Whisper Posted October 11 Report Share Posted October 11 1 hour ago, Ranger Hal said: So my work community, that I used to see 30-40 hours a week (even though a lot of times we were just working on our own projects and didn't necessarily interact all that much) never really came back. I can't blame them for taking advantage of the new normal to spend more time with family or less time commuting, and it seems selfish to wish they were around the office more. I can understand that feeling. I don't think I would do well with a work from home situation, even if my job could allow for it; hard to fix machines when you're not at the machines. A lot of my social interaction is through work and my tendency towards isolation would be severely aggravated without it. 4 Quote We are not sinners trespassing in the garden of an angry God. We are prodigals come home; fully seen and deeply loved. Spoiler Unused for now, Quest Log: Not Silence in the Library but a Whisper in the Academy Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 11 Author Report Share Posted October 11 6 minutes ago, Whisper said: A lot of my social interaction is through work and my tendency towards isolation would be severely aggravated without it. Yeah, this is a big part of the reason I didn't go home during Covid (and because almost everyone else did, it was fairly safe to be in the office), but 4+ years later, I've ended up with similar result (although probably not as bad because there are people from other groups around the office, just not my people). 3 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 13 Author Report Share Posted October 13 Guess I forgot to do Friday. Week 5 Friday Did some bouldering (+3 xp) and finished a V3 I had been working on earlier in the week (+2 xp). Also might have injured myself. I was trying a hard route that looked fun and it kind of felt like I stretched something in my leg a little too far. It doesn't hurt exactly, but it doesn't feel right either. We'll see how this works out. Blackberries, but a Dex check of 6 on the arrow attempt. Candles and teeth for a short rest. Needle Blight 5: 0 hp Feathers: 15 Arrows: 1 successful (DC 18) Short Rests: 28 Week 5: 93 xp Week 5 Saturday Did some SAR training and then went on a short hike. I'm torn about whether to count it as a hike because it was short, but I did carry my big pack (didn't want to leave that much stuff in the car at the trailhead) and the leg still felt a little odd after the previous day's bouldering. I think it might be wise things easy for a bit. I was already sort of planning for Zero Week to be a kind of deload week. I think I will count the hike (+10 xp, +5 xp for favored terrain, +2 xp for distance in favored terrain), so that's a melee attack against turkeys, lol! And that's a miss with a 9 to hit. I did morning candle and teeth, but sort of missed evening candle (no actual candle involved and I fell asleep pretty quickly), so no short rest. Turkey: 3 hp Feathers: 15 Arrows: 1 successful (DC 18) Short Rests: 28 Week 5: 110 xp 6 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Elastigirl Posted October 14 Report Share Posted October 14 Hope the leg heals quickly. If you were carrying a pack, I think it was right to call it a hike. I always wonder what excactly qualifies as a hike. If I'm on a trail but it's only a mile or two is that a hike or a walk?? Is lighting a candle something your church does? Do you say a prayer as well? 2 Quote Wisdom 22.5 Dexterity 13 Charisma 15 Strength 21 Constitution-13 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind' Luke 10; 27 Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 14 Author Report Share Posted October 14 1 hour ago, Elastigirl said: Is lighting a candle something your church does? Do you say a prayer as well? Yes, candles are used during pretty much all the church services. Traditionally, it's beeswax candles and/or olive oil lamps. Some are placed around the church at certain places like the altar, but there are often candle stands (or containers with sand) where people can light candles and quietly say an individual prayer for something or someone that's on their mind. At certain services (mostly during the week leading up to Easter, but I've also seen it at a few funerals), everybody holds candles during the service. At home, it's common to light a candle in your prayer corner while doing prayers. 4 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 14 Author Report Share Posted October 14 Week 5 Sunday Went for a short walk, but not enough distance to get xp. I'm a little sore all over from yesterday, so I figured that movement would be a good idea. Pulled some more blackberries, but got a Dex check of 14 on the arrow attempt. Candles and teeth for a short rest. It's been a good challenge. Wrap-up later. Turkey: 3 hp Feathers: 12 Arrows: 1 successful (DC 18) Short Rests: 29 Week 5: 110 xp 6 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 15 Author Report Share Posted October 15 Wrap-Up I finished my challenge with 466 xp, so I level up to Level 2! I get access to spells and a few more hit points. Combat I was doing 3-4 workouts per week. This was a success. I'm very pleased with how gym cardio and stair climbing is going. Plus I killed 5 Needle Blights and a Turkey. Exploration I got reasonable length hikes in the first three weeks, but not Weeks 4 and 5. Getting out and hiking still seems to be a challenge, one that I need to continue to work on. Social Encounters Didn't really happen. I think I'll just say that I'm not making it a priority right now. Short Rest 29/35, and on days I missed one element, I was often doing the others. This was a success. I'm pleased. Fletching In the two weeks since I started this, I've made a solid dent in one part of the blackberries and nearly filled my yard waste bin (it doesn't get picked up for another few days). There are still lots of blackberries, so I'll be at this a while, but I'm making a little progress each day and that seems a lot more manageable than one or two big sessions and then ignoring the blackberries as they grow for months. Song Practice I'm counting four practice sessions and one song memorized. Spoiler This was a very good challenge, although I'd like to get more hiking in. I'm excited for Level 2! I guess the new challenge won't be up til the end of the week, so I'll keep tracking a few things here during Zero Week, but maybe I'll keep the new stuff secret until the new thread can go up. I'll still track the new stuff though. Level 2 got more complicated, so I have a pretty spreadsheet, but y'all don't get to see it quite yet! 4 2 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 15 Author Report Share Posted October 15 Zero Week Plan Workouts on T, W, and Weekend. I was already planning a deload week during Zero Week, even before I did something last Friday during bouldering, so gym cardio sessions will be no more than 30 minutes and stair climbing will be one time up the stairs (previously it was two times). I will also bail early with no consequences if the leg feels too weird. All workout attacks will be ranged attacks (part of the adjustments I've made for Level 2) and I will be killing turkeys. Week 0, Monday Pulled one blackberry, mostly because it was raining lightly, but it counts. Dex check of 16 was a failure on the arrow attempt. Did song practice, and candles teeth for short rest. 5 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Artemis Prime Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 12 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: I finished my challenge with 466 xp, so I level up to Level 2! I get access to spells and a few more hit points. Woohoo! Congrats on the level up!! 12 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: Level 2 got more complicated, so I have a pretty spreadsheet, but y'all don't get to see it quite yet! Wait, what? You're not allowed to hoard pretty spreadsheets, it's against the Nerd Code! 2 1 Quote "For God did not give us a spirit of fear; but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline". - 2 Timothy 1:7 "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." -Gandalf Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 15 Author Report Share Posted October 15 3 minutes ago, Artemis Prime said: Wait, what? You're not allowed to hoard pretty spreadsheets, it's against the Nerd Code! Don't worry, I will share screenshots when the new challenge is up . Also, it should look a little familiar because your challenge tracker was the starting point. 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Heidi Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 On 10/11/2024 at 5:16 PM, Whisper said: I can understand that feeling. I don't think I would do well with a work from home situation, even if my job could allow for it; hard to fix machines when you're not at the machines. A lot of my social interaction is through work and my tendency towards isolation would be severely aggravated without it. I have the opposite problem, even before my TBI: I'm so much of an introvert that the continued regular presence of others in the office environment just gets to be too much. I am glad to know there are people that need the physical interaction, because I would be lost and isolated without you guys! Keep being awesome. ❤️ 13 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: I'll keep the new stuff secret until the new thread can go up Congratulations on Leveling Up!! 1 1 Quote ♥ & ☮, Heidi West-Marches Campaign Herb-Gatherer Spoiler Gypsy Druid Level 12 Philosopher and level 11 Librarian (built on the Monk class, with a training path in The Way of the Cobalt Soul) Ranger: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 :: Druid: 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |:: 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |:: 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |:: 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 |:: 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |:: 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53| 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 |:: 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | :: 70 | Paladin: 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | :: 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | Shaman: 82 | 83 | 84 Philosopher-Librarian 85 |:: 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | Heidi Chronicles NF Character Sheet | @theheidifeed| MySlashdotKarmaIsExcellent Walk to Mordor - (spreadsheet) Let's catch up: https://calendly.com/loveandpeace Link to comment
Mistr Posted October 15 Report Share Posted October 15 13 hours ago, Ranger Hal said: This was a very good challenge, although I'd like to get more hiking in. I'm excited for Level 2! I guess the new challenge won't be up til the end of the week, so I'll keep tracking a few things here during Zero Week, but maybe I'll keep the new stuff secret until the new thread can go up. I'll still track the new stuff though. Level 2 got more complicated, so I have a pretty spreadsheet, but y'all don't get to see it quite yet! Congratulations on a great challenge! I enjoyed the gaming narrative with your goals. I hope you are going to continue that next time around. 3 Quote Level 80 Viking paladin My current challenge Battle log Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 15 Author Report Share Posted October 15 1 hour ago, Heidi said: Congratulations on Leveling Up!! + 49 minutes ago, Mistr said: Congratulations on a great challenge! Thanks! 49 minutes ago, Mistr said: I enjoyed the gaming narrative with your goals. I hope you are going to continue that next time around. I am planning to continue, but it might have to change a little bit. I'm discovering that having combat and non-combat activities happening each day doesn't really work for a linear narrative. I'm kind of thinking of having a couple of parallel narratives separated by some amount of time (an hour or two?), so that it doesn't sound like I'm attacking an enemy one moment and fletching arrows the next while the enemy is still alive. 1 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Sovalis Posted October 16 Report Share Posted October 16 Hi Hal! Great job levelling up! I think this challenge was the most fun I have had reading a challenge from you - I really enjoyed it! And I got the sense you were enjoying it more, too. Looking forward to the next one! ❤️ 1 1 Quote Past Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16 Current Challenge: #17 “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted October 16 Author Report Share Posted October 16 2 hours ago, Sovalis said: Hi Hal! Great job levelling up! I think this challenge was the most fun I have had reading a challenge from you - I really enjoyed it! And I got the sense you were enjoying it more, too. Looking forward to the next one! ❤️ Thanks! This one was a lot of fun. It's interesting to look back on all the things that had to come together to make it happen. Nearly 5 years here with 34 challenges, a number of which were fairly boring, just setting goals, and others which fizzled out either halfway through the challenge or succeeded for one challenge, but fizzled when I tried to continue them for a second challenge. A year and a half of watching Critical Role, which led me to buy the Player's Handbook and eventually the Monster Manual and DM's Guide (and borrow half a dozen other DnD books from the libarary), even though I don't have any plan or expectation of being part of a game, just so I could follow along with what they were doing on the show. Some combination of those things allowing me to feel comfortable enough to buy a single set of dice even though I didn't have any "real" use for them (I'm so happy to have my dice!). I'm excited for the next one as well! It's hard having to wait for the forum update so we can get the new challenges up. 4 2 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
Ranger Hal Posted Friday at 06:23 AM Author Report Share Posted Friday at 06:23 AM New Challenge! So excited it's finally up! 4 Quote Challenges: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #19, #20, #21, #22, #23, #24, #25, #26, #27, #28, #29, #30, #31, #32, #33, #34, #35, Current Walk to Mordor: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Adventures: Adventurers Wanted: A West-Marches Campaign Link to comment
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