Jenn's Daily Blarg

[Jett]

Ohh fun! I haven't read that one yet. 

It's really good! I finished it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down.

 

Waking up on time is not going so well. I slept in until 11:00 today! That's because I stayed out until about 10:30 with my second cousins, and then read until 2 am (!!!)

I think tonight, I will take a sleeping pill so I will fall asleep by 10:00, and I'll make it a point to get up at 8:00 when my alarm goes off. I've got to get my schedule looking close to what it will be next week, or else it'll be quite an uncomfortable change when the challenge starts.

[spooky]

It's really good! I finished it in 2 days because I couldn't put it down.

 

Waking up on time is not going so well. I slept in until 11:00 today! That's because I stayed out until about 10:30 with my second cousins, and then read until 2 am (!!!)

I think tonight, I will take a sleeping pill so I will fall asleep by 10:00, and I'll make it a point to get up at 8:00 when my alarm goes off. I've got to get my schedule looking close to what it will be next week, or else it'll be quite an uncomfortable change when the challenge starts.

I've had that experience with every Terry Pratchet book I've read, the man could write a page turner and make you laugh at the same time. 

 

I think you are wise to start getting your sleep where it needs to be before the challenge starts. You're setting yourself up for success!

[Jett]

My plan went well, except that I didn't actually get to sleep until 11:00 because I was reading again. This is why my 'wind down' time at the end of the day doesn't include reading, normally. It doesn't wind me down. Newspaper or magazine articles usually seem to be safe, since they're not long enough to keep me up late. But, sometimes they're interesting enough to get me thinking. So... yeah. Reading needs to be a morning activity.

[Presea]

Yes, I find that anything that's actually interesting to read is not good to read before bed, unless I'm confident in my self-control to put it down (not likely).  Of course, you could find something you find totally boring to read before bed, but I imagine you can find something more enjoyable than a math textbook to wind down

[Jett]

But I imagine you can find something more enjoyable than a math textbook to wind down

Actually, I have this Computer Architecture textbook I've been meaning to read....

[Jett]

I had an idea today. I am trying to lose weight (or more accurately, fat), but I don't put that as a central goal in my challenges because it happens so slowly that I get discouraged if I think about it too much. However, if I don't think about it at all, then I don't eat at a deficit, and then I don't lose anything.

What if I put aside $5 for every pound I lose (or $10 for each bodyfat %?) and at every 5 lbs (3% bodyfat?), I get to cash in and celebrate? Maybe buying a new item of clothing, or a book or something that I wanted, or doing something fun. That might motivate me to keep on top of things, plus it lets me celebrate progress.

 

Of course, what does that mean if I gain back? Do I have to take money out of the fund?

[Presea]

On that topic, did you know that this is actually a thing:

 

https://www.dietbet.com/

[Jett]

On that topic, did you know that this is actually a thing:

 

https://www.dietbet.com/

I did not! That's pretty cool.

[Jett]

It's break week again. I'm currently unemployed. This is a good time to try to test my morning and evening "rituals" without having to worry about cutting anything short because I'm late for work or whatever.

 

Wake up time goal: 9:00 am

Fall-asleep time goal: Midnight (already screwing this one up, whoops)

 

I've enhanced the meditation portion of my rituals a bit, since that's something I need to work on. Will be checking in daily!

[Jett]

Well. That didn't go so well. :/

I have a job now, that will start on the 21st. This week, I did not get my schedule under control at all. I have one week left before the job starts to figure this stuff out!

[spooky]

Well. That didn't go so well. :/

I have a job now, that will start on the 21st. This week, I did not get my schedule under control at all. I have one week left before the job starts to figure this stuff out!

Eh... it's a break week anyways

 

But congrats on the job! That's fantastic

 

P.S. are you sitting out this challenge cycle or just late posting? Want to make sure I follow you this go around <3

[Jett]

I have been putting off making my challenge thread because I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do. It's up now, though. :3

[Presea]

Congrats on the new job!  Hope it goes well!!

[Jett]

Just started a fresh angle of attack on fat-loss. Since results from calorie counting were slowing down, and it was getting difficult, I am now trying weightlifting with an aim toward body recomposition. That means I get to eat a lot more calories than before, but I have to work out 3x per week! (I am doing the 5x5 lifting program.) This also means I can't use a scale to track progress anymore, because I am going to get heavier before I get lighter. The important thing, though is that I should get leaner. I will have to track my inches to make sure that I am seeing progress.

 

Measurements 10/23/2015:

Weight (lbs): 209

Estimated bodyfat: 46% (according to the Navy method)

-Neck: 14 in

-Shoulders: 18 in

-Chest: 40 in

-Bicep (right): 15.5 in

-Waist: 37 in

-Hips: 47 in

-Thigh (left): 30 in

[Jett]

I did a month of lifting followed by a month of NOT lifting and also not counting calories. Time to see what the damage is...

 

 

Measurements 12/22/2015:

 

Weight (lbs): 210

 

Estimated bodyfat: 46% (according to the Navy method)

-Neck: 14 in

-Shoulders: 18 in

-Chest: 41 in

-Bicep (right): 15 in

-Waist: 37 in

-Hips: 47 in

-Thigh (left): 28 in

 

 

Hmm. Things are pretty much the same - I might have lost a little bit of fat around my thighs. Not as bad as it could have been!

[Jett]

Well, I guess I'm pretty excited about the changes to challenges that are coming up. I was thinking of switching my tracking over to Habitica (HabitRPG), but it looks like NF is going to have its own version of that type of system. Not sure how I feel about the shorter challenge lengths, but I guess it's worth giving it a shot. The adjustment to classes is... interesting. Still wondering why they don't have a fat-loss specific class (which is kind of what Adventurers used to be?) or a mental-health/life-balance focused class (which is basically Druids, but they don't mention that in the description).

[spooky]

Well, I guess I'm pretty excited about the changes to challenges that are coming up. I was thinking of switching my tracking over to Habitica (HabitRPG), but it looks like NF is going to have its own version of that type of system. Not sure how I feel about the shorter challenge lengths, but I guess it's worth giving it a shot. The adjustment to classes is... interesting. Still wondering why they don't have a fat-loss specific class (which is kind of what Adventurers used to be?) or a mental-health/life-balance focused class (which is basically Druids, but they don't mention that in the description).

I personally like the shorter challenge lengths (well in theory ) because I tend to lose steam in week 4/5. 

 

I'm not too big a fan of the class description changes for the exact reasons you mentioned... especially since I feel like the mental-health/life-balance aspect of the Druids is why I chose that class in the first place. Of course the description change won't stop me

[petefeet]

Well, I guess I'm pretty excited about the changes to challenges that are coming up. I was thinking of switching my tracking over to Habitica (HabitRPG), but it looks like NF is going to have its own version of that type of system. Not sure how I feel about the shorter challenge lengths, but I guess it's worth giving it a shot. The adjustment to classes is... interesting. Still wondering why they don't have a fat-loss specific class (which is kind of what Adventurers used to be?) or a mental-health/life-balance focused class (which is basically Druids, but they don't mention that in the description).

 

I agree that the adjustment to classes will be interesting for a bit, struggling to figure out where I'm going to go. I'm thinking either back to Rebel or maybe Assassin .

 

I think Rebel might be the closest fit, in that it's an "any activity", but not too keen on swimming through the masses of newbies that are likely to flood this class.

[Jett]

I've decided that, just like Christmas, New Years can be a season rather than a specific day.

 

It's New Years season! Renew all the things... but it doesn't have to all get done today.

[Jett]

Last week on the 4th was my 1-year anniversary on NerdFitness! Wow, what a year. I'm a very different person now than I was then, even though physically my body hasn't changed that much. At that time, I was really hoping to have lost 40-50 lbs by now. However, I don't really mind too much that I've only lost (and kept off) about 10 lbs. Every year before now has been a consistent addition of lbs; I've never lost weight before. I'm still struggling with a lot of the same things that I was when I started NF, but for some of them, I feel like I've made improvements. Long-lasting positive change is just going to take a long time - probably much longer than I originally expected. But, I feel better about myself overall, so I don't mind too much that it may take me another 2-3 years to get off all of the weight that I'd hoped to lose in one. It may take me 5 or more to get down to a true "healthy weight" - or I may eventually decide that I'm okay with being a bit on the curvier side. At the moment, I'm enjoying eating whatever I want within reasonable portions, and if I can learn to enjoy exercising on a regular basis, I probably won't need to change that. Sleep is still an issue, but I'm starting to understand the cause of my sleep difficulties better now, and I'm starting to see real improvement!
 
 
Also, here are the collected posts for Jym's story since the last time I made a megapost of story snippets:

Jym's days fell into a steady pattern: she would wake up, practice magic, fix whatever dinner Baba requested, and then spend a little time looking at Baba's mysterious books. Now that she was mostly healed from the shark attack, Jym was no longer allowed to sleep in Baba's bed, but she did get a blanket to use to make her sleeping place in the pantry. The little black cat, Wormwood, followed her wherever she went inside Baba's hut. She fed it on bits of meat from the larder, and he soon started to look plump and happy.

As the days passed, Jym was only able to get her magic to work in small spurts, from time to time. She started to stay up later and later, trying to accomplish her simple exercise: get the box of matches to move across the table, even a few inches. Soon, she was burning candles late into the night. Even though the matches started to run out, and the box got lighter, it didn't seem to get any easier. She dragged through each day, wondering what was wrong with her.

Finally, she decided to just stay awake until she had succeeded. Baba went to bed; Baba got up. Jym was still awake. Baba left on some errand and returned; Jym was still trying to break through her mental block. Finally, she slumped back in her chair, exhausted and defeated. She felt something furry brush against her leg - Wormwood stood there, looking as haggard as she felt.

"Oh, sweetie, were you staying up as long as I was? You have to get some sleep." She scooped the cat up, and felt him purring in her arms. Her own eyelids drooped; admitting defeat, she went to her bed in the kitchen to cuddle with her cat and sleep.

She was awakened by Baba banging on the pantry door.

"Coffee!" was all the witch growled. This was a new task that Jym had recently learned to do. She rolled groggily out of bed and started some water boiling. As she was scooping crushed beans from the can, her spoon slipped out of nerveless fingers and rolled under the stove.

"Ugh," she muttered, kneeling down to try to retrieve it. She could barely brush it with her fingertips. Closing her eyes and straining, she was surprised when it suddenly rolled itself right into her hand.

Did I really just do magic? Did I just need to change my approach a little..?

---

 

Jym was able to demonstrate a moderate ability to move things through telekinesis. It wasn't completely consistent, but she could move small objects across a tabletop without touching them. Baba watched her attempts, and nodded. She didn't say much, but she seemed satisfied.

 

"I have someone for you to meet. Pack a cold lunch for us on the road."

 

Considering Baba's huge appetite, Jym decided to pack an entire smoked ham leg, half a wheel of cheese, and two loaves of crusty bread. She made a ham and cheese sandwich for herself, and packed it in its own little compartment of a huge basket. A bottle of fruit juice completed the lunch. She hauled it out to the main room, where Baba took it from her as if it weighed barely anything. Baba opened the door, revealing a landscape of gently rolling hills, sparsely covered by saw-edged grasses. On the horizon, the ocean and sky met in a blue-grey smudge. The wind was gritty, but warm.

 

"We have a ways to go," Baba informed her. "I'm not allowed to put my house down too close to the school."

 

---

 

After they had walked for a while, Jym and Baba came to a valley between two hills. A stream flowed out of the valley, and they followed it into the shade. Eventually the came the source of the stream, a pool fed from below by a spring. Cool palm trees arched over a low stone building. Sturdy pillars held up a heavy roof, while inner walls were recessed enough to leave a substantial porch all the way around the building. The building itself was quite large, especially compared to Baba's tiny cabin. Arched, open doorways lined each side, and a smell of smoke drifted from the dim interior.

 

"The school of Delphi," Baba said, explaining nothing. Jym just nodded and looked around. The sun was fairly low in the sky, but still brighter than she would have preferred. The smoky, dark doorway looked quite inviting. So did the cool water of the pool. Jym knelt at its edge and reached a hand toward the water.

 

"Don't--!" Baba started, too late. Jym had already scooped a handful into her mouth. The water was cold, but slightly bitter. As soon as it hit her stomach, she knew she'd made a mistake. The effect was much like having her third eye wrenched open. However, instead of seeing the inner nature of what was around her, she found herself in some other time and place. The vision was blurry and multi-layered, parts of it standing out in technicolor, while other parts were grey mist. Dim figures interacted - she couldn't tell if they were embracing or fighting. She was a silent observer until the vision overwhelmed her, and she blacked out.

 

---

 

Jym opened her eyes to see Baba and a red-haired woman standing over her, arguing. The red-haired woman was wearing a loose-fitting white garment, and her long hair floated wildly around her. She seemed to be middle-aged, for a human, and looked rather tired. She was tall, and towered over Baba. It was, in fact, quite surprising to see how unafraid she was of the old witch.

 

"...Didn't warn her at all?!" the redhead was saying.

 

"I didn't expect her to just take a sip of the Water of Dreaming!" Baba grumped.

 

"Well, that's what most people do - or did, until we put the signs up. It's an oasis; people get thirsty. But then they go crazy, and we have to deal with them!" The redhead sounded very annoyed.

 

Jym glanced around, and saw that there actually were signs near the pool. As she looked at them, the letters ran together, and she was able to make out 'DANGEROUS - DO NOT DRINK'. The strange part was, they were not in any lettering system that she was familiar with. The two women saw her move, and immediately focused on her.

 

"Jym? Are you all right?" Baba asked. The words changed, from the dancing sounds the two women had been conversing in, to a much harsher and more guttural way of speaking. Jym realized that Baba was now speaking in Giant-speech, and the red-haired woman spoke some other language, one she had never heard before. It was quite disorienting to hear different languages, but understand them all the same. It made her feel dizzy, and she shook her head.

 

"What's wrong?" Baba actually sounded a bit concerned, and Jym realized that the head-shake must have seemed like an answer to her question.

 

"I'm fine, I'm just hearing things." The two women looked at each other.

 

"I mean, I'm understanding different languages, but I still hear them in the language they were spoken in. It's kind of like your Brew, but different."

 

Baba looked startled, then triumphant.

 

"See! She has a natural gift! You have to take her on as a student."

 

The redhead looked thoughtful. "It could just be a random side-effect. There's no telling whether she's still mentally stable. Oracles train for years to be able to safely drink the Water of Dreaming. And Tongues isn't a gift it normally grants."

 

"Sure it is! It's a primary ingredient for my Brew, and that grants communication with all beasts, among other things. And she already had some of that with no ill effects, so maybe she's building up a tolerance."

 

The redhead crossed her arms and glared at Baba. "What you do with your allotment of Water is your own business. But you can't just bring me every stray girl that you find lost in the woods. Most just aren't meant to be Oracles!"

 

"But this one is, Cassandra! I'm offering you a perfect student on a platter. You should be thanking me!"

 

Cassandra continued to glower at Baba, then slowly turned her gaze toward Jym.

 

"I don't need another disappointment. She will have to go through a Trial."

 

---

 

They went into the stone building. It was dim and smokey inside, lit with a dull red light coming from braziers that burned more incense than fuel. Cassandra led them to a table off to the side, and had Jym sit on one side, while she sat on the other. She held up a deck of cards.

 

"Here, shuffle through them, if you like. Get a feel for them."

 

Jym took the offered cards, and shuffled through them quickly, scanning their faces. She had no idea what she was supposed to be looking for. She glanced over at Baba, who was standing a little apart, but the old woman's face was as unreadable as ever. On the other side of the temple, peering around a large column, was a group of young women, watching her curiously. They probably thought that Jym couldn't see them from that distance, but her night eyes picked them out clearly.

 

The cards were made of thick, sturdy parchment, well-worn, with detailed drawings on the front and a geometric design on the back. The drawings depicted various creatures, often humanoid, some buildings, and some features of the earth and sky. Jym found the latter to be the most interesting, because they often showed things she had not seen many examples of yet. She discovered that her new language-awareness provided several different words for each picture. One, for example could be called a Castle, Chalet, Palace, Mansion, and several other words. It reminded her a bit of the Great House back home, so she frowned at it and flipped to the next.

 

"Okay?" Jym said, after a few minutes, setting the cards down in front of her.

 

"Now," Cassandra said, picking up the deck, "Which card am I holding up?" She shuffled the deck expertly, and then selected a card from the middle of the deck and held it so that the back was toward Jym. Jym blinked.

 

"I don't know; you're holding it backwards."

 

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "That's the point. If you have the Gift, you will be able to see without seeing. If you don't have the Gift, there's no reason for you to be here."

 

Jym concentrated on the back of the card. Was she missing something? Was she supposed to be able to see through the card? Maybe she needed to use her third eye. She thought about it, but after her experience with the Water of Dreaming, she was hesitant to try it. Her head was buzzing, much like when she was in a cloud of faerzress in the Underdark. She didn't think it would be wise to open her third eye yet.

 

Well, why not just admit that she couldn't see anything? This was Baba's idea, not hers. She didn't even know what Baba planned to do with her. Leave her here, in the care of Cassandra? She had no idea what that would mean, and the unknowns were frightening. Would Baba be upset if she failed? Too bad! Jym was getting tired of being told to do things without being consulted on the matter. Was it really any different than being back at home, with the Matriarch directing everything she did?

 

Just as she was about to give up an announce her failure, Jym saw someone standing behind Cassandra whom she recognized. He was waving at her, and grinning.

 

Ith'zelee?! She almost said it out loud, but as soon as she noticed him, he started making elaborate shushing motions with his hands and putting a finger to his lips. Jym glanced around at Baba and the girls behind the column, wondering if they could see him, too. They did not react at all. What was going on??

 

Zee was now pointing to the card that Cassandra held, and mouthing a word. It looked like 'Moon'. There had been a moon card in the deck, so maybe...

 

"Is it the Moon card?" Jym asked. Cassandra's eyes widened.

 

"Yes." She placed the card face-up on the table. Behind her, Zee gave Jym a thumbs up. Cassandra chose a new card.

 

Jym watched Zee closely this time, as he studied the card over Cassandra's head. 'House' seemed to be his word this time.

 

"Castle," Jym guessed. There was no reason to think her ancestor's ghost had her own gift of tongues.

 

"Correct again," Cassandra said, suspiciously. She chose a third card.

 

This time, Zee seemed puzzled. Finally, he flapped his arms like wings, and then gave her an expansive shrug.

 

"Uh. Something with wings?"

 

Cassandra nodded thoughtfully, and flipped the card face-up. It was a four-legged creature that did, indeed, have wings.

 

"The pegasus," Cassandra said. "Alright, you do seem to have some minor form of the Gift. I will think about taking you on as student."

 

"Minor?!" Baba snapped at Cassandra. "She got the first two cards not only right, but with the right name. Plus, I'm sure you've noticed, she's speaking perfectly fluent Koine now. I sure didn't teach her that! The only language she could speak, up to twenty minutes ago, was Undercommon. And she drank the Water of Dreaming without any ill effects at all. Look at her, sane as you or me!"

 

Jym looked over at Zee, the invisible man that only she could see. Hmmm.

 

 

"You know that's hardly a good standard to measure by," Cassandra snapped back. "Leave me to think about it. I'll admit she has a Gift, but I don't know if she would make a good Oracle. I'll contact you when I've come to a decision."

[Jett]

I started a new battle log here.

[Bob the Bardbarian]

I think you're the only other person I've seen on NF that wants to learn to skateboard.

I'm in the same boat, and I want to learn  as I lose some of this weight.

Let me know how it goes for you.

[Jett]

6 hours ago, Captain Inertia said:

I think you're the only other person I've seen on NF that wants to learn to skateboard.

I'm in the same boat, and I want to learn  as I lose some of this weight.

Let me know how it goes for you.

Heh, right on! It's something that I've always wanted to learn, like playing guitar, and when I was going over my 'life goals' I realized that it was still something I wanted to do!