First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Knee Push-ups Challenge Day 29
Lowerbody and Core Challenge Day 26
Epic Arms Challenge Day 24
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 13
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 11
Epic Legs Challenge Day 11
Stationary bike 20mins
Ab wheel 3 x 5
Rest day

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

Finally painted the last window surround. Just a bit of wall to do, and by Thursday the inside painting should be finished. Just have a little bit to do on the outside as I had the builder fix something after I'd already painted.

When I dropped the Lad off on Sunday, I picked up one of my treadle sewing machines. I think it will fit nicely in the newly-organised library. Removed the head before getting the treadle into the back of the car. Still have to pull that out and get it into the house. It's not that it's so very heavy (well, it kind of is), but that it's awkward. It is in beautiful condition, though. I don't think I've already restored this one but it looks so good, perhaps I have. I don't remember. But it's another little project for when I get done with the other hundred on my list!

Started trying to reorganise the books that had been a) dumped on the shelves, and b) stacked in boxes and crates in the library. I want those boxes and crates gone before the Lad comes back Saturday after next. He left all these tiny yellow plastic ducks lined up along the windowsill. He had brought with him a container of 100 little 1.5cm tall ducks, and set them out so I could see them. When he was packing his stuff to leave, he asked if he should pack up the ducks. I said he could leave them there if he wanted, I didn't mind. So he left them - except for his single lucky duck, hence the 99 in the library. They look very cheerful, little bright yellow dots against a dark background.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Lowerbody and Core Challenge Day 27
Epic Arms Challenge Day 25
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 14
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 12
Epic Legs Challenge Day 12
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 3 x 8 - grindy, very grindy. Then I got cross so did another set of 8 after lunch
Shoulder press 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12

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

Finished the painting today, with just a tiny scraping left in the bottom of the tin. Phew! Set the DVD shelves back against the wall. The four large boxes that I thought contained DVDs (why? There wasn't that much room on the shelves) actually contained books, so I lugged them into the library, and wondered (briefly) where they were going to go. I think there has to be some serious culling happening. Need to get me a piece of furniture to go under the window. A small sofa perhaps so guests can have somewhere to sit. One day...
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Lowerbody and Core Challenge Day 28
Epic Arms Challenge Day 26
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 15
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 13
Epic Legs Challenge Day 13
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 10 - 9 - 8
Single-arm row 3 x 10
Rear delt fly 3 x 12

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

I faced four large cardboard boxes, six plastic crates, and a scattering of books across the bed. Now there are no boxes, no crates, and a clear bed. In the hall there is about the equivalent of 2 1/2 - 3 boxes of books waiting to be disposed of. I mean, what purpose is there is retaining texts I had to buy at university if I didn't even open them when I was supposed to? Those linguistics textbooks. I hated linguistics. And the philosophy texts - when I rarely went to lectures and only didn't fail due of lack of attendance because I can charm almost anyone. Out they all went. But my copy of Olivia in Latin stays - together with the somewhat tatty cardboard copy of it in English that I used to read to my children. So that's good.

Isn't it funny how you can find yourself going down rabbit-holes you never intended? So, after a prodigious amount of work today, I'm sitting in the lounge having a bit of a rest, and my eyes alight on my old box iron. It needs a good dusting and to be put somewhere other than the middle of the lounge room floor. So I started investigating it - its provenance, its date. An hour or so later... Turns out it's German, and dates to between 1885 and 1900, though more likely around 1890. Who knew?
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Lowerbody and Core Challenge Day 29
Epic Arms Challenge Day 27
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 16
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 14
Epic Legs Challenge Day 14
Stationary bike 20mins
Rest day

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

The hands woke me almost every 90 minutes last night. Normally I don't open my eyes to check the time, but last night I decided I would. Obviously it wakes me when I'm in a certain part of a 90-minute cycle. Interesting. Didn't make it any better, but... interesting.

Technically a rest day, and after the poor night, I was feeling a little sub-par. But my desk, after a lot of trials and tribulations, was finally delivered yesterday in its three parts. Two drawer pedestals, and a top with three drawers. The pedestals weighed about 23kg each, but the top was 30kg and had to be lifted onto the pedestals. The drawers were not removable so I had to tape them closed to lift the 160cm top into a 164cm space. A challenge for one person, but that's what we do here, isn't it? Rise to challenges. So I did. Got the top positioned on the drawers. And there's only one small dent in the wall. I can fix that. :LOL: Started hauling stuff out of the big shed. I'll evaluate what I have and what sort of furniture I need to buy to contain it appropriately. The study is getting there. The library now has a lot of cardboard in it. I pulled off all the bits of tape and folded down the boxes so they can go on the garden when the garden is ready to receive them.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Epic Arms Challenge Day 28
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 17
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 15
Epic Legs Challenge Day 15
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 3 x 8
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12

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

Dragged the last of the stuff out of the shed. I'd rested all the boxes on one of the cupboard doors set on bricks, so now I shifted a couple of bricks and rested the door against the wall of the shed. Then I brought out the other door that I had used across the doorway to keep the dog contained while the tradies were here. Now there is a nice big empty space in my shed. And minor damage to my wall. It's okay. I can fix that. :LOL: Moved the boxes and such around in the study. Reappropriated one of the Kallax units. I'm going to get another couple next week and then really get the study organised. I'm getting there.

I had been looking on Facebook Marketplace for cupboards, until I realised that a Kallax would do the job and would be easier for me to get in my car. I tell you, if I read one more ad for "dinning chairs" (yeah, I was looking for two dining chairs, too), or a chest of draws! I'm envisaging a wooden box full of underpants, and that's not something I really want to envisage.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Epic Arms Challenge Day 29
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 18
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 16
Epic Legs Challenge Day 16
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 10 - 9 - 8
Single-arm row 3 x 10
DB biceps curls 3 x 10
Rear delt fly 3 x 12

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

Bit of a slow start this morning but things did get underway. I processed the branches the Lad had cut down - stripping the leaves into the compost bay, cutting off the thinner bits for kindling, and sawing the thicker bits into lengths that will fit in my little fire basket. Sawed up the long root that I'd dug out of the ground about a month ago. I'm clearing the pile that's in front of my compost bays because next weekend when the Lad's here, he'll no doubt want to add more. As do I. I need to get rid of that photinia so I can use the nice sunny spot for fruit trees.

Got around to swapping around the little table and the sideboard. So now I have a table in what might be considered a dining nook - and a craft nook, a jigsaw puzzle nook, a garden planning nook... :LOL: Tomorrow I've planned a trip to IKEA to get a couple of Kallaxes for the study. Looking forward to getting that organised.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 20
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 18
Epic Legs Challenge Day 18
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 2
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 2
Better Arms Challenge Day 1
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 9 - 8 - 9
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12

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

@agc Surprisingly well. I could actually get what I wanted. On the way, though, I stopped off at the tip shop (which is about halfway between), looking for a couple of dining chairs. Picked up two Ingolf chairs in excellent nick, even with seat cushions, for $6 each! Had to go back home and drop them off before I went to IKEA. Today I built the two units. One has two sets of drawers and four doors, but I tanked with three doors left to do. Tomorrow's task.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 21
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 19
Epic Legs Challenge Day 19
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 3
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 3
Better Arms Challenge Day 2
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 10 - 10 - 8
Single-arm row 3 x 10
DB biceps curls 3 x 12
Rear delt fly 3 x 12

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

Last three doors installed, stationery unboxed and shelves stacked. The study is as ready as it can be until the Lad comes on Saturday and helps me set up the new computer. Still odds and sods around to tidy away but there is definite light at the end of that tunnel now. Finally.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 23
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 21
Epic Legs Challenge Day 21
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 5
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 5
Better Arms Challenge Day 4
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 3 x 9
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12

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

@Anek and @agc Thank you for your responses. It's an interesting question. On the one hand, you can live for something that makes your life more pleasant on a day to day basis, and on the other, you can live for what makes other people's lives better. Of course, you can also live for both. Chocolate and compassion (especially towards yourself when you overindulge...)

Okay, so question of the day: What is worth the pain?
 
TopNotch said:
On the one hand, you can live for something that makes your life more pleasant on a day to day basis, and on the other, you can live for what makes other people's lives better.
Click to expand...
Hahaha I only just realised how much of an evil response mine was after the previous one! Totally wasn't intentional, I'm sure @Anek wants to make things better for other people too haha (as normal I just took the question way too literally).

As for what's worth the pain - depends how much pain. We all have a breaking point (though at that point are you really even you anymore?). For fear of also answering this question too literally, I guess family, security/stability (or a semblance of it), animal welfare, the environment, and good music. Probably many other things too!
 
TopNotch said:
What is worth the pain?
Click to expand...
It doesn't matter. Pain is a fact as long as you're alive, and it is inevitable, because even on the highest peaks, the fear of losing what surrounds us still persists.
But I guess we could contextualise this. The pain of working on dissipating our mental resistance is perhaps the only pain worth enduring repeatedly, willingly and persistently, because it leads to never suffering again, in spite of the presence of all sorts of pains.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 24
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 22
Epic Legs Challenge Day 22
Abs of Steel Challenge - Pause
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 6
Better Arms Challenge - Pause
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 10 - 10 - 9
Single-arm row 3 x 10
DB biceps curls 3 x 12
Rear delt fly 3 x 12

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

The Lad's here and I have run out of time tonight.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 25
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 23
Epic Legs Challenge Day 23
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 6
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 7
Better Arms Challenge Day 5
Stationary bike 20mins
Rest Day

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

Last night the Lad wanted a movie and a cuddle rather than a fire, so that's what we did. I really need to get a small sofa. He sat on my lap and pressed against my chest (who needs to breathe?) and an arm went numb, but that was fine. We ate popcorn. Today he chopped down the rest of the branches from one of the trees. Actually, I think it's more a shrub, but anything that's taller than I am and has a forked trunk is, to my mind, a tree. Only the forked trunk is left now, with one part of it still taller than I am. It's amazing how much it's opened the yard! I'll leave it for him to finish up and set to work on the other three myself. Plus dealing with all the branches that were cut off. That will take a while. We got out the spray paints and sprayed the old paint tins that we'd painted dark grey last fortnight. Quite fun. He insisted we do the big 10L tin together. I'm going to have pretty fine planters! And my new computer is all set up. It came with a keyboard and mouse, but they were cabled so I bought wireless ones. The keyboard cable was over a metre long! I didn't want a whole lot of cables on my desk. Yesterday we set up the computer, today we installed the programmes. Looking forward to starting work in my very first custom-built workspace.
 
LiteraryMatcha said:
It doesn't matter. Pain is a fact as long as you're alive, and it is inevitable, because even on the highest peaks, the fear of losing what surrounds us still persists.
But I guess we could contextualise this. The pain of working on dissipating our mental resistance is perhaps the only pain worth enduring repeatedly, willingly and persistently, because it leads to never suffering again, in spite of the presence of all sorts of pains.
Click to expand...
I think it does matter. We put ourselves through so much unnecessary pain. The pain of unrequited love, the pain of staying in a bad relationship, the pain of clinging to grief, the pain of rejection, the pain of self-hatred. Yes, pain is inevitable, but we get to choose how much we suffer from it.
I don't think I'd like never to suffer again. Before you point a finger and shout "masochist!", let me explain. Without suffering, we cannot appreciate the struggle. We cannot celebrate our achievements because we would not be able to quantify the effort. We cannot learn because learning comes from experiencing failure, which is suffering.
 
TopNotch said:
I think it does matter. We put ourselves through so much unnecessary pain. The pain of unrequited love, the pain of staying in a bad relationship, the pain of clinging to grief, the pain of rejection, the pain of self-hatred. Yes, pain is inevitable, but we get to choose how much we suffer from it.
I don't think I'd like never to suffer again. Before you point a finger and shout "masochist!", let me explain. Without suffering, we cannot appreciate the struggle. We cannot celebrate our achievements because we would not be able to quantify the effort. We cannot learn because learning comes from experiencing failure, which is suffering.
Click to expand...
I think failure isn't necessarily suffering. Our resistance to reality is. We want things to go in a certain way, and make plans for it, but when it doesn't turn out like we wanted, we suffer.
It is important to plan, but also to accept what cannot be changed and move on. I guess, in my perspective, suffering is that mental resistance to accepting whatever it is that we don't want. Accepting as in mentally accepting the reality. Not acceptance as hopelessness or inaction.

I agree wholeheartedly with you in that pain helps us grow, and that we also get to "choose" how much we suffer, like you said. I just personally view suffering as a sum of pain AND mental resistance to the circumstance causing pain.
I do disagree that suffering is required to appreciate the struggle. I think only pain is. But I am also convinced we are talking about very similar concepts and naming them differently.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 26
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 24
Epic Legs Challenge Day 24
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 7
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 8
Better Arms Challenge Day 6
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 3 x 10
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12

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

I sat down at my new computer this morning. The difference between staring at a 13" laptop screen and a 27" desktop computer is incredible! But there were things I hadn't loaded, connected, and the machine updated and restarted. Twice. After lunch I went out and bought a sofa. Walked into a shop, asked which sofas I didn't have to build myself, which could be delivered soonest. Fortunately, I liked the colour (charcoal) and it's coming on Wednesday. Done. Then I had to get my eyes checked because my reading glasses just don't cut it for sitting at a desktop computer. Ah, the fun of selecting frames... I chose two. Turned out one was too big for my face, the other too small for the required lenses. Eventually I managed to find another acceptable pair, and said I'd just take two of the same (the second pair was free, so that's one pair that stays at home, and one pair that comes shopping with me). Two hours in a bright, noisy environment, having to make decisions, talking to people, and being given a referral to a retina expert by the optometrist (a little worrying) made this autistic duck very happy to be home in the quiet again.
Here's the space around the tree my lad chopped down for me. All that space with nothing growing, and plenty of room against that fence for fruit trees.
20260622_193352.jpg
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 27
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 25
Epic Legs Challenge Day 25
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 8
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 9
Better Arms Challenge - the three minutes of punching bored me so I'm dropping this one.
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 10 - 9 - 8
Single-arm row 3 x 10
DB biceps curls 3 x 12
Rear delt fly 3 x 12

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

Surprise phone call from the retina clinic this morning. The optometrist had sent on the referral and so took away my option of not making an appointment. So I have an appointment in a month's time. And I shall have to go by bus, which will be an adventure.
Spent a lot of time in front of my new computer today and it was lovely. Such a pleasure to work on, especially with split screen.
Later afternoon, I looked out my front window and saw this in my front yard. For those who don't know, roos don't always jump. They also walk on all fours. Fives? Front paws and tail, then back paws.
20260623_170141.jpg

For other reasons, it wasn't the best of days. So here's some music to make it better.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 28
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 26
Epic Legs Challenge Day 26
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 9
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 10
Stationary bike 20mins
Rest Day
Dishes - Day 4

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

Had a melt-down this morning. The renovation and its aftermath had a degree of stress that I'd adapted to, but Monday's and yesterday's various different stressors obviously ticked things up a notch, so when something didn't work this morning, the walls came tumbling down. I'm not overly emotive, but I paced and had thoughts that had no place in my head. Eventually I calmed down enough to try again and this time things worked. But I kept going, finishing what I had set out to do, and as a result I totally burned out because it was too much for the overwhelmed system. I'll take things easier tomorrow.

My sofa arrived this afternoon, and I had to unwrap it from the plastic that completely encased it, and the cardboard (some of which will go in the garden when I build the no-dig beds). Rather excitingly, there was a semi-circular zip in the bottom, in which the hardware (feet and screws) had been contained. A little secret compartment on the underneath of my sofa...

Today was the fourth consecutive day when I've done my dishes almost immediately after eating and then gone on to do my rehab. Shortly before bed, I'll put the dishes away. Adding this to my triggers and habits.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
1000 Calf Raises Challenge Day 29
Perfect Balance Challenge Day 27
Epic Legs Challenge Day 27
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 10
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 11
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 10 - 9 - 8 Oh well...
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 10
Lateral raise 3 x 12
Dishes - Day 5

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

I decided last night to get the last thing over and done with - blinds on my new windows. So this afternoon I went out to a shop. I walked in. I looked around. I mooched for a bit. Nobody approached me, nobody called out from a desk that they'd be right with me. After a few minutes, I sauntered out. They obviously didn't need my custom. That left me feeling a little cranky. Which, it turned out, was an excellent thing! Right next door was a carpet warehouse. I stomped up the long driveway and went in. A salesman attached himself to me almost instantly and talked. And talked. I flipped through the hanging rugs and chatted. Then finally I found a rug I liked. And it was half-price. I bought it. I wouldn't have had the blind people attended to me, so that was a good thing. It's a grey rug with a black geometrical pattern and it looks perfect in front of my new charcoal sofa. Then, as I was in the commercial area, I went to another blind shop. Belinda greeted me immediately. I told her what I wanted, she showed me stuff, gave me ball-park figures, I realised I didn't need what I thought I did, and changed things. Upshot - someone's coming on Tuesday to measure and quote. And that will be the end of it. Well, I imagine it will be 2 - 4 weeks to wait for installation, but after that: All done! So the afternoon turned out pretty good.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 16
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 17
Destress Challenge Day 6
Core Control Challenge Day 4
Dead-Hang Challenge Day 3
Multiplank Challenge Day 3
Stationary bike 20mins
Chest press 3 x 10
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 15
Lateral raise 3 x 15
Dishes - Day 11

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

Had considered doing July's Challenge but I do glute bridges every day as part of my rehab and the thought of doing more... :no: So as a nod to the Challenge I have added a 10-count hold at the end of each set.

Yesterday I received a phone call from a woman asking me to call her back. I phoned first thing this morning. It was not her direct number but rather the office number. Despite being #2 in the queue, I had to wait 17 minutes before my call was answered. Then I was informed that staff members were not available on Wednesday morning due to meetings and such. They should be available after 12:30. Okay, I stop for lunch around then, so I requested that she call me at 1. Apparently she called me about 20 minutes after I had hung up (around 9:40). She said she'd try again at 10. What the heck was wrong with phoning at 1?? I got these messages as I sat down to lunch at around 12:45. By 1:15 she had not called. She texted me at 1:44, saying she was available until 2:30. I do not have my phone with me when I am working. Which is why I gave her a specific time at which to call me. My time, apparently, should be at her disposal. When I got her text (after 5), I sent a text asking her to phone me at 9 tomorrow or text and exact time and I'll be by my phone. Honestly. What is the point of scheduling call-backs if the caller does not honour them? Rant over.
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Abs of Steel Challenge Day 17
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Day 18
Destress Challenge Day 7
Core Control Challenge Day 5
Dead-Hang Challenge Day 1 - my hands hurt. It's not a grip thing but a pain thing, so I'm going to stick with the 10-sec x 2 for a while until my hands get used to this
Multiplank Challenge Day 4
Stationary bike 20mins
Lat pull-down 3 x 10
Single-arm row 3 x 10
Incline DB biceps curls 3 x 15
Rear delt fly 3 x 15
Dishes - Day 12

Rehab (Day 150):
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 15
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es
- TKE 3 x 15es

He was back. View from my bedroom window:
20260701_091305.jpg
I know it's the same roo because he's missing his right eye.

School holidays start tomorrow. The Lad's off down the coast as usual, leaving Sunday morning. He wanted his "usual" fortnightly visit so asked if he can come tomorrow instead. Of course.

I almost forgot my little brag: I saw my upper abs today! Due to the hEDS, my abs will never look like a model's, however brilliantly they might be built, but at least I know they are definitely there!
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Abs of Steel Challenge Paused
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Paused
Destress Challenge Paused
Core Control Challenge Paused
Dead-Hang Challenge Paused
Multiplank Challenge Paused
Stationary bike 20mins
Rest Day
Dishes - Day 13

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

As it was a lifting rest day, I could get out to the shops early this morning before the Lad arrived. Had some wins - managed to get his toothpaste, and it was 50% off. A couple of other things I was after were also 50% off. Even got a portable SSD for $240 less than the marked price, so that was nice.
The Lad noticed my sofa but had to look to see the rug. What he wanted to do most was saw down more trees. We've had a very wet June, so I hadn't been able to deal with the stuff he'd chopped down last time. Now the pile is over twice as big! The standing trunks are mostly around chest height. What he doesn't cut down tomorrow I'll have to deal with so I can grub out the stumps and prepare that ground for the bare-rooted fruit trees that I have yet to buy.

After lunch, we made some mini-Lego-type things that I'd picked up at the Reject Shop this morning. He'd mentioned them on the phone, so I popped in to see if that shop had any. He made a dragonfly on chrysanthemums and selected for me the bee on small carglan flowers. We have cicadas in flamingo flowers and an ambulance to go.

Cut down more tree. Then we sat together on the sofa and I watched him play a game on his device (Hollow Knight) until I started nodding off!

Soup for dinner, then we watched two episodes of "The Flash". Now he's in bed, and I'm almost heading off myself.

@Anek I wouldn't mind; saves me grubbing them up. But no, roos tend not to eat flowers, he's only interested in the grass. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why I don't mow!
 
First Thing Water
Come Alive
GTBOT
Abs of Steel Challenge Paused
Stomach Vacuums Challenge Paused
Destress Challenge Paused
Core Control Challenge Paused
Dead-Hang Challenge Paused
Multiplank Challenge Paused
Stationary bike 25 mins
Chest press 3 x 10
Shoulder press 3 x 10
O/H triceps extension 3 x 15
Lateral raise 3 x 15
Dishes - Day 14

Rehab:
- Lying heel slides 2 x 10es
- Side-lying hip abduction and march 3 x 10es
- Glute bridge 3 x 15
- Quad sets 3 x 10es
- Step-downs 2 x 10es - raised the step yesterday from 10 - 15cm. Surprisingly more difficult. Shows how far I've come.
- TKE 3 x 15es
 
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