FunshineBear. Yes, seriously. Just like it's spelled.

[FunshineBear]

So here we are! Finally found a few minutes to get this together. I'm slowly bringing my life to a manageable level of chaos. I've already started my first challenge, albeit a week late. And now I'm excited to have a place to maybe talk about other stuff.

 

A warning: I tend to write novel-length emails, tell long-winded stories, and generally ramble about anything that comes to mind, and I don't think this place will be any different. But I'd love to make friends and hear from anyone who might have advice or a story of their own to share. So don't be shy!

 

A bit about me: I grew up in Texas (suburbs of North Dallas), got my B.S. Chemistry (and *almost* Chemical Engineering, but that's another story) from Louisiana Tech, and now I'm going for my Ph.D. at U Wyoming. Pretty much everyone I know is 1000 miles away, save for two friends in Colorado.

 

As you may have figured, I'm a science nerd. I've got mad love for calculus, too. Quantum mechanics is one of my favorite fields, because anytime you want to ask why something is the way it is, the answer is generally "Because math."

 

I'm trying to get back into the habit of reading for fun. I got lazy during college, and Netflix was just so convenient. I do love me some good comedies (Archer, Bob's Burgers, The League, Wilfred) and dramas (Breaking Bad!!!), but I feel like I get a good mental workout from books, which are so satisfying. Harry Potter and Ender's Game will always be dueling for top spot in my heart, and I really don't think I could ever choose a favorite. Recent reads include The Fault in Our Stars (I swear, I wasn't crying, I was cutting onions) and...holy crap, is that really the only book I read this summer? Man, I really gotta get on some reading. But to John Green, if you ever read this, I both hate and love you. More one than the other, though I'll leave you to decide which.

 

As my challenge says, I love backpacking. It's been about 7 years since I've been, though, which is extremely depressing. So my year's goal is to go on a backpacking trip next summer. If anyone is in the Wyoming area and wants to join me, let me know!

 

Another goal of mine is to get down to a size where I feel comfortable taking pictures again. I've never been very photogenic, but I at least looked better when I was skinny. Right now I completely avoid pictures whenever possible. I just don't like how I look, and I don't want to be reminded of it.

 

As for what to expect here, I have no idea really. Likely a combination of foods I've made and liked, workouts I've done, personal life stuff (mostly bitching about work, probably), and any random thoughts I get. I like writing, and I'd like to do it semi-professionally in the future, so this might be a practice space for that as well.

 

So if anyone wants to follow and chime in here, feel free! I'll return the favor. Things are always better when you do them together, right? 

[SevenofSeven]

Welcome FB. Science nerd, awesome, been trying to get my kids to realise Science is fun.........

Love backpacking/hiking, we do a bit if it where I live and do at least one or two overnighters during the year, mostly with the Scouts these days.

Good luck with your challenge and well done you for taking the first step.

[FunshineBear]

Welcome FB. Science nerd, awesome, been trying to get my kids to realise Science is fun.........

Love backpacking/hiking, we do a bit if it where I live and do at least one or two overnighters during the year, mostly with the Scouts these days.

Good luck with your challenge and well done you for taking the first step.

 

Woo Man Scouts!! I'm an Eagle myself. It's such a rewarding program that I really think all boys (and girls!) should at least give a shot. I did a few shorter treks with my Troop, the best one with them was up around the Little Missouri River in the Ozarks. Absolutely beautiful.

But my favorite trip ever was a 60 mile trek at the HH Ranch in New Mexico with my old Venture Crew. I've heard it's since been shut down/sold, not really sure which, but that's a bummer. I'm glad I got the chance to go.

 

As far as the science goes, it can be a bit of a struggle to get kids interested nowadays (geez, I sound old...). I don't want to get ahead of myself, but here in the mid-future I'm going to see about making a Youtube series based on chemistry, along the same vein as MinutePhysics. I love the PeriodicVideos out there already (I believe by U Nottingham), but they're a bit dry...Brits, go figure. I'd really like to make things more accessible to high school age kids.

 

But that's rambling...sorry...

 

Thanks for reading and for the support!!

[FunshineBear]

Story of my life: have some delicious chicken sizzling in the pan? Perfect time to get distracted! Dry chicken dinner...bummer. Taste's good though.

[Marla Singer]

I totally feel you on the pictures. I feel so much better in photos when I don't have love handles. I think that's why family weddings motivate me so much. I can imagine myself looking at these same photos 20 years from now!

[FunshineBear]

So I could use some advice.

 

I saw a recipe for kale chips. I thought it was a great idea, because I like greens, I like salty snacks, and I could use another healthy option to add to my arsenal. So I bought two bunches and just made the first batch.

 

Gotta say, not my favorite. I like greens cooked other ways. But this is just too strong a voodoo for me.

 

And now I've got about 3 lbs of kale and no idea what to do with it. It's much more bitter than say chard and I'm a wuss about bitter stuff, but I don't think it would respond well to the Southern Greens treatment. So, anybody have a good recipe that counters the bitter?

 

I'm gonna ask around a bit, see what I can dig up.

[FunshineBear]

I have a nasty habit of buying absurdly large quantities of perishable goods. The aforementioned kale was just the tip of the iceberg. I've also got a bundle of chard lying in wait, a bunch of blanched asparagus that needs to find a home, a pork shoulder roast, 3 lbs of chili beef (3 lbs?? Why???), and I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

 

That plus the two massive ribeyes I've got resting right now. I like steak. Which is a good thing because I've got enough to last me probably 4 meals after dinner tonight. I don't know why I decided to get two. One would have been plenty. But...but I had money....and it needed spending...

 

I think my real problem is I'm single. If I had a ladyfriend, or better yet, a family, that would solve all of my excess food woes. Although I don't think I'm quite anxious to settle down yet...so maybe no kiddos...but I would definitely say yes to the ladyfriend.

 

Or John Hamm. Man, what a man. Mmm...

[SevenofSeven]

Apparently Kale can go into smoothies, not sure how I would feel drinking something the consistency and colour of "off" baby poo, but there may be recipes in the other threads as you mentioned.

Bulk cook, cook your pork and make up servings for the rest of the week. Pork can freeze. Use the veggies in stews and slow cookers then freeze and use later. I bulk cook out of necessity and unfortunately due to the size of my family there are never any leftovers.

[FunshineBear]

Apparently Kale can go into smoothies, not sure how I would feel drinking something the consistency and colour of "off" baby poo, but there may be recipes in the other threads as you mentioned.

Bulk cook, cook your pork and make up servings for the rest of the week. Pork can freeze. Use the veggies in stews and slow cookers then freeze and use later. I bulk cook out of necessity and unfortunately due to the size of my family there are never any leftovers.

 

I've heard the kale smoothie thing before, and like you I have my reservations. But I'll try anything once, so that'll probably be breakfast Saturday. Which I'll be happy to consume in a light liquid form, since tomorrow night it has been decided that the chem grad students are going to "convoy" from the department barbecue to one of the many bars in town...Good decisions will be hard to come by that night...

[FunshineBear]

I realized something a few weeks ago. After binge-watching Community over the summer (which I highly recommend, although maybe without the binge) I thought about two of my favorite episodes, where the gang plays D&D with Abed as the Dungeon Master. What I realized was this:

 

1) I've never in my life played D&D

2) If I had a DM like Abed, I would definitely play D&D

 

There's just something so novel about the concept that really hits home with me. I've played RPG's before, but only on the computer. I enjoy the Final Fantasy series (VIII will always be my favorite), and I used to play Diablo I&II with my dad and brother, and they were fun. But the idea of creating your own unique character, tracking attributes, and taking him (or her) on various adventures with potentially multiple groups of friends really appeals to me. Plus the level of respect and accountability for the game strikes me as almost noble. There's nothing stopping someone from making up whatever stuff they want, giving themselves crazy stats and equipment, and essentially ruining the integrity of the game. Your character isn't regulated, it's just a piece of paper with notes scribbled down. But the people who take it seriously understand that in doing that, you'd really destroy the point of the game, making it no fun.

 

Which is why I've decided to take part in the "Real Life RPG" here. Yes, it's nerdy. But the people that I've seen participate are so unashamed of it. They don't do it "ironically," they do it with a bold pride that I have to admire. And I look up to those people. I'm not a huge fantasy nerd, I've never read LOTR (tried, but with the utmost respect, Tolkein's style isn't my favorite), and it takes several rounds of Wiki-study for me to distinguish a Satyr from a Faun. But I'm willing to give it a shot.

That brings me to some rewards that I want to set up for myself. I don't know the first thing about balancing stats, though, so I'd really appreciate any advice on that front. But here's what I have in mind:

 

Armor Upgrade - Mad Men skin: When I hit a size 34 pants (my endgoal), buy myself a snappy suit. I've never seen the show, but it doesn't take a genius to know that John Hamm in a suit can get all the ladies. So this one I would say gives a Charisma boost.

 

Equipment Upgrade - (insert cool name): When I complete my first 3+ mile day hike, buy a new backpack. My old one has served me faithfully for several years (holy crap, 9 years??), but it's time to retire him and get a new one. I'm not sure if all equipment boosts stats, so advice here would be welcome. But if this were to help in any attributes, I'd say Stamina and/or Constitution.

 

Special - Animal Companion: Upon completion of both Level 4 Ranger and solid financial responsibility, I'll adopt a dog. Does this need any justification? Didn't think so. I think Stamina and Charisma would be the best ones here.

 

So if anyone has any suggestions on these or other rewards, let me know! 

[Marla Singer]

Omg animal companion. Yes! Good rewards!

[FunshineBear]

I'm going to let you guys in on a little secret about myself. Nobody knows this, or even suspects it, but I'm....prideful.

And bashful.

And sarcastic.

 

I'll try to keep the sarcasm to a minimum here while I talk about my main vices, the pride and...bashfulness? There's no red squiggly line, so I'll assume that's a real word. I don't like it though, I wish it was more succinct...

 

ANYWAYS!
 

Last week I took ill. No surprise, really. I'm in an entirely new environment, at a crazy altitude, which would already affect my immune system. Plus it's getting to be that time of year. Plus I work around a bunch of nasty, unhygienic college freshmen. Plus a coworker was recently sick.

So really, I should have been more prepared for the inevitable crud to which I succumbed. But instead, I listened to my proud self who insisted "I never get sick! I have a fantastic immune system! It's just some sniffles, they'll pass in a day or two!"

 

I was miserable the entire week. Zero energy, persistently pale, barely ate, the whole shebang. If I'd had a mother here to dote on me, I'm sure it would have gone another course entirely. But I'm me. So I ignored my body's plea for help, decided medicine was for wussies, and stuck it out.

 

I finally caved on Saturday and bought some medicine. And, huge surprise, it worked! I feel insanely better now, though still not cured. And looking back on the week, I see just how stupid my actions (or rather inactions) were, and how great of an effect they had on my goals. I missed every single workout last week. Which means the last time I worked out was Thursday, Sept. 25. And I feel awful about that.

 

Which brings me to my second vice: bashfulness (seriously, English, can we not get a better word for that?). I am very easily embarrassed, very timid, and generally try to avoid situations where I'm faced with a confrontation of my failures. I find my shortcomings extremely embarrassing (see the aforementioned pride). I don't like making excuses, especially when I know that there's no good reason besides "I screwed up." It's not that I try to cover up my mistakes, or pretend they weren't my fault. I just try to avoid bringing attention to them because of the embarrassment.

 

Example: Say there was something I was supposed to do (homework, pay student loans, call my sister, work out). Then let's say that, for whatever reason, it didn't happen. A reasonable person, I hope, would take proactive steps to improve the situation. If you miss a homework, talk to the professor and see if you can turn it in late. Call your dad and tell him that you're not going to be able to make the payment on the loan because of a fumble at work. Call your sister a day late, and tell her whoops, you forgot. Take some friggin medicine so you can get better faster and get back on the workout schedule.

 

For me, each of those actions is embarrassing, to the point where I get crippled by the fear and shame, and just don't do anything. I missed two homeworks, simply because I didn't do them. I then got a 47 on the test last week, because most of the questions were directly from the homeworks I didn't do. Had I just talked to the prof, he would have said turn them in and study for the test. But instead I avoided that conversation, avoided the homeworks, and accepted my fate.

My dad covered the loan payment for me, to my surprise. It was a quick phone call to let him know that there had been a screwup at work, and if I made it two days earlier it would have gone just as smoothly. But instead he saw the payment still needed to be made and paid it, leaving me to apologize when I finally did call.

My sister, there's just nothing to say about that. It's a stupid fear. I love my family, my family loves me, so no matter when I call it shouldn't be an embarrassing situation anyways.

And the medicine, well, I've said enough about that already.

 

I also avoided NF all last week, because I was too embarrassed to let the few strangers who actually follow my stuff know that I was sick. Which is another completely ridiculous sentiment to have. You guys are great! I have no doubt that, had I mentioned something last week, there would have been nothing but support and understanding. But I already felt bad about missing one workout, and each additional one missed felt like I was letting everyone down that much worse. So I figured I'd avoid all that mess and just disappear for a bit. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

BUT! According to my favorite warthog, "You gotta put your behind in your past!" So, was last week a good week? Not really. Can it be improved upon? Most definitely.

 

I'll wrap up this novel. Again, big ups to anyone who reads this. You be awesome. I'll do my best to keep up with you guys as well!

[bumblebee]

You are awesome! Everyone is under the weather at some point. I'm usually pretty healthy (knock on wood) but when I get a cold, I am completely out for 2-3 days.
 
As for bashfulness, check out this NF article from last year - The 20-Second Beast Mode Berserker Challenge. Something that helps me, if I have to make a phone call and am feeling less-than-confident, is to stand up while doing it. That way I can let off nervous energy by pacing or doing calf raises.

[FunshineBear]

GOOD NEWS! For anyone actually following this. I'm not dead!!!

 

After a whole slew of messes, I seem to possibly have a handle on life somewhat. I can't wait to finally get a real whole challenge under my belt. While I'm waiting for the next one to start, I'm working on getting my house in order and working on meal plans that fit my schedule.

 

It looked like I had a chance at failing that class last semester, thanks to poor time management on my part. But I came out with 2 A's and a B, which was a massive relief.

 

Also there was this little issue of me missing $600 on every paycheck....which messed up my budget ever so slightly. But that's all straightened out too!

 

And I'm only taking one class this semester while I take over a project. Mixed blessing there, the only other person working on this project graduated, leaving me to do everything. Downside, I'm the sole supplier of samples for 3 or 4 research groups. Upside, I get a flexible schedule, and every paper those groups publish will have me as an author!

 

So thank you guys who helped with motivation last time around. I'm excited to get back on the trail.

[SevenofSeven]

Good to see you are back!

Moving forward and just kicking it!

[FunshineBear]

So, on the eve of the next 6 Week Challenge (I guess morn, it's 1 AM), I can't say how optimistic and ready for this I am. It seems like, in life, there was always something happening. Something that made it impossible to focus and actually implement changes. Between outside stressors and mental fatigue, I couldn't find motivation enough to do more than sleep or lounge what free time I had.

 

But I've finally come to a point where things seem to be going my way. I've got a handle on school and work. The payroll issues are finally sorted out, and I'm now not only financially independent, I can pay off my debts, and save, and have some play money for pet projects (homebrew, anyone?). 

 

I'm a bit nervous, too, though. I know I'm going to get frustrated from the start of working out. I've got such fond memories from when I was in good shape, and these workouts would have been a breeze. It's frustrating to see how far away from that I've let myself go, and it's only more evident when I work out. But I don't want to be that 300 lb 40-year-old who tells stories about how "back in my day I could run 12 miles in under 2 hours." Reminds me too much of my dad's family...*chills*...

 

Optimism isn't my strong suit, but I'm gonna give it a helluva shot. I just have to remind myself, I know what to do to be healthy, and I enjoy myself more when I'm healthy. And there's a cute girl in class, and who says that can't be some motivation too?

[FunshineBear]

Oh, and while I'm here, one of my goals this challenge is to read more. Specifically I want to read 3 new books these next six weeks. I have two which I started while on vacation, and since I'm barely 50 pages into either of them I'm willing to let them both count.

 

First up is The Kite Runner, which I can already tell is going to be a heavy and hard-hitting read, but so far it's great. The other one is The Devil in the White City. I've never read a true-crime book, but it reads like a novel and is utterly fascinating. I'll be glad to set aside some time for them. I don't need to do another Netflix repeat binge.

 

The most important thing here is that these be new books for me. Since my senior year of high school, I've read maybe 1 or 2 new books. I didn't do any of the assigned readings that year, mostly out of spite for my teacher. And in college I only had to take one English class, which I didn't read but a couple of those assigned (Longitude was a fantastic book, though. True story of the development of our navigational system...it's better than it sounds).

 

I usually stick to what I know. Just like with my TV shows, I cycle through a half-dozen or so that I know I enjoyed. So it is with book series, I stick to Harry Potter and Ender's Game. Both of which, obviously, I love and can't recommend highly enough. But I realized the other day, I can't remember the last time I went to a bookstore and bought a book with no idea what was inside. I don't know how to browse for books, I hadn't the foggiest idea how to analyze a book and decide if I wanted to buy it or not. I rely on recommendations, and since I don't have many friends who read, I don't get many recommendations. So I stick to my comfort zone.

 

SO! I'll accept any recommendations anyone wants to throw my way. But I also plan on taking some risks and going in blind on some books. I think one book every 2 weeks is reasonable, and would be a good start to a new habit of bibliophilia.