The Scraps of Paper on which Teagarden's Epic Quest is Written.

[Stonie]

Living in a post-apocalyptic world changes your perspective of what's really important in life and what isn't. Well, I'm sure it would. I play too many zombie games, shush. When it really comes down to the wire, we humans need but a few things to keep us going. Unfortunately, I don't much like the idea of just 'surviving' being the reason for staying alive - because what's the point in being alive if you can't enjoy it? At the same time, I don't want to waste the time I have still alive killing myself with bad habits , life choices, and company. Also, if the apocalypse ever does actually come, I want to survive it. Preferably with my friends and family around to enjoy a brand new world with. 

 

Being alive in the apocalypse - and in real life - generally combines the following things; 

 

 

Mastery over Food:

Not starving to death in the apocalypse is a mixture of being able to cook up food off a whim and a few scraps, being able to provide food that will sustain you the longest, and knowing what to eat and what not to eat to keep yourself in peak physical condition. These conditions are also important for leading a healthy - albiet currently zombie-lacking - life. Learning new recipes, gardening, and creating a sustainable eating plan will all help this. 

 

Food Mastery Skills (Started)

cooking 

gardening 

healthy eating

 

Quests:

\ one / two / three / four / five serves of vegetables a day

\ one week / two weeks / one month without takeout

 

Grow an edible garden

\ strawberries / lemons / chilli / 

\ potatoes / tomatoes / lettuce / beans / spring onions / pumpkins / zucchini / cucumber /

\ basil / mint / thyme / lavender / parsley / rosemary / 

\ sunflowers /

 

 

 

Mastery over Shelter:

Having somewhere to store all your things and somewhere to hole up in case things go south is always helpful when facing the brainless masses. And being able to spend lengthy amounts of time in said place without it driving you mentally insane is also a bonus. Any permanent living space would ideally also be able to function as a sole unit, providing basic amenities needed for a comfortable life. Making changes to make a home sustainable, and keeping said place clean and organised all help this. 

 

Shelter Mastery Skills (Start Early 2016)

sustainable living

composting

renewable energy

cleaning

house maintenance

putting things away

home improvement

 

Quests:

Own a house with Mr. Tea

All food scraps go into compost which goes back into the edible garden. 

Grow enough vegetables to feed one / two / more people

Grow a tea garden:

\ tea bush / lemongrass / ginger / chamomile /

Have chickens for eggs. 

Have sheep as lawnmowers & wool

Have the house running off self sustaining energy. $0 energy bills, or close enough to it.

Maintain a level of cleanliness without stress. No dishes left on counters or tables, things put away neatly but easily accessible. 

Have people around for dinner often. 

have an apocalypse survival bag / plan

be able to climb a tree

 

 

 

Mastery over Company:

Having people you can rely on in the worst situations makes surviving that little bit less difficult, and a little bit less lonely. But if one was to ever find themselves alone, being able to keep oneself company without succumbing to damaging thoughts is a must. The act of helping people in need also contributes to a life well lived, and something I've so far left way out of my life. Making time to spend with family, friends, and even the dog, meditating, and committing acts of goodness all help with this. 

 

Company Mastery Skills (Started)

friends 

family 

meditation

charity

 

Quests:

catch up with friends occasionally / once a week. 

catch up with extended family once / twice / three times a year

meditate every day for \ 5 / 10 / 30 / 60+ minutes.

do something nice for someone I don't know

give someone something without expecting recompense

Train the dog to do cool things:

\ play dead / heel / backflip

 

 

Mastery over Survival & Knowledge:

Having all of the above us a good start, but if something ever goes wrong you need to know that you will be helpful and contribute to solving a crisis if needed. It doesn't pay to be the weak link in any survival team, especially if you are the only team member. Physically you need to have control over your body and have it able to perform certain tasks, and mentally you need to know various skills that could come in handy. Learning to move yourself, move things around you, know what things around you do, the best way to use things, and various skills that allow you to use the world around you to your advantage all help this.

 

 

Survival Mastery Skills (Started)

Moving

Distance running

Sprinting & intervals

Parkour

Yoga

Lifting

Derby

 

Quests

\ sprint 100m / 200m / 500m+ (comfortably)

\ run 1km / 2km / 3km / 5km+ (comfortably)

master simple parkour moves:

\ Dive roll / jump obstacles / climb walls /

master the handstand:

 \ 10secs \ 20secs \ 30secs / 1min / 2mins / 3mins + 

touch my forehead to my shins. (comfortably)

master yoga poses such as crow/crane pose / headstand / splits / scorpion / others

deadlift my own body weight / twice my bodyweight

squat my own body weight / twice my bodyweight

bench my own body weight / twice my bodyweight

do pull ups. \ 1 / 5 / 10 / 20+

do chin ups.  \ 1 / 5 / 10 / 20+

do push ups.\ 1 / 5 / 10 / 20+

handstand push ups. \ 1 / 5 / 10 / 20+

do pistol squats. \ 1 / 5 / 10 / 20+

plank for everrr. \ 1min / 2mins / 3mins / 4mins / 5mins+

Roller Derby:

\ Pass Fresh Meat / Pass Min. Skills / the27in5 / 30in5 / play a bout / win a bout /

 

Knowledge Mastery Skills (Start!)

learn a new language / 2 languages / 3+ languages:

\ Esperanto / French / Russian / Japanese

Learn to sew your own clothes:

\ socks / underwear / bras / hats / beanies / shirts / pants / tights / jumpers / jackets / corset / probably some other things

Crochet an ugly christmas sweater

Learn to spin yarn

Make something with homespun yarn

Learn more about Albany

Learn more about the world

Write a book

Write and record a Horror Radio Play

Create, design, code & complete a computer game

Sell something I've made

Mastery over Travel:

There is nothing bad about knowing about the world's many customs, food, people, beliefs. Knowing these things will help survival in unknown places, as well as make the places you know and live in all the more colourful. There are places I would like to go, so I'm starting a list!

 

Travel

To a beach with bioluminescent waves

To the North / South Pole

Deep under the sea

To a buddhist temple

To a rainforest

To the snow

To outer space! (one can dream, right?)

 

Overseas Places Visited:

Brunei / Cambodia / Thailand / Vietnam / Singapore

 

Mastery of Life's Purpose

I hope that by branching out my life into so many different aspects, that I can find the reason I'm keeping this body warm and moving. I also hope to find a program or something that I can work through to get myself in the right mindset and on the way. I have no idea how to even approach this. Not even kidding. Despite a mostly bubbly demeanor I can fall prey to some dark moods - I have a cycle of a few months of happiness and a few months of darkness - so I hope that by creating something to cling on to the happiness is increased and the darkness forced back and I can give myself a sense of, well, purpose.

 

Life's Purpose Mastery (Ongoing)

 

Quests:

Find a job I like to fund my life

\ media developer / waitress / short order cook /

 

Fill life with meaningful pastimes and passions

\ crochet / drawing / sewing / cooking & baking / yoga / meditation / writing / Roller Derby / 

 

 

To formulate all these things into the semblance of a useable routine, this is what I would like to be doing with each day that passes. 

I am very much of the "go where life takes you" mindset, but that doesn't mean I can't steer this wild ride. Having an idea of where I would like this to go will also help me in future challenges when I want to work on different things; I will know what time of day should work best for me. This will probably change 100 times as I work out what's best for my life at different times but that's fine. It's a working draft of a plan. That's more then I've ever had in my life ever.

 

My Ideal Day:

up with the sunrise.

exercise or yoga. something physical.  

meditation.

breakfast. something filling and satisfying. 

working on life passion / actual job if it's rostered.

lunch time. something refreshing to get me through the rest of the day.

working on whatever I didn't do in the morning.

nap time

more working if I'm feeling inspired.

dinner. 

games and relaxing. indulging myself. 

meditation. 

bed time;

sleep a solid 7.5-8 hours. 

 

Epic Quest:

HAVE SOMETHING WORTH LIVING FOR.

 

Die Happy

[Stonie]

Edit: totally revamped my Epic Quest. It has shifted from a hazy ethereal image in the back of my subconscious into the skeleton of a way of achieving something. I hope.

 

 

TL;DR:

 

Teagarden has a plan. Well, the working draft of the starts of a plan. I will tick things off the quest lists for each skill needed to life a fulfilling life until I truly believe in what I am doing, and maybe even find a reason to keep on keeping on. Steps will be broken down into as many baby steps as needed to achieve quest completion. This is probably going to change one hundred more times (at least) but I'm good with that. 

[Quilly]

I really,really like the mastery over shelter part. I think I will nick a few of these for my own Epic Quest when I make my own. 

[Stonie]

I really,really like the mastery over shelter part. I think I will nick a few of these for my own Epic Quest when I make my own. 

 

It's a surprising gauge of how well I feel like I have my life in order; the messier my house is, the deeper in a depression I generally am.

I was a pretty free-ranged child; my parent's didn't make me do many chores but now I'm like "I have to clean what?!" 

 

So maybe if I think of it like learning a new skill I can get over my disdain for cleaning. Except for doing the dishes. That is my idea of eternal suffering. xD 

[MogiShade]

It's a surprising gauge of how well I feel like I have my life in order; the messier my house is, the deeper in a depression I generally am.

I was a pretty free-ranged child; my parent's didn't make me do many chores but now I'm like "I have to clean what?!" 

 

So maybe if I think of it like learning a new skill I can get over my disdain for cleaning. Except for doing the dishes. That is my idea of eternal suffering. xD 

 

I find washing dishes to be relaxing.  When I used to be a cook, I'd sometimes hide in the dish pit after work and chill out washing dishes.

[Stonie]

I find washing dishes to be relaxing.  When I used to be a cook, I'd sometimes hide in the dish pit after work and chill out washing dishes.

 

I've tried to change my mindset to something like that. When I'm having a mentally bad day (especially when I have to work) I'll do the dishes to keep away from customers, but that's more a time-passing technique  

 

I'm trying to remember to put some music on while I do the dishes at home, so maybe my brain starts to relate the endorphin-rush brought on by good music to doing the dishes. (Does that even work? Probably not.) But if nothing else it distracts me from what I'm actually doing. 

 

On the subject of cooking, My current boss (also the owner of where I work) offered to teach me the ropes of working in her kitchen; mostly so she can have a sleep in but also if I was interested in learning commercial cookery skills. She chucked me in the deep end sometime last week and while she drank coffee and directed me I cooked 17 lunch meals! I got a real thrill out of it, and my barista friend told me I was beaming from ear to ear. I think I'm going to pursue this avenue of opportunity for a while, and see how I really feel about working in a commercial kitchen. I do get a kick out of cooking good food, simply, and I'm always asking people for their input when I cook for them. Also, I've had experience in hospitality already and I know how brutal kitchen work can be. I spent a few years pondering my future as a chef, and I could actually imagine myself doing it! But we'll see. 

[MogiShade]

I've tried to change my mindset to something like that. When I'm having a mentally bad day (especially when I have to work) I'll do the dishes to keep away from customers, but that's more a time-passing technique

 

I'm trying to remember to put some music on while I do the dishes at home, so maybe my brain starts to relate the endorphin-rush brought on by good music to doing the dishes. (Does that even work? Probably not.) But if nothing else it distracts me from what I'm actually doing. 

 

On the subject of cooking, My current boss (also the owner of where I work) offered to teach me the ropes of working in her kitchen; mostly so she can have a sleep in but also if I was interested in learning commercial cookery skills. She chucked me in the deep end sometime last week and while she drank coffee and directed me I cooked 17 lunch meals! I got a real thrill out of it, and my barista friend told me I was beaming from ear to ear. I think I'm going to pursue this avenue of opportunity for a while, and see how I really feel about working in a commercial kitchen. I do get a kick out of cooking good food, simply, and I'm always asking people for their input when I cook for them. Also, I've had experience in hospitality already and I know how brutal kitchen work can be. I spent a few years pondering my future as a chef, and I could actually imagine myself doing it! But we'll see. 

 

I did it for years.  Service is a trip.  First seating starts pouring in, the cit machine starts to chirp, the sous chef yells, "Get yer helmet's on boys!"  The five hours on the line are a blur.  It's all adrenaline.  I once sub'd in as a sous for a season for a Swiss German, and before every service he'd crank the Rammstein and flail his long blonde hair around singing along.  The guy was 6'6" and built like a viking.   At another bistro we'd end a ht summer night's service by stripping down with the waitresses and jumping off a bridge next to the bistro into the river below.  Sometimes the pastry chef would give us banana bread with pot as a joke.  Customers sending back rounds of drinks.  Working winters abroad in France at ski resorts putting up with obnoxious Brit.  One guy offered to pay my buddy to sleep with his 50+ wife.  Driving around the city trying to track down caviar during the shortage after the 2nd Irag war broke out.  Arguing with truffle dealers over the amounf of dirt on their Alba truffles when we're paying $17.50 a gram.  Catering small dinners for the uber elite of Toronto.  (By the way, butlers are a crazy group of people!)

 

But as much fun as it is, it takes love.  Long hours, low pay, and endless toil.  I remember reading Kitchen Confidential and thinking it was about my life, and feeling sad that no one outside the industry will ever really "get" Bourdain's writing.   I think running a small neighborhood bistro with a small kitchen garden out back would be a pretty chill way to make a living.  I spent most of my time working for a celebrity chef.  It was one hell of a rabbit hole but not for me. 

 

Getting thrown in the deep end is how it's done.  Sink or swim and how you react is all a cook needs to see to really know you.  Sounds like you did well.  Explore that path. 

[Stonie]

People underestimate how hard it is working in Hospitality. Another reason I need to "fit-up" a little bit so I can hack 14 hour days and hectic service and not drop dead on the couch at the end of the day. 

 

And as wild as your story sounds, man, it also sounds awesome! I've met a lot of cool people just working as a waitress (I guess we all have to be passionate to want to stick around!) So the potential for love is there. And foooooooood.

(Another reason I need to habitualise exercise. I refuse to be a fat chef anything!)

 

Hmm. Cooking food straight out of the garden for people as a job. That actually sounds marvellous.

Cooking good food, living in a little town with some land around.. *daydreaming*

 

That is definitely an idea I need to remember! 

[Stonie]

Okay, Apocalypse Survival Plan Part I is now active! 

[Stonie]

Clothes! I completely forgot those! I'd like to be able to have the skills to be able to measure a body and make clothes that fit. Gotta stay stylish in the apocalypse. I've added this with some basic things I'd like to learn to make to my "survival skills" skill. 

 

I can sew, I'm just not very good at it. 

[MogiShade]

This is true. I recently watched. Er... By recently I mean about a year ago, the 2nd Matrix movie and remember thinking about how much I loved their "apocalypse" fashion that they wore in the "real" world.

Sent while in the bathroom.

[Stonie]

This is true. I recently watched. Er... By recently I mean about a year ago, the 2nd Matrix movie and remember thinking about how much I loved their "apocalypse" fashion that they wore in the "real" world.

Sent while in the bathroom.

 

That's my version of recent too. xD

[Stonie]

Modified my Epic Quest; more specifically I split the Survival skill into a separate "Knowledge" skill also, because mental achievements and physical achievements are much, much different. 

 

And I was reading the paper earlier and felt like I should know more about where I lived so I wrote it down. Especially with Mr. Tea's newfound obsession with treasure hunting. 

[Stonie]

Added "grow a tea garden" to my quest. It's apparently possible to grow the tea plant in our climate, and while it takes a few years to mature, I want one! Also if I'm going to have tea I may as well have things like lemonbalm, ginger, chamomile plants, etc. for awesome homemade tea. 

[MogiShade]

Added "grow a tea garden" to my quest. It's apparently possible to grow the tea plant in our climate, and while it takes a few years to mature, I want one! Also if I'm going to have tea I may as well have things like lemonbalm, ginger, chamomile plants, etc. for awesome homemade tea.

That'd be amazing!

[Stonie]

Started a list of places I'd like to travel to. There are probably more, but those are a few of the places I've definitely gone "I have to know what's there."

 

[Stonie]

This christmas I handmade my family crochet presents, but I realised too late that I could have been crocheting an ugly christmas sweater instead! Ugh. So next year I should work on that. I'll also have to improve my crochet skills somewhat if I'm going to make a truly awesome one. xD Added it to the epic quest.  

[Stonie]

Oh oh!! I ticked something off! I arm-knitted a bunch of scarves to take to work to attempt to sell...

 

And someone actually bought one! Squee!

 

Sell something I've made - done! 

[Stonie]

Added "create a computer game" to my epic quest, as it's something I've always wanted to do since finishing my diploma in digital media. I trained in HTML, Java and Flash, so I'm sure I could use those somehow.

[Gurkour]

I really like this idea of having a plan for the apocalypse to structure your quest! Good luck with archieving it, I hope you will master it

[Stonie]

My first overseas holidays took me to a few countries around SE Asia. It was a great time learning about how other people live and eat and believe and stuff.

 

Now that I'm home my next life hurdle is moving house to a place where Mr. Tea and I can make all our lifestyle dreams come true; like building a garden we  can survive of and keeping animals and doing all sorts of outdoor things. This is happening within the next few months and I'm super excited that it's finally happening!