

Running from it helps, for a short while, but it is gradually becoming clear that Despair has both speed and stamina, and is determined to catch her. Fleeing then, while normally a great tactic, is not one that seems to work with this enemy.

 

Very well. There is a third option.

 

Scalyfreak puts on a burst of speed, dives around a corner of the winding path, and veers off it into the under brush. Behind a large tree she stops, climbs as far she can get in a burst of speed, and unloads her backpack, shield, helm, and every other item that is not absolutely necessary to carry right now. And then she descends to the ground again, quietly, while keeping an eye on the large monster that has stopped to sniff the ground around the winding path, searching for her.

 

One deep breath, two deep breaths. Three, and hold… and lift the bow, draw back the string, and let the arrow fly.

 

Despair roars in pain and rage, and comes charging straight towards the spot the arrow came from, only to find nothing. The monster sniffs around again, finds the direction Scalyfreak sprinted off in, and follows. And Scalyfreak stops, spins around and fires another arrow, then immediately ducks under a low branch, and keeps running towards deeper forest with darker shadows to hide in.

 

 

This challenge is going to be very simple, for many reasons. I’m staying with the format of primary and secondary goals, but this time the secondary ones are going to be the tools that allow me to meet the primary challenge goal.

 

Primary goal: Survive the Flood

The water damage ordeal in the kitchen continues. Contractors removed everything from the kitchen on July 7, everything in this context meaning, floor cabinets, counters, flooring, wall back splash tiles, and then placed large loud fans in the kitchen to dry everything out. We have the fridge in the living room for now, and have not been able to actually prepare food since this happened. The new floor was installed a few days ago, but the rebuild is going to take at least this entire challenge period. This kitchen situation, and everything that comes with it, became the last drop that caused the anxiety in the mental health cup to flood everything around it.

 

Survival means getting my mental health back to low anxiety levels. I have a new therapist who will help me with this, and who has given me a homework assignment to work on between sessions.

 

Secondary goal: Exercise regularly

Yes, we are back at the point where regular workouts are not happening and need to become a challenge goals. One of the reasons this has happened is the lack of barbell access. I have put a lot of thought into the reasons I miss the barbells so much, and it has become obvious to me that the biggest reason is that they were my anxiety medication. Without them, the Flame burns far brighter. New Therapist has told me she wants me to put effort and thoughts into identifying what specific aspect of the barbell lifting it was that quelled the Flame. Once I know that, she wants me to start thinking about ways to recreate that aspect in my new normal that doesn’t have gym access. While I work on these thought tasks, I might as well start lifting my adjustable dumbbells again. Actual details on this goal will be figured out as I go.

 

 

Side-quests triggered by regular exercise:

 

1. Get more sleep! Insomnia destroys lifting stamina and strength. Dealing with newbie DOMS is bad enough, I don't need to make things worse for myself by sleeping an average of 4-5 hours per night.

 

2. Drink more water! I need to drink water regularly throughout the day, and not wait until I'm parched mid-workout to start chugging as if I'm a camel preparing for a long desert hike.

 

 

And I have decided that since I have to wear masks anyway, I might as well make a thing out of it. Spoiler because large picture.

 

Spoiler

 

[juliebarkley]

Following of course!

 

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

The new floor was installed a few days ago, but the rebuild is going to take at least this entire challenge period.

Fingers crossed you will end up with something useable before the end of the challenge.

 

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Yes, we are back at the point where regular workouts are not happening and need to become a challenge goals.

*nods* Yes, I feel this.

 

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

And I have decided that since I have to wear masks anyway, I might as well make a thing out of it.

Mask #3 is the nerdiest mask ever.

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

 

Mask #3 is the nerdiest mask ever.

 

That one is mine. The two on the right are for Husband, and I claimed the antisocial one and the computer geek.  

[WhiteGhost]

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

7 hours ago, juliebarkley said:

Mask #3 is the nerdiest mask ever.

 

That one is mine.

I had to look it up, but it is now my all time favorite mask I have ever seen

[Mad Hatter]

Hah, nice masks!

[Jean]

Following. Sending peaceful thoughts for the mess in the kitchen and the lack of barbells. That's a lot of disruption you're going through, take care and cultivate your inner peace.

[Renate]

Welcome back  (even though I am not a warrior, it just felt like the right thing to say  )

 

Following, and also thinking of you. Looking forward to finished kitchen pictures

 

[Tobbe]

Seriously, those masks! Love them all ❤️ Especially the text-only ones 🤣

[KB Girl]

Welcome back to the warriors. A good place for that assignment- I am very interested in hearing your thoughts on it

 

[miss_marissa]

Those masks are too funny!

[Scaly Freak]

There is a person downstairs who is rebuilding things... I hope this means the cabinets and counters will be back today.  

[Scaly Freak]

I was right! 😄

 

 

[Mike Wazowski]

Here, and so happy I don't have to remember to check over in the Druids for ya - so glad to see the kitchen rebuild is coming along!

[Scaly Freak]

Very detail-free challenge update:

 

Primary goal: Survive the Flood

No visible progress since the last picture, but someone from the granite/stone company has visited and measured the surface area the granite counters need to cover. Now they need to order the granite and shape it (cut it?) and polish and all that, and that apparently takes a week.

 

Husband continues to be awesome and make this easier for me, most recently by spending half a day researching and locating a temporary home for us while the floors are being re-varnished. The home-away-from home has been booked, the booking confirmed, as well as formal confirmation that bringing one dog and two cats with us will be perfectly fine. The additional pet fees charged are considerably less than it would have cost us to board them, and we prefer to have them with us anyway.

 

Secondary goal: Exercise regularly

No exercise has been done yet. I have been looking around for a good dumbbell program and immediately hit analysis paralysis. Suggestions are welcome! Please.

[Defining]

1 hour ago, Scaly Freak said:

The additional pet fees charged are considerably less than it would have cost us to board them, and we prefer to have them with us anyway.

I have never thought of it like that...but you are 100% right

[Scaly Freak]

53 minutes ago, Defining said:

I have never thought of it like that...but you are 100% right

 

$15 per pet, per night, takes us to an additional $45 per night to have all three of them with us. Where we live, we'd have to pay that much to board just one of them, and they're even more stressed about the kitchen than we are... so this is much better for everyone involved.

[KB Girl]

http://jencomas.com/dumbbell-domination-workout-program/

 

Maybe? I haven't seen the program.. but Jen Comas is really awesome so it must also be awesome. 

 

And glad you found a place. It's never good to be separated from your babies. 

[Scaly Freak]

Maybe... I am by nature reluctant to pay for workout programs, but paying for it would make it more likely that I stick with it.

 

Thank you for the link! I will research Jen Comas (not very familiar with her) and the program at some point this evening or tomorrow. (Though if @KB Girl says she is awesome, that part of the research will be quick and easy ) 

[Mike Wazowski]

I feel like @miss_marissa had a good DB program she was using at one point? Or I may be making that up completely and confusing her with someone else.

 

Either way, glad you're able to take a short break from your live-in construction site!

[h3r0]

Check out the Darbee Ironborn program. It is DB and free. 

[Scaly Freak]

3 hours ago, h3r0 said:

Check out the Darbee Ironborn program. It is DB and free. 

 

I know Darebee! I've used to do their no-equipment workouts during business trip, back in the pre-pandemic days. I had completely forgotten they had dumbbell workouts, I will definitely look into that. Thanks!

 

Also checking out online reviews of the Dumbbell Domination program, and will compare to see what looks most fun.

[KB Girl]

20 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

 

Maybe... I am by nature reluctant to pay for workout programs, but paying for it would make it more likely that I stick with it.

 

Because there is so much free stuff out there? 

[Scaly Freak]

59 minutes ago, KB Girl said:

Because there is so much free stuff out there? 

 

There is, but I am too lazy to seek it out and sift through the vast number of offerings for what I need. I prefer being given starting points, like Darebee, or Jen Comas (which led me to Girls Gone Strong), or similar.

[Defining]

Have you looked at Strong Curves at all? These are the workout templates, I think you'd only need a couple of substitutions for a complete DB and resistance band routine: https://www.scribd.com/document/248743910/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates

 

You can also buy the book and mark it up, if that's your style.

[Scaly Freak]

 

2 hours ago, Defining said:

Have you looked at Strong Curves at all? These are the workout templates, I think you'd only need a couple of substitutions for a complete DB and resistance band routine: https://www.scribd.com/document/248743910/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates

 

You can also buy the book and mark it up, if that's your style.

 

Thank you, but after how he treated his wife (now ex-wife), I'm not really interested in touching anything by Bret Contreras, not even for free. Ew. (Google his name followed by "abuse" if you are interested in details.)