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Chris-Tien and the 5 Colleges of Strixhaven


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I've decided to embrace RangerBrain and enjoy some variety as well as maintain a consistent core of practice.

 

Base:

  1. Log food and activity in WW's app
  2. Do SOME sort of workout daily
  3. Participate in the NF Walking challenge

 

All of the base goals are on a spectrum of success, and any activity that is an improvement on the slough of despair and inaction will count as success.

 

Fun:  The Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos is the inspiration for daily activities and/or study.  Every day, I'll do something that would fit within the focus of the 5 Strixhaven University colleges.  More about that will emerge as the challenge progresses, but I will be taking a pottery class (throwing on the wheel) during the challenge.  

 

Since this is a fairly light semester, I MAY also write some fanfiction as I go.  

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Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

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Weekly Progress Tracking

 

Legend

 

Logging nutrition: 🟣 = stayed within daily points, 🔵 = stayed in the WW recommended zone, 🟢 = stayed in weekly buffer, 👩🏻‍💻 = hey, at least I logged!!

Activity:  💚 = 1+ hour and/or 10K steps, 💛 = 45+ minutes of activity, 🧡 = 20+ minutes of activity, ❤️ = hey, at least I got a walk and didn't stay on the 🛋️🤒 = sick in bed

Walking: 🥾 = hiked or rucked, 🚶🏻‍♀️= walked, 🏃‍♀️= ran, 🧟‍♀️= did Zombies, Run! episode

College activities: I'll work at getting creative with the emojis!!

 

Week 0

Nutrition: 🟢 🔵 🟢 🟣 🟢 🟢 🟣
Activity: 💚 💛 💚 💚 💚 🧡 🧡
Walking: - - 🧟‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🧟‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶‍♀️
College:  🪴👩‍🏫 🖋️ 🧶 🧶 🧶 🎮

 

Week 1

Nutrition:  🟢 🟣 🔵 🔵 🔵 🟣 🟢

Activity: 💚 💚 🧡 💚 💚 💚 💚

Walking: 🥾 🚶‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️ 🧟‍♀️ 🚶🏻‍♀️🧟‍♀️🚶‍♀️

College:  🌳🪴 📗 📗 📗 🐦 📗

 

Week 2

Nutrition: 🟢 🔵 🟢 🔵 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

Activity:  💚 💚 🧡 🧡 🧡 🧡 🧡

Walking: 🧟‍♀️ 🚶‍♀️ 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️ 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️

College: 🪴 👩‍🏫 🏺🛋️ 👩‍🏫 📗

 

Week 3

Nutrition: 👩🏻‍💻 🔵  🟣 🟣 🟣 🔵

Activity:  💚  💚 💚 💛 🧡 🧡 💚

Walking: 🥾 🥁🚶‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🧟‍♀️

College: 🪴 👩‍🏫 🧶 🧶🧶🧶

 

 

  • Like 2

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

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“The dragons say that they won’t help us …. “ Jorge sighed as he tossed the parchment onto his desk and leaned back in his chair, a sour expression twisting his otherwise handsome face.

 

Privately, I couldn’t blame whoever he had consulted.  Size was the only physical difference between the white dragon preying on Phandalin and the great metallic dragons who were our sometimes-allies.  If we found the cache of weapons and armor that Lady Alagondar had hidden more than a century ago, someone could target dragons other than Cyrovain.  

 

Resolve hardened the paladin’s face as he sat forward and reached for a fresh piece of parchment.  “I’m sending you to Strixhaven ….”

 

I drew a quick breath to protest, but he cut me off before I could remind him that I was not technically under his command … and that I never wanted to set foot on the university campus again in my life.

 

“No, I know you have your reasons, but that was a long time ago.”  Jorge glared at me for a moment before he continued speaking and writing.  “Lives are at stake, and they are our best resource for obscure information. Besides which …” he continued with studied carelessness, “ … you can take Khrum with you.”  

 

I snorted at the mention of the bard who would be a wizard.  “He doesn’t seem to be able to make it there on his own, that’s for sure.”  After the trip to the logger’s camp, and the fight with the ankhegs, Khrum had returned with the rest of the party, remaining nearly as close to my side as Shep.  

 

Jorge handed me the document he had written, and I skimmed it quickly.  It was a letter of introduction for both me and Khrum.  “You are making me a ‘visiting scholar’ at Witherbloom?”  

 

“You’ll have no official duties, but you can access any of the university’s libraries in order to do research.  Find the location of the dragon slayer weapons.  And while  you’re at it, find out what that necklace you’re wearing so casually actually does.”

 

My hand reached to the talisman under my tunic as I glanced over at a lazy Shep, lying peacefully in front of the fire.  As if in response, she lifted her head for a moment, thumping her tail against the floor a few times before lying back down.  I secretly suspected I knew the answer, but the commander was right.  I should know the provenance of a magic item before relying on it. 

  • Like 3

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment

Today, I walked in the morning before work.  I'm not usually a morning walker ... coffee is much more to my taste.  

 

Screen-Shot-2020-06-06-at-4.12.25-PM-800

 

After work, I ran on the treadmill, starting week 7 of the Zombies, Run! 5K training program.  Getting close to the dreaded 20 minute run.  

 

 

  • Like 3

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

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15 hours ago, Waanie said:

Anyway, did you like the morning walk?

 

Yea, the walk was good.  It feels good to have accomplished something and not have to make sure to remember to fit it in later.  

  • Like 2

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment

Today, the walk was split into 6 sessions of 10 minutes for the #NerdFitnessWalkingChallenge.  Mostly, today's workout was focused on strength training ... still favoring the left knee, but I joined the CrossFit peeps in the gym and did my own thing.  

 

For the fun "extra" bit, I am knitting.  Currently, I am working on some placemats so that I can start tackling knitting for baby ....

  • Like 4

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment

Week 0 is going well as I'm gearing up for the challenge.   I think keeping it super simple is going to work.  

 

The walking challenge is helping to keep a sense of accountability and momentum.  Week 7 of Zombies, Run! 5K training isn't too hard, which is deceptive because Week 8 is a huge step up in difficulty.  

 

I've been eating well and actually have hit (at least once) the end-of-the-month goal (156).  We had grilled hot dogs tonight, which eats up a lot of points.  I had a good buffer, which is not yet exhausted, but I need to be more careful tomorrow.  Friday .... hum .... probably no beer.  

 

  • Like 4

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment

Friday's Theme .....

 

image.png.a7400fe04cb6596c8bc35c0907a0e4dc.png

 

It was not a complete disaster on the workout and diet front, but I definitely was in the red zone in terms of self-care. 

 

Lunch was hijacked by students and fellow faculty members who just had a "quick question" .... and before you know it, lunch was over.  I do keep Soylent shakes in the office for just such a day, however.  So, I got something, but each one is 1/2 day's worth of points.    We had planned for pizza for dinner at a favorite restaurant, and had planned to skip the beer.  But I caved when we were there and drank a beer.  I should have listened to my hunger signals and therefore eaten less pizza.  But the "clean plate club" impulses won out.  I stuck to  the principle of logging no matter what the points are ... and have a buffer of 6 left.    

 

Coming down with a cold, but I did get in 40 minutes of walking by parking the car far, far away from my office.  

 

 

  • Like 2
  • Sad 1

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment
On 9/5/2022 at 12:18 PM, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

Week 0

Nutrition: 🟢 🔵 🟢 🟣 🟢 🟢 🟣
Activity: 💚 💛 💚 💚 💚 🧡 🧡
Walking: - - 🧟‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🧟‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️🚶‍♀️
College:  🪴👩‍🏫 🖋️ 🧶 🧶 🧶 🎮

 

So, Week 0 ended well.  I was not feeling great .... coldish .... so I didn't eat much and managed to increase the point buffer for the week.  Since we had a rainy day, I ate soup for lunch and dinner.  

 

I got in a 20-minute walk in between rain episodes.  We've had some nice, steady rainfalls, and it has made such a difference in everyone's yard.  

 

star-wars-rey.gif

 

Not feeling perky, I spent some time researching how to play a new character in Skyrim again.   When I took some time to improve gear and potions, I didn't die so easily.  There must be a life lesson somewhere in that.  

  • Like 3

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment

My scale's battery is losing power, and I am considering letting it die.  Maybe put in a new battery at the end of the challenge and see how well I did???  Could be interesting in a Scroedinger's Cat experiment kind of way.  I tend to let myself eat more when the scale's reading is "good" ..... what would my behavior be if I didn't know??  I'd have to stick to the points values, wouldn't I??

 

Sunday was lovely here.  We have early fall weather, although looking at the forecast, summer is coming back by mid-week.  So, hubby and I went hiking in the morning.  Great day to be outside on the trails.

 

We usually go out to a particular restaurant, but we decided to change that habit.  The menu doesn't change, but the service has become so slow.  In short, we realized that we are not enjoying it as much, and it is not worth the calories.  So, we enjoyed our "made ahead" foods and the backyard.  For dinner, we had grilled veggie burgers and local corn on the cob.  It might be another couple of weeks before the local sweet corn is gone ... so enjoying while we can.  

 

Exercise was just hiking and some gardening.   I might have overdone it on gardening ... my back is really stiff this morning.  Hopefully, it will work out before Pound class.  

 

This week's college focus is Witherbloom College, which focuses on the natural world.  I've lined up a book my daughter gave me on bird behavior while we watch the migrations gradually begin.  

 

image.png.732682bbf4cf1074c9fc981118920dd9.png

 

 

  • Like 3

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment
On 9/12/2022 at 1:57 PM, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

My scale's battery is losing power, and I am considering letting it die.  Maybe put in a new battery at the end of the challenge and see how well I did???  Could be interesting in a Scroedinger's Cat experiment kind of way.  I tend to let myself eat more when the scale's reading is "good" ..... what would my behavior be if I didn't know??  I'd have to stick to the points values, wouldn't I??

This sounds like an interesting experiment to do :). Do you still have similar weight-fluctuations as before menopause, or is your weight more consistent now? Eating more on a "good" day if you have heavy fluctuations sounds like a recipe for less progress 😅.

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11 hours ago, Waanie said:

Do you still have similar weight-fluctuations as before menopause, or is your weight more consistent now?

 

My weight definitely seems to swing up and down more post-menopause, except that I seem to have a set-point at 156.  I'm hoping to move that sweet spot to a lower point and figure out the habits that will keep me there.  

 

Pound class was a bit too ambitious on Monday.  So, I just walked yesterday and did my Zombies, Run! 5K training training run this evening.  Finished week 7!!!  Ideally, I'll do strength training tomorrow.  

 

 

  • Like 2

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment
On 9/12/2022 at 4:57 AM, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

I've lined up a book my daughter gave me on bird behavior while we watch the migrations gradually begin.  

 

That sounds interesting!

  • Like 1

Wisdom 22.5   Dexterity 13   Charisma 15   Strength 21  Constitution-13

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27

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On 9/14/2022 at 9:40 PM, Elastigirl said:

That sounds interesting!

 

It is actually really good.  I skim over a bit of the chemistry, but the author is doing a good job of explaining at an accessible level.   The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent  by Danielle Whittaker.   I'm watching the hummingbirds chasing visiting birds away from their favorite feeders and wonder about their perceptions now.  Surprisingly, the hummers are often chasing away much larger warblers when they show interest in the nectar feeders.  

 

Today, I did Week 8 Day 1 of Zombies, Run! 5K training.  The first 20 minute run is DONE!!  

 

 

 

 

  • Like 2

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

 I'm watching the hummingbirds chasing visiting birds away from their favorite feeders and wonder about their perceptions now.  Surprisingly, the hummers are often chasing away much larger warblers when they show interest in the nectar feeders.  

Hummingbirds are very territorial, and actually kind of mean. They look so sweet, but don't mess with them when they are eating!

  • Like 3

Wisdom 22.5   Dexterity 13   Charisma 15   Strength 21  Constitution-13

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27

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9 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Hummingbirds are very territorial, and actually kind of mean. They look so sweet, but don't mess with them when they are eating!

 

I've been chased out of their territories.  Visiting my mom in AZ, I'd run by the water canals where they liked to nest ... good for speed work!!!

  • Like 1

Level 63 Human ... Oath of Ancients Paladin

"We are better than we know, if we can be made to see it, [then] for the rest of our lives, we'll be unwilling to settle for less."  - Kurt Hahn

STR: 14 | DEX: 14| CON: 17 | INT: 17 | WIS: 17 | CHA: 14

 

The SIde Tracked Quest (rough draft)

 

 

Link to comment
12 hours ago, Elastigirl said:

Hummingbirds are very territorial, and actually kind of mean. They look so sweet, but don't mess with them when they are eating!

When I was growing up we loved watching the air-to-air combat as they fought over our feeder. They got used to us so that if we sat still while on the porch they would still come up and feed.

  • Like 3

Current Challenge

"By the Most-Righteous-and-Blessed Beard of Sir Tanktimus the Encourager!" - Jarl Rurik Harrgath

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