Exercising towards a better tomorrow!

[Gurg]

turns out 3 to 5 minutes of March Steps (Or worse, Step Jacks) per set is really tough on my old body.

Don't talk like that. I'm not sure how many today's teenagers can endure march step for 5 minutes. So, be proud.

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Anek]

Congrats!!

 

[graoumia]

Congrats

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @graoumia @Anek @Fremen @Gurg @JCU @Mamatigerj

Tired, had to be up early but my brain decided I should wake up extra early just in case:-

Universal Warmup done,
10 Jump Squats (EotD) done (Just did regular ones. Even with the floor now carpeted, I'm still wary of jumping around while I exercise, especially first thing in the morning!),
Fresh Start (WotD) done (3 sets),
Node 1 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 13 of The Miner done (Found:- Dirt, a ruby and another skeleton),
Day 22 of Unbound done,
Ankle Recovery done,
Hand Mobility done.

Glad I got these out of the way this morning (I didn't think I would have the time, a month of Cardio Go! has really thrown off my guesstimates of how long a workout takes!), now a quick breakfast and then off to a presentation about being an Assistant Intelligence Officer (Not sure why my Work Coach signed me up for it, but I'll get in trouble if I don't go).
See y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Valeria finally reached the end of the corridor and cautiously poked her head into the room beyond, but it was merely a square room with a checkerboard floor and lit by torches suspended from the ceiling. Gingerly she placed a foot on the closest floor tile, again nothing happened. "They must be taking it easy with the first room" she thought to herself as she stepped fully into the room, that was when the square under her feet decided to spring two feet into the air, before lowering itself with the same speed.
Valeria just about kept her balance on the bucking stone slab, around her all the squares were now in their own crazed dance of raising and lowering, very carefully she hopped on to the next tile, there were two exits from the room, but she decided it would be easiest to head for the one directly ahead, slowly she made her way across...

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Congrats!

 

[NightWolf714]

Congrats on the badge!

And welcome to the labyrinth.

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @PetiteSheWolf @NightWolf714

I missed yesterday so I was determined to get some exercising in today:-

Universal Warmup done,
60 Seconds Wall Sit (EotD) done (Just!),
Valkyrie (WotD) done (3 sets),
Node 6 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 14 of The Miner done (Found:- Double dirt and an emerald),
Day 23 of Unbound done,
Sore Feet done,
Talk To The Hand done.

It was an upper leg heavy day today and now they're sore!

The last couple of days have been a mixed bag.
Monday was terrible, I arrived 5 minutes late to that Job Presentation (It turns out these days that before about 10am, the bus schedule is more of a suggestion than something you can actually plan a journey with, how can a bus that runs every 10 minutes be 20 minutes late? ), and the receptionist wouldn't let me in because it had already started, so I'm going to be in trouble with the Job Coach over that one.
Plus my telephone interview went badly, not sure what the guy was talking through but it made his voice really loud and echo-y, and instantly triggered a really bad headache, so I just wanted off the phone as fast as possible.
And I've got to visit the Housemate on Saturday now, the Home phoned while I was doing my evening volunteering, and she wanted to know where I was because she had been waiting all day for me to come collect her and take her home . I tried explaining where she was, was her home now and that I would come visit soon, but she didn't like that and threw the phone (Probably at the Nurse).
At least Tuesday was better, I was helping at a rather unsuccessful charity coffee morning, so I got some free cake. But I did have to leave extra early (To account for bus shenanigans) and I was just too tired (And full of cake) to exercise when I got home.

At least things are back to normal for a few days, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

With a final hop Valeria jumped out of the room and into the corridor beyond, at least these seemed danger free for now, it led to another room identical to the last. Once again she cautiously probed the room and once again it stubbornly refused to activate before she was fully inside, she took a couple of purposeful strides forward and was hit by a solid wall of sound. Like a thousand damned souls howling in torment, the sound drove Valeria to her knees as she covered her ears in a futile attempt to block the worse of it out, after a few moments she realised the noise was only getting louder, so she unsteadily rose to the feet, braced herself against the pulsing soundwaves and slowly stumbled towards the left exit.

With one final step, Valeria flopped into the corridor and the noise instantly vanished, with a sigh, she heaved herself into a sitting position with her back against the cold stone wall, that had been a lot harder than she had liked. She touched her ears and her fingertips came back bloody, that was not a good sign, she would rest here a while before tackling the next room...

 

[NightWolf714]

I'm sorry to hear that you had such a rough couple of days.

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @NightWolf714 - Yeah, the world seemed to be conspiring against me on Monday.

Been putting off my exercises this morning because my legs are still sore from yesterday, but I'm going to try and do a bit:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Prone Reverse Fly (EotD) done,
Node 7 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 15 of The Miner done (Found:- A diamond, a ruby and some dirt),
Day 24 of Unbound done,
Happy Feet done,
Keyboard Warrior done.

Didn't do much yesterday, after volunteering I wrapped up a few anime shows and Alien Earth (Disappointed this one went for a cliffhanger ending, hopefully it does get a second season) and watched Fantastic 4:- First Steps (Surprised by how underwhelmed I was by this, I loved the retro-futuristic look they went for, but I found the film itself to be pretty meh).

Not doing much today either, I've got to wait in for a parcel, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Reluctantly, Valeria got back on her feet and headed down the corridor, the next room appeared to be different as the entrance was blocked by metal bars that rose, smoothly, into the ceiling as Valeria approached. The room beyond was larger than the previous two and had roughly hewn stone walls giving it the look of a large cave.
There was a stone shelf jutting out of the far wall upon which stood three thrones, as Valeria drew nearer, ghostly figures in tattered robes materialised upon them, they wore crowns on their gaunt skeletal heads and clutched impressive looking staves in their bony hands. "Lady Ravenmane." The middle one spoke in a harsh whisper that nevertheless echoed loudly around the room "Prove to us that you have the courage of an adventurer." Black lightning shot out of the orb on his staff and created a large cloud of smoke where it struck the ground.
Out of the smoke emerged a monstrous two-headed hound, snarling and snapping simultaneously. Valeria drew her sword and took a defensive stance, the two circled each other cautiously.
The hound made the first move, leaping across the room, Valeria dodged left and caught the hound across one of its snouts with a swipe of her sword. The hound recoiled and she tried to press her advantage by lunging forward, sword poised to strike, but the hound quickly recovered and batted the sword strike aside with a massive paw, Valeria turned her momentum into a forward roll and landed, crouched, by the hounds flank, she thrust her sword upwards through it's ribs and into it's heart. The hound let out a mournful howl and faded to nothingness.
Valeria stood to the sound of the ghosts banging their staves on the floor in thunderous applause. "Well done Lady Ravenmane, you may continue." The figures also faded, and the bars on the exits slid away. Valeria consulted the simple map she was making of the Labyrinth, and chose to head south.

,

 

[aku-chan]

Exercising late today, really did not want to get out of bed this morning, probably because I still have achey legs:-

Universal Warmup done,
50 Balance Leg Swings (EotD) done,
Piece Of Cake (WotD) done (3 sets),
Node 12 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 16 of The Miner done (Found:- A topaz, a diamond and another skeleton. I'm getting a bit suspicious about where I'm "Mining"),
Day 25 of Unbound done,
Footwork done,
Wrist Mobility done.

I treated myself to a new speaker so I can finally listen to my music again, I forgot how much it helped with exercising (Even if I do own too many depressing love songs!) could've done without more lunges today though.

Going to have a quiet day today since I'm busy for a lot of the weekend, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

This corridor was unlike the others so far, it was tall and wide and both walls were lined with large suits of armour standing to attention with their weapons raised. Valeria stopped when she got to the one, it looked far too big for the average person to wear, it was also covered in filigree work and generally looked eye-wateringly expensive. Most importantly, it also looked empty, but Valeria wasn't taking the chance, she carefully prodded the flagstones in front of her with her foot, the fourth stone produced a click and a sword blade swooshed through the air inches in front of her. Finally floor traps! She could deal with those, you just had to be very careful where you stepped, with slow, deliberate movements Valeria cautiously made her way down the corridor.

 

[aku-chan]

I actually managed to get up on time today, yay!
Now to get my exercises done:-

Universal Warmup done,
20 Upward Downward Dogs (EotD) done (Needed a couple little breaks though),
Dungeon Diving (WotD) done (3 sets. With quieter Slow Butt Kicks and Power Squats),
Node 17 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 17 of The Miner done (Found:- An amethyst, an emerald and some dirt),
Day 26 of Unbound done,
Ankle Recovery done,
Wrist Pain done.

Visiting the Housemate today, I'm in no rush though as I doubt she will actually want to see me, she's probably already forgotten I'm coming, that'll eat up most of my day.
See y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

The next room was a return to the simple box-shaped ones, although this one had seen better days, the walls were crumbling and there was a pile of rubble on the floor, it was also a dead end.
Valeria swore quietly to herself, but decided to search the room just in case. A closer inspection of the walls revealed there was actually writing etched on them, she followed a sentence around the room. It was the Saga of Gallero, an old tale about a hero who was sent on a series of increasingly difficult quests by his king, he completed each quest to great acclaim, only to discover it was all a plot by the king to get rid of him because he was jealous of Gallero's popularity. This particular section was from his fifth quest where he duelled the Minotaur King.
The sentence reached a gap and Valeria realised it had been purposefully created, she continued looking around and sure enough the rubble was actually a pile of stone slabs with different words on them. It was a weird puzzle though, thought Valeria, outside of the magic crowd, adventurers were generally not big readers, especially classical literature, why would the literal Guild of Adventurers set something like this up? Luckily her old life as the daughter of a wealthy, and socially ambitious merchant came in handy for once, she had spent a lot of time in their library, hiding from her fathers various attempts to turn her into the perfect nobleman's bride. Valeria's train of thought was derailed by an attempt to pick up the correct slab, she didn't know what they were made of, but they were a lot heavier than they looked! She managed to get it to chest height and shuffled sideways to the appropriate gap, it slid into place with a satisfying click. One down, several more to go...
With a grunt Valeria heaved the last slab into place and stood back, the words lit up and a section of one of the walls slid open to reveal a new corridor. Panting and sweaty, Valeria hoped there wasn't a Minotaur King in there, but if there was he would have to wait until she had rested a bit.

 

[aku-chan]

Been busy this morning with volunteering, so it's an afternoon exercise day:-

Universal Warmup done,
40 Single Leg Hops (EotD) done,
Rhapsody (WotD) done (Couldn't hold all the poses for 60 seconds though),
Node 18 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 18 of The Miner done (Found:- Some dirt, a topaz and a worm),
Day 27 of Unbound done,
Sore Feet done,
Stapler done.

Too much Planking today, going to have sore wrists for a while!

Yesterday went pretty well, caught the Housemate on a good day, so we sat and had a chat for a couple of hours. Next time I visit it'll be her birthday, so I've got to try and work out what I can get her as a gift.

At the moment I'm not sure if I should do some chores or put them off until tomorrow, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

There was no Minotaur King, yet. Instead this corridor was being reclaimed by nature, roots of all shapes and sizes had burst through from all sides, creating a twisted, tangled, wooden maze. Although the area was only dimly lit by luminescent moss, Valeria could see the beginnings of a path she could worm her way through, she touched the nearest glistening root, it positively oozed with a thick, gooey, extremely sticky sap, they all did.
Valeria felt personally attacked, why was there always an issue with her, quite frankly magnificent, head of hair? She stuffed as much of it into her leather armour as she could, removed her scabbard and got down to begin wriggling through the tangled mass of roots.
It was not as easy going as she had hoped, she was forever getting snagged on the smaller roots, not just her precious hair, but her leggings and shirt sleeves were now sporting several small rips and tears. Eventually she got through the worst of it, and now there was just one substantial root stretching out into the darkness. Valeria didn't want to risk walking along it, it wobbled alarmingly, so she wrapped herself around it and began inching her way out into the void.
She had no idea how long she had been crawling through the blackness, went, suddenly, two torches burst into life, she had made it to the other side. Standing up, dishevelled and very sticky, Valeria attempted to tidy herself up with limited success, she was more determined than ever to finish the Labyrinth, the guild owed her a nice long bath.

 

[aku-chan]

Start of a new week:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Seconds O-Pose Hold (EotD) done,
Burnout (WotD) done (3 sets, everything swapped to low impact versions),
Node 19 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 19 of The Miner done (Found:- Double dirt and a worm.),
Day 28 of Unbound done,
Happy Feet done,
Hand Tendons done.

Not much to do today, just the chores I skipped yesterday and some evening volunteering.
I won't be able to do my workout tomorrow, I'm out too early and home too late, but I'll be doing a lot of walking so at least I'm getting some exercise.
See y'all Wednesday!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

The next room appeared to be another dead end, it was empty except for 6 large bells set up in the middle. As Valeria approached them, they began to ring as though they were struck by invisible hands. After the bells had rung a short sequence, they stopped for a few moments and then repeated their same performance. Did she need to repeat it herself? When the bells finished this time, Valeria struck them herself in the same order:- Two, Six, Four, Three, One then Five. Somewhere something clicked, and the bells sounded in celebration, and then, once again, silence settled upon the room before the bells produced a slightly longer sequence for her to follow. Valeria was slightly disappointed but she hadn't expected this to be a one and done puzzle, she repeated this sequence and the next three increasingly complicated ones, finally the bells rang no more.
There was a grinding noise as sections of the walls slid apart to reveal multiple exits, it was time to make a choice.

 

[Lady Celerity]

Congrats on Cardio Go!

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @Lady Celerity

Back with the exercising today:-

Universal Warmup done,
50 Punches (EotD) done,
Action Hero (WotD) attempted (1 set, there was just too much Planking today and I concentrated on the other stuff instead),
Node 14 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 20 of The Miner done (Found:- Triple dirt),
Day 29 of Unbound done,
Happy Feet done,
Hand Mobility done.

Yesterday went pretty well.
I had a practise day at the community cafe I'm going to be volunteering at (I'm going to be taking the orders and handling the monies, so that will be something else to add to my CV), the test customers raised the same concerns I had (Namely that we were charging far too much), so, luckily, I didn't have to say anything.
Then I sat by the waterfront and spent way too long looking at jellyfish (They're fascinating!), then it was a meeting with my Work Coach (They want me to do more courses), then grocery shopping and then Mango Chicken Curry for dinner.

More volunteering today, see y'all tomorrow!

Not the best picture, but here's a pair of jellyfish:-

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

After a quick consultation with her map, Valeria decided to head upwards, this exit led to a short corridor and a winding staircase.
The first few steps were fine, and then an incredibly strong gust of wind blew down the stairs and threatened to knock Valeria off her feet. She crouched down as low as she could, to offer as little resistance to the wind as possible before slowly crawling up the stairs.
It took a long time. Every so often the wind would subside, allowing Valeria the chance to stand up and make some real progress, but those moments were few and far between. But, eventually, the stairs terminated in a wall, and, above her, there was a hatchway. The next time there was a break in the wind, she popped open the hatch and crawled inside.

 

[aku-chan]

Another day of exercising:-

Universal Warmup done,
50 Elbow Clicks (EotD) done,
Iron Tendons Lowerbody (WotD) done,
Node 13 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 21 of The Miner done (Found:- Double dirt and a diamond),
Day 30 of Unbound (Finished again!),
Footwork done,
Talk To The Hand done.

With Unbound finished again, I am finally going to move on to 30 Days of Yoga, I've accepted that I'm never going to be flexible enough to do all the poses properly (And my arms are still too short!) and doing Unbound every day was getting a little boring, so I'm going to rotate the two programs (And maybe 30 More Days of Yoga if it's not too hard!).

Didn't get much done yesterday, I got really tired after volunteering and had to have a nap for a couple hours, which ate up most of my evening.

And in other news, the Housemates Care Home have put in a request for her to be moved into a different one, now she's more mobile she's too much of a problem for them (I knew she would get in trouble for breaking their front door!). Hopefully, this will mean she'll move a bit closer and I can visit more easily, but I imagine maximum security care homes are rare so options are going to be very limited.
Either way it's going to be "fun" getting her moved again.

Got a meeting with my Work Coach and some more evening volunteering later, but the rest of the day is my own, I'll see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Popping her head up, Valeria saw that the hatchway led to another standard square room, although this one had a huge mirror covering one wall. She climbed through and kicked the hatch closed with her foot.
She stepped closer to the mirror, disgusted at how thoroughly scruffy looking she was right now. Thanks to her earlier trip through the sap-soaked roots, her hair was matted and stuck to her in various places and everywhere else was covered in a thin layer of dust and grime. She must be getting used to this place, Valeria mused to herself, as she was only mildly surprised when her reflection stepped out of the mirror, they both drew their swords and simultaneously lunged at each other.
"It's no good", thought Valeria, "How are you supposed to beat someone who does the same thing you do at the same time?" She looked at her doppelganger, she was in a matching defensive posture and sported her own identical bloodied arm from where they each got past the others defences, although Mirror Valeria's blood was silver, that was not the only difference, she also showed no sign of the tiredness and fatigue that was threatening to overwhelm the original version.
Valeria had a desperate idea, she flung her sword at her counterpart and then ducked, Mirror Valeria did the same, but whereas her sword clattered uselessly against the wall, the True Valeria's found it's target and shattered the mirror into a thousand pieces. Mirror Valeria let out an inhuman cry, eyes filled with murderous rage, she began to advance on her original, finally free of whatever force restricting her to being a mere reflection, but it was hopeless, each step caused dozens of cracks to race all over her body, until, at last, she shattered too.
Valeria let out a deep breath, it was over, her arm began to tingle and she saw that the cut had healed itself, but her tiredness remained. She needed to rest, but not here, the room had a very unpleasant atmosphere now. As she bent to retrieve her sword, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the dozens of mirror shards, she didn't think she would ever shake the feeling that Mirror Valeria was just behind the surface, watching and waiting, she hurriedly left the room.

 

[JCU]

Congratulations on Unbound x2!

 

[astro_lizard]

Congrats for more Unbound!

 

[TopNotch]

Congrats!

 

[graoumia]

Congrats and

 

[ZenFighter]

Thanks for welcoming me into the hive! Congratulations on completing Unbound and on your whole journey. I'm amazed with your voluntary work, very inspiring Wish you all the best!

 

[Anek]

Congrats!!

 

[NightTigress]

Congrats! Is double unbound just bound again?

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[NightWolf714]

Congrats on your second run of Unbound! Sorry that things sound a bit stressful at the moment. I hope the rest of the day is recharging for you.

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @NightWolf714 @CODawn @NightTigress @Anek @ZenFighter @graoumia @TopNotch @astro_lizard @JCU

The weather is 'orrible this morning, so I'm in no rush to do anything:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Calf Raises (EotD) done,
Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings And Calves (WotD) done,
Node 8 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 22 of The Miner done (Found:- A diamond, a worm and some dirt),
Day 1 of 30 Days Of Yoga done (A big step up from Unbound, but I did better than I thought I would),
Ankle Recovery done,
Keyboard Warrior done.

The only big job I've got today is going to the library to get some copies of my CV printed out. When I had my meeting with my Work Coach they gave me a big, long list of recruitment agencies and wants me to actually visit them in person not just shoot them an email. I could probably get away with just emailing them, but I think I'm being punished for missing that job presentation last week (Even though it was entirely out of my hands), so I'd better do as I'm told.

Pear and Parsnip Soup for dinner, looking forward to it with this gloomy weather, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Fortunately, the corridor beyond the Mirror Room, was ordinary and empty, Valeria got about halfway along before slowly slumping to the floor, she would just rest here for a moment.
She awoke with a start, she had no idea how long she had been asleep, but she did feel better. Valeria took a few sips of water from her canteen and had some dried fruit and meat she had put in a pouch just in case, she was regretting not packing something more substantial, but she hadn't reckoned on the Labyrinth being so much hard work. As she got to her feet she wondered how much time had passed in here, and how much longer it would be before it was over, but there was no use in pondering such things, all she could do was move forward.
Another square room lay ahead, the walls covered in metal arms in various poses, in the centre was an altar to some multi-limbed female deity that Valeria didn't recognise, the altar itself was piled high with offerings of coins, gems and even weapons. She didn't have much to donate, she certainly wasn't giving up her sword, instead Valeria took off one of her rings, it was just a cheap thing of metal and glass pretending to be an emerald, but it was one of her favourites and she hoped that counted.
After placing the ring on top of a pile she heard a grinding noise, looking around she saw that two of the wall arms were now beckoning to her. Valeria walked over to them and grasped them just below the wrist, they in turn clamped on to her arms and began to retract into the wall, so it was going to be a contest of strength. Valeria tried simply pulling the arms with little success, so she braced herself with a foot on the wall and heaved with all her might. At first the arms resisted, and then with a loud crack, they came free from the wall.
They wriggled to be free from her grasp and Valeria quickly let them go and watched, slightly horrified, as they crawled over to the altar and found a home amongst the arms on the statue. The other arms clapped in applause before retreating into the walls, which opened to reveal several exits, Valeria consulted her, increasingly useless, map and headed for the door way straight across from her.

 

[aku-chan]

Tired, didn't sleep very well, got a lot of worries at the moment, I'm just going to try and do what I can, exercise-wise, today:-

Universal Warmup done,
40 Knees-to-Elbows (EotD) done,
Wow, That's Hard (WotD) attempted (1 set. Urgh Burpees! Would've struggled with this one even on a good day),
Node 3 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 23 of The Miner done (Found:- Dirt, yet another skeleton and a ruby),
Day 2 of 30 Days of Yoga done (Couldn't quite manage some of the poses, I've no idea how people sit on their heels like that, it hurts! But I did my best),
Sore Feet done,
Wrist Mobility done.

So, turns out the Housemate situation is more serious than I thought:-
It's not simply a case of her starting to be a bit of a pain in the bum and the Care Home wanting to make her someone else's problem. She's currently in hospital having a mental health evaluation, having been deemed a risk to herself and others (She's broken some more windows and was getting increasingly violent with the staff), and her current care home just isn't equipped to deal with her (They do dementia care, but more the "Very forgetful and just needs some looking after" kind, not whatever's going on with the Housemate).
So I'm going to phone the hospital in a bit, see if she is allowed visitors, and then I have to work out how I'm going to get her stuff back to mine and store it until she gets sorted out. I can just about afford 2 trips, so anything left after that will have to stay there.

It's going to be a busy day today, see y'all tomorrow!

I don't know if anyone was reading them, but my little Labyrinth stories are going on a break until I can focus a bit better.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Hugs regarding your former roommate; it is sweet you are still following up on her, and helping.

 

[NightWolf714]

I'm so sorry to hear about the former roommate. That sounds so stressful for everyone. Dementia is already so difficult on people, but it often comes with this sorta aggression and it's just so much harder.

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @PetiteSheWolf - She pretty much doesn't have anyone else, so I've basically become a substitute family member. And as annoying and frustrating as dealing with this stuff can get, I really don't want to abandon her to the system, it just feels wrong.

A little late today, got some extra sleep to make up for yesterday:-

Universal Warmup done,
10 Plank Crunches (EotD) done,
Self Care (WotD) done,
Node 2 of the Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 24 of The Miner done (Found:- Double dirt and a ruby),
Day 3 of 30 Days of Yoga done (Not sure if sitting on the floor listening to J-Pop counts as meditation but that's what I did),
Happy Feet done,
Wrist Pain done.

So all my worrying for the last couple of days was for nothing. Housemate is nice and happy in the hospital and they sent all her belongings with her (A few things seem to have gone missing in transit, but the Care Home insists they sent everything and I'm not going all that way to check!).
No word on where she'll be going next yet, considering how hard it was to find the first place I suspect she'll be in hospital for a while. At least it's easier to visit now, can't go every day (That's how I burnt through all my savings ), but whenever I'm in town I can pop in for an hour or two.

Today's a chore heavy day but since I don't have to spend all my monies moving the Housemates stuff now I'm going to try myself to something nice for dinner, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

A short corridor led into another standard square room, empty apart from the usual torches, Valeria got a couple of paces into the room before the whole place began to shake violently, as she struggled to maintain her balance, a huge chunk of the ceiling came loose and crashed to the floor a few feet from her, there were cracks spreading across the floor and up the walls, there was no time to think only to move.
Weaving between falling debris and leaping over widening gaps, Valeria sprinted for the nearest exit, making it through just seconds before the collapsing ceiling blocked it off. She stood, bent over, for a few moments to catch her breath, before straightening up to see what lay ahead. "Oh no.", she went pale, the corridor was lined with mirrors.

Briefly Valeria panicked and tried to go back the way she came, but it was no good, that exit was solidly sealed off now. She lent against the stones, trying to calm her racing heartbeat, she regained her composure, turned around, and marched defiantly down the corridor.
It didn't take long before her reflections began laughing and taunting her, bringing forth her deepest insecurities and darkest memories. The urge to smash the mirrors was almost overwhelming, anything to silence those mocking voices, but she knew instinctively that that was what they wanted, for her to get close enough to grab. Head held high, Valeria marched past, until, finally, there was silence, she had made it to the end of the corridor. She stopped to wipe her tear-streaked face, she really hoped this was just the magic of this place and that she wasn't going to be haunted by Mirror Valeria forever.

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @NightWolf714 - It is tough, but at least she seems happier to have me visiting now.

 

[agc]

Being a carer can be so difficult. Good on you for being there, I don't envy you at all. I hope you've got people who support you too.

(Not sure if sitting on the floor listening to J-Pop counts as meditation but that's what I did)

Who are your favourite J-Pop artists?

 

[graoumia]

my (too) sweet @aku-chan

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @agc @graoumia

@agc - I don't really have any favourites, I got into it through watching anime, so it's all anime theme songs. I was listening to the opening of Flip Flappers while I was meditating yesterday:-

(That's a weirdly low energy music video considering the song).

Start of a new week of exercising:-

Universal Warmup done,
20 Hero Squats (EotD) done,
Epic Calves (WotD) done,
Node 11 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets. Discovered I've been doing this one wrong, I thought the 40 Butt Kicks were just for when you were crossing previously explored rooms, not every time you move to a new room. So I owe the program 520 Butt Kicks , did 120 today so 400 remaining.),
Day 25 of The Miner done (Found:- Triple dirt),
Day 4 of 30 Days of Yoga done (Still struggling with a few poses, but overall doing much better than I thought I would),
Footwork done,
Stapler done.

Yesterday went well. Got all my chores done, wrapped up the last of my summer anime shows (Secret of the Silent Witch, which was pretty good, little annoyed it's not getting a second season) and made a start on the autumn ones (Nothing seriously grabs me yet, apart from the new season of Spy X Family which is always good), even did a bit of my hobbies.

Today I've got to go back to the library to get my CV printed (Stupid two hour time frame! ), and then I can laze around until evening volunteering, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Valeria recognised the next room, she was right back at the start, although she noticed the corridor leading back to the entrance had closed off. She tentatively took a few steps into the room, but nothing happened, apparently the room only tested you once, hopefully this applied to others as well if she was going to be do a lot of backtracking.
She made her way into the next room, that she had marked as the 'Howling Wind' room, again, nothing happened. Grateful her ears weren't going to take another pummelling, she headed off down the path not taken.
The corridor was filled with the smell of oil and rust and the sound of grinding metal, both walls were inset with massive metal gears that were, unsuccessfully, trying to turn, but some gears were obviously in the wrong place, while others had come loose and were laying on the floor. Valeria set to work sorting out the mess, heaving the gears into their proper places and adding more grime to the layers she was already caked in.
With the last gear slid into place, the grinding noise was replaced with a low rumbling, the other end of the corridor slid open and she stepped through.

 

[NightWolf714]

Node 11 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets. Discovered I've been doing this one wrong, I thought the 40 Butt Kicks were just for when you were crossing previously explored rooms, not every time you move to a new room. So I owe the program 520 Butt Kicks , did 120 today so 400 remaining.),

OH NO! Best of luck catching up with that!

 

[aku-chan]

Thanks! @NightWolf714 - Luckily they're an exercise I don't mind too much.

Missed a couple of days, things have just been too hectic, back at it today though:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Twists (EotD) done,
5-Minute Mobility (WotD) done (Couldn't maintain that Deep Squat Hold for a full minute though),
Node 16 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets plus 140 Butt Kicks, 300 remaining),
Day 26 of The Miner done (Found:- Another skeleton, a diamond and an emerald),
Day 5 of 30 Days of Yoga done,
Ankle Recovery done (I could touch my foot during the One-Legged Balance Hold, can't hold on to it yet but I'm getting there),
Hand Tendons done.

I had a very busy couple of days. Tuesday was a triple whammy of Cafe Volunteering (More people came to the opening day than I thought would, but they were all still either people who work in the church or visit everything the church puts on, so I still doubt this will be a long term thing), going on the quest from my Work Coach to visit a list of Employment Agencies (As I suspected, this was pure busy work. I signed up with 3 agencies, but one agency didn't exist any more and all the others, even the ones I signed with, said I didn't match with the sort of jobs they offer), and finally a visit to the Housemate who is still really happy (I'm wondering if they've already started her on some "Happy Pills" to keep her calm).
And then Wednesday had me at a Job Fair (With surprisingly few jobs) and then the usual Volunteering.

I think I will definitely have to get into the habit of doing at least a little exercise when I come home from a busy day, there's more of them on the horizon!
See y'all tomorrow.

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

The next room was sunk down into the ground and filled with water, Valeria peered over the edge. The water was clear and she could see it was only a few feet deep, and also didn't appear to contain any traps or man-eating fish, so she dropped down into it with a splash.
Submerged up to her waist in very cold water, she began to wade towards a chain and pulley system on the far wall, that she hoped opened the exit door. She was only a few steps into the room, when vents opened in the ceiling and a vast torrent of water poured down, knocking her off feet and pushing her fully underwater.
Valeria struggled to get upright again under the downpour, and when she finally did, the water had already reached chest-height. Too weighted down to swim, she continued to wade across as fast as she could, reaching the chain, and pulling with all her might. Something finally gave and grates opened on the floor, while the ceiling ones closed. Slowly the water drained away, and when it was finally all gone, the exits opened.
Valeria used the privacy of the corridor to undress and wring as much water as she could out of her clothes, at least she wasn't as grubby as she had been, now she was just cold, damp and miserable. Hopefully there was some sort of heat-based deathtrap up ahead.

 

[NightTigress]

Good news!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

There is a heat-based deathtrap up ahead, just one more room, then take a right, then left and you'll end up in The Fire Walk (Room 28).

---

Fully agree on

doing at least a little exercise when I come home from a busy day

but have you considered doing a little exercise first thing in the morning? I tend to do my challenges before breakfast and it's a good feeling knowing my streak is safe.

 

[aku-chan]

Good news!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

There is a heat-based deathtrap up ahead, just one more room, then take a right, then left and you'll end up in The Fire Walk (Room 28).

---

Fully agree on

but have you considered doing a little exercise first thing in the morning? I tend to do my challenges before breakfast and it's a good feeling knowing my streak is safe.

I will have to keep an eye out for that room!

I usually do my workout before breakfast, but it takes me ages to wake up, so on days when I have to be out early there just isn't enough time. Either I'm going to have to get up even earlier on those days, or try and do a bit when I get home (And if I've been out all day I'm usually too tired), neither is a great option for me, but I'll have to figure something out.

Another morning of exercise:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Seconds Bounce (EotD) done,
Tendons & Core (WotD) done (This one was so tough!),
Node 21 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets, swapped Jumping Jacks for Step Jacks),
Day 27 of The Miner done (Found:- Double dirt and a diamond),
Day 6 of 30 Days of Yoga done (No J-Pop for this meditation session, it was Lady Gaga instead),
Sore Feet done,
Hand Mobility done,

Got a day of nothing important to do ahead, so I'm going to work on some of my hobbies, I've been neglecting them lately (The game I play has an event coming up, but you need to be past a certain stage in the game to participate. Since I was fairly close already I thought I would try and close that gap, but, urgh, I am wasting so much time on it!).
And then it's Cabbage and Sausage Soup for dinner to use up some of the nice veggies I got from the Food Bank I volunteer at (I'm trying to get my head around picking stuff up from there more often, it is extremely helpful, but it makes me feel so danged guilty!).

See y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

The next room was nothing but solid darkness. Valeria hesitated, unwilling to risk a limb probing for a way ahead, when a small orb of light drifted down from above and began to lazily orbit her head. With a few feet a space around her now illuminated, Valeria could see she was standing on the edge of a chasm, the only way forward appeared to be a thick chain hanging just within her reach. She grasped it and pulled herself forward, the orb followed and now lit up several more chains hanging in the darkness. Luckily, Valeria was small enough that she could firmly wedge her hands and feet into the chain loops, unfortunately this meant she was too short to reach any of the nearby chains, even at full stretch. She tested the chain she was on. Yes, it didn't appear to be anchored at the bottom, and by swaying herself she could slowly build up enough momentum to bring the next chain within reach. It took time and a lot of effort, but she slowly swung herself through the darkness.
At last the light of the orb landed on a stone shelf and the exit and with one final swing she was safe. The orb ascended back to where it came from and the room behind Valeria was pitch black once again.

 

[aku-chan]

Some early morning exercising today, it was still dark outside!

Universal Warmup done,
30 Reverse Angels (EotD) done,
PUMP-kin (Replacement WotD) done (3 sets, been too long since I've done some dumbbell exercises, they were so heavy!),
Node 22 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets),
Day 28 of The Miner done (Found:- Dirt, a ruby and a topaz),
Day 7 of 30 Days of Yoga done (Really struggled with some of the poses today),
Footwork done,
Talk To The Hand done.

Just a couple of jobs today, I've got to get my flu jab and visit the Housemate, and then try and get this section of game finished so I can have my life back!

Plus some leftover soup for dinner, it was very yummy but I think I've eaten most of the sausage bits out of it , see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

This room was lined with fancy masks of all shapes and sizes, they reminded Valeria of the costumed balls her parents would throw. The urge to put one on was overwhelming, it might be nice to spend some time in disguise and be someone else for a change, after all she'd done it before, wasn't Valeria Ravenmane the daring adventurer, just a mask Anna Mayweather the frightened runaway, wore to feel braver?
Wait. She hesitated, fingertips almost touching a large owl-shaped mask, these were not her own thoughts. Valeria might not be real, but Anna had worked far too hard to become the woman she was to have her accomplishments dismissed as some sort of magic trick, she withdrew her hand and stepped back. Their spell broken, the masks shrieked in rage before falling silent.
Her head held high, and feeling a little bit more confident, Valeria walked to the nearest exit and into the corridor beyond.

 

[aku-chan]

End of another week, I'm skipping today's 30 Days of Yoga session as I've got an achey arm from yesterday's flu jab, and I'm not up to all that Planking:-

Universal Warmup done,
40 Clench/Unclench (EotD) done,
Zen Mode (WotD) done,
Node 27 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets, I'd been forgetting the Butt Kicks again so I'm currently 240 behind),
Day 29 of The Miner done (Found:- An amethyst and double dirt),
Footwork done,
Keyboard Warrior done.

I had a successful flu jab yesterday, and I'm not feeling flu-ish this time (Maybe my body is finally used to the stuff?) I just got a sore arm where the nurse really rammed the needle into my muscle.
Housemate visit wasn't so successful, she wouldn't get out of bed and visitors are only allowed in the lounge area in that bit of the hospital, but 3 consecutive positive visits is a record at the moment.
Today is a chores and hobbying day, I finally got past that bit of the game I wanted to, so my life is my own again, and then Prawn Risotto for dinner, see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

The next room was far larger than most of the previous ones and appeared to have a crystalline floor, but was otherwise empty and unremarkable. A message carved in front of the entrance way said "Follow the light", Valeria was still pondering its meaning when random areas of the floor suddenly lit up. Not sure how long they would stay illuminated, she went for it as fast as possible, bounding from light to light.
She had crossed about half the room when the lit stones began flickering, but it was okay she had an exit in sight and cleared the room before the stones went dark. Valeria wondered what, if anything, would have happened if she stepped on an unlit patch, but decided it wasn't worth the risk finding out. Onwards...

 

[aku-chan]

Start of a new week, getting to my exercises a bit late, I'm finding it hard to get up on time when I don't have to, something to work on:-

Universal Warmup done,
30 Seconds Split Jacks (EotD) done (I couldn't work out what a non-jumpy version would look like so I did Lunges),
Live Long (WotD) done (3 sets with Step Jacks),
Node 26 of The Labyrinth done (3 sets, Deep Reverse Lunges are a new exercise to me and very tiring!),
Day 30 of The Miner done (Found:- Dirt, an amethyst and one final skeleton),
Day 8 of 30 Days of Yoga done (Really tough),
Ankle Recovery done,
Wrist Mobility done.

Glad to have finally completed The Miner this time around, according to Gemini I dug up £24,700 worth of gems, if only it was that easy in real life! (Plus I'd have to explain those 6 skeletons too).

I don't have much to do today, so I'll see y'all tomorrow!

Spoiler: The Labyrinth

Another square room, although this one had ribbon-like tendrils protruding from the ceiling. Valeria didn't like how alien they looked and certainly didn't want to touch one, so she slowly and carefully began to weave her way between them on the way to the exit.
But not carefully enough, she brushed one lightly with her shoulder, even through her armour the pain was immediate and intense, and it was only through sheer luck that the shock didn't send her stumbling into another tendril. Right arm numb and breathing heavily, Valeria picked her way even more slowly through the remainder of the room.
Fortunately that was the only incident, and she was starting to regain the feeling in her arm, she would rest a bit before moving on.

 

[NightWolf714]

Congrats on finishing The Miner!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Bracelet]

Congrats!

 

[agc]

Congratulations on finishing a program!

 

[ZenFighter]

Congratulations on Miner completion!

 

[Anek]

Congrats!

 

[NightTigress]

Congrats on finishing The Miner!

 

[astro_lizard]

Congrats on The Miner!!!