Goal + Action = Reality

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 40
Destress challenge Day 27
Daily Walk Challenge Day 24
Push-Pull-Legs Day 19

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Footsy has rather been lording it from her high perch. The great hulking beast can't step on her, and I (possibly the other great hulking beast) am not constantly picking her off my seat.
Was doing some good work this afternoon when the Lad rang to tell me about last week's school camp. Just over half an hour about that, followed by another two hours of Pokémon... It was nice chatting to him, but...Pokémon.

Anyone who's experienced autistic perseveration knows where I'm coming from! So my afternoon didn't quite turn out as anticipated, and that's okay. We're still in touch.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 41 - 55 today!
Destress challenge Day 28
Daily Walk Challenge Day 25
Push-Pull-Legs Day 20

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Decided to be adventurous and make something other than chips in my air fryer. I'd defrosted a packet of pork mince so I made a whole lot of little meatballs. They turned out brill! I ate a third of them and left the others to cool. While my back was turned, that great hulking beast Creed... well, do I really need to finish that sentence? On the plus side, though, I know how to make nice pork meatballs in my air fryer, so that's good.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Nice score, Creed!
(I'm sure he deserved them.)

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 42
Destress challenge Day 29
Daily Walk Challenge Day 26
Push-Pull-Legs Day 21

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Last year I bought a 3.6L air fryer from Aldi. They were back this week so I let my mum know because she'd been after a small one, so she bought herself one this afternoon. I told her how to make the meatballs, but not about the naughty dog... It looks as though I'd better learn me a few more air fryer recipes to teach her when she comes over next month.
Went to the shops today and discovered I'd left my wallet at home. Embarrassing.

 

[AgileGrrl]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 42
Destress challenge Day 29
Daily Walk Challenge Day 26
Push-Pull-Legs Day 21

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Last year I bought a 3.6L air fryer from Aldi. They were back this week so I let my mum know because she'd been after a small one, so she bought herself one this afternoon. I told her how to make the meatballs, but not about the naughty dog... It looks as though I'd better learn me a few more air fryer recipes to teach her when she comes over next month.
Went to the shops today and discovered I'd left my wallet at home. Embarrassing.

I love my air fryer! Made a full chicken for the first time in it last week with a lemon stuffed in the cavity. Chicken came out super juicy and the meat was falling off the bone. If you need some recipes, I have a bunch you could try out.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 43
Daily Walk Challenge Day 27
Push-Pull-Legs Day 22

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es
- Spanish squat 1 x 5
- Slider hamstring curls 1 x 10es - ouch, cramp!

I had another dick-witted sort of day, matching yesterday's, I suppose. Early afternoon, I put my dinner on to cook. It would take some hours, so I gave it plenty of time. Finally, it was almost done. I decided, 5 more minutes. Then I got back to work. And forgot about it. I got totally absorbed in what I was doing. Sometimes I smelt my dinner... and a strange burnt undertone... Maybe the neighbours were smoking again and the smoke was coming in through my open window. Yeah, that's what it is. Three hours later, when I dragged myself back to reality (or this version of it), I returned to the kitchen. Damnit! There's going to be some hard scrubbing on the bottom of that pan. Worse thing, although I had actually cooked my dinner, it was now inedible. Creed would probably have the bits that haven't turned into charcoal. Actually, he'd probably eat those bits too!

We had an absolute deluge today. I looked out of the window and there was Rafa, standing still and hunched, getting totally soaked, not thinking to move under cover. She was there for ages. It was bucketting. Finally I dug out an umbrella and braced the weather, shooing her under the overhang of the nesting boxes. Not great but at least it was cover. And the legs of my jeans were soaked. My garden was underwater. Creed tiptoed quickly out to do his business and rushed back in. He doesn't like water.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 44
Daily Walk Challenge Day 28
Push-Pull-Legs Day 23

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Cooler day today. Tomorrow too, then warming up again. But is this a foretaste of autumn?

The dog seemed to enjoy my last night's dinner... At least it wasn't wasted.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 45
Daily Walk Challenge Day 29
Push-Pull-Legs Day 24

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Been thinking about what to do next on PPL is over. I remembered about my earlier exercise snacks experiment I did with my weights and I think I'll do it again because that was fun - and also fits in well with my work habits. If I can break blocks of work with a set of lat pull-downs or bicep curls through the day, then that's good for me. Maybe one or two days per week I'll put in blocks of exercise rather than snacks. One day isometrics. Snacks give me movement and overall weekly volume but blocks will address hypertrophy and strength.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 46
Push-Pull-Legs Day 25

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Another cool day today. One of those days when it's a little too cool to wear short sleeves and a little too warm to wear long sleeves so I pull on long sleeves until I get hot and sit in short sleeves until I get cold. Rinse and repeat.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 47
Push-Pull-Legs Day 26
Daily Walk Challenge Day 1
Epic Hold Challenge Day 1 - Squats aren't really my jam right now, but I can do wall sits so I'll substitute wall sits for the squats. Not a great deal of difference. And then Creed decided to add some weight to my thighs. Why, in that one single minute, couldn't he have been doing something else?

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 48
Push-Pull-Legs Day 27
Daily Walk Challenge Day 2
Epic Hold Challenge Day 2 - decided to put my hands in a planche position for something different

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Today was one of my favourite sorts of days, weatherwise. Now, I know some people don't like them (no, @neilarey I wasn't looking at you!) but today was quiet and grey and drizzled all day! Maybe it was because I grew up in a semi-arid region and grey skies and rain weren't so common. Maybe it's because even here in the semi-alpine regions, it doesn't rain so often. But I simply loved today, even though overhanging branches drip water down my back when I shut in the chickens (really must prune those trees!). I got good work done.

I returned to my exercise snacking today, but with only two exercises because I'm not organised and I didn't have things ready. No friction means it happens for me. If I have to prepare... So I try to get everything ready for what I want to do of a day - load up the dumbbells with the weight I want, select the weight on Marcy and adjust what needs adjustment. Set the weights bench to the required angle. Then when I emerge from my study in need of movement, I can immediately go to whichever station and do whatever it is. Today it was triceps pushdowns and shoulder presses. Some sets were done to failure, others to near failure. The fact that there is a lengthy gap between sets means I can push it far more safely and strongly than otherwise, which is one of the reasons I like such "snacking". The other is I get little breaks from working and get the blood flowing again in parts of me below the neck.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 49
Daily Walk Challenge Day 3
Epic Hold Challenge Day 3 - I use the timer on my phone but I also count the second to myself and today I was thinking that perhaps I certainly must be counting slowly, but alas, I was only one second slow. Phew!

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Non-snack day today. Does that make this a "meal" day?
Biceps curls 5 x 5. As this is a heavy lifting day, I was experimenting with weight and volume. As I'm only doing 5 reps, even for 5 sets, I decided I could probably increase the weight a touch. Next time.
Assisted chin-ups 3 x 4. Had been aiming for 4 sets but the elbows are unaccustomed to these so I didn't want to stress them out. I'll build up rather than shock them.
Single-arm rows 2 x 10, 2 x 8. One of my favouritest exercises! I had been aiming for sets of 6-8 reps, but the first two sets I did were a bit too easy, so I increased the weight significantly, the heaviest I've gone on s-a rows, which was pleasing, and I still made 8 reps.

Forgot yesterday about Girl Power Week workout. As I'm being very kind to the knees, any workouts that include squats, jumping, or particularly knee-heavy work have to be avoided. Consequently, I'm aiming for the Power of Positivity! And that can only be a good thing, right? So yesterday was Courage to Change and today was Made with Love. I want a new badge. Not that I tend to remember to collect them anymore though... But Event ones I do!

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 50
Daily Walk Challenge Day 4
Epic Hold Challenge Day 4 - why is it that 1-min plank does not feel so long as 1-min wall sit?

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Snack day:
Lat pull-down (because I love them!) Set the weight higher than previous so reps were generally 5 but I did manage to crank out a set or two that got up to 8. I can feel my lats this evening. Finger crossed for them tomorrow!
Lateral raises. I can increase the weight on these puppies because I was hitting 15 reps on every set. Admittedly, my sets were spaced well apart (because I'm snacking, not feasting) so there was plenty of recovery time, but even so. Still, this first week or so is really a finding out time, so that's just a note to remember for next time.

And for Girl Power Week, I showed up.

This evening, I found myself whistling a tune. I stopped and listened to it, and then realised what it was I was whistling, so I'll share it with you all here:

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 51
Daily Walk Challenge Day 5
Epic Hold Challenge Day 5

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

'Meal' Day (volume):
Incline biceps curls 4 x 8
Inverted rows 3 x 10

Girl Power Week: Power 18

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 52
Epic Hold Challenge Day 6

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

Snack day:
Chest press x 88.
I had scheduled another exercise but as I did a workout yesterday that included that, I didn't today, not wanting to do the same thing twice in a row. Call me precious. So I went gang-busters on the chest press instead. There are other things I could have done that I only thought of later this evening. I'll make a note for future.

Girl Power Week: Tough Cookie

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 53
Epic Hold Challenge Day 7

Rehab:
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Reverse step-ups 2 x 10es

'Meal' day:
Bicep curls (moderate) 3 x 10
Inverted rows 3 x 10

Girl Power Week: I am Enough

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 54
Epic Hold Challenge Day 8

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

'Snack' day:
Shoulder press (because who doesn't like training shoulders?)
Lateral raises (ditto)
Chair touches - these are sort of quarter squats just so my bum touches a stool set at a constant height, and then I stand again. Focusing on keeping slightly more weight on the weak leg.

Girl Power Week: For the last one, the Power of Breath - Deep

Big News! One of my pullets, the whiter one, Rafa, laid her first egg today! Here it is on the left, beside one of Rosie's, and one from Spot (who has been slack and hasn't lain for over a week! No, not even hiding them somewhere). Pullet eggs are always small, especially the first ones.

I was working hard(ish) at my desk today when I heard a heavy sigh and a grumbling from the doorway. Turned to see this:

Yeah, we had a bit of a play. Who could resist?

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

I confirm, impossible to resist!

 

[CODawn]

Congratulations!

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 55
Epic Hold Challenge Day 9

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

'Meal' day:
Biceps curls (heavy) 5 x 5
Single-arm Rows 3 x 10
Banded pull-aparts 3 x 10

About a week or so ago, a neighbour came knocking to tell me that he's going to be pulling down the old wooden back fence and replacing it with Colourbond to match all the rest around his yard. Today, as it was a public holiday, he began pulling down the fence behind my fruit trees. Now, I have a wire fence barricade in front of all the trees, so neither the dog nor the chickens could make a break for freedom. I opened the back door to let out the dog, and he hailed me. It felt uncomfortable to me so I retreated like a frightened forest creature. Then I put on my grown-up pants and my shoes and stepped outside to watch him work. The fence was so old and rotten that it pretty much fell down when he gave it a hard look! Then he cut off a bit of a tree, and I was quite happy for him to do that. When I get around to it, I'll remove that wire fence, secure in the thought of a solid Colourbond fence, and get to work hacking back those poor badly-treated trees. Anyway, we talked and I know so much about him, where his mother-in-law lives, that he's got a coast house at South Duross, he likes kangaroo meat (but don't feed it to your dog because he'll get rather fruity!), he and his wife like hearing my chooks but they only ever hear one (that would be Rosie. I'm forever telling her to shut up). Then his wife came out and introduced herself so I had to lose my cachet as the mysterious nameless neighbour and reciprocate. There's no solid fence there now and I feel a little exposed, even though nobody can see any more of my place than before unless standing right in his garden. His plot is so peculiar, that he has 7 neighbours! Possibly the longest piece of fence is ours, though. He's pleased that everyone else chose the same colour of Colourbond and he's just finishing the job. Suits me. On either side I have the same Colourbond (though my neighbours on the right did a poor job, not even bothering capping the fence or removing the wooden one which is still on my side, but oh well). So that was me being sociable. Should do me for a good month, I reckon!

Then later today I went and reacted to something like a petulant toddler. Obviously my social battery and hence tolerance for humankind had run down. My mum was trying to find flights to come visit me. She had decided that she wouldn't do the Walk this year, but definitely next (hmm...) but she wanted to come over for my birthday. But flights are horribly expensive, and they are listed without luggage! So you think, ah, here's a flight with a decent price, only to find it doesn't include luggage and if you want to bring a suitcase with you, that's at least another $50. She was starting to think it might be cheaper for her to drive the 1,100 km, even with the price of petrol as it is. While we were discussing this, my sister and her husband came into my mother's little house. My mum said goodbye to me, but forgot to hang up the phone. So I heard my sister say that if TN wanted her to visit, why didn't TN pay? That comment so annoyed me. I mentioned to my mother that she hadn't hung up yet. And why didn't TN pay instead of letting a pensioner think about coughing up over $500 to fly over for a visit? Two reasons - one, it was her choice. I had already told her it was hella expensive, but she was determined. And two, I simply didn't think of it. That's the way my mind works. If she had mentioned it, I probably would have offered, but she didn't so it simply didn't occur to me. I'm pretty linear. It's an autistic trait. But I got cranky with the comment because immediately she was seeing the worst in me, and I've had so much of that I am overly-sensitive to it now. But she a b - no, that's unkind to female canines! We haven't spoken for over a year. I know it was an over-reaction, but it stung. Like I'm a greedy selfish penny-pincher. I couldn't do any more mental work after that so ripped up some more of the carpet in the library. At least that was productive!

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 56
Epic Hold Challenge Day 10

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es
My head wasn't really in this today and sometimes I couldn't remember if I was on my second set or third. Figured it wouldn't hurt me if it turned out I had done four sets.

'Snack' Day:
Lat pull-downs (same weight as last time)
Triceps Kick-backs (for something different)

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 57
Epic Hold Challenge Day 11

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

I had a bad night last night but I don't think that's what caused my problem. Don't know what did, actually. This morning when I started doing my dips, my left shoulder started hurting. I got to 40 and stopped. Later I did another 20 but that wasn't very pleasant. So I cut it down to 15 which was manageable and completed the reps throughout the day. That shoulder is a bit bothersome, but there are three days left of this challenge - 420 dips - and I'm not going to pike out now. Maybe my shoulder will be fine again tomorrow. If not, I'll take it very slowly with short sets. I've got this. Maybe I'll have a break from dips for a bit once the challenge is over. So I didn't do any other exercises today either, resting up that arm.

Had to go shopping this morning. Glad I tanked up my little car last week - petrol was already 50c per litre more expensive. But this state of affairs might not last long, so here's hoping.

 

[Lady Celerity]

for your shoulder

 

[TopNotch]

Thanks, @Lady Celerity That seemed to do the trick!

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 58
Epic Hold Challenge Day 12

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

My shoulder felt much better today, but I still kept it relatively easy, even to the extent of doing a one-armed plank. Two more days and it can rest.

As always, I strongly believe it is better to be born lucky than rich. This afternoon I popped out to check on the chooks. I walked through the defile between my big shed and the hen house to check on when the young ones lay (no egg) and then I walked back. Remembering that I hadn't checked the nesting box, I turned back to it and as I stepped forward, something moved right near my feet. I moved so fast I was like

but in reverse.
A brown snake. And I'd walked past that bugger twice already! It seemed as unimpressed to see me as I was to see it, but I was gone before it could move, shooing the dog back inside with me. Bit of a shock, must confess, because I'd nearly stepped on it. Made me a little less inclined to go wandering blithely out. Especially as it slid under the concrete slab of my big shed. Did send a text to my back fence neighbour, just giving him the head's up that there's a brown snake around. Rather hope it moves on pdq!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Eeek, went to check on what "australian brown snake" was ... I think we already had that convo, LOL, but your dangerous animals scare me!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

 

[Lady Celerity]

Would the snake be after chicken eggs? Be careful!

 

[AgileGrrl]

A brown snake. And I'd walked past that bugger twice already! It seemed as unimpressed to see me as I was to see it, but I was gone before it could move, shooing the dog back inside with me. Bit of a shock, must confess, because I'd nearly stepped on it. Made me a little less inclined to go wandering blithely out. Especially as it slid under the concrete slab of my big shed. Did send a text to my back fence neighbour, just giving him the head's up that there's a brown snake around. Rather hope it moves on pdq!

Friggin'ell!! So glad you got by that sucker without being bit. It's crazy how many deadly animals you guys have down there.

I'm, catching up on my reading so congrats getting eggs out of Rafa! Hope your shoulder is feeling better.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Daily Dips Challenge Day 59
Epic Hold Challenge Day 13
Power Grip Challenge Day 1
Counting Victories Challenge Day 1

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

Shoulder is much better, thanks. To prove it, I did 60 consecutive dips this morning, just to prove I could. Still be holding off on everything else, giving it a little TLC, but I think it's fine again.

I now have a new back fence. The neighbour said it would happen on the weekend, but on Monday, which was a public holiday, he took down the old wooden fence, and today, in a matter of a couple of hours, a nice new colourbond fence is in its place. It's lower than the one on my left, which is about 2m. It's somewhere between 1.5m and my height. Better than the one on the right which is really just some sheets of colourbond rivetted together and fixed to the old wooden uprights, on the other side of the wooden fence palings - so one of my fences still is old wooden palings. I'll toss s bricks along the bottom of the new fence as there's a bit of a gap. The ground isn't level so the fence is a little stepped. Looks good though. At least all the neighbours went for the same colour! Like to hope all the noise made the snake get out of Dodge - if it hadn't already gone.

@PetiteSheWolf and @AgileGrrl We Aussies have a reputation for being a bit fearless because we've grown up with dangerous beasties all around, but truth be told, we just know they're there and we kind of avoid them. But when we do come across them, we don't (totally) freak out because they're not unexpected. Well, except when they're next to the chicken coop and you've just wandered out...

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 14
Power Grip Challenge Day 2
Counting Victories Challenge Day 2
GTBOT Challenge day 1 - this will always have to be retrospective. Last night, I did (just) get to bed before midnight!

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

Been doing my rehab every day for almost six weeks now. I can get serious about something!

It's getting cooler now, both day and night. I find I can no longer just go out first thing in the morning after I get up and feed the chickens; I have to put on some clothes!

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 15
Power Grip Challenge Day 3
Counting Victories Challenge Day 3
GTBOT Challenge day 2
50 Squats-a-Day Challenge Day 1 - not AtG squats but rather my more shallow bum-touch ones. I reckon it's time for my knees (or rather quads) to get a little more strengthening happening. And I hope by the end of the month, the height of the stool will have dropped a bit.
Push-ups - I realised that this had dropped off, so it's now back.

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 16
Power Grip Challenge Day 4
Counting Victories Challenge Day 4
GTBOT Challenge day 3
50 Squats-a-Day Challenge Day 2
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 1 - You know when you set yourself what you think will be a challenging variation but it turns out not to be quite so challenging after all and you feel like

Push-ups

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 10es

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 17
Power Grip Challenge Day 5
Counting Victories Challenge Day 5
GTBOT Challenge day 4
50 Squats-a-Day Challenge - the knee complained about this, feeling the strain. Nothing from the quads, so I'm going to have to drop this.
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 2
Easy Arms Challenge Day 1

'Snacks':
Lat pulldowns
Lateral raises

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-ups 2 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

Last night I was admiring the new GPW badge on my profile. I haven't been putting in my badges - other than the event ones - for ages. So I took a look and saw that I'd done the other three "Easy" challenges but I hadn't got the badge for Easy Arms, so I started that today. I know I've done loads of them, but if there's no badge, I can say I haven't done it. Of course, there are no badges for challenges I did in Darebee 1.0 that still care me. Like Upper Body Light. That was the very first Darebee challenge I ever did. My, wasn't that word "light" misleading! One day I'll do that again and get rebadged. I should do the other "of Steel" challenges too. I've only got Calves and Glutes. Should finish the set.

This morning the Lad sent a text asking if he could come over this weekend. You can probably guess my reply.

My windows are getting delivered on Thursday. Hope to get them installed soon.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 18
Power Grip Challenge Day 6
Counting Victories Challenge Day 6
GTBOT Challenge day 5
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 3
Easy Arms Challenge Day 2

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs (harder variety!) 2 x 6es
- TKE 3 x 15es

I had to be up earlier than usual this morning so I woke before the alarm. What? Why? I'd only just managed to get to bed before midnight (11:57 definitely counts!) and then was awake earlier so obviously I can do it. Be better, of course, to get to bed a little earlier... I'm working on it. So I finally went to see the physio about my hip today. It has improved from where it was but then it kind of stuck, so I went to see if Charlie could fix it. Charlie seemed a little foxed by it, to be frank. Gave me a couple of different exercises, caused me great pain (and I was paying for this?) and told me to come back in a fortnight. To my mind, if someone's had an issue for a while and they've been given strengthening exercises to try to recify said issue, I wouldn't expect to see great improvement in only two weeks. I said I'd see him in three. And when I went out to pay the $143 (what's with that 3?), I began rethinking. Still, some slightly changed exercises - that side leg raise and march is a beast! - I'm hoping to see improvement.

My builder texted me to ask if next week was okay to start. Next Thursday, it seems. So there'll be about a week of disruption, preceded by my having to clear out cupboards and such, followed by my painting. The floorer can only come just after my birthday so that gives me plenty of time to slap on the paint and not worry at all about the floor. Before he comes, though, I'll have to clear out all the furniture out of the three rooms, so that will be fun. All those books...

I peeled a potato the way you might peel an apple, all in one long strip. Just to see if I could.
I could.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 19
Power Grip Challenge Day 7
Counting Victories Challenge Day 7
GTBOT Challenge day 6
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 4
Easy Arms Challenge Day 3

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 6es
- Clamshells 2 x 6es
- TKE 3 x 15es

My windows were supposed to be delivered at 9:30 this morning, so I thought I'd have plenty of time. Just before 9 I decided to move the car so it would be easier for the windows to be taken through to the back. I'd just go out of the car when the I saw the delivery van coming down the road. Of course, I was wearing my not-to-be-worn-in-public-and-if-you-have-to-just-don't-turn-your-back jeans! I opened the back gate and waited for them to unload. Put the car back in the carport when they were gone. All done and dusted just after 9. And I didn't turn my back!

The Lad wants to come first thing Saturday morning, it seems. "When can I come?" he asked. I told him at least have breakfast first! Now unless I want to spend 24 hours immersed in the world of Pokémon (and that's going to happen to a degree anyway!) I'd better give him something to do. I want to put more hooks up in my laundry, so I pulled my drill out from the shed. That should keep him entertained for a bit. On Sunday, he can take down the curtain rod in 'his' room (the library). I wonder if I can convince him that mowing is really great fun...!

 

[Anek]

I wonder if I can convince him that mowing is really great fun...!

Maybe there are Pokemons hidden under the grass?

 

[TopNotch]

@Anek He might worry about chopping them up...

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 20
Power Grip Challenge Day 8
Counting Victories Challenge Day 8
GTBOT Challenge day 7
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 5
Easy Arms Challenge Day 4

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 6es
- Clamshells 2 x 6es
- TKE 3 x 15es

I had to phone the health insurer today to change my cover, so I made a pot of tea, went to the loo, and dialled. Was on hold only for 36 minutes, but the hold music was excrable. The same few phrases repeated, so loud that it was distorted and hurt my ears even from some rooms away, broken every 30 or so seconds with the same few repeated messages that were softer than the music, so I couldn't turn down the music in case I missed the person who would finally answer my call. However, when I finally did get my call answered, it was by a lovely Australian lady with a good sense of humour. When I complained about the hold music, she suggested Metallica, which was an interesting choice for a 36-year old but I'm down with it. She asked what I'd have instead, and after a moment's thought (having objected to her suggestion of the radio), I reckon some almost white noise would be a good idea. Something like a bit of bird song or rain. Just something so you know the call hasn't dropped out but nothing intrusive. So there went 75 minutes of my morning. I did manage to get some housework done while on hold so that was good.

With the Lad coming over shortly before Easter, I realised I ought to have some Easter eggs for him, so when I went shopping I bought a few bags of different goodies. Today, while on hold, I sorted out some of each for him. I wouldn't give him everything because that's way too much sugar. He'd scoff it in a blink! But with these sweets sitting there on my bench, I had an overwhelming urge to eat marshmallows. I love marshmallows. And marshmallows coated in chocolate... I had also bought a bag of sour carrot-shaped sweets (strangely enough, orange flavour) because I know I can't eat a lot of those sour sweeties in one sitting. They strip the roof of my mouth! I can still eat a lot of them, though... I bet his bag of goodies will be empty way before Easter! He's got a Boys' Brigade camp next weekend. With the petrol situation as it is, hope it's still on. Fifty years of negligent governments ignoring the requirement to have 90 days of fuel on hand. We had 30. Over 100 petrol stations are already out of fuel, yet we have one of the world's largest supplies of oil right under our feet. Pity almost all the refineries were closed down... *sigh*

 

[agc]

Maybe there are Pokemons hidden under the grass?

Not a bad idea making mowing Pokemon-related @TopNotch - I haven't played any of the games past the ones that came out in the mid-2000s so this may be very out of date information/not relevant anymore, but there was a ghost Pokemon called Rotom which would inhabit electrical appliances (including a lawn mower). Dunno how old he is and whether he would enjoy pretending there's a Rotom in the lawnmower but you could surprise him with some Dad knowledge of Pokemon either way.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Glad the lad is visiting and spending some time with you, but courage with the poke-world

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 21
Power Grip Challenge Day 9
Counting Victories Challenge Day 9
GTBOT Challenge day 8
Tricep Dips Challenge Day 6
Easy Arms Challenge Day 5

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- Step-downs 2 x 6es
- Clamshells 2 x 6es
- TKE 3 x 15es

The Lad phoned this morning and I kept telling him he would show me/tell me when he got here. I told him to tell me when he was coming. He didn't, and arrived about 30 minutes after he hung up! I hadn't even had breakfast yet. I was a bit slow this morning. It had been a rather unpleasant night, and it feels like tonight might not be any better. A bore.
Almost as soon as he was through the front door, the Lad asked if he could stay another night. Monday is school swimming carnival and he never attends so he'd be at home anyway. I said sure. That meant we had to work out a new menu. Instead of scrambled eggs for breakfast tomorrow, it will now be gingerbread waffles. He enjoys my cooking.
He has some electronic Pokémon trivia game that asks questions about various Pokémon, and yes, I totally lost. Did get some right answers, though!

 

[Lady Celerity]

Gingerbread waffles !

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 22
Power Grip Challenge Day 10
Counting Victories Challenge Day 10
GTBOT Challenge day 9
Tricep Dips Challenge Day - nope, not today
Easy Arms Challenge Day 6

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 15es

I don't know what happened but somehow yesterday I must have done something that really upset my hip. Today it was so bad at times that I hardly dare move. I dropped a couple of the rehab exercises that really hit the hip, and even the idea of triceps dips made me blench. Hope it all calms down again.
After a very carby breakfast of gingerbread waffles (three whole leftover waffles, despite our best efforts), he reminded me that I wanted him to put up some hooks for me in the laundry, so that was Fun With Power Tools.
Then we went out for a walk. It started off intending to be a Pokémon Go walk, but then he said he wanted to go more for an off-road walk, so we went up my usual track. It was hard on my hip but we took it at an easy pace for both our sakes and everything was fine. Lovely day, but the Lad got sunburnt! I hadn't thought we'd be out so long but he wanted to keep going so it was almost 2 hours. Later noticed redness around his neck and on his arms. *feels like negligent parent...*

He wanted nachos for lunch. I didn't. I was still totally carbed out from breakfast. I don't tend to eat a lot of carbs (though I should eat more than I do. Work in progress). Anyway, that's what we had. And no, my dog definitely does not beg!

Fuelled up nicely by those carbs, we then moved the squat rack so I could rotate the mats underneath. Funny how he kept needing to let the dog out or go to the loo or just check some random thing... Amazingly, through the afternoon, he snacked on one of the leftover waffles, trying to tempt me, but I stayed strong!
Dinner was to be something with udon noodles and I thought, not more carbs! But he wanted it and it is yummy, so I just made sure not to serve myself so many noodles. Dessert was cottage cheese with honey, which I love, enjoyed while watching the final movie of the Librarian trilogy.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 23
Power Grip Challenge Day 11
Counting Victories Challenge Day 11
GTBOT Challenge day 10
Easy Arms Challenge Day 7

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 6
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10
- TKE 3 x 15es

Hip is much better today, but I decided to take it easy and still skip those two rehabs exercises.

This morning the Lad and I mowed the front yard. It's not big but the grasses were about thigh-height for him. He thought it great fun to run the mower through to make a path, but after a little while, once all the tall grasses were done, he got bored so I finished it off. Gave him some secateurs and let him chop back the growth from the horrible invasive trees on the frontage. So the front yard is looking a lot better.
Then I got him to pull up the final strip of carpet in the library that is not still under the bookshelves, and let him have fun with mallet and pry bar and pull up the strips of carpet tacks. I still have more to do but it was nice to have a bit of a hand.
In the afternoon, we went to a lighting shop where I succeeded in buying the same sorts of lights I installed in the other part of my house. It wouldn't have been noticeable had they been different as these are three separate rooms, but my mind is happier knowing all my lights are the same.
I dropped him off at his place shortly after 3:30. I hadn't actually been in for a while, and I was rather shocked by what I saw. I'm no neat-freak but I'm not a grub. The outside area down the back stairs was even worse, the garage completely impassable. I had to get to the under-the-house area because I needed to reclaim my old clothes hanging rack. Fortunately I knew exactly where it was and grabbed it quickly. Also took my old yard cart. It's grubby, as you might expect from something that lives outside, but it's a relatively indestructible item. Wheelbarrows are simply too expensive so I wanted my cart back. It wasn't being used.
Had a good few days with the Lad. Now I have two days to get things all cleared out, ready for the chippies on Thursday.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 24
Power Grip Challenge Day 12
Counting Victories Challenge Day 12
GTBOT Challenge day 11
Easy Arms Challenge Day 8

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 8
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 6es
- Clamshells 3 x 8es
- TKE 3 x 15es

The hip was feeling quite fine again today (well, relatively) so as a special treat, I re-instituted the other rehab exercises!

Spent the day clearing things out of the cupboard in the study and boxing them up and then playing tetris in the big shed. I'd taken off on of the door and lain it on 6 bricks in the shed. It's supposed to bucket down later this week and the shed roof leaks a bit. I also ended up taking everything out of my wardrobe, except for the hanging clothes because I haven't screwed together the clothes rail yet. But all blankets and shoes - TN, why do you have 10 pairs of shoes but only one of them could be considered 'dress' shoes? Do you really need two pairs of fleecy-lined hiking boots (yes!), and just because you got a pair of shoes in bright blue, you felt you have to compensate and get another pair in black (they were on sale...) - are also out. I'm looking at shifting my bed into the study (it should just fit) but I'll still have to take it apart to do that, and then I'll have to take it apart again to move it out when the floors get done in another couple of weeks. That's tomorrow's task.

 

[AgileGrrl]

Now that's I've caught up I'm going to have to look up a recipe for gingerbread waffles because that just sounds divine!!

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 25
Power Grip Challenge Day 13
Counting Victories Challenge Day 13
GTBOT Challenge day 12
Easy Arms Challenge Day 9

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 8
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 6es
- TKE 3 x 15es

As I had done so much yesterday, there wasn't a lot to do today except clear away those odds and sods. I put up the clothes rail (throw-back to when I first moved to this neck of the woods and lived in a studio in some woman's backyard that was just one large room with nothing in it), and transfered my hanging clothes. I kept a couple of suits, just in case, one grey, one black. The shoulders of the black one do not look good now, and I'm hoping it's just dust. Probably should put something over them. There was a white dress shirt with a whole lot of pleats down the front. Like, I'm going to be wearing that again! And there was my dobok, even neatly ironed. *sigh* Later in the afternoon I dismantled my bed and scattered the pieces throughout my little house. The mattress is still in my bedroom but tomorrow morning it will be moved. The lounge and bedroom curtains will also have to come down. The builder emailed and said that "the boys" normally start at 7 but they could come at 7:30. Given I'll be without curtains, I think the chances of my sleeping in will be quite slim, so I said to bring it on! Sooner started, sooner done.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 26
Power Grip Challenge Day 14
Counting Victories Challenge Day 14
GTBOT Challenge day 13
Easy Arms Challenge Day 10

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 10
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

Had quite a poor night last night, my last night in that bedroom. Bit of a shame, really. And I had to get up early too. I must have fudged the settings on my phone alarm because I was woken by a female American voice saying "Hi there" in that really cringy way and then telling me what the weather was going to be. Better turn that off for tomorrow. I have to be up even earlier, given the boys will be here at 7. I put my mattress in the little library because it's the room where the only thing that needed doing was to replace the window. They did that first up, so that's done except for me to paint the woodwork, but as I have to paint all the woodwork of that room, it'll wait for a bit. So that's where I'll be sleeping for a while, and I'll be up early given there's no curtain (and, as I said, the boys will be here at 7). I'd taken one of the cupboard doors down and used it as a barrier across my kitchen doorway and my desk in the corner of the lounge with Creed on the non-workmen side of it. He was very good. He whined a little initially then settled down and went to sleep while I sat at the desk and worked. I was very pleased with him. I'm not looking forward to how my sleep tonight will be though because things already feel less than good... Still, it is what it is, and I deal with it.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 27
Power Grip Challenge Day 15
Counting Victories Challenge Day 15
GTBOT Challenge day 14
Easy Arms Challenge Day 11

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 10
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

Last night wasn't so bad, which was rather good. I got up at 6 this morning. It's still very dark here at 6. Sunrise is only scheduled for 7:11 and it was cloudy and rainy - just the sort of weather where you're like to stay in bed in the gloom, listening to the rain. But alas, it wasn't to be because the boys were coming at 7. If you finished your first pot of tea by 9:30 in the morning, it doesn't count, right? Besides, it was cold! What with the grey and the rain and the wind and the forecast of only 15 degrees. Oh, and the fact my front door stood open, windows and walls were removed. Yep, it was kind of chilly in here. Hence copious amounts of tea! Once everyone had left around 3 this afternoon, I had a nice long hot shower. Aah. Unfortunately, the plasterer will only come next Thursday.The sparky might come on Wednesday or possibly Thursday. He has to get his bit done before the plasterer can finish his bit. I don't know when the plasterer is to do the sanding, though, and I can't paint until it's sanded. Oh well. It's all looking good - fortunately! Weather next week is back to the mid-20s - just this one day of wintry blast.

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 28
Power Grip Challenge Day 16
Counting Victories Challenge Day 16
GTBOT Challenge day 15
Easy Arms Challenge Day 12

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 15
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water
Come Alive
Epic Hold Challenge Day 29
Power Grip Challenge Day 17
Counting Victories Challenge Day 17
GTBOT Challenge day 16
Easy Arms Challenge Day 13
Daily Pushups Day 1
Only Homemade (15 days) Day 1 - not because I get take-away but because I'm trying to make sure I have a decent meal each night - and I don't actually ever get take-away...

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 2 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 15
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

This morning it was light enough for me to see myself when I woke, not having curtains in the room I'm currently sleeping in. So I peeled back my doona and stared at my knees. Then I decided to see if the last 8 weeks' of rehab have actually been doing anything. And they have! I was so excited to see the return of a horrible atrophied muscle. A long way to go but something is there and activating! I am so excited.