imprimis5's Big and Little Pictures

[imprimis5]

A new month, a new challenge. This time around, I have two disparate sorts of challenges. The first is incremental steps toward a big picture goal. The second is a set of more specific temporal goals.

 

Big Picture Challenge

• Wedding Planning: On Monday, January 30th, 2017 my boyfriend and I proposed to one another. While we're adorable and all, simply being cute does not make plans for us. We must make actual arrangements for this to happen. We're not having an elaborate ceremony or reception; rather, two of our best friends are accompanying to the courthouse on an upcoming afternoon for a civic marriage. After which, we'll meet up with a few of our close friends and their partners in a very informal environment for lots of my boss's home brew and board games until everyone leaves. This requires a few things to be planned ASAP, as we're shooting for May of this year.
  • Set a specific date.
  • Arrange for our friends to be at the marriage.
  • Rent a facility that can accommodate up to 60 people and let us carry in our own alcohol.
  • Set a guest list.
  • Invite people.
  • Optional Bonus: Arrange to buy a kilt for the wedding that I can afford and be happy with for a long time to come. I'm going to be super picky, and will not get anything before I compromise.
• Daily Food Report: Recording my daily food intake has been one of the most helpful things I've done for months now. I'm going to continue this. Still eating mostly paleo, with the occasional allowance here and there. Bold items are not paleo. Iced Coffee is never paleo if it's been sweetened; baked goods, protein shakes, candy, and ice cream are never paleo. Candy is a newcomer to the list. I've unfortunately developed a little bit of a sweet tooth and started sneaking the odd orange slice or gummy worm, so I need to nip that in the bud. Protein shakes are also a newcomer to the list, as I've noticed I'm consistently about 30g of protein shy in a day. I'll probably only be consuming them after workouts, so just one a day.
  • Yesterday breakfast:
  • Lunch:
  • Dinner:
  • Snacks:
  • Protein Shake:
  • Iced Coffee:
  • Baked Goods:
  • Ice Cream:
  • Candy:

 

Little Picture Challenge

• Dip Improvement: Do 3x10 dips, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
• Pull-Up Improvement: Do 3x10 pull-ups, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
• Yoga: Do yoga every night, with at least five a week being full half-hour sessions.
• Squat Improvement: Do 4x5 squats with at least two workouts a week.
• Bench Press Improvement: Do 4x5 bench press with at least two workouts a week.
• Deadlift Improvement: Do 4x5 deadlift with at least two workouts a week.
• Running: Run at least a mile twice during this Challenge.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Following along again.

[imprimis5]

Week 0 Tuesday Update

 

Big Picture Challenge

• Wedding Planning: On Monday, January 30th, 2017 my boyfriend and I proposed to one another. While we're adorable and all, simply being cute does not make plans for us. We must make actual arrangements for this to happen. We're not having an elaborate ceremony or reception; rather, two of our best friends are accompanying to the courthouse on an upcoming afternoon for a civic marriage. After which, we'll meet up with a few of our close friends and their partners in a very informal environment for lots of my boss's home brew and board games until everyone leaves. This requires a few things to be planned ASAP, as we're shooting for May of this year.
  • Set a specific date.
    • We have it narrowed down to two days. Honestly, it'll probably just be kind of an arbitrary choice between these two. The judges in St. Louis County only perform marriages on Wednesday afternoons, so that makes our decision super easy. :-P I also don't want to do it on the Wednesday after my Warrior Dash, so that cuts out another day.
  • Arrange for our friends to be at the marriage.
    • Both of our best friends have said they'd be happy to be there as witnesses. Just need to figure out specifics (Do we need to get hotel rooms for them,  primarily?).
  • Rent a facility that can accommodate up to 60 people and let us carry in our own alcohol.
    • We have one facility that can definitely do this. It would work, but we want to explore our options. This is a tricky thing to find, though. Most places either want you to use their bartending services or have a licensed caterer.
  • Set a guest list.
    • We have a tentative guest list already. Just gotta figure out if we want to pare it down at all.
  • Invite people.
    • This is, in my opinion, the scariest part. We have a couple really huge requirements, and it's pretty important that we express this in our invitations. The first requirement is that the whole deal be super informal. It's not a reception; it's a party where we drink beer and play board games, coincidentally happening after we get married. Secondly, no kids. Like, seriously, if they're under 21, we don't want them there. Not just because of the alcohol, but because we don't like kids and it's our damn party. Trying to figure out how to say "Find a sitter or stay home; no exceptions" to a small selection our good friends and guests (including my fiancé's sister) in a polite way is a challenge.
  • Optional Bonus: Arrange to buy a kilt for the wedding that I can afford and be happy with for a long time to come. I'm going to be super picky, and will not get anything before I compromise.
    • This is seeming very unlikely, at this point, unless something crazy comes along. I just can't afford most of the options, given the short amount of time I have to get it.
• Daily Food Report: Recording my daily food intake has been one of the most helpful things I've done for months now. I'm going to continue this. Still eating mostly paleo, with the occasional allowance here and there. Bold items are not paleo. Iced Coffee is never paleo if it's been sweetened; baked goods, protein shakes, candy, and ice cream are never paleo. Candy is a newcomer to the list. I've unfortunately developed a little bit of a sweet tooth and started sneaking the odd orange slice or gummy worm, so I need to nip that in the bud. Protein shakes are also a newcomer to the list, as I've noticed I'm consistently about 30g of protein shy in a day. I'll probably only be consuming them after workouts, so just one a day.
  • Yesterday breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
  • Lunch: Chicken meatloaf muffin, parsnip mash, steamed broccoli
  • Dinner: Sushi and miso soup
  • Snacks: A few almonds
  • Protein Shake: One after my workout, out of the gym's cooler
  • Iced Coffee: Yes, almost unsweetened
  • Baked Goods: A slice of my fiancé's homemade chocolate cake
  • Ice Cream: A small scoop of vanilla with the cake
  • Candy: No

 

Little Picture Challenge

• Dip Improvement: Do 3x10 dips, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
    • I actually did this with my trainer yesterday, before I had even written this challenge. They were band-assisted.
• Pull-Up Improvement: Do 3x10 pull-ups, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Yoga: Do yoga every night, with at least five a week being full half-hour sessions.
  • Just did the shoulder mobility mini-session last night since it was pretty late by the time our friends left.
• Squat Improvement: Do 4x5 squats with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Bench Press Improvement: Do 4x5 bench press with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
    • This was part of my training session yesterday. Yet another PR!
• Deadlift Improvement: Do 4x5 deadlift with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Running: Run at least a mile twice during this Challenge.
  • 0/2
    • It's nice out, so I plan on doing this today! Tuesdays are my new rest day, so my active rest will be taking a nice run once I'm home.

[crashy]

Following. Mad props for the wedding planning, and good luck with the little picture challenges.

[jonfirestar]

Definitely wedding season around these parts excited for you! I like the separation between the big and small picture in this one! Following along again.

[imprimis5]

2 minutes ago, jonfirestar said:

Definitely wedding season around these parts

 

I know, right! I was actually a little worried about making this part of my challenge. Didn't want @Tanktimus the Encourager to think I was cheating off his quiz or anything.

[Oramac]

Following, of course.  Good setup you have.  I like the big/small picture format.  

[Muir]

2 hours ago, imprimis5 said:

On Monday, January 30th, 2017 my boyfriend and I proposed to one another.

 

Ahhh! congrats! Following because I'm inherently nosy

 

[imprimis5]

15 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Following along again.

 

2 hours ago, crashy said:

Following.

 

2 hours ago, jonfirestar said:

Following along again.

 

45 minutes ago, Oramac said:

Following, of course

 

7 minutes ago, Muir said:

Following because I'm inherently nosy

 

Glad to have you all along! Thanks!

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

2 hours ago, imprimis5 said:

 

I know, right! I was actually a little worried about making this part of my challenge. Didn't want @Tanktimus the Encourager to think I was cheating off his quiz or anything.

No worries. Apparently me getting married does not preclude others from doing the same thing.

Who knew? 

[imprimis5]

2 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

No worries. Apparently me getting married does not preclude others from doing the same thing.

Who knew? 

 

I thought we had to take these things in turns. Only one person planning a wedding at a time, thank you.

[imprimis5]

Week 0 Wednesday Update

Yesterday was my nominal rest day. That means no gym trip, but still yoga and maybe some running. It was really quite nice, but I don't feel especially rested. I think it's because I had quite a bit to do around the house before we had to leave for a movie. Given that we were seeing the movie at a theatre in a part of town that is incredibly stressful for me to drive/park in (The Loop, if you're familiar with STL), even that wasn't very relaxing.

 

Today's plan is to work and try not to give in to the waves of anxiety that were threatening to make my vomit (this isn't an exaggeration) yesterday. Once I get through work, I'm heading to the gym for a "boot camp" sort of thing that Gold's Gym is doing as part of its 12-week challenge. I really don't know exactly what to expect, but my trainer is the one running it. Since I know his style pretty well by now, I have a decent idea what it'll be like. That means I'll have to be sure I'm not pushing the speed and intensity too fast and keeping the weight (or bodyweight equivalent) high, because it'll turn into an hour-long conditioning cardio session if I don't. Since I don't want to be shedding pounds right now, an intense cardio session once a week wouldn't really be the best thing for me.

 

Regarding the 12 week challenge, I'm a little irritated with my gym, and I need to vent. So, there's a goodie bag you're supposed to get as part of signing up for the challenge. Well, the GM of my gym quit right around the time she was supposed to be ordering the stuff. It hasn't arrived yet because of this. I'm not sad to see the GM go, because she wasn't good. She regularly berated employees in front of gym guests, and she even occasionally made guests feel unwelcome. But she did handle the logistics of the busines well, and it left a big vacuum when she left. I hope it gets running smoothly very quickly (and that I get my stuff. :-P)

 

Big Picture Challenge

• Wedding Planning: On Monday, January 30th, 2017 my boyfriend and I proposed to one another. While we're adorable and all, simply being cute does not make plans for us. We must make actual arrangements for this to happen. We're not having an elaborate ceremony or reception; rather, two of our best friends are accompanying to the courthouse on an upcoming afternoon for a civic marriage. After which, we'll meet up with a few of our close friends and their partners in a very informal environment for lots of my boss's home brew and board games until everyone leaves. This requires a few things to be planned ASAP, as we're shooting for May of this year.
  • Set a specific date.
    • Assuming the venue is available, I think we actually have a date. That's a big step that will allow us to do a few other things, like invite people.
  • Arrange for our friends to be at the marriage.
    • Holding pattern for a specific date.
  • Rent a facility that can accommodate up to 60 people and let us carry in our own alcohol.
    • I called one venue yesterday in the hopes that I could go take a look and see what I thought about it. It's literally a quarter-mile walk from work, so I could really easily head there on a short break. Sadly, I had to leave a message, and they still haven't returned my call. I'll likely try again today.
  • Set a guest list.
    • I think this is pretty much done.
  • Invite people.
    • I can't really do this until we have a date.
  • Optional Bonus: Arrange to buy a kilt for the wedding that I can afford and be happy with for a long time to come. I'm going to be super picky, and will not get anything before I compromise.
    • Told my fiancé that this probably wasn't going to happen yesterday. He was disappointed for me, but we agreed it's not a huge deal.
• Daily Food Report: Recording my daily food intake has been one of the most helpful things I've done for months now. I'm going to continue this. Still eating mostly paleo, with the occasional allowance here and there. Bold items are not paleo. Iced Coffee is never paleo if it's been sweetened; baked goods, protein shakes, candy, and ice cream are never paleo. Candy is a newcomer to the list. I've unfortunately developed a little bit of a sweet tooth and started sneaking the odd orange slice or gummy worm, so I need to nip that in the bud. Protein shakes are also a newcomer to the list, as I've noticed I'm consistently about 30g of protein shy in a day. I'll probably only be consuming them after workouts, so just one a day.
  • Yesterday breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
  • Lunch: Chicken meatloaf muffin, parsnip mash, steamed broccoli
  • Dinner: Ground beef and onions, steamed broccoli, pickled beets and onions (I made these! The ones I had last night were the remainders that didn't quite fit into the jars with the rest, and they were only pickling since Sunday night. Still, they were really tasty! I can't wait until I get to pull the real stuff out.)
  • Snacks: A few almonds
  • Protein Shake: No workout, no shake
  • Iced Coffee: Yes, almost unsweetened
  • Baked Goods: A slice of my fiancé's homemade chocolate cake
  • Ice Cream: A small scoop of vanilla with the cake
  • Candy: No

 

Little Picture Challenge

• Dip Improvement: Do 3x10 dips, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
• Pull-Up Improvement: Do 3x10 pull-ups, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Yoga: Do yoga every night, with at least five a week being full half-hour sessions.
  • Squat mobility session last night because of another late night, this time seeing Ghost in the Shell in the theatre
• Squat Improvement: Do 4x5 squats with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Bench Press Improvement: Do 4x5 bench press with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
• Deadlift Improvement: Do 4x5 deadlift with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Running: Run at least a mile twice during this Challenge.
  • 1/2
    • I ran from home to the park and back yesterday, which ends up being about two miles. Let me tell you what. If you haven't run regularly in a few months, you notice it. But I still felt better than when I was in San Antonio, trying to run from my hotel to the Alamo and back.

[Oramac]

34 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

Regarding the 12 week challenge, I'm a little irritated with my gym, and I need to vent. So, there's a goodie bag you're supposed to get as part of signing up for the challenge. Well, the GM of my gym quit right around the time she was supposed to be ordering the stuff. It hasn't arrived yet because of this. I'm not sad to see the GM go, because she wasn't good. She regularly berated employees in front of gym guests, and she even occasionally made guests feel unwelcome. But she did handle the logistics of the busines well, and it left a big vacuum when she left. I hope it gets running smoothly very quickly (and that I get my stuff. :-P)

 

Ugh.  That sucks man. But look at the bright side: long-term, it's probably for the best, especially if she was as bad as you say. 

[imprimis5]

19 minutes ago, Oramac said:

 

Ugh.  That sucks man. But look at the bright side: long-term, it's probably for the best, especially if she was as bad as you say. 

 

Yeah. It'll be fine. I haven't met the new GM yet, but I've heard he's pretty chill. And, from a distance, he also looks super jacked. Like, the kind of guy who has to paint his shirt and tie on.

[imprimis5]

Week 0 Thursday Update

Yesterday was the 12 week challenge boot camp. I don't remember everything specifically, but I'll try to at least sum it up. First of all, there were a ton of people there, all crammed into the functional area of the gym, which was good and bad. Lots of people being there, in February, means they've stuck around past January and have a decent chance of really making it work. It also means that it was a little cramped. Also, I was the most in-shape person there (not to brag, but it's definitely the case). We did 10 minutes or so of warm-up, then half an hour of a conditioning circuit (13 stations, each with a scale-able exercise like kettlebell high pulls or ring rows), then 10 minutes of stretching. The circuit was pretty easy, by and large, so I really pushed myself for speed and intensity when there was no weight, and high weight when it was applicable. However, we were working in teams of three, and I really loved being in an environment where I could cheer on other people.

 

Yesterday was also not a great day on the mental health front, so that affected some things outside of the gym. Once I'm at the gym, I can just vent my frustrations at the iron; the iron listens and understands and never makes me feel like I'm over-sharing. But everywhere else was rough. I actually had two mild anxiety attacks during the day and barely prevented a third in the evening. Combined with my fiancé also having a rough mental health day for other reasons, we weren't much help to each other. That means that we ate chocolate cake, we skipped yoga entirely, and we went to sleep without taking some time to read beforehand. Admittedly, some of this was because we had a game night that ended up going about three hours longer than we wanted it to, and we didn't get to bed until after midnight.

 

Still not feeling great today. My current plan is to spend as little time in the office as possible. So I'm going to do everything that must be done from my office, then leave to go to the gym, then do the rest of my day's work from home. We'll see how that goes. I don't have any meetings today, so it should be doable.

 

I'm adding one more Little Picture challenge. I noticed that my right foot tends to duck out when I'm squatting, even if I'm consciously trying to keep it in. So I'm going to be doing some straight leg interior rotation with my right leg every workout for a while until that's fixed.

 

Big Picture Challenge

• Wedding Planning: On Monday, January 30th, 2017 my boyfriend and I proposed to one another. While we're adorable and all, simply being cute does not make plans for us. We must make actual arrangements for this to happen. We're not having an elaborate ceremony or reception; rather, two of our best friends are accompanying to the courthouse on an upcoming afternoon for a civic marriage. After which, we'll meet up with a few of our close friends and their partners in a very informal environment for lots of my boss's home brew and board games until everyone leaves. This requires a few things to be planned ASAP, as we're shooting for May of this year.
  • Set a specific date.
    • Waiting on venue.
  • Arrange for our friends to be at the marriage.
    • Holding pattern for a specific date.
  • Rent a facility that can accommodate up to 60 people and let us carry in our own alcohol.
    • I can't get this venue to return my calls. I'm going to try again today. If they don't answer/call me back today, I'm going to march my happy ass up there tomorrow.
  • Set a guest list.
    • Remembered another person that needs to be on the list. I'm a little concerned that it's getting too big. May have to pare it down.
  • Invite people.
    • Sent a few messages yesterday, probing who would be available in the general time frame of the wedding. Seems like, from the sample set I picked, we'll probably have around 90% attendance.
  • Optional Bonus: Arrange to buy a kilt for the wedding that I can afford and be happy with for a long time to come. I'm going to be super picky, and will not get anything before I compromise.
    • Holding pattern. Looking. Dreaming.
• Daily Food Report: Recording my daily food intake has been one of the most helpful things I've done for months now. I'm going to continue this. Still eating mostly paleo, with the occasional allowance here and there. Bold items are not paleo. Iced Coffee is never paleo if it's been sweetened; baked goods, protein shakes, candy, and ice cream are never paleo. Candy is a newcomer to the list. I've unfortunately developed a little bit of a sweet tooth and started sneaking the odd orange slice or gummy worm, so I need to nip that in the bud. Protein shakes are also a newcomer to the list, as I've noticed I'm consistently about 30g of protein shy in a day. I'll probably only be consuming them after workouts, so just one a day.
  • Yesterday breakfast: Two hard boiled eggs
  • Lunch: Chicken meatloaf muffin, parsnip mash, steamed broccoli
  • Dinner: Ground beef and onions, steamed broccoli, pickled beets and onions
  • Snacks: A few almonds
  • Protein Shake: Yup. I really do feel like I recover faster after getting 25g of protein or so within half an hour of a workout.
  • Iced Coffee: Yes, almost unsweetened
  • Baked Goods: A slice of my fiancé's homemade chocolate cake
  • Ice Cream: A small scoop of vanilla with the cake
  • Candy: No

 

Little Picture Challenge

• Dip Improvement: Do 3x10 dips, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
• Pull-Up Improvement: Do 3x10 pull-ups, assisted or otherwise, with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Yoga: Do yoga every night, with at least five a week being full half-hour sessions.
  • Out of character, I actually didn't do yoga last night for Reasons.
• Squat Improvement: Do 4x5 squats with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Bench Press Improvement: Do 4x5 bench press with at least two workouts a week.
  • 1/2
• Deadlift Improvement: Do 4x5 deadlift with at least two workouts a week.
  • 0/2
• Running: Run at least a mile twice during this Challenge.
  • 1/2
• Straight Leg Interior Rotation: Do 4x10 straight leg interior rotation with every workout.
  • Starting this today.

[Oramac]

54 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

I really loved being in an environment where I could cheer on other people.

 

Yesterday was also not a great day on the mental health front, so that affected some things outside of the gym. Once I'm at the gym, I can just vent my frustrations at the iron; the iron listens and understands and never makes me feel like I'm over-sharing. But everywhere else was rough.

 

Sounds like you'd love the Tough Mudder.   (peer pressure!)

 

I hear ya, man.  The iron is both mean and kind, and it's the best listener out there.  I know the feeling.  Sorry to hear it was a rough day for you, but I think you have a good plan for dealing with it today.  

[imprimis5]

5 minutes ago, Oramac said:

Sounds like you'd love the Tough Mudder.

 

I probably would. But the STL one is on my dad's birthday.

 

6 minutes ago, Oramac said:

I think you have a good plan for dealing with it today.

 

We shall see. I'm a little concerned that I will get distracted at home, but that's preferable to being absolutely miserable and fighting anxiety attacks at work.

[Oramac]

4 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

I probably would. But the STL one is on my dad's birthday.

 

We shall see. I'm a little concerned that I will get distracted at home, but that's preferable to being absolutely miserable and fighting anxiety attacks at work.

 

So bring your dad!  (or not, family is more important)

 

Yea I get that.  But sometimes the distractions are necessary.  I find that bouncing back and forth every 15 minutes or so can be more productive than just burying my head in the work sometimes.  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Stinks when both of you have a rough day at the same time.

[imprimis5]

2 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

Stinks when both of you have a rough day at the same time.

 

You're not wrong. At least he's a little better today, if I'm not. I fully expect to spend the rest of today with my head on his lap while he plays video games.

 

4 hours ago, Oramac said:

So bring your dad!  (or not, family is more important)

 

Yes. The 64 year old man with bone marrow cancer will undoubtedly have a wonderful time. Lol

[Oramac]

4 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

Yes. The 64 year old man with bone marrow cancer will undoubtedly have a wonderful time. Lol

 

This would fall under the "or not" category.  Though he might enjoy watching, at least.  I don't know.  But either way, stay with your dad on his birthday! 

[imprimis5]

3 minutes ago, Oramac said:

This would fall under the "or not" category.  Though he might enjoy watching, at least.  I don't know

 

He might, actually. I don't especially want him making the trip here, though, for tiredness reasons. And he probably doesn't want to meet my fiancé anyway.

[Maigs]

First: Following

Second: Congrats on the engagement!

Third:

1 hour ago, imprimis5 said:

He might, actually. I don't especially want him making the trip here, though, for tiredness reasons. And he probably doesn't want to meet my fiancé anyway.

This broke my heart a little for you. I'm glad you seem to have a good relationship with him despite that

[imprimis5]

1 hour ago, Maigahane said:

First: Following

Second: Congrats on the engagement!

Third:

This broke my heart a little for you. I'm glad you seem to have a good relationship with him despite that

 

Thank you!

 

Yeah, my relationship with my folks is… weird. To say the least.

[Maigs]

19 minutes ago, imprimis5 said:

 

Thank you!

 

Yeah, my relationship with my folks is… weird. To say the least.

I can image. I have a young cousin-in-law who displays all the stereotypical traits of being gay since he was maybe 13 (we don't see him often but I remember noticing it then) but his parents are very religious and his mom is quite vocally anti-gay. I always wished we'd had a better relationship with them so it would not be awkward to say that we're a safe place if he needs it. He's 20ish and in college for an arts program so I'm hoping that if he is gay he's getting all the support he needs now