[MaeradCase]

Happy New Year, Rebels!

 

I will be challenging myself to give attention to the four aspects of my own activities in the same way that my story needs to have some balanced perspective of its four protagonists.

 

Barbarian/Ekaterina: ⚡🌩🌥☀

I need to be doing my bodyweight exercises because I want to continue improving my strength before the time comes for my efforts to be rewarded with my original long-term goal of buying a bike.

 

Ranger/Varsha: 🌳🌿🌱🍃

I need to keep a daily activity level going as well so it's not as hard to get up and do my exercises on my body weight exercise days. I know I don't want to walk, but maybe I can do more GMB movement exercises to improve my mobility.

 

Wizard/Paige:  📚📕📖📋

I have written a book that must undergo my own scrutiny and revision before it's ready for sharing with outsiders for spotting problems I'm too close to see. I want to use the first long weekend to read it for the first time like a reader who's seen nothing but a back-cover synopsis. Fingers crossed that I'll find a lot to love about it. 🤞

 

Artificer/Alidavai:  🛠🔧🔨📏

I have crafts that are partly done, and I want to give them time and attention in order to make progress and potentially finish them. This includes the rainbow scarf which now has about 75-80% of a skein left to add, the next bite of my pixel quilt for which I need to prepare the four nibbles' pieces, a drawing of Ekaterina that's been waiting nearly three months for me to continue coloring it, and a Vox Machina puzzle I got for Cidran that I suggested we should do together the next time the table gets cleared. I want to pick up one of these tasks every night instead of getting stuck on my phone.

 

I've got four emojis for each so I can attribute a rating of 0%, 50%, 100%, and 110% when I go above and beyond. (Why are the barbarian's emojis stormy weather? Because she's a storm aura barbarian! 😃)

 

That sums up my goals for this challenge. I'm excited about this, and hope my guild choices inspire others I've seen use these five-week challenges for non-athletic goals. 😉

 

Thanks for your company and support in this coming year!

Sincerely,

Maerad 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following. 

[Everstorm]

2 hours ago, MaeradCase said:

instead of getting stuck on my phone

Love this goal!  Following 😊

[Artemis Prime]

This is excellent. Following!

[Sovalis]

Fabulous! Here to cheer! 🥳🎉

[MaeradCase]

6 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following. 

Yay! Thanks!

 

6 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Love this goal!  Following 😊

Thank you! The book of faces is a trap for me. 😅

 

5 hours ago, Artemis Prime said:

This is excellent. Following!

Thank you kindly!

 

4 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Fabulous! Here to cheer! 🥳🎉

Yay! Glad you're here!

[Everstorm]

1 hour ago, MaeradCase said:

The book of faces is a trap for me

Yes!  And I don't even know why.  It's just deathscrolling when I would prefer to do something else

[Sovalis]

16 minutes ago, Everstorm said:

Yes!  And I don't even know why.  It's just deathscrolling when I would prefer to do something else

Hard same. I'm trying to break it, but I need a different fix to transfer to. This place is becoming it. 😅

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

9 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Yes!  And I don't even know why.  It's just deathscrolling when I would prefer to do something else

It's almost like they designed it that way...

[MaeradCase]

10 hours ago, Everstorm said:

Yes!  And I don't even know why.  It's just deathscrolling when I would prefer to do something else

TikTok had me, too. I deleted the app, and sometimes I miss the content from the nerdy side I followed, but I don't miss the scrolling.

 

10 hours ago, Sovalis said:

Hard same. I'm trying to break it, but I need a different fix to transfer to. This place is becoming it. 😅

Keeping NF forums open on my tabs, but logging out and closing FB is my only life hack. It doesn't keep me from opening FB, but it does slow me down enough that I can pocket my phone.

 

59 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

It's almost like they designed it that way...

 

... But for real, they totally did.

[MaeradCase]

Barbarian: ☀☀

Ranger: 🍃🌱🍃🌱

Wizard: 📋📖📖📚

Artificer: 🛠🔧🔧

 

Taking it easy challenge-wise week 0 to recover from the cold, but I've done GMB hip exercises twice this week. I'm gonna count reading books as a 50% effort on wizarding - 100% is when it's my book. (Today is printing day, so I'll be able to read it this weekend! I'm giving myself 110% in advance because I'll be doing that special and important step. 😉)

I have done more scarf crocheting this week. I don't know how I could manage to get 50% on crafting, but if I'm being really indecisive I could set a timer and do a thing for a small amount of time? Monday was a finished project step since my quilt project is modular enough to have lots of steps to complete. Unfortunately, they also feel daunting some times. 😅

 

It doesn't feel like Thursday. And I don't feel like moving. I'm glad I did the hip exercises, though. I can barely remember Monday's existence, and I feel like I'm going downhill in condition. Not looking forward to saying anything to customers today. 😥

 

I'll make a lemon-honey brew. Hopefully that and breakfast and medicine go a long way to helping me.

 

Thanks for being here!

Sincerely,

Maerad

[Salinger]

Hey! Here to offer support ❤️

 

Lemon/honey brew sounds v good. I have sniffles, may do same xx

[Sovalis]

I hope the customers are easy to deal with and you start to feel better. May your honey brew be a Potion of Superior Healing. 💜

[MaeradCase]

8 hours ago, Salinger said:

Hey! Here to offer support ❤️

 

Lemon/honey brew sounds v good. I have sniffles, may do same xx

Had three doses of cider at work, too, but that stuff came out of a packet so I doubt its healing properties. 😂

 

7 hours ago, Sovalis said:

I hope the customers are easy to deal with and you start to feel better. May your honey brew be a Potion of Superior Healing. 💜

Seemed okay. Hoping to be better by tomorrow so this doesn't ruin my NYE plans.

 

Update on the goals:

 

Despite having a cold, I decided the best plan B after accidentally driving past the grocery store would be to walk to the grocery store. I did a mile for the whole trip there and back getting the chicken broth (only thing we forgot for the shepherd's pie ingredients list). I only chose to do so because the weather has warmed up to a tolerable temperature, otherwise I would've just driven the extra bit. 😅 I drank a whole glass of water, took my medicine, and sucked on a cough drop to prevent the symptoms from taking revenge. 😂 For doing a second exercise I'm taking 110% credit on Ranger goals today. 😉

 

10 hours ago, MaeradCase said:

Barbarian: ☀☀

Ranger: 🍃🌱🍃🌳

Wizard: 📋📖📖📚

Artificer: 🛠🔧🔧🔨

 

I did go get the first draft printed. It cost me $24 because I did the honorable thing and didn't print it at work or at home where ink scarcity is bothersome. 😅 Pretty excited to read that cool book by so-and-so! 😂 

 

I did a year's spread with my Tarot of the Divine cards by Yoshi Yoshitani. I did one last year with a different deck, and kept the results in a file on my phone, but I've carefully inscribed this spread into my tarot journal, and plan to revisit it with notes about how the months, quarters, and year go in regard to the spread's predictions.

 

That being done, I have the evening to spend with Cid. I'm gonna count it as partial credit for craftiness because I was being creative, but it didn't allow me to spend time with Cid at the same time. 

 

Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow. Ekaterina may aid me in my barbarian goals, or I'll stick with Varsha's ranger goals and just do some light stretches if I'm still suffering this cold. It's week 0, it's fine either way.

 

Thanks for being here!

Sincerely,

Maerad

[MaeradCase]

13 hours ago, MaeradCase said:

Barbarian: ☀☀🌩

Ranger: 🍃🌱🍃🌳🌿

Wizard: 📋📖📖📚📖

Artificer: 🛠🔧🔧🔨

 

Good morning. I did my bodyweight exercises this morning. I did 2 sets with 10-20 reps of everything. I consider that 100%.

 

I've added films Cid has bought to the digital catalogue I keep (I haven't maintained in a while). The shelves aren't alphabetized at the moment, so removing titles we've sold off is out of the question. I don't know that this task fits into wizardry...

 

 

Eh, I'll give myself 50%. 😉

 

Time to get ready for work. Medicine still being taken to fight off symptoms. Hoping my voice endures another full work day's strains.

 

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,

Maerad

[Salinger]

Hey ! Hoping you feel better soon ❤️

 

xx

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

On 12/30/2022 at 8:05 AM, MaeradCase said:

I don't know that this task fits into wizardry...

 

I always love watching the special effects in the Harry Potter films as everything cleans itself up .... or packs itself.  I'd say it's wizardly.  

 

(Hope you recover and feel better soon!)

[MaeradCase]

On 12/30/2022 at 8:47 AM, Salinger said:

Hey ! Hoping you feel better soon ❤️

 

xx

Honestly, the symptoms are still present, and I'm still foggy, but I do seem to be getting better. 😃

 

1 hour ago, Chris-Tien Jinn said:

I always love watching the special effects in the Harry Potter films as everything cleans itself up .... or packs itself.  I'd say it's wizardly.  

 

(Hope you recover and feel better soon!)

Fair enough. 😂 Honestly, it takes magic or a lot of effort to clean up a house that's well lived in. I was trying to clear up some coffee table space that the movies tend to occupy.

 

Good morning!

 

I took my evening meds at 7, and was drowsy enough to go to bed by 8:30. When the medicine wore off, I woke up at 1. I felt like that was stupid, so I rolled over, fell back to sleep, and woke up again at 2:30. So I decided I'd take the next dose of medicine. 😅

 

I was more alert than I wanted to be, and when I returned to bed, Cid had sprawled across the entirety of it... 😂 So I decided I could try reading my first pages by candlelight with the generous mental fog of sleepy-sick to help me skim past all the errors without too critical a mind. I managed 15 pages by the time Cid woke up at 4:00 and came to investigate. I was tired enough by that point that I crawled back in bed and slept til 8.

 

I made waffles, and we had taco omelettes (they would be better with bell pepper and/or olives, but taco meat and cheese is still good on its own) to finish off leftovers from tacos on Thursday. Cid showed me a cool game he got for me that is like the ice slidy puzzles in Pokemon where you can't change directions. I did 15 levels and stopped at a stopping point. 

 

I feel like doing more reading, and probably alternate with other things, too. Last night had no crafting. I played solitaire to sort through my tarot deck after the year spread I did the other night. (I prefer my decks to be put into order before putting the box away) I like to get glimpses of prediction from how the game plays out, and sometimes I get interesting combos.

 

Spoiler

For example, my suits all started with a ten card, and each ten card was followed by its queen before any other cards got duplicated.

 

Furthermore, my wands were last to be played, and they couldn't be played because the sword cards were interfering.

 

Lastly, the game finished with all cards in play (doesn't always happen), and each suit was capped with the final card being a three. 

 

So I took notes of 10s, queens, and 3s meanings and contemplate them as the significant outcome of the game.

 

After a bit of googling, I've determined that the solitaire game I play is "Osmosis Solitaire", though in my own mind it's the one my mom taught me that her mom taught her. I like using it for Tarot because it sorts by suit, making putting them away in order a little bit swifter.

 

Since my evening was spent on Solitaire, reading, and sleeping, I'll take a 50% artificer credit for the Tarot Solitaire. 😉 That calls it for week 0 since I don't tend to involve weekends in the challenge countings.

 

On 12/30/2022 at 8:05 AM, MaeradCase said:

Barbarian: ☀☀🌩

Ranger: 🍃🌱🍃🌳🌿

Wizard: 📋📖📖📚📖

Artificer: 🛠🔧🔧🔨🔨

 

Gonna go read my book now. 😉

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Sincerely,

Maerad

[Salinger]

Hey! What book are you reading? Sorry if you have told me already!

 

xx

[MaeradCase]

54 minutes ago, Salinger said:

Hey! What book are you reading? Sorry if you have told me already!

 

xx

Well, there's three at the moment:

 

Dragon's Milk - an old dragon series I remembered from when I was a kid, and decided to buy for myself as a Christmas present.

The Bear and the Nightingale - a highly recommended book that has been on my TBR list all year, and I decided to borrow it for reading at work.

Paper Cutting Edge - the book I drafted in November. I am ignoring all of the numerous typos that happened due to emphasis being on writing with no editing activity, and am reading through it for the first time to develop my first impression. Reading and editing it is my wizard challenge this month. 😃

[Artemis Prime]

14 minutes ago, MaeradCase said:

he Bear and the Nightingale - a highly recommended book that has been on my TBR list all year, and I decided to borrow it for reading at work.

Oh good choice, I really liked that one.

[MaeradCase]

Read 35 pages of my book today. Plan to read more tomorrow. Watched Fabelmans with Cid, and had friends over for dinner. I put a tiny wood puzzle together with my friend (she bought 4 tiny puzzles for me). So Saturday bonus points: 🛠📕

 

Happy new year! I'm going to bed a little earlier than midnight but far later than bedtime. Just took my medicine, and hoping the year starts off symptom free. 😅

[Salinger]

Hey!

 

Good job on the 35 pages wooooooo

 

Is that the film with Michelle Williams? Its on my list if so !

 

HNY my friend, hope you wake up feeling better xx

[MaeradCase]

6 hours ago, Salinger said:

Hey!

 

Good job on the 35 pages wooooooo

 

Is that the film with Michelle Williams? Its on my list if so !

 

HNY my friend, hope you wake up feeling better xx

Thanks! I'm reading more of it this morning. So far so good - I'm another 5 pages in.

 

It is the one with Michelle Williams. It was rather emotional, but I liked it very much. It was a well made semi-autobiography.

 

I do seem further recovered. My head is only mildly stuffy and my throat doesn't seem overused. Hopefully the last of the stuffiness is gone by the end of the day.

 

Happy new year.

[MaeradCase]

Sunday evening update:

 

I've read myself to page 76, and think it's about time for dinner, so I'm stopping again. I stopped earlier to take a crafty break. Cid and I watched Brothers Bloom while I crocheted. Zemi went madly after the yarn at one point - they can't resist when it's red. 😂 I remembered to put a sticker on the calendar for doing reading today. 😃 And as for my emojis here, I get a solid bonus 🔧📕 100% for both.

 

That leaves me 33 pages for tomorrow. I think after dinner I'll free myself up to play games or read Dragon's Milk or watch MHA. Tomorrow is work-free, but I still plan to do my bodyweight exercises, and do more crafts and reading of my book. 😉

 

Thanks for stopping by! I hope your day has gone well!

Sincerely,

Maerad