Swashbuckling Under Neon Lights in a Grimdark Futuristic City with Tons of D20s

[Sólveig]

This week has been awful. Time is getting shortened out every single day. If it isn't because I got busy, it's because of a powercut. If it isn't because of a powercut, it's because I got busy. And I tried to write last night, but it seems that I put all of my energy into doing the upcoming D&D session, and you know what? I'm glad I did. Not only I am more willing about getting out of my comfort zone when it comes to writing, but it also helped me to solve a matter of an old project that needs to be gotten out of my head and released as soon as possible. And it's going to be a learning experience too. I don't want to stop doing flash fiction because either I get a short, or it helps me to kickstart something, but I figured that I need to spend those 1500 words into a long-term project, even if it is a novellette. Vignettes, shorts, and flash fiction is fun and all, but I have to go back at the way it felt satisfying to end something in a month. You know, NaNoWriMo. It doesn't need to be 50K. 17.5K is alluring.

I also read Kafka's Metamorphosis during the powercut, which left me with way too many questions, and an eerie feeling about how similar it feels with my current situation. It's like we caretakers are the Samsa family, especially I felt a big connection with Grete, but then, if I turn things around, I am exactly like Gregor. It's just confusing, and... You know that time Joey said that, when books get too scary, he puts them on the freezer? It is a joke on a 90s sitcom, sure, but now I get it.

I don't know how I managed to go through that book either. It is heavy to read. But now I know why someone I knew liked Kafka so much. Not my type anyway. Paragraphs that take two pages in which there's nothing happening but magnificent descriptions, or narrators going on huge tangents are not my thing, which is why I am taking my time at reading Ringworld. It doesn't happen with Discworld, however, because number one, it is funny, and number two, the narrator is not wasting any time. I can't stress enough how much I hate purple prose.

Well then, there's another physical book I am reading now. I got a bag filled ot the brim with them, with a few books of fiction that I decided to go through. They ought to be donated, but I decided to read a couple of them before processing the donation. It's been a while since the last time I read some chivalry stuff. This one, according to the preface, is pretty much the first novel of its type, and it is already fun. Chapters are short, taking 4 pages at most. The format is something that I actually like. Chapters have the same size of a nanonovel. A nanonovel has around 350 to 500 words per chapter, and up to 20 chapters. I enjoyed writing in that format. It's short, it's quick, leaving unnecessary things out is amazing, and the story moves faster. Amadís de Gaula has no descriptions either, but I can't tell whether this is because the editor removed them (because they admitted to removing some stuff on the preface), or because the book came without any descriptions. Either way, it's a bold move to not have descriptions, and I like it more that way. It leaves more to the imagination.

I am certainly going to use Amadís de Gaula as inspiration for any TTRPG session. Everything plays in my head like regular D&D / Pathfinder, even though there's nothing mystical about it (as of yet). I already modified everything in my head so that not every knight is wearing armor, and the main character plays like a Rogue in my head. It is public domain, so I won't be surprised if I get inspired by it to make a fantasy story, or even an entire campaign (or solo campaign) with NPCs based on characters from the book. It's a good book to read during a powercut.

E: Wrong DD.

May 4th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 60 Seconds Elbow Plank Hold +EC
Count: 1102 - 1098 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 3 - LVL III +No rest between sets
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
WoD: Captain on Deck - LVL III +Megaset
DAREdice: 8 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 4
Lower Abs: Day 4 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Nihopaloa]

I read the Metamorphosis on one afternoon years ago and it made me so angry at the family and Gregor's situation. I thought a lot about it over the next days. My book had a commentary by Nabokov, but I thought he was interpreting too much into it and saw too much symbolism in it.
I think Kafka had a great writing style.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Ha, we had to study it for the German course (it was my first foreign language in school) for Baccalauréat, our end-of-high-school exam. Very disturbing, very thought-provoking. That was ... heavens. Around 30 years ago. .
Now I feel old

 

[Sólveig]

@Nihopaloa Maybe I need to read something else by him. It was painfully slow for me. I guess reading a lot of Hemingway spoiled me, because I always prefer lesser words all the time. In fact, whenever I have to describe, I leave it vague in purpose because I think it's better for the reader to fill in the holes themselves. Whenever I want to put something how I want it to be exactly, I always drop off the hint by making a character say "oh, they look like X" rather than putting them on the mirror and start going ham all over the way they look. It feels more natural, it saves time, and it makes more memorable characters. It might be hack, it might be cheap, but it gets the job done. It's better to write "their pale skin makes it a perfect canvas for an arm with so many birds engraved on it" than start going over the physical features, like "as they stare into their reflection, losing themselves in their own brown eyes, hero remains frozen. Their pale skin bounces back the dim light from the bathroom. Glimmers of light from the outside give out a round face and a thin body, but slightly muscular for being accustomed to chase criminals all the time." It's the typical "show, don't tell" advice. After all, everyone remembers Longjohn Silver because of the parrot in his shoulder and his missing leg.

---

Powercut, again. And I wasted my energy doing so many stat blocks that by the point I wanted to write I was lost. I ended up forcing myself to do two pieces of flash fiction that are evidently raw. And now that I say that, maybe producing raw stuff is what I need to do for a bit before actually writing. Freewriting for half an hour or an hour, and just let everything go. I may get something that I can use, I may not. Whatever the case, it's something that I won't be putting on the count, unless I actually grab a scrap and put it on a work in progress. I'll do that for a while.

Now, as for the stat blocks, I homebrewed a monster inspired by Nettori, and it ended up as something bigger than I intended. Probably a recurring enemy that won't be exclusive to my games, but maybe I could put it on a story. I like the way it ended up as.

May 5th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Side Kicks +EC
Count: 1103 - 1099 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 4
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
Sculpted Legs
DAREdice: 10 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 5 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 5 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Nihopaloa]

Oh, I like the way you do your "descriptions" much more. I kind of do it the same way, sprinkle parts of who someone looks into natural situations, or at least I try to. But I had to laugh at your colourful example
I read one short story of Kafka in school, it was around one page long and consisted of two very long sentences. I fell in love with that kind of style. They say Germans like their Schachtelsätze (multi-clause sentences) so maybe it's because of this.
And, oooh, statblocks. I remember doing those in 3rd Edition and Pathfinder. That was such a chore, I never liked it. You sat for one hour over statblocks, only for the party to kill them off in minutes. Blah. Hope you had fun doing them.

@PetiteSheWolf I remember you telling me exactly the same years ago when I told about reading Kafka on the old Hive!

 

[Sólveig]

Oh, I like the way you do your "descriptions" much more. I kind of do it the same way, sprinkle parts of who someone looks into natural situations, or at least I try to. But I had to laugh at your colourful example
I read one short story of Kafka in school, it was around one page long and consisted of two very long sentences. I fell in love with that kind of style. They say Germans like their Schachtelsätze (multi-clause sentences) so maybe it's because of this.
And, oooh, statblocks. I remember doing those in 3rd Edition and Pathfinder. That was such a chore, I never liked it. You sat for one hour over statblocks, only for the party to kill them off in minutes. Blah. Hope you had fun doing them.

Thanks! I always do my best on taking the piss to other authors because I know I am better than them. You know, it does sounds like arrogance a lot of the times, and I'd be pretty bold to say that in public... but then, when I look at one of my finished projects, I realize that I really am, and many of my readers always bully me into having some more pride and security in my abilities. It's a vicious circle.

And yeah, I always have fun doing stat blocks, especially when I do them for our Urban Fantasy campaign, although it is a chore over there. Making monsters in 5e is fun. However, unlike you, most of my monsters always end up nearly wiping out the players every time. In fact, in our last campaign, I... "modified" (heavy quotes) Tiamat's stats to make the BBEG, and I gave him Meteor Swarm as a Legendary Action that got used pretty much once per round. But I know my players are smart. In fact, our Monk, being a Tiefling, started jumping up the Meteors to reach out to the flying BBEG to hit him, which was such an awesome idea that I couldn't forbid it. It got to a point in which no more jump checks were required, and he had a pretty huge HP pool. Besides, for being a Tiefling, he pretty much didn't take any Fire damage while jumping.

Yes, I nearly wiped them out, but it was such a satisfying fight to end that campaign that I came back home in tears because it was all over. And it was such an awesome ending.

 

[Sólveig]

This week has been a huge waste of time. Real life called in so much that I barely did any Burpees. The powercuts were definitely crippling, and things in town are getting stressful after all these deaths that happened.

I think I'll do the freewriting tonight, and after I'll do a couple of flash fiction stuff, and that's it. I'll have to try again next week, and I hope it doesn't eat my time as much as this week has. I'm actually looking forward into next week's D&D session, because I am going to advance the story. I actually want to finish the campaign as soon as I can, and I don't care if I leave loose ends because it gives us an excuse to tie them up whenever we want to pick back up with those characters. I'm just sick of that story; that's all. It didn't work out the way I wanted it to be. I just don't want the end to be disappointing or rushed. We're half-way through now.

Too much walking today. I skipped Moon Salutation tonight because my right leg is killing me. I almost twisted my ankle too, but the pain is on the thigh.

May 6th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 30 Single Leg Bridges +EC
Count: 1104 - 1100 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 5 - LVL III +Megaset
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
WoD: 2-Minute Abs +EC
DAREdice: 4 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 6
Lower Abs: Day 6 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Some guitar during a powercut

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

for right thigh!

 

[Nihopaloa]

I think it's a good attitude, to know your own skills and to have pride in them. Since I've started reading again I noticed, especially in modern novels, that there really is a dip in quality when it comes to writing. As if authors don't take the time to properly hammer their sentences in form any more. It makes me wonder how they even got published. It's often that I start a book and am so turned off by the writing that I discard it during the first twenty pages. It's astonishing, how often I read books where the author starts every sentence with the name of the current protagonist of the scene. This is sooooo bad. And I won't start on other things, like not taking the time to properly build relationships (especially horrible in romance novels), or treating the antagonist only as a tool, and not a proper character.
Whenever I re-read the stuff I wrote myself, I find so many things I should re-write, but also many things I like, and then I wonder if real authors don't take the time for that, because it doesn't seem that way. Side note: I write for myself, without any intent of publishing.

Great that you have fun building stat blocks. And very cool that you rolled with the heroic effort of the Tiefling monk. Rules are only a guideline, after all, and player should take the spotlight more often than not, I think. And congrats on you ending the campaign in a satisfying way. Well done

 

[Sólveig]

@Nihopaloa My players are smarter than they think, actually. The first time I noticed that was in one of our earliest fights, in which I had an Erinyes that was planned to be a recurrent villain. They ended up murdering her because someone identified and pickpocketed the Rope of Entanglement out of her, which tipped the balance of the battle in the player's favor. It's those moments of brilliance that I love being a GM. I think I told that story before, but I never get tired of it.

---

D&D day. I think I understood the CR system this time. The fight went on exactly as I planned: almost deadly. We spent most of our good rolls on Random Encounters, so we had a pretty bad start at the end of the session, during the boss fight. Our Bard / Artificer was very close to death, as most of her rolls were below 10, until finally a stroke of luck blessed the player. Then, the Sorcerer tried outsmarting me, but he didn't count that I protected the boss surrounding it with a hidden pit that, pretty much turned into a ring of fire that could've killed my Paladin were not for the fact that she was using a reach weapon. It was an intense battle, filled with many fun fights, and a boss that kicked their asses so badly without doing much of anything. Like I said, it was inspired by Nettori, and Nettori is a boss that does nothing but release spores, until it gets hit bad enough so that it starts shooting Plasma Beams. The issue turned around when they learned this wasn't over yet. I still have more of those under my sleeve.

Back home, I managed to get my writing organized. The freewriting from yesterday felt like a slap on the back of my neck that rebooted everything. So I made several Manuskript archives and organized everything. The stuff that I canned, put it onto folders that I named recycling bins, or trash cans, while ideas are now in scrapbooks, and stuff. I pretty much classified everything into stuff that I can recycle, or new stuff that I can use. My mentor calls that a literary scrapyard, which feels appropiate. With everything in order, I can work on stuff better now. Having everything disorganized is stressful, and I definitely need the combination of both Ghostwriter and Manuskript. One works for writing, the other works for organizing.

Now it's time to make an attempt to write. And I say an attempt because it's past midnight, and I must wake up early tomorrow. If I do something, good. If I don't, it's fine. If I have some free time on the morning, I'll draw a few maps.

May 7th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 2 Minutes Side Leg Swings +EC
Count: 1105 - 1101 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 6 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 4 Lunges
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 7 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 7 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Yeah, I knew things weren't going to be calm long enough. I'm still asking myself where does the caretaker go when it needs care.

Some of the things that I faced off before, and that I face off from time to time, I would think that I already became wiser and learned from it, but the truth is that every strategy that I use is disposable, and now I'm starting to be down to nothing. This means there was nothing written yesterday, as everything got busy. First it was one, then it was two, and now it is three. At least I am strong enough to deal with it, but if one of them would just quit it, it'll be good for my shoulders. And here's the regret of my career again, but how could've I predicted this to happen in the future? I am not wise enough, and I will never be wise enough. I am just a teacher, not a councelor. I wish I was the latter, though.

Everything is starting to feel like a soap opera, with each week introducing a new drama as the previous one fades out. I need to write. I wanted to do so yesterday, but I couldn't. Why is it that everything gets busy all the time? Why is it that we had to have a powercut at midnight, and then I needed to care for someone I love until far into the night?

I can't get a job in the public sector because, well, already tried, and I am not waiting one, two, or three years to get just my first pay. I don't want to beg for the ministry, knees on the floor, hands on my chest, "please, pay me," as if they are a divnity. I can't get a job in the private sector because everyone is too conservative about... men with long hair. I can't work independently because everyone groans at the cheap price I put out, and I wish I wasn't making that up. And any job offer that I attend to, I hear nothing back. Nobody respects artists. Nobody respects teachers.

With no money, I can't care for myself to care for others. The sale from the house isn't going anywhere as of yet. I really don't know what else to do now.

But at least the suicidal thoughts aren't coming back.

E: Typos

May 8th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 40 Side Bends +EC
Count: 1106 - 1102 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 7 - LVL III +No rest between sets
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
WoD: The Floor is Lava - LVL III +EC +Rest between levels
DAREdice: 16 Lunges
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 8
Lower Abs: Day 8 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

 

[Sólveig]

After yesterday, I'm not sure about what comes next. It feels like going through life is stepping onto a minefield now. Things seemed to have calm down by night, but then I can't shake off the sensation that something might go off at any second. Is it anxiety or is it me being overtly careful? I don't know. All I know is that I must have my barriers up.

Stressful, busy day yesterday. I could've post last night, but I didn't want to because of the stress. I got myself busy writing some flash fiction, watching L.A. By Night, and then going to bed. Things added up at the afternoon, and I didn't have any break to do Burpees. It's a miracle that I managed to do anything yesterday.

Not half-way through, and this year is sucking already. Nothing is right anymore.

May 9th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Side Leg Extensions +EC
Count: 1107 - 1103 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 8 +No rest between sets
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 20 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 9 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 9 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Guitar class

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

again and congrats on keeping on with the writing through all that

 

[Sólveig]

@Tileenah it was a bit hard, but I managed. And I hope to do the same tonight, which is why I'm posting right now, before even starting to write.

---

I think I can confirm that several of my worries are off, for the time being. The heat is still unbearable. The weather can't decide between sun or rain, and there was a day this week that we had both. It's confusing, annoying, and it brought health issues. Topped with the grief from the most recent deaths, mom got very sick at the start of this week. She's better now. I took the opportunity to help her out with her TCM studies. In fact, with her help, I've actually acupressured the points she instructed me to do to deal with the dizzyness and vertigo she woke up one morning with. And today, I helped her track down her symptoms, figuring what was wrong, according to the TCM science. Mental health is as important as physical health, and something that I've learned a while back is that many times we succumb to diseases because there's something wrong in our heads. She's a tough woman, but is always unwilling to deal with her emotions. That's what brought her down.

Once again, I found myself interesting in craftmanship, more specifically, musical instruments. It's something that has been coming and going since my teenage years, and I found that a taalharpa is, actually, way easier to make than I thought it would. But I don't have the skills or the tools to work with wood. Still, the fact that is coming back makes me to put a pin on it. There aren't many luthiers around, and it is a job that has some demand. I've learned that El Sistema has a course on it, but I don't know if they do in town. I might have to call the director. I still have his phone number.

May 10th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 30 Side-to-side Lunges with Toe Point +EC
Count: 1108 - 1104 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 9 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
60 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
DAREdice: 12 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 10
Lower Abs: Day 10 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

An attempt of writing was made. I was supposed to write for the entire day, but then there was a powercut... that lasted the entire day... in the middle of a massive heat wave...

That wasn't fun at all. When the water came at night, we noticed how much water we spent in the last four days; more than we usually do. The heat is horrible.

Last night was more about struggling against the wi-fi signal than writing, but at least I got a piece of flash fiction done. A bad one, as my mind had to go to attend more business late at night. It's one thing to not write because of my own fault. But when the environment is stacked against me not writing is angering.

May 11th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 125

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 100 Side-to-side Backfists +EC
Count: 1109 - 1105 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 10 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 20 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 11 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 11 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Another attempt. More interruptions. And a fight with the Wi-Fi router. The router won.

Things seemed to have normalized by now, but I don't have high hopes.

At least I am writing right now. "Writing," she says. I'm actually making a lot of tables because what I've started requires them. I might do some flash fiction to fill my quota? I don't know. I'm annoyed. It was an annoying day. A lot of wasting time due to unexpected visitors, and my energy being sapped by business I can't deal with. Besides, what am I supposed to reply to the question "so what are you doing, by the way?" I am an unemployed teacher that is still waiting for the money she's being owed by the ministry. I studied the wrong career path. I made the wrong choices. Thanks for the reminded.

I wasn't supposed to be on this mood, honestly. I wanted to post something... different. I mean, I did the workout that honors Kanary, and I loved it. It got myself so immersed that it felt like she was here, and we were sparring. 10 sets, resting only between sets 3 and 4, five and six, seven and eight, so yes, rest between levels. EC acquired. For the Light! For Victory! For Cake!



This means another kickboxing day ticked off too. It's been a while, and yet I feel like I'm kicking higher. I put a lot of strength to each move. In fact, I did the Lunge Punches by defending from incoming strikes in all directions, and crouching to hit the stomach. I think I did an Eye Strike at one point because I got bored of defending.

E: Hey, I managed to do three pieces of flash fiction connected one to another. They might be edited into a whole new story, because I realized that I did something different than what I intended. It was a complete accident that I did.

May 12th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 60 Seconds Wall Sit +EC
Count: 1110 - 1106 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 11 - LVL III
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
20 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
20 Full Burpees
Kanary - LVL SS +EC +Rest between levels
DAREdice: 10 Lunges
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 12
Lower Abs: Day 12 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Not much done yesterday when it comes to working out. I did some writing, but it wasn't what I thought I would be doing. A lot of worldbuilding, mostly in the form of notes and lists. I also started my upcoming D&D session, something I won't be doing today, because... well...

I thought we cancelled today's session because everyone was busy. Turns out it isn't the case, and we're gathering in a few hours.

There was also a storm that started with some strong wind. That time when the electrical came to prune the trees? They did a pretty lousy job at it, and left everything half-assed. It's like they pruned them, but on the side that faces the street. That leaves them unbalanced. A wind strong enough could make them fall down onto someone's place, but thankfully, those trees are very strong. Nevertheless, the remaining branches are not. They are hitting the cables. Sparks flew through and through during the wind. Plenty of power surges. Scary stuff. It sounded like gunshots.

A lot of rain too. I didn't go out to walk because of it.

I did 1000 words late at night, but it was almost a freewriting effort. I stopped at one point, and I'm thinking about putting the text on scrap. It is the way I intended, but I was writing automatically. I need to edit something up before I continue, because there's something that's not right on it, but it is salvageable.

I also told someone something with the purpose for them to be a mirror so that I could hear that myself, and my inner critic too: it is best to leave the beginning as the last thing to write. I think that's why I was almost in trance last night, despite getting a bit distracted. Well, not distracted. Just doing two things at the same time. I can salvage it. I know I can.

May 13th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 30 Seconds Side Elbow Plank Rotations +EC
Count: 1111 - 1107 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 12
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
DAREdice: 20 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 13 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 13 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

D&D day. At the last minute, everyone confirmed that we could gather together, even though we didn't have much to do. One of the group arrived late, just when I decided that we tried doing a random one-shot with Zero Level characters, since I got that book for free.

It was the funniest thing we've ever done, and very chaotic. I had to participate in order to survive, but I managed to kill off my entire party to leave it with them. At first, they wanted to be with me, but since the 5e Companion App decided to not allow me to level up my Cleric, I killed her off and used my GM powers to revive a character that died during a combat against a Mind Flayer. Yeah, I rolled a combat against a Mind Flayer. A level 1 party of four against a Mind Flayer, and the Wizard died after failing an INT save. The Fighter almost died, though. They all leveled up to 2 after it died.

I'm probably doing an endless megadungeon for times like this, you know... None of us had something ready, and yet we had fun with just rolling random numbers.

Now, I didn't write yesterday. The reason is because I had ot wake up early today... and yet I failed to do so, lol. I should've written something.

Oh well!

May 14th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 30 Seconds Side-to-side Jumps +EC
Count: 1112 - 1108 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 13 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 4 Squats
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 14
Lower Abs: Day 14 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

Yay to good D&D session!

 

[Sólveig]

There was only one thing I could do yesterday. The rest of the day got way busier than I thought. Powercuts, emergencies, and a constant need of going out... Awful, yet good, because, again, powercuts! I didn't get bored. In fact, I did Bootcamp during one powercut. No Burpees, though. I should fix that today.

700 words. It took me 700 words to write the prologue for my Vampire: The Masquerade chronicle, once and for all. I finally got the most important things from the timeline written down. The lore from South America is almost empty, so I can fill that up while we play. For now, I let my table know that we'll be doing a coterie of ghouls to test out the mechanics in a one-shot before going into the meat of the game. I need to plan out that game.

That's it. I didn't write anything else. But I jotted down an idea that I got from the shower, just in case I need to develop it.

May 15th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 20 Leg Raises +EC
Count: 1113 - 1109 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 14 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
Monday +EC
DAREdice: 4 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 15 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 15 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Well, uh... got myself busy today too... So yeah, I haven't written so far, until recently that I did the wordcount for the nightcap... and ended up with something different by complete accident. It was supposed to be a flash fiction. It was supposed to connect the dots into another awful piece that I did before, so that I can make it not awful, but it ended up being its own thing, and now I have to fix the awful piece again! Very funny how these type of things work.

But anyway, there's still time. I still have a lot of stuff to do tonight. I'm not using the dice for this, and I'm still having fun. I actually didn't expect that this branched out into a whole different thing, yet I love that it did because... this can be interesting. This can be... very different from the things that I've written. It's good practice, it's good practice. I haven't dipped my toes into Romance stuff in such a long time... And, honestly, I am not sure if it should be flash fiction. It might be its own Novelette or Novella, because I want it to be that long.

But yeah, I did everything. Played the piano today. Gave a guitar class today. My left hand felt like... you know the pain when you twist your ankle? Like that, but on your wrist. I played the instruments for far too long, so that it hurt until I stopped doing Burpees. The dice weren't having any of it, though, but at least they were merciful.

E: More writing done last night!

May 16th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 60 Seconds Sumo Squat Hold +EC
Count: 1114 - 1110 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 15 - LVL III +Megaset
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
DAREdice: 4 Push-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 16
Lower Abs: Day 16 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Piano technique (to the point of almost hurting my left hand) and guitar class.

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Horrible day. A very horrible day. It's been unbearable. Anyone who lives here and liked it must be completely out of their minds. I don't know how I survived this heat, because it was boiling. Even when it got cloudy, near the end of the day, it was still boiling hot. I can't stress this enough: it was the hottest day I've ever had since the day I moved in here. I could be completely naked, and I would still sweat.

I don't know how many glasses of water I drank. All I know is that I didn't want to train today because I knew I could pass out. And to make matters worst, we had a powercut at night, where the mosquitoes do make a party in this amount of heat. Thankfully, the temperature lowered, but damn, it was scorching hot!

All I did today was prep for my next D&D session. It took me a long time because... yeah, it was a hot day. I couldn't concentrate. All I could think about was laying down on the floor, and enjoy what little residual cold it had.

May 17th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 High Crunches +EC
Count: 1115 - 1111 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 16
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 8 Push-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 17 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 17 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Drew a dungeon map

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

virtual cold hug here. With tons of ice.

 

[BlackButler]

Heya! How have you been?! Loving the incredibly through thread! Really would love to play D&D but don't know where to start. Great book btw cant wait to see Good Omens 2 soon Also cant wait to see your new posts for the future

 

[Sólveig]

@Tileenah A cold hug is what I still need today!

@BlackButler It's been rough! My group didn't know where to start either, so we just ended up making things up on the go with the Core Rulebooks, and here we are!

 

[Sólveig]

I killed it. I had to bring the sad news to our group's Discord. It was a hard decision to make, but I decided to kill my current campaign. I tried to make a sandbox, something that my group likes the idea of, but they don't execute it entirely. This means that any plot hook I throw at them, they instead choose to ignore it, and expect me to guide the entire thing. I tried to salvage it by doing so, but in the process, I lost the entire thread of the plot, and now... Now I don't want to carry on with it anymore. Prep time is taking far too longer than it should, and it's being more a chore than something fun. The sessions are good, but deep down I know that they aren't going anywhere. We started as a group of revolutionaires that took down a supremacist power and is dealing with the consequences of the power vacuum that's been left, from criminal gangs taking over the city, to an ancient curse that was triggered by our actions, to even noticing that there was a shift within the people in power... All of that has been thrown down the river.

It breaks my heart. I loved the campaign, but it's not working. I made a lot of mistakes, and I did my best to fix it, but right now, it's better to can it up, and maybe restart it some other time (probably using the Pathfinder system, since I'm also remaking the entire universe from scratch to include Starfinder?). I spent the entire day deciding that, while looming over mapmaking to actually make some progress into my long term projects. But time got shortened out. There was also a powercut earlier today, right in the middle of me doing Bootcamp. No Burpees, though it wasn't as hot as yesterday. But there was Qi Gong, and with it, I learned a new ideogram: Sheng - Vitality. It's pretty much Wang, but with an extra stroke.

The good news is that I finally get to prep something else while the others get ready to GM next. I'll be going back to our Urban Fantasy campaign, since that one doesn't really have any overarching plot. We're just four Prospects from a local Motorcycle Club causing mischief in our town. The next campaign, though, I'll make it short. I'll be using one small and simple storyline, and try to get the characters to 4th Level before closing it. I'll be using a Thaumaturge GMPC to fill in the roll of Dr. Watson because it takes place 1200 years after the events of our first campaign, and the PCs aren't aware of that. The world is changing. The setting is becoming modular so that we can switch systems on the fly. And Pathfinder is something that they are interested in due to the flexibility of character creation.

May 18th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Calf Raises +EC
Count: 1116 - 1112 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 17 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
Ba Han Sheng Qi Gong: The Senses
DAREdice: 12 Squats
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 18
Lower Abs: Day 18 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

@Tileenah A cold hug is what I still need today!

I'm sending you a specialist then

 

[BetaCorvi]

Sorry for your campaign, and all the work you put into it.

 

[Sólveig]

Worldbuilding as a warmup, ended up starting a story that I had a lot of doubts starting. Now, it's going good. I haven't completed my goals for it as of yet, but I did add a chaos factor to it. I'm still in the process of that, though, considering that I have to design rolling tables for this. The main rolling tables are done, it's just that there are some that have some specific stuff that I need to put.

This happened because, when I was preparing for what would've been this Sunday's D&D session, I actually put in place this advice that I don't know how I didn't come up with it on the first place:

So, I created a 3D6 table that's meant to be generic. So, it works for this story, but it also works for other stories of the same type. When I put the events, I saw that I needed to make more events that required a 2D6 one, and the rest of the tables that I have require only one die of different sizes, including a D100. So far, so good. The work on it is almost done. I just need to list things first, and then put them in the order that I want them to be on the curve (if I want the curve), or place them using the average number from the size (for instance, 3.3 on the D6, or 5.5 on the D10) as the main guide, and spreading everything around it, or just going ham all over it. At the end of the day, there's a 5% chance of rolling a Nat 20 on the D20, and so it is for each one of its numbers.

I worked out too. Walked twice today, though the first walk wasn't something that I wanted to do. That was when I was doing stuff today.

I got interrupted, yeah. But there was some progress done. I'm going to test these tables now, after I post this log here.

"In writing a novel, when in doubt, have two guys come through the door with guns." - Raymond Chandler.

Unsurprising to see his quote on a Storyteller Guide for Vampire: The Masquerade. Read it a while back, and it's been echoing in my head while I made the tables.

May 19th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Balance Side Lunges +EC
Count: 1117 - 1113 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 18 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
WoD: Sweat Session +Megaset
DAREdice: 16 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 19 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 19 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Whether I should've stayed up last night or shouldn't have it's up to debate. I feel like I need a coffee, because for today, what the morning routine was could've been a noon routine. Regarldess, it was worth it.

I wrote so much different things. The D&D session, the first part of a two-part story, a flash fiction that I didn't get to complete because I needed to make that story... I am tired today. A powercut in the middle of the day, picking back up the recorder (even though I hate how screeching the soprano is; I want a tenor recorder), taking up on the guitar and having progress in Asturias, even with a broken nail... It was all worth it.

I didn't finish prepping for D&D, though. As I was doing the session, I realized I needed to make a few more NPC roleplaying cards, though I can usually do them after the session rather than before, but I like to have them at hand. Sometimes I forget that I don't need to overprepare, but that's not the point. Right now, I'm at home because two of our group cancelled at the last minute, and neither me or the other GM had stuff prepared, so we're having some free time. And, honestly, I can't tell whether I should spend that time having fun, or carrying on with the other part. Either way, it'll be fun to continue.

Besides, it's a cold rainy day, one that's been due for so long that it's a welcoming thing to see it happening. I just want to stay on bed, wrapped in sheets, and sleep through the day... Despite no D&D, this is going to be a good weekend, with some minor nuisances.

May 20th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Prone Reverse Fly +EC
Count: 1118 - 1114 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 19 - LVL III +Megaset
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
WoD: Arena - LVL III +EC +Rest between levels +TES: Arena OST (Revival)
DAREdice: 4 Lunges
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 20
Lower Abs: Day 20 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
On the guitar: Asturias (by Albéniz), and L'Armonia from the Giulianate (by Mauro Giuliani).
On the recorder: Scales and arpeggios.

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Writers around here, do you ever have a work in which you intend to do something, and as you go to it, you end up making something completely different than the original idea? I actually thought about it when I woke up this morning. One of my projects involved a much more complicated character than what they are right now. I actually scrapped those ideas because I felt it was like software bloat, and I was making it complicated by putting more stuff to it. Streamlining them was a pretty solid move, and it left me with something that feels more profesionally crafted too. I guess this happened because I named them after Richard Strauss, though I took some inspiration from Vidocq. Anyway, that's not the point of my question. The point is that I like when this happens.

Right now, I just finished a piece of flash fiction that I started yesterday with some intentions, but now... now it is a vignette of what could be a bigger project. I thought I had it with everything, but damn, the tone, the way it narrates, the character... it's something that drew me in so much that I felt I was a character in there, hiding in the crowd, watching everything unfold like a gossip. It was an amazing feel. And even though it is not what I wanted it to be at first, I am left with something that I need to expand, yet I have no idea where to put it. The vignette is modular, so I can pretty much clone it to different places. I could even put it on a TTRPG session; very likely my Urban Fantasy campaign, but the idea of putting it on my VtM chronicle is also good. I don't know.

I read it a few times now, and there's not much editing required. I think I can have it done by tomorrow, or even at a later moment. This one is going to the oven too. I think I have enough so that I can focus on edit, and carry on with long stories. I'll still keep doing flash fiction, but I'll try my best to do it on the days in which I mostly edit, and on days in which I haven't done anything... which feels like it is more often than any day.

I think I am going to purchase another notebook to fill it up with more flash fiction. It's a bit addicting to write flash fiction. Nevertheless, I am excited that I did something today, despite that I planned to do nothing.

As I said it previously, I woke up very late, still stuck to bed. I had a small headache, and I wanted to keep sleeping. It was a rainy day, after all. No D&D, no workouts either. Just being comfy. It was a "rest" day. I still went out to walk as soon as the rain stopped for a moment. And then, I started preparing a solo D&D game. A session zero, pretty much. I still need to homebrew some stuff, but that can come later. I want to make my campaign setting more beefy, but I don't want to simply write it. Playing it seems more fun, and I could end up with some adventures to bring to the table.

At the end of the day, it's my world, and I can decide if what happens on the table is canon or not. To all ends and purposes, it's canon until it isn't. But, on the table, it's always canon on the table, even if I deny it on the document.

E: Any of you know Klayton? All that modular talking and using that vignette into other places, and the prospect of copying it, pasting it, and rewriting it in all kinds of different stories is reminding me of him. I mean, he does have a lot of awesome musical projects, which I am a fan of. But I just realized he likes to cross them over. Scandroid ft. Circle of Dust? Celldweller ft. Scandroid? What is even the point; all three of them are the same person: Klayton! Now I know what being the running joke of crossing over stuff feels like, and I haven't even started to cross over stuff!

I guess is not the first time I do it, though. There was a time in which our Wizard from the first campaign wasn't available one day because the player was doing some school homework, so he had it that his character was doing some experiment that went wrong, and vanished to somewhere else. He ended up in our world (the Urban Fantasy campaign, to which we currently are following that arc), and now I plan to have him to bring him back to his world through the Planescape setting. But then, upon his ending, the player said that he managed to find the secret to eternal youth and life. I made him roll for it, which ended up with him being... well, using The Elder Scrolls as a very much close analogy, soul trapped. So, through a failed ritual, I got him a thousand years later into the future, which is our Pathfinder campaign. Then, there was last week, in which we rolled completely randomized characters, following the Zero Level book. One of the character's that player rolled was exactly HIM. Now, it became a running joke that his Wizard is pretty much Dr. Strange travelling through the entire multiverse because his player got busy! In fact, now that I remember, he actually made a cameo in our current (now cancelled) campaign. I put him on as a random encounter that he was messing with the timeline, thus making the future mix in with the past, or that he was on an alternate dimension that bled into the dimension, or that everything was something the characters hallucinated with... I honestly don't know which, I didn't answer to my players what the hell was that. I just shrugged, which was not a lie. I really don't know what was it. I think it's better to leave it a mystery, something that makes them feel just as puzzled as I feel, because whatever reason the come up with might be a thousand times better than the ones I can come up with.

May 21st, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Get-ups +EC
Count: 1119 - 1115 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 20
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 16 Push-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 21 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 21 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Nihopaloa]

I wouldn't really call myself a writer, as I only write for myself without the intention to ever publish (take that, world!) but I usually don't have much control over what's happening in my stories. I have a general idea, a setting, two or three characters, and most of the time when they meet each other, I have no say in what is going to happen.
I tried to force one story into a scene I had planned out beforehand in my head, and it didn't work. The characters didn't play along and I had to erase the whole thing and restart the scene.
Flash fiction sounds interesting, am I guessing right that they're really short pieces of writing? Sounds incredibly hard.
And if I may ask, in what language do you usually write?

 

[Sólveig]

I wouldn't really call myself a writer, as I only write for myself without the intention to ever publish (take that, world!) but I usually don't have much control over what's happening in my stories. I have a general idea, a setting, two or three characters, and most of the time when they meet each other, I have no say in what is going to happen.
I tried to force one story into a scene I had planned out beforehand in my head, and it didn't work. The characters didn't play along and I had to erase the whole thing and restart the scene.
Flash fiction sounds interesting, am I guessing right that they're really short pieces of writing? Sounds incredibly hard.
And if I may ask, in what language do you usually write?

Yeah. Not as short as... say "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn," though. I usually give myself a 500 to 750 word limit, so it's roughly two to three pages long.There are a few times in which I get to 350 words, or even 200 words. It's good to have them either on their own, as pieces to expand later on, or as something to put on when I find myself trapped into a corner. And I don't think it's hard. It's pretty much the same as debloating a piece of code: get rid of those things that aren't needed. Descriptions are either short or non-existant, and the purple prose is ditched in favor of a more straightforward narrative. Sometimes you don't even need to mention characters, as they remain implicit on the text.

Of course, it's way too hard to make them up on a single line, like the example above. But once the first draft it's done, editing doesn't take more than five minutes. And then it just goes to Twitter, or even a text message. You wouldn't believe how painful it is to craft something in 160 characters or under, but once you do, it's so satisfying. It's like sending a miniature book as a gift.

I usually write in English, but the stuff that I want to publish is in Spanish. Frankly, I find it easier to write flash fiction in Spanish than in English because Spanish is much more streamlined for it (though when you start doing high fantasy stuff in Spanish, some stuff sound very corny). I might be on the wrong because it's my birth language, and because the first novel I completed was a Nanonovel, which is pretty much a novel comprised of around twenty chapters, each measuring from 350 to 500 words themselves. I did it in a month, and won a contest with it!

Now, the interesting part about this is that it wasn't the characters doing anything. It was the narrator, the tone, and the overall ambiance of the story that took over. It got so atmospheric that I had to ditch my plans and focus on that. It ended up as a strong scene that I could put anywhere I want.

 

[Sólveig]

I'm feeling a bit tired now. I don't think I can write tonight. In fact, I haven't written anything today, other than make my mind up with something. Many things went out the window as soon as I came home. But at least it wasn't a waste of time, as I spent some more time educating myself about the craft, and about the art of making maps. Aside from finding a website that has a lot of templates for printing (including hex grids), there wasn't much for today.

I think I'll write tomorrow. There were good victories. It's just that it wasn't what I planned.

May 22nd, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 60 Seconds Side-to-side Jumps +EC
Count: 1120 - 1116 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 21 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
WoD: The Cake is a Lie - LVL III +EC +Rest between levels
Monday +EC
DAREdice: 12 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 22
Lower Abs: Day 22 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Wasn't supposed to be a good day today? Well, I don't know what got into me, but I have been feeling upset throughout the entire thing. I didn't want to go out of my bedroom, or out of the bed at all. It all felt like it was 2015 again, back when I couldn't get ahold of my own dysphoria. Everything little thing that I do felt like a checklist of things to do rather than something I wanted to do. And if I went out my bedroom, I got bombared by those stupid videos that [X]phobic people make as if we LGBT folks are part of a grand NWO conspiracy, something that frustrates me because it's always misinformation, flawed research, and what people in writing circles politely call asspulls. And yet, everyone uses them as fact, even when, at best, they are based on half-truths and flawed research. I won't get into that rant.

Anyway, I've been upset. I didn't want to do anything, so I forced myself to do stuff. I tried learning some stuff, and once again, I am struggling with the Wi-fi signal. A hot day too, which doesn't help at all. And I had to give class. Now, that helped... a little... And then the walk...

I don't know. Many things got into me today, and so I guess I started to feel better at dusk. I started making a sketch for a map, and it was going good. I used a sketchbook with the wrong dimensions, so it wasn't the way I wanted it to be, but it's alright because I'm planning, and I have an idea of what it should look like at the end. Maybe the day was bad, but the night is better. It seemed that everything was getting better.

And yeah, it got better. So much better that there was a powercut at 8 PM.

I screamed. I ragequitted. All of that I thought I overcame came back, and even worst. What's the point then? What's the point on trying to do something? There's a reason I hate people saying that I should get a schedule. How can I get my shi7 together then the world has always been in the need of me since I was 15 years old? How can I get my shi7 together when bullshi7 like those f|_|ck1ng powercuts happen at the worst moments for no reason except annoy the hell out of everyone, even when we are pretty much numb to the whole thing? The heat... the mosquitos! What did Venezuelan millenials do to Gen X and Baby Boomers for them to ruin our lives by voting Chávez in 99?

I might regret writing this tomorrow. Like if I care anymore... I did everything because I had to. Not because I wanted to. I don't call this day a victory. And I don't have anything to be thankful of.

May 23rd, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 20 Upward Downward Dog +EC
Count: 1121 - 1117 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 22 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 10 Lunges
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 23 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 23 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Guitar class

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

those days are the worst... On those, everything takes so much energy you don't have and don't want to put into it and usually they don't go the way we need them to... I hope today will be better

 

[Sólveig]

Less dysphoria today. In fact, someone complimented my hair tonight, which made me happy. A gecko also crawled on me unexpectedly. It had very sharp nails, so I thought it was a spider or a cockroach. Now I feel bad for reacting with such reflex, but hey, it wasn't afraid of me. I couldn't pet it, though.

I started out a couple of maps. A fantasy, and an urban map. So far, they are just sketches, and I hope to finish them throughout the day. There are some doubts that I have about them, but I think it's mostly fear. Once I placed the names of the places I wanted for them to have, everything started to flow. In fact, as soon as I saw those names, and knew what those places were about, I started to realize that the entire region came to life. The writing started to do itself, and I'm speaking literally. It didn't take any effort to add the ruling faction, how the locations were connected, what importance had those locations, where the baddies are, how society worked... Everything did itself.

I don't know why I didn't do this before. This same thing happened to my urban map, which will be more into a GPS style of drawing, zoomed out to show the most important roads. It's all about the district division for me, and when I zoom in those districts, I may put the point of interests and stuff. The roads themselves are the ones dividing the districts.

I also prepared my next Urban Fantasy session, and actually, I outlined the entire arc already, so half of the job is done. I'll be finishing the session tomorrow. Already got the map for the dungeon (a two-floor house, with a basement, and a backyard), all I need is to add the enemies, the traps, the objective, and how the party ends up there. I thought I had no story for the arc, until I took a notice to World of Darkness and used a real life criminal group and turned them into an Urban Fantasy satire one, with necromancy and stuff. Hey, the party belongs to a 1%er motorcycle club; they aren't Angels at all. Of course that storyline has nothing to do with the fact that the Wizard from our previous campaign is in our world, but it fills in the space because having an entire arc of Downtime will make for a very short arc with much shorter sessions at best, and a boring experience at worst.

Nevertheless, a member of the group posed a question that got me thinking: what happens to characters' soul when they die? I know D&D has an official answer for it, but as a GM, I screwed over the canon and already stablished some things. However, the official answer actually gave me a perspective, and I definitely was close to it. His character died on the first campaign (the Fighter), but instead of becoming a petitioner on a CN plane, he died honorably and went to Valhalla. But because we're doing a Planescape short after this, where that Fighter (who died long before turning 20), the Druid (who died honorably fighting the BBEG) and the Bard (my character who sacrificed herself on the BBEG fight) gather up in Sigil, when our Wizard (who was one of the few characters who survived the ordeal) manages to get there, with the promise of coming back home, thus gathering the entire party in a reunion, and have them go on a 20th level adventure one more time. Three petitioners, one being from a material plane. RAW says player characters can't be petitioners, and imposes some strict rules about them, such as being unable to benefit from healing spells or being unaffected from necromancy. I get the idea, but I'm putting a stop to those rules because, hey, we all want to play with our first characters again! We all want to gather the main party one last time! It's not every day anyone gets to play a level 20 character.

My brains are working, and I already have a BBEG for it.

As you can see, I don't feel as crippled as yesterday. I don't know what happened, but it was bad... really, really bad. I'm glad I could have some victories today. And I'm grateful for this place, and for that person who complimented my hair!

May 24th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 30 Seconds Squat Hops on the Spot +EC
Count: 1122 - 1118 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories
Get to Bed on Time

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 23 - LVL III +Megaset
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
DAREdice: 16 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 24
Lower Abs: Day 24 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Sketched two maps. Planned them down. They are ready for more details

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

We're going to have a good day. Then, a bad day. Then a good day. Then a bad one.

I am fully aware that being paranoid about something really bad happening after a series of many good things is a self-fulfilling prophecy. I've been feeling like this since I was a teenager. And after a week like this, it's no wonder how I'll never overcome that. As soon as a series of good things are happening, I always have something bad going up on my plate; several at this point!

Rainy day, and yet, I had to walk a lot. I went to the city to buy a notebook, didn't get caught in the rain. There was a powercut, which, you know, fine, it's not like I wanted to have progress anyway... Then, there was the worry about my mom not answering my calls, so I wasted time looking out for her, anxious because I didn't know her whereabouts until almost at the end of the day. Apparently, she told me where she was going early on the morning, but I didn't get the information through; I was half-asleep, and only got one small bit from it.

Yeah, I should remove the "Get to Bed on Time" from my list. Let's say it is done from today onwards. I am a night owl, and that won't change. I tried to change it many times, and failed to do so, every time. I did every single trick, every single hack, everything on the book to get up with the first alarm. Nothing worked. Not even putting the thing on the furthest place possible for two reasons: either I didn't hear it, or I just disabled it and went back to bed.

Anyway, we made a deal. From now on, I'll have a note. If this sounds way too controlling, trust me, you don't know what is like to live in this country. We have to take care of each other. Everyone always tells everyone if they arrived home safely when they go inside their homes. Walk into the wrong corner at the wrong time in this place, and you'll find yourself beaten, with all your belongings stolen. And that's what best could happen. It is a scary place.

No working out, since I pretty much walked the entire city. And I don't want to do Bootcamp Day 24 without doing anything, like, seriously, Splits are not supposed to be considered active rest, and I will die on this hill! That day when I saw them as the DD my brain crashed.

Here I thought I'd get some writing done, but nope. Water came, and my brain can't compute, despite the fact that it did compute this morning.

Like I said, I don't get many good things happening in exchange of something horrible happening. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, but it's my reality.

May 25th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Staggered Deadlifts +EC
Count: 1123 - 1119 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 24
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 8 Full Burpees
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 8

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 25 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 25 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Other than finishing my upcoming D&D session, there hasn't been any writing done. I think I mentioned that I already have that entire arc ready, but I haven't done anything to carry on that story. Still, better than nothing.

But, you know, it was a day of constant interruption. That's the only thing I did. I was going to write the outline of a big project that I woke up with... and then I had to go out. I didn't think I could imitate Civvie's "WHY" from his Half-Life review until that happened.

I also compensated for yesterday. There was still a lot of walking today, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday.

I hope to do some extra work tonight...

May 26th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 126

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Back Leg Raises +EC
Count: 1124 - 1120 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 24 +No rest between sets | Day 25 - LVL III +No rest between sets
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
WoD: Temple Run - LVL III +No rest between sets
DAREdice: 10 Squats
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 9

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 26
Lower Abs: Day 26 +1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Well, then, it was a bit of a quiet day. I still need to put my mind together. I can't tell why I was nervous on the afternoon, but I need to put my feelings in order. I have notebooks, so I'm going to put everything in there.

Once again, the group cancelled on the last minute. On one hand, I am ready whatsoever, so I don't mind. On the other hand, I'm getting frustrated.

On the flip side, though, there was an event today at the non-profit, which was very fun. I got to dance, so I put another day in the counter. And with Rowdy as WoD, I also increased the kickboxing counter, because why not...

No writing so far. I hope to put some tonight. There was an impromptu guitar practice once we came home from the event. Somehow, one of the local musicians is motivating me to put a bit more effort, and I think I'm going to establish a goal. I'll have to think about it tomorrow, looking into my repertoire, and focus on six pieces to get ready for July: three that are the real goals, and the other three are fallback, just in case I didn't get to the main three. That'll force me to get out of my comfort zone. I'm also going to learn the tremolo technique, because I really need to learn that.

May 27th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 127

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 60 Seconds Raised Leg Plank Hold +EC
Count: 1125 - 1121 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 26 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
WoD: Rowdy +EC
DAREdice: 10 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 10

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 27 +Sword
Lower Abs: Day 27 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Impromptu guitar practice late at night

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Since D&D was cancelled, I went out ahead and started playing VtM solo yesterday. I had a character for a while, and wanted to write her story down every single time I went back to her. Now, the first lines of her story were something I wrote out every single time I tried out a new word processor. Aside from that, I already had her ending planned out, her beginning, and the beginning of the next story, plus another character that shows up in the middle of it. Thing is that I never carried on with it because:

1. Everything in between those spots was completely blank.
2. The more I thought about it, the more I developed, the more I realized that I never got it divorced from World of Darkness.

So, the night before yesterday, I said "screw it," and let it be a VtM Chronicle instead. It is not going the way I originally intended, but it is helping me to develop the metaplot of my chronicle since she'll be a major player too. So I answered the questions from V20 manual, played her Prelude, and got myself a framework of how to move the plot forward, since the Prelude is what happens the night of her Embrace. That's all in there, in V20's manual, RAW. The funniest part about playing the Prelude is the fact that, as a human, she got into a fight that pretty much marked half of her boxes with Bludgeoning Damage. Her Stamina is pretty low, with only two dots, which means I have two dice for a Soak roll. I did, and got a 10 and a 9; three successes. There was also the fact that she wore something that's considered a First Class armor, so that adds 1 extra success to the Soak roll, bringing it to 4. Yeah, out of all 5 boxes of Bludgeoning Damage, she tanked almost all of it. And she's wasn't a vampire yet.

I tried writing some more last night, but I couldn't bring myself up to something bigger than three paragraphs. I don't remember how many words were, but it was less than a page (barely 200 out of 250). I didn't post because I was tired, and I forgot to do Warrior Abs.

I'll fix that in a bit.

May 28th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 127

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 200 Punches +EC
Count: 1126 - 1122 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 27 - LVL III +Megaset
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
25 Full Burpees
DAREdice: 4 Full Burpees
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 10

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 28
Lower Abs: Day 28 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Problem one: there was a powercut. That's why I posted late. It lasted through noon and half of the afternoon.

Problem two: I couldn't get the two days of Warrior Abs done today.

Other than that, it's been a normal day. I didn't get to any writing as of yet, but I'll get into some right now.

E: Writing was done... but it felt like hitting a wall.

May 29th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 127

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Butterfly Sit-ups +EC
Count: 1127 - 1123 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 28
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
WoD: Airborne - LVL III +No rest between sets
DAREdice: 20 Jumping Jacks
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 10

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 28
Lower Abs: Day 29 -1 Set
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Nope

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Sólveig]

Warrior Abs completed for a second time, this time with the Way of the Sword. I also completed Lower Abs.

Another thing is that I put in motion my plans to have something ready for June. Below, I wrote down what pieces I am doing. One of them is pretty much new to me, while the rest is just brushing up mistakes. I have to pick up the speed, and I have to learn the Tremolo. Already looked for resources, so hopefully I'll be doing good. I also dediced to add the metronome with Andreina, and you'd think it'd be easy, but no, it was way too hard. My normal bpm for it is 100, but as soon as I put it on 60, I lost it. Yeah, I went slower, and I lost it.

The reason I'm adding a metronome is not because I have issues with the beat; I already know that piece. It's because I want to get progressively faster at it. I'm putting it at the lowest, and unlearning the expressiveness from the piece (meaning getting rid of ralls and stuff) in favor of pure technique. I don't like playing for technique, as I am more about feeling the music (even though I focus on technique on my classes because the majority of my students don't care for 100% expressiveness, just proper technique), but my current goal is to improve my technique. So this is going to be an exercise of frustration.

I would really, really like to pick the recorder back up too. But I really hate how squeaky soprano recorders can get. The piano is also in my head, but that's more of a hobby than work right now.

Nothing written as of yet. Even though I wrote last night, I pretty much lost the plot of the entire thing. But, since I divided it in two, I am going to read and take some time to edit the first part. I already had some new ideas today as I went back to something I haven't even started, and figured there might be a connection upon it.

May 30th, 2023
Kickboxing: Day 127

---

Morning Routine:
The Right Side + 10 Decline Push-ups
Sól Salutation - LVL I +EC
Daily Dare: 50 Side Plank Rotations +EC
Count: 1128 - 1124 +EC

---

Night Routine:
Mani Salutation - 1 Set
Five Rites
Virasana Meditation
Daily Gratitude
Counting Victories

---

Programs:
Bootcamp: Day 29 - LVL III +30 Seconds Rest
Bucket List:
Shadebound

---

Workouts:
100 Burpees +EC
DAREdice: 8 Sit-ups
1 minute Uttanasana w/Toe Reach
Hamstring Stretch - 1 minute each stretch (+1 minute per side)
2-Minute Plank
Daily Walk
Shuffle Dance! (#1, #2, #3, H.A.T.E.R.)
Belly Dance
Dancing Days: 10

---

Challenges:
Warrior Abs: Day 29 +Sword | Day 30
Lower Abs: Day 30 -1 Set
Up Next: Epic Glutes
Bucket List:
Everest
Warrior Arms

---

Writing progress:
Nifty 350
Furious 500
Nightcap 200
News Column 900 Max

1500 Words Daily!

Reading progress:
Ringworld - 40%
The Colour of Magic - 48%

---

Art progress:
Nope

---

Music:
Aside from guitar class:
Tárrega's Study 10
Carcassi's Study 2 (Op. 60)
Lauro's Andreina
Lauro's Tatiana (reading)

---

Others:
No sleight of hand, cardistry, or card magic
No math
No Python

 

[Tileenah]

Congrats on warrior abs and lower abs!

 

[HellYeah]

Congrats

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

Grats for the two stars!

 

[Fremen]

Congrats

 

[Sólveig]

@Tileenah @HellYeah @PetiteSheWolf @Fremen Thanks!

 

[Fremen]

Cool new avatar