Granny Nogg's 50th Birthday Challenge

[Granny Nogg]

 

Welcome to my 50th Birthday Challenge!

I turn the Big 5-0 the first week of this challenge, so to celebrate being in the best shape of my life as I turn a half-century old, I'm celebrating in a big way by having a giant 6-week-long Luau Party! 

 

At this party, we're gonna have plenty o' fantastic music.  I have a Hawaiian play list, and here's one of the songs to read this post by: 

 

 

 

We'll also have fantastic, healthy recipes like this one: Hawaiian Pork Chops.

 

 

 

And we'll play disc golf!  

 

 

 

Yeah, baby.  Yeah. YEAH.  

My Quests!

 

Main Quest: to play at least one round (18 holes) of disc golf EVERY DAY. That's 3.5 miles of walking per round.  If the weather doesn't permit, then I make 100 putts into the temporary basket. Or both if I'm feeling particularly outstanding!

 

Measurement:  42 games of disc golf in 6 weeks: +5 DEX.  35 games of disc golf in 6 weeks: +3 DEX.  20 games of disc golf in 6 weeks: +1 DEX. 

2nd Quest: to eat protein for breakfast.  GRONK NEED PROTEIN!  I don't care whether it's a whole bag of edamame, a microwaved chicken breast, or leftover ham from dinner.  But I need to get at least 20 grams of protein in me at the start of my day! 

 

Measurement: 42 protein breakfasts in 6 weeks: +5 STA.  35 protein breakfasts in 6 weeks: +3 STA.  20 protein breakfasts in 6 weeks: +1 STA. 

 

Life Quest:  to post a bikini photo shoot set at some point in the 6 week challenge (Hear that, Razzy?!!).  I'm delighted to be healthy and energetic and athletic at 50!

 

Measurement:  3 bikini photos: +5 CHA.  2 bikini photos: +3 CHA.  1 bikini photo: +1 CHA.

 

 

 

 

[AthenaMM]

This is awesome! I love that this not just a challenge but a celebration! I've decided I want to be you when I grow up! I'm 40 now, but still not a "grownup". I'll be following along to watch you celebrate and I can't wait to see your pictures!

[wildross]

Hi!

[Airlia]

Happy Big FIVE-OH Granny Nogg!  I love the celebration and can't wait to follow along throughout the challenge.  I'm not in bad shape for 50, but certainly not bikini shape!  Fabulous!  I also love the protein breakfast idea.  I'm working on reducing sugar and though increasing protein in the morning isn't listed on my challenge it's something I have in my mind to work on.  Great ideas! 

[Granny Nogg]

Music to hula by: 

 

 

Today we went shopping for the party!

 

 

First, a little online shopping -- a barbecue apron for my husband to wear.

 

 

 

Then we hit the dollar store, the party store, the craft store, and the hardware store!

 

 

 

I've always wanted one of the portable Tiki Bars.  So I'm going to build something like this:

 

 

 

 

 

My hubby is making me a life-size mock surfboard.  (YES!!)  So at the hardware store we bought a sheet of styrofoam insulation for him to carve in the shape of a surf board and paint it.  Only problem was, after we purchased it, we realized we'd driven the 4-door sedan instead of the truck.  Hmmm.... how to fit an 8-foot-long piece of 2-inch-thick styrofoam into a 4-door car.... we tried it this way and that, sliding it through this window, then the next... after a few minutes we realized it just couldn't be done, and he took it back into the store for them to cut about 18 inches off one end.  Then it fit into the car just fine!  But on the way home, we looked up how to paint styrofoam, and found out the usual spray paint will melt the foam (sadface).  So he's going to have to buy a piece of plywood anyway.  Oh well, at least we only wasted a few dollars!

 

 

 

 

Disc Golf:

Yesterday we played our home course- Bradley Park.  We both played our averages, so nothing spectacular.  Today we didn't get to play a round together, just too much to do and I have meetings on Tuesday nights.  So he went to league and I did my 100 putts when I got home.  65 out of a hundred today, from 20 feet!  That was WAY better than I expected.  I'm a ways away from these trick shots though!

 

 

 

 

Small victory-- on my way home tonight I really really wanted to stop at this certain fast food chain for this certain item (not mentioning what or where so I don't trigger anyone's food issues!)  But as I'm driving, I'm trying to analyze WHY do I want this certain thing?  And would a substitute item satisfy?  When dealing with this particular craving in the past, I've either immediately given in, or immediately shut the thought process down.  I'm not sure why I hadn't analyzed it before to see if I could find out where it was coming from.

 

Part of it, I realized, is habit.  I will often have that craving on Tuesday nights driving home, because I often gave in to the temptation and it built up a bit of a habit.  Mental ruts in the road being what they are, and all.  So part of it was that.  Another part of it is that I happen to love this particular food item, but it doesn't love me back-- and my digestion is in a really good place right now, so I don't want to mess that up.  The other part of the question was whether or not another (healthier) food item would be an acceptable enough substitute that I could look forward to eating it with as much anticipation as I'd had for the not-so-healthy food.  As I mentally scrolled through a few different foods I had at home, I landed on one that was a healthy treat, a fruit, and also which wouldn't mess with my digestion, especially late in the evening.  

So ironically, I ended up not being hungry after all.  Because when I got home from my meeting, I needed to get my 100 putts in, and said I'd have my snack afterwards.  But when afterwards came, the craving was gone.  Bazinga for distraction techniques!!

 

 

 

This is awesome! I love that this not just a challenge but a celebration! I've decided I want to be you when I grow up! I'm 40 now, but still not a "grownup". I'll be following along to watch you celebrate and I can't wait to see your pictures!

 

Thank you, Athena!  Hahahah, I say that to people, too-- that I want to be them when I grow up.  Well, here's to NOT growing up!

 

 

 

Hi!

 

Hi There, Ross!  Thanks for stopping in!

 

Happy Big FIVE-OH Granny Nogg!  I love the celebration and can't wait to follow along throughout the challenge.  I'm not in bad shape for 50, but certainly not bikini shape!  Fabulous!  I also love the protein breakfast idea.  I'm working on reducing sugar and though increasing protein in the morning isn't listed on my challenge it's something I have in my mind to work on.  Great ideas! 

 

Thank you muchly, Airlia!  I'm not really in bikini shape either, to use what our popular culture says bikini shape should be.  But I don't care.  I'm going to mock that system and wear what I want, because the standard that says only stick figure women under 30 should wear bikinis can go stuff it.  Who says they get to set the standard on the beach anyway?  If they don't like my cellulite, then they can look the other way.  

Yeah the protein has made a big difference for both of us.  Hubby is diabetic, and when I started doing the protein with breakfast thing I asked him to just give me a week, and if he didn't feel better in the mornings at work, then he didn't have to keep eating it.  Well, asked him the other day, and he said he wasn't getting that mid-morning sugar crash from the cereal and milk he always eats.  Now don't get me wrong-- he still eats the cereal.  He just also has a chicken breast with it.  Small progress but worth it.  

[Rowan Caldecott]

I love your Luau party theme! And happy birthday! I will be following along for all your new 50 awesomeness! With all the exclamation points!

[Granny Nogg]

Music to read by - love the Brian Setzer Orchestra:

 

 

 

T minus 7 until the Luau!  Only 6 days left to prepare!

 

 

We've been working on some of the props.  Hubby is making me a surfboard from styrofoam insulation.  It'll be white with turquoise blue racing stripes and hibiscus flowers.  I'm working on the tabletop tiki bar, staining the pine boards to give it a weathered look.  

 

 

 

I'm going with a Googie Architecture style for the tiki bar sign, something like this:

 

 

 

During WWII, the Americans introduced native Hawaiians to canned Spam.  They fell in love with it, and to this day it's a Hawaiian staple.  Here are some recipes that you might try.  I've made "shredded pork barbecue" with Spam instead of a pork picnic shoulder, and it was absolutely delicious.  Every now and then, a little Spam in your life (lower fat, lower salt versions, if you must) isn't a bad thing.  5 Delicious Spam Recipes. 

 

 

 

Disc Golf:

Been doing the 100 putts and playing disc golf daily.  The oldest son and his wife bought me a disc backpack style bag to replace my nearly-toast shoulder bag.  

 

 

 

AAAAAAAANNNDD:  drumroll please:  THIS miraculously appeared in my basement yesterday!!!  Whoop whoop!!

 

 

 

I love your Luau party theme! And happy birthday! I will be following along for all your new 50 awesomeness! With all the exclamation points!

 

Thank you, Rowan!  With all the exclamation points!!

[Rowan Caldecott]

Shiny new weight bench makes a great birthday present!

[SunlitSapling]

Happy (late) birthday!! The way you're approaching this challenge is so inspiring and joyful it's beautiful!! I hope I'm even half as amazing as you are when I hit 50!

Congrats on the great presents, too! I'll keep peeking in during the rest of the challenge to see how you're doing

[AthenaMM]

Great presents! I love all the work you and your husband are putting into your party. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun! You're doing well with your challenge too, good job!

[Granny Nogg]

Music to read by:  Martin Denney's "Miserlou"

 

 

I had an epiphany the other day.  

When my hubby asked me about my birthday, one of the things I said was that I wanted an Elvis in Hawaii kind of birthday, with that 1950's kitsch to it.  At the time I was trying to put my finger on a style, but didn't know there was a name for it.  Well, we happened to stumble onto it two days ago.  There are a few acronyms:  Googie Architecture melded to Tiki Culture, called Tiki Pop.  Also Polynesian Pop.  In music, it's called Tiki Exotica.  

 

 

It was a short-lived but widely used theme in my American childhood, and ran roughly from the late 1940's to the late 1970's.  It was loosely island-influenced, a made-up meme that took over American architecture, interior design, food, drinks, and music.  There were a number of factors that brought it about, including the Kon Tiki voyage, Hawaii's statehood, the South Pacific play and movie, Elvis' Blue Hawaii movie, and fishtale stories from soldiers and sailors from WWII.  America was fascinated by pseudo-polynesia, and it influenced the media and commerce alike.

 

 

Count yourselves lucky.  I almost linked to Disney's Enchanted Village's "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" song.  You're welcome.  But in reality, as a kid that was a huge influence in my life, and I remember memorizing that song and singing it non-stop after our trip to Disneyland.  

 

 

Blue Hawaii, Trader Vic's, Martin Denney, Don Ho, the Enchanted Village, The Road to Bali -- Tiki Culture / Polynesian Pop was firmly ensconced and enshrined in my memory at a young age, telling me what Island life was. Fast-forward 40 years later. I had such a sense of relief and aha moment to finally put my finger on it and realize it wasn't true Polynesia at all, but a meme! In that case, I can run with the meme at home all I want, and yet have a separate development of proper expectations of what the Islands are really like, for when I finally get to go there (and not be disappointed that it doesn't meet my childhood visions).

 

There's a really great blog article about the origins of Polynesian Pop and how the trend is having a resurgence today.

 

 

 

So!  On to the Luau prep:

 

Hubby putting the racing stripes on my Styrofoam surf board. 

 

 

 

 

While he was working on that, I was working on the Tiki Bar sign:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today we'll probably assemble the Tiki Bar.  We have to drill the holes for the bolts and wing-nuts, then put it together.  I'm doing fake thatch on the top, because... well, you'll see.  The whole idea of building the Tiki Bar the way I'm doing it, is so that it can be easily disassembled and reused.  All of the instructions I've found on the internet were for either permanent structures or really cheap-looking tabletop designs.  Since what I'm making is pretty unique, I'm going to create a tutorial for it for Pinterest.  I'm sure there are other people out there who ended up settling for this really crappy Tiki Bar from Party City:

 

 

I looked at it.  Even considered it.  But the plastic poles that hold it up are about as wide as the diameter of my thumb.  Naaaaaahhhhhh.  For 40 bucks I can do a LOT better.  

 

Okay, disc golf:  haven't played since Sunday.  And haven't done my putts.  ~However~!  I joined a disc golf league for the first time.  I've been playing 3 years, and been in a few tournaments, but hadn't ever joined a league.  This one is specifically for novice players like myself, and we're paired with more experienced players who will take the time to help us with our technique.  10 weeks, every Thursday night.  Also, because I'm a woman and there are so few women who regularly play, I get a steep discount on the price of the league fee.  Yessir!!

I've got too much on my plate this week~!  Working on the Luau, meeting tonight, then Thursday is league, and Friday morning through Saturday night I'm watching my grandson while his folks go to a wedding.  Then Sunday is my party.  Yikes, crazy week!

 

 

 

 

 

Shiny new weight bench makes a great birthday present!

 

It does indeed!  I will admit to sneaking a bit of a test on the bench, just using the curl bar but trying a bench press with it.  Just to see what it's like.... but I'm still reading Starting Strength before I really dive in so that I'm informed and don't make a bonehead mistake.  Not that I won't make bonehead mistakes, but at least it would be ones that I know better, yanno?

 

 

Happy (late) birthday!! The way you're approaching this challenge is so inspiring and joyful it's beautiful!! I hope I'm even half as amazing as you are when I hit 50!

Congrats on the great presents, too! I'll keep peeking in during the rest of the challenge to see how you're doing

 

Thank you!  I'm really excited that it's inspired you.  There was this older woman that inspired me -- I'll never forget it.  I used to go to a Curves club, and there was a woman who was 89 that regularly worked out there.  She was amazing... worked that circuit without any difficulties, walked miles each week, still drove and did her own shopping, and was quite cogent.  I wanna be HER when I grow up!!  So part of this 50th celebration is saying, I'm not dead yet.  Don't senior me.  But gimme that senior discount, baby.    I earned that sucka.  

 

 

Great presents! I love all the work you and your husband are putting into your party. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun! You're doing well with your challenge too, good job!

 

Thank you!  So hubby and I were talking about what to do with all the party decor after we're done.  I mean, we could store it... but I was thinking maybe I'd transform my studio into that Polynesian Pop style of room.  It's already go the wall-to-wall paneling and glossy linoleum on the floor, lol.  But we also talked about our mutual love of Googie architecture (we hadn't even known that name until he stumbled onto it the other day).  We've loved that retro-futuristic style (think the Jetson's cartoon) in furniture and interior decor.  Now we have a ton of examples to draw from, and we're thinking of transforming our bedroom Googie-tiki style.  Would be wild, man.  Wild.  

[AthenaMM]

I love the idea of decorating your home with the party decorations after the party! It will be a fun reminder of your party as well as just fun decor.

 

Congratulations on joining a disc golf league! That should be a lot of fun and a great way to work on your challenge!

[Elastigirl]

So much awesome! I loved the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Hut ! We made my son go when we were at Disney world.

[Rowan Caldecott]

I also loved the Tiki Room at Disneyland. I also loved that piece of music you posted, so thanks.

[Granny Nogg]

Music to read by!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h11czDMZn0

 

 

 

The 50th birthday party was yesterday, and I wrote up a blog post on how to construct the tiki bar.  I think that'll help people who were in the same frame of mind that I was -- wanting to have a nice bar for parties, but not wanting to have a permanent structure.  And yet not wanting to buy that really cheap plastic one from the party store!

 

 

This is how it looked all fitted out with accessories.

 

 

And here it is all fully functional at the party!

 

Since we were at a public park, no alcohol was allowed.  So I worked on finding recipes for non-alcholic drinks that actually tasted good.  Yeah.  Lots of promises, not so much on the delivery.  It ended up that I was playing mad scientist the last two days before the party, because I couldn't find recipes for tropical drinks that I liked.  I did alot of, "Hey Allen, taste this!"  You should have seen some of the faces he made....

 

But we ended up agreeing on most of these (except the fuzzless navel.  He didn't like it; I found it to be my favorite of the list, so it stayed).

 

 

We had the list on a clipboard at the party, and encouraged our guests with pretending to be a bartender at a tropical resort!  They learned how to use a shaker, and measure ingredients, many of which they'd never used or heard of before.  So it was fun AND educational.  

One of the things we learned while making the tiki bar was how versatile it is.  Basically if you trade Hawaiian decorations for 4th of July, or Cinco De Mayo, Halloween, etc-- you can still have an adult beverage bar that's fully portable, can be used indoors or out, and sets up in under an hour.  I know we'll be using this thing alot.  

 

Disc golf:  I played on Thursday, but had my grandson Friday and Saturday, and was still in full party-prep-around-work mode, so no putts or games.  But today we're heading out to play in the afternoon.  I'm kinda looking forward to my life not consisting of party prep!  But then there's the 4th of July... just around the corner....

[Elastigirl]

 

Music to read by!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h11czDMZn0

 

 

 

The 50th birthday party was yesterday, and I wrote up a blog post on how to construct the tiki bar.  I think that'll help people who were in the same frame of mind that I was -- wanting to have a nice bar for parties, but not wanting to have a permanent structure.  And yet not wanting to buy that really cheap plastic one from the party store!

 

 

This is how it looked all fitted out with accessories.

 

 

And here it is all fully functional at the party!

 

Since we were at a public park, no alcohol was allowed.  So I worked on finding recipes for non-alcholic drinks that actually tasted good.  Yeah.  Lots of promises, not so much on the delivery.  It ended up that I was playing mad scientist the last two days before the party, because I couldn't find recipes for tropical drinks that I liked.  I did alot of, "Hey Allen, taste this!"  You should have seen some of the faces he made....

 

But we ended up agreeing on most of these (except the fuzzless navel.  He didn't like it; I found it to be my favorite of the list, so it stayed).

 

 

We had the list on a clipboard at the party, and encouraged our guests with pretending to be a bartender at a tropical resort!  They learned how to use a shaker, and measure ingredients, many of which they'd never used or heard of before.  So it was fun AND educational.  

One of the things we learned while making the tiki bar was how versatile it is.  Basically if you trade Hawaiian decorations for 4th of July, or Cinco De Mayo, Halloween, etc-- you can still have an adult beverage bar that's fully portable, can be used indoors or out, and sets up in under an hour.  I know we'll be using this thing alot.  

 

Disc golf:  I played on Thursday, but had my grandson Friday and Saturday, and was still in full party-prep-around-work mode, so no putts or games.  But today we're heading out to play in the afternoon.  I'm kinda looking forward to my life not consisting of party prep!  But then there's the 4th of July... just around the corner....

 

The party sounds like it was a blast!

[Rowan Caldecott]

The tiki bar looks great! And the party sounds like lots of fun!

[Granny Nogg]

Apparently the phone app doesn't let you reply to multiple people, so instead of double posting, I'll say thanks to Elastigirl and Rowan this way. So glad you two keep up with my comings and goings.

Yesterday, I went back to the BBWW. It's been awhile... And I know I'd said at the beginning of the challenge that I was going to just do disc golf and my hundred putts, but due to intense party prep and/or weather, family needs, etc - I hadn't been consistent about playing or putting every day. So filling in for the aforementioned, will be the bbww.

Ironically, yesterday I did all 3:

+100 putts (a dismal showing off 45% accuracy)

+12 holes of disc golf (squeezing in between hubby getting off work and me needing to leave for a meeting)

+3 sets each of the following:

-10 squats

-10 wall push ups

-15 walking lunges

-10 dumbbell rows of 20 lbs

-15 second planks

-30 jumping jacks

Disc golf: so there's a female pro who lives nearby, and while we're acquainted, we didn't really know one another. But we've joined the same dg league, and we're both very active in our club's Facebook group, and both passionate about the game. One thing leading to another, we went out to lunch a couple days ago.

It was like we became instant friends. 1 hour lunch turned into 3 hours and then a round with my boys. I'm helping her with some business stuff, and in turn she's helping me with my game technique. Being taught by a pro will raise my chances in placing respectable rankings in tournaments, and in return I designed her business cards, website, and got her a domain. I love being my own boss, too be able to trade for services.

Today is a round or two of disc golf, work, house cleaning/recovery from the party, 100 putts, and website work.

Sent from my Samsung S4 using Tapatalk.

[Rowan Caldecott]

Great news about your new friend! I love when I make those instant friendship kinds of connections. And bonus that you both had skills to help each other.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Wow - what a wonderful find!!!!  And the party sounds like it was a great success.

 

Hats off to you!!!

 

[Granny Nogg]

Music to read by:

 

Oh this song makes me happy.  

 

 

Happy Tuesday!  

Last Tuesday I'd made the mistake of doing my workout with my trail shoes on and strained my MCL.  Fortunately I discovered what happened fairly quickly, but by accident:  I was reading in the Starting Strength wiki, and he talked about the shoes you wear when you squat, and what would happen if you wore running shoes to squat in. AHA!!  While the trail shoes aren't exactly the same thing as running shoes, I got the point about the shoe's sole surface and how that affects the gravitational pull on your lower body when you squat.  So I backed off on my lower body workout to give the knees a break.  I stopped doing squats and lunges and left-handed disc golf drives (which puts your weight on the left leg) for the last week.  I've also changed to flat-soled shoes for my workouts (think Chuck Taylors or skater shoes).  My knee's getting better, and I was able to do 15 careful squats this morning without pain.  The lunges are still out, though.  Did 5 and got a twinge, so I stopped.

 

 

I've still been playing disc golf and doing my practices.  Participated in a night tournament last weekend, which can be summarized as the following imaginary ad:  "Would you like to climb hills in the pitch dark and the rain, and throw frisbees at invisible targets?  Then join us for this tournament of 36 holes of disc golf, where you'll alternately freeze and sweat, swear alot when you slip and fall in the mud, dig through poison ivy to find the disc that is supposed to be glow-in-the-dark but actually only holds a charge for 2.3 seconds, just enough time to release the throw and lose all possibility of ever finding the disc again.  Sounds like fun, right??"

 

 

 

Hahahaha.  It wasn't nearly as bad as all that for me personally, because I was prepared for the weather, terrain, and extended play (rain gear, layering, waterproof hiking boots and extra socks, extra liquids and snacks).  But I think my 3 other teammates would have said the imaginary ad was much too generous and optimistic.  I felt really sorry for those girls.  They'd never been in a tournament before, let alone one at night and in bad weather.  Sounded like a couple of them got roped into it by male significant others.  I gave them all big kudos for sticking it out, because not everyone did; two of the women on another card in our division pulled out.  It was pretty rough even for someone experienced, so I'm not trying to minimize it.  I slipped and fell to my knees once, even with hiking boots on and being very careful about where and how I walked, used my flashlight to light my way, etc.  The other girls were soaking, freezing, with sore feet from improper shoes, hungry and thirsty.

As it was, I came in third in our division, only two points behind the leader, who lived just down the street from the course and played it all the time, and also she had been playing for decades, even though this was her first tournament.  So in comparison and excluding the bad weather, I feel proud of myself because the last time I was in a night tournament, I was second-to-last in the women's division.  The only woman who scored behind me was 8 months pregnant!I It's been a year since then, and I can see the improvement I've made, which encourages me alot.  

I also think I had an epiphany with my putting yesterday.  Remember I've mentioned before that my putting sucks! And it's really a major part of the game when it comes to lowering your scores, so it's been holding me back alot.  It's the reason I'm doing 100 putts a day to practice.  I couldn't understand why my putts pulled to the right.  Every.Single.Time.  Even though I'd line up the putt, my arm came up straight-- and then the disc veers off.  Frustrating as heck.  Well... I realized suddenly that I was bending my wrist to release the disc, to give it a little spin.  Okay.  Yes.  Can't give really good verbal description of the process but suffice it to say, I was flicking my wrist rather than keeping it straight like I should have been.  After I realized that and slightly altered my release so that only my fingers flicked the disc and not my whole wrist, it helped.  Alot.  This much, in fact.... Guess who had to make dinner last night?  NOT ME, hahaha.  I finally got under my +20 handicap and beat my husband's score!

 

  

Yesterday I was thinking about my dumbbell rows, and how relatively easy it is to do the 3 sets of 10 at 20 lbs.  So this morning I added two of the 1.25 lbs plates to it.  Not a huge difference that I could feel, but I'm sure it's different.  It did completely fill my dumbbell with plates, though.  I have two of the 2.5 plates left, and will replace the 1.25's with them probably when this challenge is over.  After that, it'll be time to buy more plates, cuz I'll basically be using all the ones that came with my set from Christmas time. Huzzah-- took me only 6 months to go from 10 lbs to 25 lbs dumbbell rows!  

 

 

 

Some people carry alot more baggage from the past than others, and I find myself getting to know someone like that.  While I still really like her personality, within days I was telling myself "whoa!"  I needed to put up some healthy boundaries.  And the more she shared about herself and her life, the more I realized that this wasn't going to be one of those mutual give-and-take friendships.  Not because she doesn't want to!  She desperately does.  It's just that the level of unresolved conflict in her life from the past is too deeply impacting her ability to relate to others in a healthy way in the present.  Until those conflicts are brought up, examined, and resolved, she will be frozen emotionally and unable to move forward.  It makes me sad to think about it, but what's sadder is that she's unwilling to consider the possibility that she should do the work necessary to try to fix these relational problems.  She insists on blaming everyone else, and is rehearsing her resentments/holding tightly to the victimization as her rationale for why she is the way she is.

 

I used to be the rescuer kind of friend, but I don't do that anymore.  It isn't because I don't care as much as I used to; it's because I've learned that rescuing people isn't healthy for either of us, since it isn't my profession and they aren't my patient.  When done as friends, it creates a codependent friendship that is ultimately destructive.  So where does that leave my friend and I?  Basically back at arm's length, not much beyond the acquaintances we were before we met.  I'll treat her with kindness and respect of course!  But not allow her to pull me into her drama or get roped into fixing her problems like she's asking me to do.  Those are her monkeys, and it's not my place, nor my right, to fix them.  

 

 

 

"Not my monkeys".  This has been my mantra for about the last year or so.  Everyone has seen this saying, and it wasn't unfamiliar to me.  But one day I saw a similar image on Facebook and suddenly I got it.  I actually understood what it meant.  And the result was that it created emotional distance between myself and other people, so that what they said, or the actions they took, only had an effect on me if I allowed them to.  I used to take everything personally without understanding what I was doing to myself (much like my friend in this situation).  But for me, now there is a margin, a 'no man's land' between myself and the next person's emotions, drama, their history, their damaged areas.  I'm not obligated to fix them, and I truly shouldn't even try, for both our sakes.  

[Granny Nogg]

Some Hawaiian drum music for you!

 

 

Quick update, have a busy day today.

 

Did my first barbell squats today.  Just the bar, no weights yet.  But the bar itself is 25 pounds, so I guess that technically IS weight.  Did 3 sets of 3.  My MCL is still bugging me a bit, so lunges are still out; tried a few to test the knee and had that twinge.  Weird that I can squat without pain but not lunge.  Dumbbell rows are up to 22.5 lbs.  When I get up to 25 lbs, I'll have used all the heavier plates for my dumbbells from the set Allen got me at Christmas, and I'll need to go get new ones. 

 

Today's workout:

Barbell Squats, 3 sets of 3, bar only

Incline push ups, 3 sets of 10, 70 degree angle

Dumbbell rows, 3 sets of 10, 22.5 lbs

Planks, 3 sets of 20 seconds

Jumping jacks, 3 sets of 30

[Granny Nogg]

Moar Music to Make your Ears Happeh!

 

 

 

Hey check this out:  I made a 200 FOOT DRIVE off hole 18 at Bradley.  My goal had been to just get past the 'big tree' (150 feet).  2 weeks ago, I couldn't.  Last night at league, oh baby.  That's my disc, about 40 feet from the basket.  My average drive is usually 125-150 feet.  (For comparison, the top female players in the world usually throw drives of about 300 feet.  So I was pretty darn happy.)  Gaining distance in driving is achieved in increments of about 10 feet at a time, and it's alot of hard practice to get you there.  So from a novice senior female player's perspective, this was a pretty big deal. 

 

 

Okay so obviously I played disc golf last night at league;

Today I've already played one of the A-tier rated courses from the longs (that means the pro tees, rather than the shorter am tees).  I didn't do too badly. 

This afternoon will be playing with the hubs.  Not sure where.
Haven't done my 100 putts for the day yet.  

[Granny Nogg]

I'm leaving for a leadership conference in Tennessee tomorrow, and will be gone until Monday. Taking my putters to do 100 putts each evening. I'll do the BBWW on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Might be able to play a round in Nashville on Saturday, which is our free day.

Sent from my Samsung S4 using Tapatalk.

[Chris-Tien Jinn]

Hey, just stopping by to see how the challenge wrapped up for you!!!