SnowOwl Builds a Foundation

[SnowOwl]

(January: Back to Basics)

 

I decided to kick off 2016 with three quests that will build a solid foundation to support me as I work toward my bigger goals throughout the year.

 

1. Drink 90 ounces of water every day. 

 

This equals 3.5 fills of my current water bottle, or about 11 glasses. (Hydration = energy)

 

2. Exercise daily for a minimum of 20 minutes.

 

To help make this a habit, I will do this at approximately the same time each day, whenever possible. Any exercise, except my morning walk with the dog, counts, but I will try to keep in mind that pull-ups and bellydance are on my epic quest list for 2016.

 

3. Walk 1/2 mile loop with the dog every morning.

 

I can skip this without penalty only if the weather is bad all day - freezing rain, high winds, extra low temps with wind, or if we are heading out early to go cross-country skiing or something else active with the dog. 

 

4. Life Quest: Kitchen Countertops!

I have been overwhelmed by this project and so have been putting it off for a long time. It’s time to step up and just get it done, even if it isn’t perfect. My husband works hard so that I can be at home doing things like building our kitchen countertops. He’s doing his part and I need to start doing mine.

[Love_Of_Snuggles]

Working out with a pet makes it so much more fun, at least to me. I am looking forward to they day I can gt a dog again and we can walk/hike/etc together.

[Son of Rylos]

Totally in here for your winning Snow!! Just like you said to me, very straight, very simple goals that you can build on.

 

You're stuck with me!

[SnowOwl]

Couldn't ask for anyone better to be stuck with Calibre!

[SnowOwl]

Day 1:

I drank all the water (and peed and all the pee, and then some).

I worked on pull-ups and then the mini-challenge (45 wall push-ups)

I cross-country skied the loop this morning instead of walking - way more fun!

No progress on countertops.

 

Issues: 

I did not work on the countertops.

I forgot to exercise and crammed it in without a plan.

 

Solutions to try:

I will list my next step for the countertops here so I have a concrete plan for the next day - in bite sized portions.

I will review my day and look for a regular time to exercise.

 

I've been reading other challenges and I think I need to set up some weekly rewards...

[Son of Rylos]

Day 1:

I drank all the water (and peed and all the pee, and then some).

I worked on pull-ups and then the mini-challenge (45 wall push-ups)

I cross-country skied the loop this morning instead of walking - way more fun!

No progress on countertops.

 

Issues: 

I did not work on the countertops.

I forgot to exercise and crammed it in without a plan.

 

Solutions to try:

I will list my next step for the countertops here so I have a concrete plan for the next day - in bite sized portions.

I will review my day and look for a regular time to exercise.

 

I've been reading other challenges and I think I need to set up some weekly rewards...

 

Well, as a semi-medical professional, peeing all the pee is a good thing  

 

I know that a project, like the countertops, can look daunting but just remember that, even if all you can see is the big picture, there is small spots you can hit first. Some would call it procrastinating, others would call it sustained gradual cleaning. I like sustained gradual cleaning. 

 

Hopefully no soreness after the crammed exercises and can't wait to see Day Two!

[SnowOwl]

I just realized I didn't post my countertop step for tomorrow!

 

I will find a tutorial online and inventory my wood supply.

 

Calibre, I actually don't have countertops yet! I have to build them. (Although the makeshift ones do need to be cleared off...)

 

l love your sustained gradual cleaning! I'm good at that, just sometimes the gradual cleaning can't keep up with the instantaneous mess making.

 

And as for the soreness, I seem to be just fine, as long as I don't attempt to lift my arms.

[Zho]

I love your goals. The water one is so hard for me. I either drink way too much water in a day or not nearly enough! I get frustrated by all the pee breaks too.

 

Ooooh, belly dancing! I've always wanted to give it a shot, but I can't tell if I'm doing it right since I have a little more belly than most belly-dancers I've seen, haha. Have you practiced before this challenge, or are you just starting out this year?

[SnowOwl]

I used to bellydance with a troupe in public! It was really fun after I got over being completely petrified. I practiced long enough to get to an intermediate level, and  I even taught a beginner class a few times too. Then life stuff happened (foster teen who needed my time and also caused some financial tightening up).

 

It's a been a few years now and I am really out of practice. I've noticed that my back is not as healthy and strong as it was, so that is part of my motivation for getting back into it. 

 

There is a really wide variety of body types in bellydance - it's great for almost everyone. If you are learning at home, it can be very helpful to video yourself and then watch it to see how you are doing. Also, each move looks different on each body, so your right won't be exactly the same as another persons, another thing I love about it!

[SnowOwl]

Day 2:

Water - excellent

Exercise - better today. I shoveled snow, did 30 table push-ups for the mini, and 3 sets of 20 squats.

Dog - we walked this morning and there must have been a lot of coyotes out last night because he ran all over barking like crazy throughout the entire walk.

Countertops - wood inventoried, looks sufficient, I hope. Tutorial not done, but with a great excuse...until now, I should get on that. This project may be on hold until we get power back up. Precedence has been given to getting our new solar power system going.

 

I was ready to have an amazingly productive day and follow my schedule perfectly. I started out great - got up, fed the chickens, started the generator, walked the dog, brought in firewood and then hit a big bump in the road.  

 

I went to turn on the inverter to start the washing machine before I got my breakfast going (we are off-grid and our current system can't handle the washer, hence the generator) and noticed that the charger lights weren't going...so no power today.  (I had to shut the whole system off since I didn't know what was wrong.)

 

Once my husband got home, he checked everything and thinks the charger has died. So we have 1 light and the internet (priorities!) plugged directly into the generator for the evening, but I will not have power for laundry or other appliances for the rest of the week. We should be able to continue with the generator for light at night though until we can get a new charger, but only the one light in the living room - no lights in the bedroom or bathroom. 

 

A few things I discovered today: 

1. Without the internet I got a lot of housecleaning done - I really need to start putting limits on my online time.

 

2. I cannot sew without power, which is my backup activity when I'm not online and need a break from chores. I also have a small business sewing fabric dog collars. 

 

3. I really need to learn more about our solar power system and not rely so much on my husband when things aren't working correctly.

 

4. I am not as prepared fro emergencies as I thought I was. My motivation to be more prepared for emergencies has returned. I have slacked off on this and living where and how we do, this needs to be more of a priority. Expect future challenges in this area.

 

Today made me realize how dependent on power I am. I feel like being off-grid means I am ready and don't have to worry about all the power outages due to winter storms and things, but it really means that I am solely responsible for maintaining my own power equipment and that if it goes down it could be weeks to get things back up if we need new equipment. I need to be better prepared for this and I need to set up a regular maintenance schedule for my batteries and components so I know if they are in good shape or might be close to needing replacement.

 

Long post and not directly tied to my challenge, but important for me to write down and remember!

[TexasDawn]

Wow, I cannot even imagine living that way, SnowOwl. If I flip a switch and the lights don't turn on, I call my husband to check the breakers, and then the electric company to see when the power's coming back on. And all that other stuff? - feeding chickens, bringing in firewood, etc - that sounds like a ton of work to me, none of it fun. It would be enough of a hardship just to live without power for a week - even with a generator! You certainly are a strong woman. Don't be so hard on yourself for not knowing all there is to know about your power equipment.

[Grayspeed]

Off the grid? I now assume you are some sort of badass zombie slayer.

[Moros]

I just wanted to say how cool it is that you live off-grid.  Right now, I live in an apartment, but I have always wanted a place that was energy independent.  It takes real commitment to do that.  Hope your charger either gets fixed quickly, or a replacement is cheap...

[SnowOwl]

Possible good news on the charger - my brother in law says he has two of them sitting in storage from his old systems. I am really hoping they work and then we will be back in power quickly and for free!

 

moros - I love being off-grid, but it is very hard to go on vacation.

 

Grayspeed - Badass, yep that's me lol Sometimes I do feel awesome when I'm being all self-sufficient and capable and building things all on my own, and then there are those other days... (I actually locked my keys in my car, lost my keys, and killed the battery by leaving the lights on all in a span of 10 days.) But badass zombie slayer, yeah, that sounds way better!

 

So, Day 3:

Water - doing good

Exercise - yoga class (I did great today! focus really does help with balance), I also walked up to the top of the driveway to get the mail (1/4 mile) and then went high-speed sledding back down - so much fun!

Dog - walked

Countertops, nope, but building up my 20 seconds to get started...slowly

 

And on the (mostly) internet free daytime due to lack of power - amazing how much I am getting done! Really going to be in my next challenge to work on that.

[SaffronTurtle]

Gahhh it's so cool that you live off grid! Do you grow some of your own food too?

[SnowOwl]

Usually. This past year our well went dry so we didn't have a garden, but I'm already pouring over seed catalogs for this spring. I usually grow and can my own tomatoes and green beans, and grow carrots, dry beans, potatoes, onions, and garlic for storage, along with other veg for fresh eating. I grow strawberries and scavenge wild blackberries for jam. Then I glean fruit and can it too. My friend has a cider press so some years I get to make and can apple cider! 

 

Learning to be a better gardener is on my epic quest list for this summer! (I get some things to grow, but my plants aren't as healthy or productive as they should be.) 

 

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds is the best!

 

(Can you tell I'm excited? lol)

[SnowOwl]

No go on the free charger Wrong voltage. Back to researching new options and trying not to go crazy without the magical internet to connect with others during the day - very thankful for the generator at night.

 

Day 4: 

Water - good

Exercise - 11 knee pushups for the mini, planning to do online relaxation yoga before bed this evening (set an alarm so I won't forget)

Dog - walked

Countertops - barely, but I did one tiny step (measuring and a bit of planning, realized I need to secure base cabs and realign them)

 

Lack of daytime internet is starting to have bigger downsides, productivity lowering due to no fun breaks to reward myself with, grumpiness setting in due to lack of connection with others.

[Son of Rylos]

No go on the free charger Wrong voltage. Back to researching new options and trying not to go crazy without the magical internet to connect with others during the day - very thankful for the generator at night.

 

Day 4: 

Water - good

Exercise - 11 knee pushups for the mini, planning to do online relaxation yoga before bed this evening (set an alarm so I won't forget)

Dog - walked

Countertops - barely, but I did one tiny step (measuring and a bit of planning, realized I need to secure base cabs and realign them)

 

Lack of daytime internet is starting to have bigger downsides, productivity lowering due to no fun breaks to reward myself with, grumpiness setting in due to lack of connection with others.

 

Hoping you get your daytime power issues dealt with soon. No time for grumpies, just remember, even if you can't see us all the time, we're there with you

[SnowOwl]

That's why NF is so amazing, I know I can get sincere support and encouragement whenever I need it! Thank you

 

Day 5: I think Fridays will be a rest day. But not an everything slides day. 

I didn't track water and know it's a bit low, but I'm still making an effort.

No specific exercise today, but I did have to help haul some heavy things so I'm still being a bit active. (We picked up new batteries today, but still waiting on a charger.)

Walked the dog, even tried a little jog up the hill - maybe something to work towards eventually.

 

My husband felt he "needed" chocolate cake after his long week. So I made him some and he feels better, but I now need to work really hard not to have more than one piece a day and no frosting! So I'm adding this as a temporary mini-goal until the cake gets eaten because it's so hard to not eat all the cake.

[zeroh13]

Your challenge looks great.

I would love to live off grid, or even semi off grid. And grow my own veggies and stuff.

A couple years ago we were without power for over a week. Ended up doing a lot of reading. That was when I discovered it's really, really hard to read by candlelight.

I made a really good Banana Walnut cake once. It was so hard to resist the temptation to just keep eating it. Good luck!

[SnowOwl]

I started my character and epic quest this evening!

 

https://www.nerdfitness.com/character/58074

[SnowOwl]

Day 6:

Water - good!

Exercise - cross-country skiing! I went to the mt. with some neighbors and pushed myself more than I would have if I had gone with my husband, so that was good. I really want to improve my leg strength, I was definitely the weakest skier today and I think they would have done a bit more if I wasn't along. I think tomorrow will be a yoga day...

Dog - took him skiing 1st thing this am, so n/a

Countertops -   I want to correct this, so I am going to find a tutorial online right now. (EDIT: done!)

 

*Tomorrow, I will select 4-5 pieces of wood that are a good thickness for countertops. 

[SnowOwl]

I really tried to do a push-up today for the mini, and I really hoped and thought if I pushed hard I could, but I can't. Time to get back to the BBWW at least a couple times a week...I pushed and pushed and didn't move.

[Son of Rylos]

I really tried to do a push-up today for the mini, and I really hoped and thought if I pushed hard I could, but I can't. Time to get back to the BBWW at least a couple times a week...I pushed and pushed and didn't move.

 

You can most definitely do it!! There is still time before the end of the challenge. If I can do it, so can you

[SnowOwl]

Nope, I really can't. I tried again and it's not even close. I can lower myself with control and I can push up from about 1/2 way to 90 degrees, but any lower and I'm stuck. I gave myself .5 of a pushup and will try again when I get stronger.

 

Day 7:

Water - I need to drink two more glasses, but I can do that with dinner!

Exercise - no, but I will do 20 minutes of something before bed - either online yoga or yoga for bellydance on dvd

Dog - walked this afternoon (husband took him out early this morning)

Countertops - I selected my pieces of wood (Monday step: measure and saw at least one piece to find out if new saw blade is required)

 

So, week one has gone great with the exception of the countertops. I'll really need to pick up the pace on those if I am going to get them done during this challenge.