Arawlins Sage beginnings

[Arawlins]

Following up on the previous challenge with the Dungeons and Dragons Theme

 

Main Quest: 

Defeat the Villain Within: Loose weight and be Be healthy

 

So in 5th edition you pick your character with three key pieces of information, Race (Human, Elf etc), Class (Monk, Rouge, Wizard), and Background (Sage, Pirate, Artisan).

 

Last Challenge I started with Race, and now on to Background.

 

I feel like the Sage background works best with my job in Information Technology and inclinations of a geeky nature.

 

In standard DnD stats I feel like the following:

STR   DEX   CON   INT   WIS   CHA

  9        9         9       13      11       10

 

Background: Sage

 

1.A Sage is skilled in History

I have looked at ancient method of food preservation and will be trying to culture some vegetables, a la sauerkraut etc. So I will be trying at least two types of cultured veggies this challenge.

 

 

 

2. A Sage knows where to find information he doesn't have

I need to work on relationships and accountability. So I need to post regularly and follow other regularly on the forums to build that knowledge and connection to the community. I should be reading and posting at least 3 times a week on the forums, I should be reading one book a week on health topics (or medical research articles).

 

3. A Halfling is nimble

A repeat from last challenge. I need to improve my flexibility and height of my kicks. I have yet to find what exactly I am doing, but I need to start somewhere.

 

Life. A Sage has proficiency in Arcana

Arcana: relating to the arcane, convoluted, nitpicky and other hidden arts.

 

My wife and I are going to be setting a variety of personal goals. A few physical, but most related to things around the house and our routines. We are setting a goal of 400 points. All members of the family can contribute by their own goals, and when the 400 points is reached we can get a Wii U. For example, my daughters getting out of nighttime pull-ups can earn points, or my son in first grade reading a book a week, or my wife and I spending a day off electronics, etc. Some points for finishing projects we keep procrastinating etc. We actually are going to talk about the final specifics tonight.

 

[SevenFootGeek]

Arawlins, I think I love you.

 

Love the themed goals to go along with 5E.  I want it to be six weeks from now to see what your class is going to be!

 

Doing stuff with the family is also a great way to keep yourself motivated.  Goals that have my wife and I involved together have always been more successful.

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

I love your theme. And your goals are nice. Following;)

[Kishi]

Love the theme, love the fact that you got the fam in it with you.

 

Can't wait to see how this works!

[Shotokan]

Getting the family involved is awesome!  

 

As far as the kicks and flexibility go, have you seen Cheechoe's routine? I can't express how much it has helped my kicks.

[Arawlins]

So last night we worked on the goals as a family.

 

For my son(7) reading a book a week, trying new foods, and Keeping his room clean.

For my daughters(5,3) keeping their room clean, going all night in underwear without wetting the bed.

For my wife and I we have projects to get done, spend more time not glued to a screen.

 

For anyone in the family if they get to the next belt rank it also adds to points, and if you finish a game all the way through on our current console that may count as well.

 

Now we just have to decide the relative point values for each goal, which largely comes down to expected rate at which we want to get to the goal.

 

For a 6 month time frame, at 5 people in the family I would expect 16 points per week average. So 2 points for all weekly goals per person translates to 1 point per week per goal per person. Then projects somewhere around 5-10 points each, expecting one to be completed by each person each month or two adding to that weekly average. 

 

I have a sheet of paper with 400 little boxes to check off, and we will go over adding to that tally sheet each Monday night.

 

For the flexibility I will have to look at that flexibility from Cheechoe.

[Kishi]

I am so excited to see this take off! And that you're teaching your kids these principles when they're so young. I seriously hope they take.

 

[Arawlins]

As my mother says, no system works for long with kids. You do one system for 6 months until they find a way to game the system and then to try a different system.

 

That may have to do with my siblings and I however, as she once made the mistake of saying "We will have Christmas WHEN the list of chores is done." Now that we had the drive, we got her full page of itemized chores done three days early and taunted her about the fact we were done so it should now be christmas. We had Christmas early and she was very careful with her pronouncements after that.

 

Of course I challenged my 7 year old to see if he could finish a book in under an hour and he read it through in 20 minutes, so I imagine I have to be very careful to not repeat history.

 

On the goals front, I have a recipe for cultured veggies and hope to try it this weekend. Before gardening, because it is planting time and the dirt seems to stay in crevices for at least a day after digging around.

 

So far I am doing decently at following some people on the forums, reading books, interacting on the forums and so forth.

 

For stretching I need to come up with a plan and stick with it. I probably need to include it in my morning routine or my wife and I need to do it together in the evening or it won't happen.

[Kishi]

Like father, like son, huh? But you see it coming, and you can adjust as necessary, I'm sure.

 

I remember playing in the dirt. Yes. It sticks around. Back when I worked for the ag department at the college, you could shower and shower and still come out feeling like you missed something.

 

Thanks for keeping up with me.

 

Morning and evening are both great times to stretch. As long as the stretching happens, it's all good. There does appear to be some research suggesting that it's more effective pre-bedtime, but I don't know that this is necessarily true...

[Arawlins]

So a week one update:

 

Skilled in History:

I have no good way to weigh down the sauerkraut to make it, so I have ordered some fermenting/culturing weights for Mason jars. They should be here soon and I can get started on something that takes a good two weeks to culture. In the mean time I am going to do some quick pickles.

 

Know where to get information:

I have posted at least three times this week, on more than just my board. This is to be expected the first week, just wait till weeks 3 and 4 when this becomes more tricky.

 

Nimble:

Nope not nimble, but on the plus side my wife and I have discussed it and we have a plan to do that this week. So time to shake up the routine and see what falls out.

 

Related to habit and routine, as we head into summer we really need a good routine for veg prep among other things. It makes daily dinners and fixing lunches much easier if I already have riced cauliflower,  peeled carrots, diced chicken, Quick Pickles, etc in the fridge.

 

Skilled in Arcana:

We have family time to go over last weeks points on our point system and so I will go over that tomorrow.

[Kishi]

It's good to see you out and about among the monks. Given how busy you seem to be, I'm really glad that you make time for us.

 

Good luck with the experiments! And I hope your family kicked ass on the goals this week.

[Arawlins]

Kit, I seem busy in large part due to my tendency to be all over the map all the time, and the amount of work for the amount of energy I have is about the same. I have more energy than I used to, but it is hard to focus on one project till completion and not get sidetracked by new ideas, and not quit due to lack of energy.

 

The weights for the mason jars are here so it is time to start making that sauerkraut. Well after I mow the lawn, go to Taekwondo, go to the library book sale, water the garden etc. So probably not tonight.

 

As for the family points chart we are at 3/400 points so far. Of course I am about halfway with one of my projects, so when that is done it will be 5 additional points. (It is a costume piece, I edited the pattern and have half of the pieces cut out, now to cut the rest and sew)

 

For flexibility my wife and I did get one night of stretching in, but the kids have been crazy at bedtime wearing us out and we haven't done it again. Hopefully tonight we will have a chance again.

[Kishi]

Kids complicate challenges. They are a Challenge all unto themselves. Anyway, off to a start on the 400 points. It's completely okay - as long as you keep going.

[Arawlins]

And I am back to lurking instead of posting, that is how you know we are headed into the middle of the challenge.

 

History: Got everything ready for culturing, now I just need to clean the kitchen and get to it.

Information: I am posting ok, but not reading well enough

Flexibility: Last week my wife and I stretched together once, and I did once by myself, besides what we did before TWD classes. So improving.

 

Points: 6/400

(this will cross challenges and includes the whole family)

 

I really need to buckle down and get the pinning, pressing and sewing done this week and get one of the projects done. There is just so much housework and garden work that seems to pop up.

 

At least tonight is D&D night, yay.

[The Shogun]

Hi! All I've been doing during this challenge is lurking instead of posting, you eventually find your motivation to get back on the game if you stick around. =D

[Arawlins]

Still lurking, but this week should be easier to get on during lunch.

 

History: I have stuff, but I have so far prioritized making yogurt and costumes. My plan is to start the culture tomorrow.

Information: Well I read a bunch, and mid-challenge I am working to keep posting.

Flexibility: With the mini challenge the burpies wiped me out. But I got two days with stretching last week and one day so far this week. I think I will work on it mostly in the mornings with some basic bodyweight exercises.

 

Points: 8/400

(this will cross challenges and includes the whole family)

 

I have gotten a bunch on my one project done, so hopefully I will have one project complete this week.

[Kishi]

Seriously, man. Burpees will wreck you. Or at least, they wreck me.

 

Those points are climbing. Good. How's the fam doing with their challenges?

[Arawlins]

Yay, Got a project done.  Now we are at 14/400 points.

 

My kids are doing well on their goals, my daughter has done two nights without wetting the bed and is getting out of pull-ups for nighttime.

[Kishi]

BOOM. Nice. Glad to see it happen.

[Arawlins]

Back to the beginning of the week post again.

 

History: Sauerkraut is souring as we speak. It should be good to go in another week and a half. It will be interesting to see how that goes. Perhaps the next thing I try will be fresh produce, as the farmers markets start up in a few weeks.

Information: I haven't posted a ton on my own thread, but have made regular comments so that is a positive.

Flexibility: I got three days of doing stretching this week.

 

Points: 15/400

(this will cross challenges and includes the whole family)

 

Hopefully things continue to look up. I would like to do more exercise and better diet control, but that maybe next challenge. I first need to get the automated drip system on the garden at my parents. (No point having a big garden at my own house when my parents don't have time to take care of their own and it is 5 houses down the road.)

 

My son has peas and a pumpkin seed he is bringing home from school which we will plant in our yard tonight, and he will be responsible for its care.

[Kishi]

Ooh, gardening! Sounds like fun. (can't believe I'm saying that). Sounds like a way-more-involved project than what I had to do.

[Arawlins]

Lots of progress but it has been busy, so I hope to post more on my computer tonight.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kishi]

That's what I like to hear. Good, good.

[Arawlins]

Gagh, busy weekend, crazy morning at work. It seems we function in a constant state of emergencies. This time they yanked a critical application from a large group of people for licensing issues, and replaced with a program no one is trained on. They didn't even communicate the change, just prevented people from getting work done.

 

Then yesterday I broke a serger needle, it makes me what to begin cursing and I usually don't have that problem.

 

On the other hand, while frustrations are mounting, I am getting things done.

 

Challenge Goals Review:

History: My Sauerkraut ferment should be ready to taste by Wednesday. It hasn't seemed to have gone bad, so that is a positive thing.

Posting: I have done a decent job of posting this challenge, better than previous ones. Still room for improvement.

Flexibility: Last week I did stretch extensively three times, so a definite improvement.

 

Life Goal: We are at 27/400 points as a family. My son is arguing to get more points for reading books, my daughters have each had a couple nights dry. My wife and I have both completed a project and I had hoped to complete another by the end of the challenge but it is looking unlikely.

 

The next two weekends are camping weekends. So I have to spend time getting all the camping gear ready, at least that is enjoyable, more than the cleanup though.

[Kishi]

Geez, that sounds rough.

 

Also, quick question: were you aiming to get 400 points in this challenge? Or was that an ongoing thing throughout the year?