Mamatigerj
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Hooray for Pooh!
Waterscape
- Thread starter AquaMarie
- Start date
Maegaranthelas
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from
Whooh, IronHeart Badge 
from
Antheia & Colossus
MODERATOR
Happy Badge Day! 
NancyTree
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Congrats on Ironheart! 
AquaMarie
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Paladin
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Texas, USA
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Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
Thank you, everyone!
May 1 - May 11: Walk and Run Challenge, days 1-8; Standing Abs Challenge, days 1-8
Workout track of the week: Blinded by Light, from the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack
May 1 - May 11: Walk and Run Challenge, days 1-8; Standing Abs Challenge, days 1-8
Workout track of the week: Blinded by Light, from the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack
AquaMarie
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Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
May 12 - May 17: Walk and Run days 9-12, Standing Abs days 9-12
Current video game: Final Fantasy XIII. I actually unearthed my Xbox 360 from the closet to play this one after playing Lightning Returns.
I love these characters so much. Lightning's sarcasm is an absolute delight. Hope evolves from an annoying brat to the best little dork. And Sahz, poor man, is just way too old for all this epic fantasy drama.
It's one of the few games I play that I'm usually sad about finishing, since it means I have to say goodbye to the characters.
Until I start up a new game, that is.
Current video game: Final Fantasy XIII. I actually unearthed my Xbox 360 from the closet to play this one after playing Lightning Returns.
I love these characters so much. Lightning's sarcasm is an absolute delight. Hope evolves from an annoying brat to the best little dork. And Sahz, poor man, is just way too old for all this epic fantasy drama.
It's one of the few games I play that I'm usually sad about finishing, since it means I have to say goodbye to the characters.Until I start up a new game, that is.
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
May 18 - May 23: Walk and Run days 13-22, Standing Abs days 13-22
"Squiggle-butt the puffer
is a great big pest.
Every single meal time
he makes a great big mess.
He annoys the clownfish,
and scares off the poor eel.
And if you do not watch him,
he'll make your thumb his meal!"
-Porcupine Pufferfish, another original poem by AquaMarie, brought to you by: boredom at work
"Squiggle-butt the puffer
is a great big pest.
Every single meal time
he makes a great big mess.
He annoys the clownfish,
and scares off the poor eel.
And if you do not watch him,
he'll make your thumb his meal!"
-Porcupine Pufferfish, another original poem by AquaMarie, brought to you by: boredom at work
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
May 25 - May 31: Walk and Run days 23-30, Standing Abs days 23-30 
Yep, that's TWO challenges finished, and my year goal of completing 3 challenges met!
Reward for Walk and Run: Pooh's Little Fitness Book
Reward for Standing Abs: Pooh's Little Etiquette Book
Reward for the year goal: a hardcopy of Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher
Next up: Ronin's Blade. My ankle got to hurting so badly I couldn't even take a step back last time I tried the program, so I had to stop. My ankle's feeling a lot better (my physical therapist actually increased my weights last session!
), so I'm going to try it again. I'm excited to do an RPG program again! 
Yep, that's TWO challenges finished, and my year goal of completing 3 challenges met!
Reward for Walk and Run: Pooh's Little Fitness Book
Reward for Standing Abs: Pooh's Little Etiquette Book
Reward for the year goal: a hardcopy of Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher
Next up: Ronin's Blade. My ankle got to hurting so badly I couldn't even take a step back last time I tried the program, so I had to stop. My ankle's feeling a lot better (my physical therapist actually increased my weights last session!
), so I'm going to try it again. I'm excited to do an RPG program again!
Maegaranthelas
Moderator
Double Badge Hype!
Mamatigerj
Well-known member
Happy Double Badge Day!! 
NancyTree
Well-known member
Yay for the badges and your year goal! 
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
@graoumia @Fremen @Maegaranthelas @Mamatigerj @Mr.Javo @NancyTree @Jaga Thank you very much, everyone!
June 1 - June 7: Ronin's Blade days 1 and 2
Well, that didn't end well. After two days of Ronin's Blade my ankle was so bad I was limping again, so I guess that one's out. I'm going to switch to 30 Days of Change and see how it goes.
In other news, it's been a rough week for me, mental health-wise, so I haven't been cooking much. Or eating much, to be honest. So when I saw a book at Target called You Gotta Eat: Real-life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible, I grabbed it and started flipping through it. All it took was me reading the table of contents, y'all, and I was sold - the first three chapters are When You Can Open Something; When You Can Assemble Something; and When You Can Cook, But Only By Pressing a Button. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've bought in months. The advice is stuff I can actually use, and the author's tone is so compassionate and honest (and funny!). I can definitely recommend it to anyone that struggles with figuring out what to eat when you just don't have the time, money, energy or willpower to cook.
June 1 - June 7: Ronin's Blade days 1 and 2
Well, that didn't end well. After two days of Ronin's Blade my ankle was so bad I was limping again, so I guess that one's out. I'm going to switch to 30 Days of Change and see how it goes.
In other news, it's been a rough week for me, mental health-wise, so I haven't been cooking much. Or eating much, to be honest. So when I saw a book at Target called You Gotta Eat: Real-life Strategies for Feeding Yourself When Cooking Feels Impossible, I grabbed it and started flipping through it. All it took was me reading the table of contents, y'all, and I was sold - the first three chapters are When You Can Open Something; When You Can Assemble Something; and When You Can Cook, But Only By Pressing a Button. I ended up reading the whole thing in one sitting, and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've bought in months. The advice is stuff I can actually use, and the author's tone is so compassionate and honest (and funny!). I can definitely recommend it to anyone that struggles with figuring out what to eat when you just don't have the time, money, energy or willpower to cook.
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
June 8 - June 14: 30 Days of Change days 1-5
I found a cute little self-care app last week called Finch. It gamifies your self-care goals list, basically. It's more of a collection game than a pet care game, which I thought was interesting, and there's A LOT to collect (even in the free version). I like that; it means it will be a while before I 'max out' my bird and get tired of the game. It also has a lot of good tools and resources - soundscapes, focus and meditation timers, journaling prompts, mood tracking, breathing exercises, and stretching and gentle exercise videos. I'm really enjoying it so far!
I found a cute little self-care app last week called Finch. It gamifies your self-care goals list, basically. It's more of a collection game than a pet care game, which I thought was interesting, and there's A LOT to collect (even in the free version). I like that; it means it will be a while before I 'max out' my bird and get tired of the game. It also has a lot of good tools and resources - soundscapes, focus and meditation timers, journaling prompts, mood tracking, breathing exercises, and stretching and gentle exercise videos. I'm really enjoying it so far!
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
June 15 - June 21: 30 Days of Change days 6 - 11
The apartment manager has been on a property improvement tear recently, and she got the safety light on the side of my building fixed. Unfortunately, the safety light is right above my bedroom window.
Let's just say it's not conducive to a good night's sleep (and I don't sleep well to begin with - thanks, perimenopause 
).
The good news: I found two fitted sheets that I never use while I was going through my closet yesterday - one black, and one blue flannel. They are just big enough to cover my window, and if I sew them together they will be thick enough to block out the safety light! So this week's project is to get the elastic out of the sheets and make a blackout panel. I'll post some pictures once I'm done.
Have a great one, Bees!
The apartment manager has been on a property improvement tear recently, and she got the safety light on the side of my building fixed. Unfortunately, the safety light is right above my bedroom window.
Let's just say it's not conducive to a good night's sleep (and I don't sleep well to begin with - thanks, perimenopause ). The good news: I found two fitted sheets that I never use while I was going through my closet yesterday - one black, and one blue flannel. They are just big enough to cover my window, and if I sew them together they will be thick enough to block out the safety light!
So this week's project is to get the elastic out of the sheets and make a blackout panel. I'll post some pictures once I'm done.Have a great one, Bees!
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
June 22 - June 28: 30 Days of Change days 12 - 16
The Finch app has a 'movement' option that guides you through a short, easy workout - stretches, yoga, or couch workouts. I've been playing with it a bit on days that I can't get my Darebee workout in. The movements are familiar, but the names the app calls them are...interesting. Most of the names are cute (Ready to Race for a lunge, Open the Door for chest expansions), but the name for seated leg raises made me evil laugh: Redeye Practice. 
Kinda makes me want to try the yoga and bedtime stretching options just to see what they named the motions. 
Have a good one, Bees!
The Finch app has a 'movement' option that guides you through a short, easy workout - stretches, yoga, or couch workouts. I've been playing with it a bit on days that I can't get my Darebee workout in. The movements are familiar, but the names the app calls them are...interesting
. Most of the names are cute (Ready to Race for a lunge, Open the Door for chest expansions), but the name for seated leg raises made me evil laugh: Redeye Practice. Kinda makes me want to try the yoga and bedtime stretching options just to see what they named the motions. Have a good one, Bees!
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
June 29 - July 12: 30 Days of Change days 17 - 25
I did a one-day, DIY reading retreat last week based off this article, and oh, it was marvelous! I finished 2 books and most of an audiobook, I ate yummy takeout, and I finished an apron I've been meaning to sew for ages. Now I really want to do a 2 or 3 day retreat, which with a little work I think I could do for my birthday next month. And I REALLY want to do one in a cute bed-and-breakfast. It won't happen this year (I've got no days off from work left
), but that gives me time to look at the B&Bs around here and find the perfect one...and save up for it. 
Have a great one, Bees!
I did a one-day, DIY reading retreat last week based off this article, and oh, it was marvelous! I finished 2 books and most of an audiobook, I ate yummy takeout, and I finished an apron I've been meaning to sew for ages. Now I really want to do a 2 or 3 day retreat, which with a little work I think I could do for my birthday next month. And I REALLY want to do one in a cute bed-and-breakfast. It won't happen this year (I've got no days off from work left
), but that gives me time to look at the B&Bs around here and find the perfect one...and save up for it. Have a great one, Bees!
Maegaranthelas
Moderator
Oh goodness that is such a good idea!
I should seriously consider implementing something like this
I should seriously consider implementing something like this
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
@Maegaranthelas Oh, I ABSOLUTELY recommend it! It was so much fun, and so relaxing. I'm seriously thinking about doing a one-day retreat every other month or so as, like, an indulgent self-care day. 
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
July 13 - 24: 30 Days of Change days 26 - 30
Whew! With lots of breaks and lots of modifications (curse you, ankle!) I have finally finished my 3rd Darebee program of the year and reached my year-goal! I haven't decided what my reward should be yet...renewing my Stickii subscription? A new cookbook I've had my eye on? Finally buying myself this juicer I've been wanting for months? We'll see!
I think I'll do the Upperbody Light Challenge next to give my ankle a whole month to heal up. I'll do it standing as often as I can, but if I need to sit, I won't have to skip a challenge day.
Have a great one, Bees!
Whew! With lots of breaks and lots of modifications (curse you, ankle!) I have finally finished my 3rd Darebee program of the year and reached my year-goal!
I haven't decided what my reward should be yet...renewing my Stickii subscription? A new cookbook I've had my eye on? Finally buying myself this juicer I've been wanting for months? We'll see!I think I'll do the Upperbody Light Challenge next to give my ankle a whole month to heal up. I'll do it standing as often as I can, but if I need to sit, I won't have to skip a challenge day.
Have a great one, Bees!
Mamatigerj
Well-known member
Happy Badge/Achieving Your Year-Goal Day!
And
for your ankle.
And
for your ankle.
Silent Wolf
Well-known member
astro_lizard
Well-known member
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday
Anek
Well-known member
Druid
from
Bavaria, Germany
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Posts: 4,430
from
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Posts: 4,430
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cedric Diggory."
Mamatigerj
Well-known member
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
Thank you, everyone, for the congrats and the birthday wishes!
July 27 - August 5: Upperbody Light Challenge days 1-10
My birthday present this year was a Garmin fitness watch, specifically a Lily 2. I was extremely fed up with Fitbit, but I'm a numbers nerd, so I wanted a replacement. It was pricey, but it was absolutely worth it. I feel like the data is more useful, specifically because there's more correlation between everything - the app makes a point of showing what your sleep, exercise, stress, and heart rate are separately and how they all relate in what they call a Body Battery measurement. I also really love the sleep mode: it turns off the movement activation of the watch (so you have to actively tap the screen to turn the display on) and dims the display after your bedtime. I will happily recommend Garmin to anyone looking for a fitness watch.
July 27 - August 5: Upperbody Light Challenge days 1-10
My birthday present this year was a Garmin fitness watch, specifically a Lily 2. I was extremely fed up with Fitbit, but I'm a numbers nerd, so I wanted a replacement. It was pricey, but it was absolutely worth it. I feel like the data is more useful, specifically because there's more correlation between everything - the app makes a point of showing what your sleep, exercise, stress, and heart rate are separately and how they all relate in what they call a Body Battery measurement. I also really love the sleep mode: it turns off the movement activation of the watch (so you have to actively tap the screen to turn the display on) and dims the display after your bedtime. I will happily recommend Garmin to anyone looking for a fitness watch.
That's interesting, thanks for sharing
AquaMarie
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Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
August 6 - August 17: Upperbody Light Challenge days 11 - 17
Well, I got a fibromyalgia diagnosis last week. I'm having a lot of emotions about it. Mostly sad and annoyed. I kinda feel like I got hit with the real world equivalent of a negative status effect in a video game. Like, I have to deal with All Pain Doubled on top of Whatever is causing me problems to begin with?!
Where's a mega-elixer when you need one?
At least the rheumatologist has a solid plan for getting my pain levels down. It's just going to take a lot of patience and work and doctors' appointments. But I'll get there eventually.
Have a good one, Bees!
Well, I got a fibromyalgia diagnosis last week. I'm having a lot of emotions about it. Mostly sad and annoyed. I kinda feel like I got hit with the real world equivalent of a negative status effect in a video game. Like, I have to deal with All Pain Doubled on top of Whatever is causing me problems to begin with?!
Where's a mega-elixer when you need one?At least the rheumatologist has a solid plan for getting my pain levels down. It's just going to take a lot of patience and work and doctors' appointments
. But I'll get there eventually.Have a good one, Bees!
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
August 18 - September 6: Upperbody Light Challenge days 18-30
Alright, there's another ! My reward is a shopping trip at the new local, independent bookstore I found! I'm so excited about this place - they have a great selection, a blind date with a book table, and fantastic stickers. 
Some good news: I did a sleep study to see if sleep apnea was causing the fibromyalgia to flare, and it came back normal! No CPAP machine for me
. I've got an appointment with a dermatologist in a few weeks to check for psoriatic arthritis, another common fibro instigator, and then we'll go from there.
Meanwhile, I'm debating about which program to do next. According to the physical therapist, light cardio (hello, 30 Days of Cardio Light) would probably help the fibromyalgia pain. But I really, REALLY want to do an RPG program, and The Labyrinth is all shiny and new
. It looks a little too intense for me right now, to be honest, but I think I could do modifications to my level. Decisions, decisions. 
Have a great one, Bees!
Alright, there's another
! My reward is a shopping trip at the new local, independent bookstore I found! I'm so excited about this place - they have a great selection, a blind date with a book table, and fantastic stickers. Some good news: I did a sleep study to see if sleep apnea was causing the fibromyalgia to flare, and it came back normal! No CPAP machine for me
. I've got an appointment with a dermatologist in a few weeks to check for psoriatic arthritis, another common fibro instigator, and then we'll go from there.Meanwhile, I'm debating about which program to do next. According to the physical therapist, light cardio (hello, 30 Days of Cardio Light) would probably help the fibromyalgia pain. But I really, REALLY want to do an RPG program, and The Labyrinth is all shiny and new
. It looks a little too intense for me right now, to be honest, but I think I could do modifications to my level. Decisions, decisions. Have a great one, Bees!
astro_lizard
Well-known member
Congrats on Upper Body Light!!! Sending good vibes for health and healing
Mamatigerj
Well-known member
Happy Badge Day!
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
@astro_lizard @graoumia @Mamatigerj @Fremen Thank you all!
September 7 - September 13: 30 Days of Cardio Light days 1-4
Well, turns out I couldn't modify The Labyrinth down to my level
. I tried day one (with half-squats and seated calf raises/holds) and was absolutely DONE after one set. So I'm going with 30 Days of Cardio Light this time around.
I've been craving beef recently. Hamburgers, specifically - unfortunately, the words 'shoe leather' are a pretty good description of my results whenever I try to make burgers. But! I found this Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu) recipe on my favorite cooking website, and I tried it out this weekend with what I had on hand. I used all beef and substituted beef stock for the red wine (all I had in my house was cooking sherry 
), and it turned out really well! The steaks were nice and juicy, and the sauce was fantastic. I definitely want to try it with the beef and pork mixture the recipe calls for next time, and red wine for the sauce. Now I know what to make when I start craving burgers again. 
September 7 - September 13: 30 Days of Cardio Light days 1-4
Well, turns out I couldn't modify The Labyrinth down to my level
. I tried day one (with half-squats and seated calf raises/holds) and was absolutely DONE after one set. So I'm going with 30 Days of Cardio Light this time around.I've been craving beef recently. Hamburgers, specifically - unfortunately, the words 'shoe leather' are a pretty good description of my results whenever I try to make burgers.
But! I found this Japanese Hamburger Steak (Hambagu) recipe on my favorite cooking website, and I tried it out this weekend with what I had on hand. I used all beef and substituted beef stock for the red wine (all I had in my house was cooking sherry ), and it turned out really well! The steaks were nice and juicy, and the sauce was fantastic. I definitely want to try it with the beef and pork mixture the recipe calls for next time, and red wine for the sauce. Now I know what to make when I start craving burgers again.
AquaMarie
Well-known member
Paladin
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
from
Texas, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 370
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."
September 14 - October 4: 30 Days of Cardio Light days 5-16
Well, some fibromyalgia updates: the dermatologist ruled out psoriatic arthritis, so my guess is that the fibro is getting flared up by my anxiety. The rheumatologist put me on a low dose of antidepressant to help calm down the pain. The low dose wasn't supposed to cause major side effects or affect my mood, but it did, and holy crap.
I was so dizzy and shaky I thought I was going to fall down stairs, and I had panic attacks that lasted for hours. I could only take two days before I had to stop.
Honestly, I should have guessed it would hit me really hard. I have side effects from everything: ibuprofen, Tylenol, antibiotics, steroids. I don't know why I thought an SSNRI would be different. And now, even with so little in my system, I'm having withdrawal symptoms - sore muscles, low appetite, and headaches. The doctor wanted me to try a different medicine, and I told him absolutely NOT. If this is how something mild affects me, I'm not about to try anything more intense.
So right now the plan is to try therapy for anxiety and lifestyle changes for a few months and then re-assess. I found an integrative psychologist that incorporates lifestyle changes (sleep hygiene, exercise, diet) into her psychotherapy plan, and lists pain management as one of her specialties. I also found a local gym that has a dry sauna! I know heat helps me (and the 5 minute session I tried felt FANTASTIC
), so I may buy a membership and start going there a few days a week as well. Hopefully I'll be able to get feeling well enough that I won't need to go on any medications anytime soon.
Have a great one, Bees!
Well, some fibromyalgia updates: the dermatologist ruled out psoriatic arthritis, so my guess is that the fibro is getting flared up by my anxiety. The rheumatologist put me on a low dose of antidepressant to help calm down the pain. The low dose wasn't supposed to cause major side effects or affect my mood, but it did, and holy crap.
I was so dizzy and shaky I thought I was going to fall down stairs, and I had panic attacks that lasted for hours. I could only take two days before I had to stop. Honestly, I should have guessed it would hit me really hard. I have side effects from everything: ibuprofen, Tylenol, antibiotics, steroids. I don't know why I thought an SSNRI would be different. And now, even with so little in my system, I'm having withdrawal symptoms - sore muscles, low appetite, and headaches. The doctor wanted me to try a different medicine, and I told him absolutely NOT. If this is how something mild affects me, I'm not about to try anything more intense.
So right now the plan is to try therapy for anxiety and lifestyle changes for a few months and then re-assess. I found an integrative psychologist that incorporates lifestyle changes (sleep hygiene, exercise, diet) into her psychotherapy plan, and lists pain management as one of her specialties. I also found a local gym that has a dry sauna! I know heat helps me (and the 5 minute session I tried felt FANTASTIC
), so I may buy a membership and start going there a few days a week as well. Hopefully I'll be able to get feeling well enough that I won't need to go on any medications anytime soon.Have a great one, Bees!
