I second all of The above. Well put @Harriet

Week 2 Monday Not off to the greatest start. I did go to the gym (for the first time in 2.5 weeks mostly due to being sick) for cardio and a little bit of bouldering (took it pretty easy). But no candles, walk (pretty normal for Mondays due to morning work meeting), or veggies.

I'm in a good space, and also I'm home and home is good.   I left work early and did the Errands Thing, then took the violin to a repair guy (who also does lessons). I thought I was just going to drop it off, but he was messing with it, saying it didn't need as much as I thought, and we talked as he worked. Star Trek and phd things, and music things and it was just really lovely and he asked if I played and I said not in a million years and anyway I would have to start from scratch since the head Injury and what's the difference between fiddling and violin anyway (his lesson chart said he teaches both)?. I old him if I took lessons again, I'd probably want to do he cello and he asked why when he had such a great violin and I said I liked the to e better. He handed me an instrument from his workbench and asked what I thought of it. I bowed it gently while he worked and man, I just kind of loved it. It's a viola, and apparently a viola is tuned just like a cello, but an octave up.    I told him I'd think about it and also I need to take the violin back in a couple days for returning anyway.   It was a nice visit.   I had dinner at the loft and just chilled for a bit until leaving for the new Dogsitting meet and greet. They're nice, but a bit farther out than I want, and I like them and the dog and the setup. They have interviewed a few other sitters and said they would let me know, and it was actually a relief. Thank you Universe.   I got home and made tea.  I am done for the day, and philosophy and everything else will have to wait. I did some scales on the violin and it was nice, and reading music (basics, but still) didn't make the world spin. I played twinkle twinkle little star from memory, and it felt nice.    I'm going to drink tea and watch Bridgerton and knit.  It's a good day. The universe loves me and wants me to be happy. ❣️  

Sending good positive thoughts that the PT can hook you up and avoid some of the expenses of appointments. 

Another tactic is to work the hamstrings until they fatigue and then do the bridges. The idea here is since they are tired you a force the glutes to work. My trainer does this frequently when we are working on big lifts so we don’t recruit the wrong muscles. (Which I love to do cause I’m lazy lol)

I looooove this shirt   This shirt is such a win!! Also, your body is changing dude. You're lovely before and after, but the body comp changes are obvious.     I feel you on the post-travel hangover.

i went for an actual run!  The time sucked, but I did it.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good pic of a red tail hawk thoroughly enjoying playing in the wind gusts, but it was fun to watch her coasting into and the soaring with the wind, and turning for another round.  That was early in the run and I just decided I wanted that kind of enjoyment in my time outdoors too.    This new path definitely has a place for physical wellness.  Not only yesterday's run, but today's playground workout was nice too.  Combine that with an apparent re-invigoration to meal planning and everything is feeling so much more possible.   I may have made a new friend at the conference too.  He lives three hours away so that will necessarily put a limit on everything, but we did have a great conversation about art, ren faires, music, gaming, philosophy. and I don't recall what else now.  We shall see how it all goes.  But at the very least, it was another step on this mysterious path of rediscovery

leg swings  🐝 always interesting to note the difference in balance on each side  

The Challenge of Noontide Sun!  (Flexible Habits - Regular Mode)   Rejuvenate (Sleep Hygiene) ✅✅🔲🔲🔲🔲🔲 Fortify (5x5 Accessory Sets) ✅✅🔲🔲 Learn (3d Modeling) ✅✅🔲🔲🔲   Tasks! Duolingo Sprint - 18/40 Life Updates Moderated a panel discussion on queer parenting this morning. It was for a work thing and the panel was split between queer families that adopted or fostered, queer families that gave birth, and cishet parents of rainbow kiddos. Interesting discussion and I'm viscerally glad to not have children, even as I watch excellent parenting around me.  Also sad/mad about shitty childhoods as I watch these superstar parents on the panel and the dozens of parents who tuned in. Life is weird.  Lower back is feeling kinda tweaky after a deadlift session on Friday. Changing body means I need to belt up for lower weight than I used to, apparently. I babied it over the weekend with ice and and a tens unit, and it felt 100% by Monday, even after an aggressive bench and dip day. Buuuuut then I had a guy over for "chess club" on Monday, and the game of "chess" was fairly vigorous.  I'm kinda back to ice and a tens unit again. #WorthIt  Sculpting win!  Before - Muppet eyes on the snake and indistinct Georgia O'Keefe forbidden fruit. After - Simplified eyes and inverted positive/negative space on the forbidden fruit.   [The Heiress: Akua Sahelian, as depicted by Tumgig]

Yay for having a full day of things!     I had the same problem with weak glutes and other muscles taking over for them. My physical therapist recommended doing bridges. If you want to make them more challenging, you can extend one leg in the air and make the other leg do all the work.   Once you are able to activate your glutes, you can practice doing it while walking. It turns out there are several ways to walk that engage different muscles. For this practice, you gently hinge from the hip to swing the moving foot forward. Contract the glute to pull your weight forward onto the front foot.  It should feel like your legs are swinging freely from the hip and your glutes are doing all the work.