I'm back (for real this time)

[princess_sarena]

Friday, January 24th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #19

Arms of Steel, Seated day #27

Wall push ups, day #19

Zero Hero, day #25

Caught: Togepi, Seel, Lillipup

And... what to do when the storyline goes in a direction that is so wildly out of alignment with my character's history that it would make no sense altogether --- well, we just edit some details I guess

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #25

If getting a phone and asking someone to pick me up was an option, why couldn't I have done that first

Anyway. I... maybe stole some money back at the Arcade, and then I did get a phone. Sunday did a quick search to find a taxi company that would be willing to get me from here to ... where? Back to the starting point? There's nowhere in this world that I really belong.

I gotta get somewhere, though. Staying here indefinitely isn't an option. Especially as this hotel seems to be seriously and pretty badly haunted. For some reason the ghost reminded me of Wanda - if I ever see her again, I ain't going to tell her that, though. I have what to live for.

Day #151

Saturday, January 25th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #20

Wall push ups, day #20

Zero Hero, day #26

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #26

I rescued a cat. It feels like maybe things are settling down. Perhaps the craziness is over? I can just get back to the house where all this business started, find some respectable occupation, and pretend this is where I've always been and will always belong? If vampires and ghosts are normal here, no one will think twice about my presence here.

I will, though. After all the worlds I've seen, there's no way my heart would settle for this one.

Day #152

So my family invited some guests over for lunch. While they were over, we somehow got to talking about a past dinner guest who annoyed every single woman at the table with his casual homophobia and misogyny. The conversation ended with me running downstairs, grabbing my bin of silicone pride bracelets (which I got in bulk specifically for giving away), and bringing them back upstairs to offer to everyone at the table. The parents called their two little daughters over, who abandoned their toys and came running at the word “bracelets.” I said they could have as many as they liked. It makes me so happy to think that those little girls won’t have to wait til their mid twenties to feel confident about who they are and who they love.

I have a bad habit of jokingly offering people books and then having to figure out what to do when they seriously say yes XD One time I gave up a book I was reading to my stepmom’s mother. I mean I didn’t really mind, it was a good cause, I had others to read meanwhile, and I did get it back. This time I said I needed a day or two to finish the last few pages and then I’d drop it off at their house. It was a perfectly suitable arrangement, as I’d been planning to drop it in the free book tree anyway, and they live only a minute or two away from the tree, and I’m more than happy for my used books to go to friends or relatives. I just have to be a little more careful with my benevolent book offerings, and make sure I’m genuinely ready to sacrifice it for the greater good XD

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

The conversation ended with me running downstairs, grabbing my bin of silicone pride bracelets (which I got in bulk specifically for giving away), and bringing them back upstairs to offer to everyone at the table. The parents called their two little daughters over, who abandoned their toys and came running at the word “bracelets.” I said they could have as many as they liked. It makes me so happy to think that those little girls won’t have to wait til their mid twenties to feel confident about who they are and who they love.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

I didn't really know winter running gear was a thing - except for boots, that is. Now that I do I'll look into it and add it to the list of things to maybe get... eventually.

There is a lot of stuff. But you can prioritize by asking: What is the one body part that's the most miserable in the cold? (Or rephrase that question in whatever way works for your experience of winter running.) And then get the item that will most help that.

I run in regular running shoes in the winter, most of the time. But for days when my route is slushy, or when it's raining and cold, I have running shoes with Gore-Tex uppers. The fit is the same as my regular running shoes. The weight is the same. But they're waterproof. I also wear almost exclusively wool socks these days. I have a whole range from very thin ones for summer running to thick padded ones for winter hiking. For both running and walking, I need to keep my feet happy, or the whole enterprise is a complete non-starter.

 

[princess_sarena]

What is the one body part that's the most miserable in the cold? (Or rephrase that question in whatever way works for your experience of winter running.) And then get the item that will most help that.

It's good advice. I'll have to think about it. Maybe I need a little more experience... right now I'm pretty happy as long as I'm warm

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #21

Walking to Running, day #2 (3.45 km in 42 minutes)

My fastest kilometer was ten minutes, which is insane. That's average summer speed for me, and I was walking at a fairly slow pace most of the time... and it's the dead of winter and I've been out of practice for over a month. I would think my app glitched but two (supposedly) independent sources gave me the exact same timing. Unless one of them was feeding off the other (which is a possibility) and thus both ARE wrong? (Zombies Run is supposed to be linked to google fit, but usually it underestimates my speed and distance even when Google Fit doesn't.)

Wall push ups, day #21

Yoga cooldown stretch (Mady Morrison) 10 minutes

Caught: Skwovet

Found: Dawn Stone

Weekly moderate/high intensity active minutes: 104

Active calories (weekly): 570

Bedtime routine: 10:05 PM (good)

Bedtime: 11:30 PM (okay)

Wake up: 10:20 AM (kinda late)

Morning routine: 10:40 AM (very late)

I finished reading “Death on the Nile” by Agatha Christie.

Over a year ago, someone completely random gave me almost every single Agatha Christie novel via a give-and-take Facebook group, and I’ve read about half a dozen of them so far. I was trying to go in order, but then I gave up, because this was the one I wanted to read most. I watched the most recent film adaptation because Gal Gadot was in it, and then found out it was a book, and then read the book because Gal Gadot was the main character in a film adaptation of the book.

When I become obsessed with a character or a celebrity, I honestly never quite know how far it’ll take me. It's how I accidentally ended up learning taekwondo.

I also watched “Heart of Stone” (see above paragraphs). It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I’ve watched some terrible, terrible, terrible movies for the sake of watching kickass women do cool stunts.

I regret nothing.

Day #153

 

[princess_sarena]

Monday, January 27th, 2025

Wall push ups, day #22

Arms of Steel, seated day #28 (2 lb weights)

Zero Hero, day #27

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #27

I returned the kitten safe and sound to its home. (Wanna take bets how long the kitten survives before being eaten by a zombie or drunk by a vampire? But it's not like it would have been any safer with me...)

I was almost at the diner to meet up with the cab driver when the diner exploded... and next thing I know, I'm in a hospital that's collapsing too.

Time to start running again. It doesn't seem to matter where I end up or how far I go, I always end up running from something.

I wish I was running TOWARDS something, and not just away...

Day #154

Ahhhhhhhh I forgot something important to note about Heart of Stone: IT WAS CO-WRITTEN BY GREG RUCKA. I found that out as I was watching the opening credits. You have to be a serious Wonder Woman nerd (or comic nerd) to know the name, but Greg Rucka is one of the best writers Wonder Woman ever had (in my top five, no question, and according to my research one of the most popular amongst modern readers). So there was definitely a Wonder Woman-esque vibe to some themes and lines. (Likely for multiple reasons, but I imagine the screenwriter had what to do with it.)

 

[princess_sarena]

Tuesday, January 28th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #22

Power pose, day #1
( )

Walking to running, day #3

10 jumping jacks (bonus)

Arms of Steel, seated day #29

Wall push ups, day #23

DD, 30 sec sumo squat, day #48

Caught: Charmander

Day #155

Was a bit of a depression-heavy day. I couldn’t work up the motivation to do anything after my run in the morning, so I took a nap because I was exhausted, struggled and failed to be productive for a few hours, and then gave up being useful and just rewatched the first episode of a TV show I first watched when I was visiting my brother and his wife for Passover this past spring (“Utopia”, the Australian version). It was good, and reminded me of hanging out with my brother (I used to sneak into his room and watch Monty Python or "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide" over his shoulder as a teenager) which was also good. Then I did another workout and gamed for the rest of the evening (Arceus + Stardew Valley).

I have a hard time with this, but I’m trying to remember that watching TV shows or gaming when my mind isn’t working is actually progress. Practicing focusing on things that are enjoyable and relaxing (even when I’m not at my best) is, in all groundedness, excellent training to stay focused and on task on boringer things when I’m doing better. Sometimes I forget that, but I shouldn’t.

 

[princess_sarena]

Wednesday, January 29th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #23

Power pose, day #2

Zero Hero, day #28

Wall push ups, day #24

Daily dare, 30 sec side plank, day #49

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #28

Okay, so the hospital disappeared down a sinkhole. That's smart, building a hospital on top of one of those.

I haven't gotten hit by any of the meteors... yet.

Did I accidentally wander onto the set of a horror film or show? Where the special effects feel a little too real? I wish I could've saved some of the people in the hospital, but there wasn't much I could've done, other than maybe going back in time and warning the architects...

Day #156

I remember when doing this many butt kicks in one workout would’ve felt overwhelming, and now it just comes naturally (that “one and done” challenge might’ve had something to do with it).

I had over 2,000 unread emails in one of my inboxes. I got that down to under 300. I wish I’d gotten more done, but hey, progress is progress.

I’ve also tried to get back into the habit of listening to French and/or Hebrew regularly so I don’t lose progress on my language comprehension. I’ve been listening to a sciencey-comedy Hebrew podcast (“Hatshuvah” by Doron Fishler) which I listen to when doing chores and I’ve just started listening to original French audio by the Sybel app. Right now I’m working my way through “Le Calendrier Enchante,” which is a great starting point because it’s a kid’s story, fairly easy to understand, and each episode is only three to five minutes long and can be finished while I make my bed in the morning. I'm working on getting my French to a point where I can listen to books and podcasts for adults, but I'm not quite there yet.

 

[princess_sarena]

Thursday, January 30th, 2025

Meditation: Neo (Sahara desert) in the morning, The Way (first retreat, first meditation) in the evening

Power pose, day #3

Zero Hero, day #29

Wall push ups, day #25

Iron arms, day #1 (+ 2 lb weights)

Standing abs, day #5

Beg plank workout, day #4

I’m pretty sure I did the one minute meditation, but I’m not sure sure, and what’s the harm if I do one day more?

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #29

I made it to the bike. And then I just went, as the world fell apart around me. I don't know where I'm going. I don't know why.

Caught: Sunkern

Languages: French, Hebrew, Esperanto (day #1, not really but let’s start the count at today)

Got a scholarship to The Way meditation app. In retrospect, I should’ve waited til I finished Neo because it’s a lot more intensive than I realized, and I can’t really do both at once. Oh well. If I set Neo aside for now, I should be well able to finish The Way in the year I have it for, and each Neo journey is a one-time unlock so I'll have plenty of time to save up my Google Play Rewards balance to help unlock the rest of the journeys and then I can use them whenever.

 

[princess_sarena]

Friday, January 31st, 2025

Meditation: Neo (Sahara desert, prize 1), The Way (talk)

Languages: Hebrew, French (day #2)

One minute meditation, day #24

Arms of Steel, seated day #30

Iron Arms, day #2

Zero Hero, day #30

Day #158

Saturday, February 1st, 2025

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #1 (20 minute meditation)

30 Days of LIIT, day #10

60 Days of HIIT, day #1

DD, day #50 (50 butt kicks)

Day #159

Spoiler: Zero Hero, day #30

I sat down on a bench. Looking out at the destruction still pouring down all around me. I don't know if I'd stopped caring or started feeling invulnerable. The meteors didn't touch me. The rain didn't touch me. Even the wind blew right past me without stopping or going around. The vampires and zombies didn't look at me. I was from another world, looking in, perhaps not really there at all.

When a stranger sat down beside me. And told me I'd wished for this. The chaos. The destruction. A part of me almost wanted to believe him. If I'd done it, I could undo it. Could an idle thought have pulled me through to this world? Had my powers been under my control all along? Had... this chaos, this cruelty... been under my control all along?

There was nothing to do but at least try. I found myself at the bottom of a staircase. Literally found ... myself. Standing right next to me. I could see the innocence. The hope. The faith that there was some reason, some explanation, some path forward that would explain or fix everything.

So when I ... my other I ... headed up the staircase, I followed. Even if I didn't find answers, maybe I could find that hope again.

I think the stranger wanted me to think I've grown stronger. But that hope I started out with was the only strength I've ever needed.

Life Update: At synagogue. I get bored, leave the sanctuary, and wander downstairs. I overhear the middle of a random conversation, a five year old boy announcing to a slightly older girl that he’s “NORMAL.” Being contrary and impulsive, I immediately and cheerfully inform him that being “normal” is overrated. I’m not normal! To prove my point, I say the first thing that comes into my head: “I’m wearing a hat.” I look around. Indeed, no one else is wearing a hat. However, the small child is not impressed. “No one can even see it,” he says dismissively. Keeping in mind it’s a giant, fuzzy, pink rabbit hat that catches attention everywhere I go. Then Mr. I’m Normal gets bored of the conversation and wanders off to eat a napkin.

Darebee Update: I’ve decided that the next program I’ll try is 60 Days of HIIT. I can now more or less glance at a Darebee program and mentally compare it to workouts I’ve already done… and this one seems fairly similar to ones that are well within my ability. And the fact that each workout is carefully timed should mean that the difficulty doesn’t ramp up too quickly for me to follow. And I finally feel I can confidently start tackling some of the longer, more commitment-heavy programs.

I’ve also decided that I’m too addicted to my little snippets to stop writing them. So I came up with a bit of an epilogue for Zero Hero. I consider it lofi Darebee fanfiction (of course, liberally using other fandoms as needed). I only plan them one program at a time, so there’s no knowing what’ll happen after that or how it’ll link together with my next adventure. But where’s the fun if there isn’t a little risk that none of it will make any sense at the end?

So, let’s go and see what happens!!! Here’s to many more adventures! And thank you for being my teammates on my journeys

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Congratulations on completing Arms of Steel and Zero Hero!

 

[Haleth]

Congratulations on Zero and Arms of Steel!

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Double Badge Day!

And I agree, being normal is absolutely overrated

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[TopNotch]

Congratulations!

 

[Syrius]

Congrats on both Arms of Steel & Zero Hero!!!

Fully agree on being normal, totally overrated. Back in high school, my mom used to say: "The only thing that is normal is a perpendicular line in math."

 

[FlowersandPetals]

Congrats on your 2 new badges!

 

[Princess Fancy]

Happy Double Badge Day

 

[Mamatigerj]

Cheers for double badges!!

 

[MadamMeow]

Congrats for Arms of Steel and Zero Hero!

 

[princess_sarena]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon @Haleth @Maegaranthelas @Fremen @TopNotch @Syrius @FlowersandPetals @Princess Fancy @Mamatigerj @MadamMeow thank you all

Sunday, February 2nd, 2025

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #1 (20 minutes)

DD, calf raises, day #51

60 Days of HIIT, day #2

30 Days of LIIT, day #11

One minute meditation, day #25

Moderately active minutes (weekly): 148

Active calories (weekly): 797

Languages: Hebrew, French (day #1)

Spoiler: Zero Hero Epilogue (part 1, chapter 1)

I stand on the top of the stairs. I take a deep breath. The second version of myself is nowhere in sight. As if I followed nothing up here but a fading dream. I’m standing at the top of a stairway leading nowhere… alone.

When I turn and look back, the staircase has faded to black. There’s nothing but an empty drop.

In a panic, I close my eyes and try desperately to turn my powers back on. Switch to any other world but this one. I don’t even care if I ever end up going home. Anything rather than being abandoned here, at the top of nowhere, forever.

I open my eyes and draw another breath. My powers aren’t working. They haven’t been working since I first got here. I’d hoped it was just the stress of the moment, that they’d come back to me eventually, but if they’re not restored by now… hoping won’t get me there.

I need to make a plan. Fixing my powers should be step number one of the plan. And I can’t fix them standing here…

I leap. For a moment I think I’m flying. Then I’m falling, a steady, guided fall, like I have a parachute or perhaps even wings.

I land back near the bench, trying and failing spectacularly to match Natasha’s perfect landing pose. I straighten up, faking nonchalance. Nothing has changed. Even the same stranger is still sitting there. At least… he’s about the same height, and he’s still wearing the same clothes. But that isn’t the face of a djinn.

That’s the face of a poltergeist. And he’s chuckling to himself, his face twisted into a ghoulish smirk.

Life Update: I could not get out of bed this morning. When I went to bed at night, a cat sat down on me and made herself comfortable. I woke up several times throughout the night, and every time, the cat was still sitting on me. This was odd, because usually she gets bored after twenty or thirty minutes of sitting on her human and then she wanders off to go do something else. But when my alarm went off, the cat still hadn’t moved. She had dental surgery last week, so it made sense she wasn’t quite herself, and if sitting on me made her feel better I wasn’t going to stop her. After about two hours, I texted my aunt that her cat was acting weird, and she came downstairs to give her painkillers. Cat took the painkillers, got mad, ran away, hid for a bit, and slunk back into my room about an hour later to sleep on my bed for the rest of the afternoon. I really hope she’s feeling okay. She can be a little clingy sometimes, but she’s never sat on me and wouldn’t move for twelve hours before.

​

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

for kitty.

 

[princess_sarena]

Monday, February 3rd, 2025

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #1 (20 minutes)

Languages: French, Esperanto (day #2)

One minute meditation, day #26

Power pose, day #4

Iron arms, day #3

30 Days of LIIT, day #12

Wall push ups, day #26

60 Days of HIIT, day #3

Day #161

I’m going to be posting a story snippet every other day (every evenly numbered day of the program), because writing an epilogue sixty snippets long feels overwhelming, and thirty snippets should be about the right length. Also gives me a little extra time to work on the plot and phrasing.

My leg muscles are definitely feeling the jump to a level three program, and my arms, shoulders, and upper back know very well that I switched to using two pound weights for the upper body workouts.

Had an awful migraine when I got home from work. I wish I’d noticed it earlier and drunk caffeine but it just snuck up on me, like it went from a zero to a nine in a second. When I woke up still migrainey, I downed as much caffeine as I could fit into my body and now I’m feeling a little better.

Haven't been doing reverse gratitudes because they either feel too small or too personal to report. But I want to get back into it. So... let's see... my really annoying coworker was being annoying as usual, but I was very patient and listened to him yap about monkey towers for half an hour and then escaped by going off to straighten the merchandise instead of telling him to be quiet

Research question: Does the cat sit on my bed because it’s comfortable, or because she wants to hang out with me?

Evidence: When I’m on my bed, cat sits on bed. When I’m working on my computer, cat stands on desk or on lap.

Conclusion: Cat loves me.

@Laura Rainbow Dragon Draqie sends her thanks and love (short for Dracula, but we call her Draq or Draqie pants)

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

In spite of your protestations that Draq is not your cat, I'm pretty sure you are her person.

 

[princess_sarena]

In spite of your protestations that Draq is not your cat, I'm pretty sure you are her person.

She's only not my cat in that I conveniently don't pay the vet bills otherwise I'd claim her 100%

I'm her person who gives her food and water and cuddles and skritches and protects her from the Big Bad Dog Monster and rescues her from her crate when she gets home from the bad vet hooman --- yeah, I'm definitely her human alright

 

[MadamMeow]

Draq is such a cutey!

 

[FlowersandPetals]

Draq is gorgeous!

 

[TopNotch]

Research question: Does the cat sit on my bed because it’s comfortable, or because she wants to hang out with me?

Evidence: When I’m on my bed, cat sits on bed. When I’m working on my computer, cat stands on desk or on lap.

Conclusion: Cat loves me.

Cat would say that you happen to be where she is. And a mere matter of co-incidence if you happened to be where she wanted to be just before she got there!

 

[princess_sarena]

Tuesday, January 4th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #27

60 Days of HIIT, day #4

Walking to running, day #4

Nome Serum Run (Venture episode) - 5.54 km, 1h15m, 13’33” av. pace

It turns out that my fitness app was very much underestimating speed and distance. So all those times I was frustrated by how slow I was running - I wasn't actually running as slowly as I'd thought. Now that the timing and distance is accurate, I can't wait til spring when I can find out what my real, unweighted speed is. I wouldn't be surprised if my longest distance yet was actually past a 10 km, and not the 8.5 km that showed up in my app.

Languages: French (day #3)

Meditation: Neo, Sahara desert (story reward)

#162

Caught: Sandshrew

Spoiler: Zero Hero epilogue (part 1, chapter 2)

I launch myself at the poltergeist, revved and ready to wipe the smile from his face. I expect my punches to go right through him, but they land, and I take all advantage of his corporeality. I throw everything at him - all the desperation, the fear, the anger. I want to hurt him, leave him bruised and bleeding, make him pay for the lies he gave me.

Soon I’m standing, angry and breathless, above him.

He looks up at me, his bruised face still cocky with a lopsided grin.

“Did that heal you?” he whispers as his form fades away into wisps of wind.

I wasn't feeling great yesterday, and I came close to ending my streak, but luckily the day's workout wasn't too challenging and I actually felt kinda better after doing it. Plus there was a long walk to the library in the late afternoon, so that counted for something.

@MadamMeow @FlowersandPetals thank you! She is beautiful. But I will not tell her you said that... we don't want to spoil her ego

@TopNotch Sounds about right. "I want to sit in that chair, but there's a human already sitting in it. Oh well. I guess I'll just sit on top of the human. Oooooh skritches!"

But seriously, this cat has not sat on any human's lap in all twelve years of her life. Yesterday she sat on my lap for the first time ever... and she must have liked the experience, because she did it twice more. It was actually kinda funny, because she frequently uses me as a stepstool to get places, so I'm like "is she trying to get to the desk - ? Oh wait no it looks like... she's... settling down? I'M her final destination???" So I was, once again, stuck for hours because there was a purring cat on my lap. She's discovered, at twelve years old, that humans are self-heating chairs that give skritches and I fear there is no going back.

 

[FlowersandPetals]

You can tell her I said she’s gorgeous. She’s a senior cat now. I’m so glad she finally sat on your lap!

 

[TopNotch]

Cats are heat-seeking missiles.

 

[princess_sarena]

Wednesday, February 5th, 2025

Power pose, day #5

30 Days of LIIT, day #13

60 Days of HIIT, day #5

Languages: French, Esperanto (day #4)

Meditation: The Way, talk & meditation (Retreat #2)

Caught: Koffing

Found: Fire Stone & Chipped Pot

So that friend I recently got back in touch with said she misses writing with me. I said that could be easily remedied. We’re now picking characters and plotting.

I never thought I’d have this back again. I never knew it could be this easy.

Day #163

 

[princess_sarena]

You can tell her I said she’s gorgeous. She’s a senior cat now. I’m so glad she finally sat on your lap!

I'll tell her... she'll probably yawn and go back to sleep

me too omg she's so fluffy and cozy and cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute...

 

[princess_sarena]

Thursday, February 6th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #28

Power pose, day #6

Iron arms, day #4

Wall push ups, day #27

60 Days of HIIT, day #6

30 Days of LIIT, day #14

DD, 20 plank rotations, day #52

100 bicep curls (2 lb weights, 100/1000)

Hamstring stretching

Evolved: Bayleef

Languages: French, day #5

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #2

Day #164

Spoiler: Zero Hero epilogue (part 1, chapter 3)

His words lodge like a poisoned needle in my mind. If I could get home by fighting my way there, I’d have been long gone already.

Yet here I am, still stranded, still alone. Still no yellow brick road leading me home.

I slowly walk back to the bike. I climb back on, begin pedaling. Letting fate take me in any direction. If I can’t go home, what does it matter where I go?

Wait. Suddenly I recognize the path I’m on. I’m near the laboratory I destroyed weeks ago.

A thought crosses my mind.

Even if the building is gone, maybe some of the equipment survived intact. I need just enough data to figure out what’s wrong with my powers, and then I can troubleshoot how to fix them. I should be able to run the tests myself - that is, if they have the proper equipment, and if it survived…

Jumping on the change-your-profile-photo-to-a-warrior-bee trend because Meta AI hit it right for once. That's Scarlett Johansson, alright. Dressed up as a... White Widow Bee. With a bee emblem on her chest, and actual bee wings. Surrounded by bees. Utter artificial perfection.

(I'll eat chocolate from time to time... but chocolate-flavored-things are a no go. No brownies, no chocolate cake, no chocolate chip cookies. It confuses everyone. "Do you like chocolate or not?!?!?" "ONLY IF IT'S NOT IN SOMETHING")

Anyway. I squeezed in a little extra exercise because my stepcousin offered to drive me to work, so that was nice. The time spent not waiting for the bus was very well used.

And I pre-ordered a new Funko Pop at work! My first pre-order of anything... ever, actually. But I desperately wanted to make sure I was first in line for this one. I made myself a rule I was only allowed to buy three Funko Pops total, and I've already hit that limit but well... this character was well worth breaking all the rules. Will update when I bring her home...

 

[TopNotch]

Cool avatar.

 

[princess_sarena]

Cool avatar.

Thank you I generated it myself ---

Friday, February 7th, 2025

Walking to Running, day #5

Mady Morrison, 10 minute stretch

Languages: French (day #6)

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #2

Day #165

Reminder of the day: It doesn’t matter how slow I go, so long as I don’t stop.

Saturday, February 8th, 2025

60 Days of Walking, day #1

One minute meditation, day #29

Languages: Esperanto (day #7)

Caught: Milcery

Day #166

For convenience’s sake, I’m going to convert “60 Days of Walking” to a Shabbat and holidays-only program. It’s not one I would do otherwise, but it’s very suitable for this particular purpose. I’ll still get the badge by doing all the days, and I won’t have to struggle to schedule workouts around Shabbat or force myself through a workout with music or a timer… (Athena says she likes this plan, so long as she gets to pull on the leash and sniff all the snow).

Sunday, February 9th, 2025

One minute meditation, day #30

Power pose, day #7

Standing abs, day #6

One minute plank, day #11

Languages: Esperanto (day #8)

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #2

Day #167

I managed to mess up my shoulder - with push ups or the iron arms challenge, or maybe by trying to pile them both on top of each other. I’m just giving my shoulder a rest for a while. It’s already feeling better… but the point is to get stronger, not break things.

Active minutes: 231

Active weekly calories: 1,052

Spoiler: Zero Hero (epilogue)

I leave the bike near the still-exposed pipes. I drop myself back inside, determined to make use of any resource I find. The going is harder this time, with many of the pipes blocked off by fallen debris. I manage to clear some of the pipes, but I find myself pushed in a different direction. I’m frustrated, but there’s little choice. Most of the pipes are now permanently unusable, and I have to pick my way through the pipes that are empty or clearable.

Finally, I drop from the air shaft into the factory proper. I look around, taking in my surroundings. This seems far from where I was the last time I entered. It seems like… a… jail, of sorts. There are rows and rows of cells, some of them with broken ceilings that are now ruins on the floor. I slowly make my way down the hallway, looking into each cell as I pass.

They’re empty. Well… they’re mostly empty. The last cell has an occupant. It takes little more than a single determined push to break the door open.

There’s a woman trapped in a suspended animation machine.

I can’t leave her here. I step forward and flip a switch on the machine, and unlock and raise the cover. If she’s alive, she’ll awaken…

 

[princess_sarena]

Monday, February 10th, 2025

Power pose, day #8

60 Days of HIIT, day #8

Daily dare, 50 arm scissors, day #53

Languages: Esperanto, French (day #9)

Meditation: Sahara desert (prize, day #2, 20 minutes non-guided)

Day #168

Finished the first Trail in The Way meditation app.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Good call on the shoulder. Hope it recovers quickly.

(Athena says she likes this plan, so long as she gets to pull on the leash and sniff all the snow).

Do you have a not-your dog as well as a not-your cat?

 

[princess_sarena]

Good call on the shoulder. Hope it recovers quickly.

Do you have a not-your dog as well as a not-your cat?

Thanks! It's doing nicely but I'll probably give it another couple of days.

Hehe kind of except in the case of Athena she's genuinely Not Quite My Dog. My uncle is Her Person, and my aunt is Her Secondary Person. I walk her on occasion, give her belly rubs, and taught her a few tricks for funsies (she can high-five!), and help babysit when my aunt and uncle are out of town... but if she's sad or hungry in the middle of the night she doesn't come downstairs and wake me up. Thank goodness.

I don't take her on runs because she misbehaves and plays tug-of-war with the leash and jumps on passersby and generally makes herself into a royal nuisance, but if it's just a casual walk to nowhere in particular I don't mind the company and I have more disciplinary patience.

(Although, to be honest, she's a not-golden-goldendoodle, so she sees everybody as One of Her Persons. You should see her go wild when guests come over, and the disappointment when they leave... she's a little too energetic at times and she likes to cause chaos and chew things she shouldn't, but she's one of the friendliest dogs I've ever met. Can't honestly complain about my relatives' choice of pet, even though I like to.)

 

[princess_sarena]

Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

60 days of HIIT, day #9

30 days of LIIT, day #15

Standing abs, day #7

Power pose, day #9

Daily dare, 6 one leg push ups, day #54

Languages: Hebrew (day #10)

Meditation: The Way, Retreat #3

Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

Recovery, day #3

Languages: Hebrew (day #11)

Not much to report. I managed at work yesterday night even though I was feeling a little off, but when I woke up this morning my throat was just sore enough to be a nuisance. So I took the day off (I wasn't scheduled at work anyway, so it was not hard) to mope in bed, watch the Gilmore Girls with my sister

I waited THREE EPISODES for Luke to kiss Lorelei after he broke up with her but we got there in the end and I was very happy, it was a kiss well worth waiting for

and I managed a tiny little workout just at the verrrrry end of the day... streak not broken. I checked off a new day of a program, so it 100% counts.

Day #169 & 170

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

 

[MadamMeow]

 

[Mamatigerj]

 

[FlowersandPetals]

 

[Syrius]

 

[princess_sarena]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon @MadamMeow @Mamatigerj @Syrius Thank you!!!

Thursday the 13 - Recovery, day #4

Friday, the 14 - Recovery, day #5

Saturday, the 15 - Recovery, day #6 (+ TLC workout)

Sunday the 16 - Recovery, day #7

Monday the 17 - Recovery, day #8

Tuesday the 18 - Recovery, day #9

Wednesday the 19 - 60 Days of HIIT, day #10

Sorry for the long absence. Feeling better, still having a bit of a hard time breathing but I might end up going to a clinic to get it checked out.

Let's see. I watched a lot of Buffy, and I gamed a bit.

Aaaaand life update: Reddit is wacky, wild, wonderful, and weird.

 

[princess_sarena]

Thursday, February 20th, 2025

Inner Peace (yoga workout)

Friday, February 21st, 2025

60 Days of HIIT, day #11

Saturday, February 22nd, 2025

60 Days of HIIT, day #12

Message from Draq, and I quote: “;/////////////////////.” Because I can’t teach her not to sit on my keyboard. Miracle she didn’t do more damage.

I’m on day #180, which means it’s been half a year.

I used to think I couldn’t do fitness, because in my head fitness was being able to do a hundred pushups or run further than down the block and back, and I wasn’t close to being able to do either.

I’m half tempted to think my streak is meaningless at this point, because for the past week and a half I’ve been doing five to ten minutes of yoga or very gentle cardio. But then I remember that that’s five to ten minutes more than I would have done if I wasn’t committed to doing something, however little, every single day. I never actually gave up altogether.

I wish I’d known when I was younger that fitness could be easy stretching or half jacks or air punches or wall push ups, and that every workout, however short or small, would be worth something. But at least I got there now.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Congratulations on your 180-day streak!

I will ponder Draq's message. I'm sure there's a very deep meaning in there somewhere!

 

[aku-chan]

Congrats on 6 months of exercising!

 

[Maegaranthelas]

Half a year!!!

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats on 180 days!