TopNotch said:
I get you. ASD and ADHD are two very different creatures. Mine fortunately responds very well to routine, though I do struggle with overcoming the inertia. But for me, linking things to stuff I'm already doing has been invaluable, which is why simply bringing the dishes in to the kitchen triggers the whole washing thing, and then that morphs into the rehab and other exercises. I'm hard to get going, but once I do, I keep going. Embodiment of the First Law of Motion, I guess.
But that's me, and you gotta do you. Whatever works best, but don't settle - keep trying incrementally to improve things.
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I like the idea, even if I can't implement it in full. I'll experiment with doing exactly just one load of dishes after dinner and see where that gets me. I'll report back 🫡

I'm hard to get going, and once I get going I immediately forget where tf I was going 😂
 
GarStormbrand said:
Dishes (and laundry!) are such an unforgiving struggle. Best of luck finding what strategies work best for you and your typical spoon allowance!
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The eternally renewing chores... thank you very much :cute:

A while ago, I decided to start doing again Darebee programs I'd already done before. I'd had a hard rule against it before. And I'm beginning to realize I make up dumb, restrictive rules that are AGAINST my best interests.

When I was a kid I'd play the same pokemon game over and over and over. I never got to the end; I enjoyed best the repetition of it. I never wanted the game to end. I just wanted to replay my favourite parts over and over and over. And starting old programs again unlocked a little of the best of who I'd used to be. The kid who played for love, not for points or trophies or endings. I love unlocking badges, but I love unlocking myself even more.

In a few days will be my birthday. I'll have completed a whole straight month of fitness for the second time in my life. And I'll have learned one of the best lessons of all: yes, I want the experience of doing things I've never done before... yes, I want to complete my pokedex, yes i want every darebee badge there is and will ever be...

but it's okay to return again and again and again to old favourites too. it's okay to play with a charmander every playthrough. it's okay to spin in circles, never getting anywhere, because the music is good here, the vibe makes you feel like dancing, makes you feel like you're everywhere all at once

kay okay i'm being weird and i really don't know why, i've been writing a lot recently, and it's like... anyway yeah it turns out the reason i was struggling to maintain a fitness streak was because the workouts were above my paygrade. go figure.

i donated twice as much as i usually do to darebee for my birthday. twice very little is very little but just a little bit more. but it's what i can give.
 
I did a Zumba dance, roughly half an hour. It was a lot of fun.

Because this is my log and because I feel like it, I'm going to include a fantasy retelling of my fitness adventures. It'll incorporate what I really do in real life into a fictional retelling of ✨ epic ✨ proportions.

It's impromptu and random, and it'll end when I get bored.

It's not spoilered for any reason other than - oh yeah, a reason. It'll reference any actual Darebee programs I'm in the middle of, but I'll list which one(s) so they can be easily avoided by anyone who doesn't want Darebee specific spoilers. Also, to clearly separate fact from fiction.

Oh, and thirty days unlocked.

Adventure Log, Day #1

I’m in my bedroom, dancing my heart out to Zumba songs. It’s another ordinary night, but it sparks with promise. Tomorrow is my thirty second birthday. It’s not a special birthday by any means. I haven’t heard a single happy birthday from anyone yet, no talk of parties or celebrations or gifts. In a way I’m relieved, because the parties aren’t usually about me. So here I am, the night before, nothing tomorrow to go to bed for now, up late dancing. No one watching - no one -

I pause. I look. I see her. Watching. It’s hard to describe to anyone who hasn’t, what looking between worlds looks like, what being watched from another world feels like. It's like looking at someone in a dream, but you're awake and the dream isn't. It's like a fog parting through what's really there, a hazy vision of what isn't. I’ve been graced with a blessing, a secret - I can hop between worlds at ease. And people with the same skill or the right tools can find me in any of them. And I can sense them, watching.

I know where she's watching me from. In Themyscira’s deepest caverns, the mystical, mysterious Magic Mirror. All places, all times, everything and everyone visible.

I know why she’s watching me, too.

She wants me to come home.
 
Glow Happy Birthday GIF
 
TopNotch said:
Congrats!
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graoumia said:
:birthday:
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Anek said:
:birthday:
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neilarey said:
Happy Birthday :bcake: :bcake::bcake:
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CODawn said:
Happy Birthday 🎂
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TopNotch said:
Glow Happy Birthday GIF
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LiteraryMatcha said:
Happy belated birthday!
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GarStormbrand said:
Happy belated birthday!
Happy Birthday GIF
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Ah that's everyone. Thank you all!

The nice thing about having an English birthday and a Hebrew birthday is that it's very hard for a happy birthday to be belated. You'll likely be on or in between one or the other of them. My thank you is belated. But I got around to this, in the end...
 
Struggling with some depression. It's tempting to be like "I just gave up." But I didn't actually give up: I scaled back, which is what I need right now and that's going to be okay. I'm sticking mostly to yoga workouts because that's what my mind and heart feel most comfortable with right now. Not entirely. Maybe once or twice or even three times a week I go out and get a little cardio in, some walking or dancing. I haven't broken my streak - I'm in the early forties. But mostly it's pretty gentle workouts. I find that "do at least a little something to continue a streak" is a helpfuller attitude than aiming for more than I'm capable of. And uh. Yeah. That's my update for now.
 
Today's workout (so far)

Zumba, burn it up (15 min class)

Mady Morrison (10 min yoga cooldown)

I plan to do a little more when I get home from work today, will update

Day #1 (restart streak)
 
I'm on day #6. I runned a bit, I did vitality a bit, I walkeded a bit.

I really wanna do just a LITTLE BIT more, like the workout of the day, or a challenge or something, but I always forget.

I got a bed shaker alarm clock because I can't wake up in the mornings. I dunno if it'll help. But a friend suggested it so why not. At least I have to get out of bed to turn it off because I've a loft bed and the base clock doesn't reach.
 
A NEW PROGRAM.

I've been going for very long walks the past week, which I love, but I don't wanna give up my workouts and I don't really have time for both so that's something to think about.

Uh, yeah, the seven day starter thing looks good. I'll give it a try.

Met these kids on my walk. One of them was very concerned that her friend called me a bad word, so I deducted ten points from the friend, they gave me slime, and when I was walking again the other day I saw them again and now we're besties.

I'm on a streak of some sort, but I haven't been doing anything to count the days or track my workouts. In a way I prefer not keeping notes, because I can just do my workout without further homework, but I do like to have the record. I just don't enjoy the journaling, but I enjoy having the journal.
 
Time for my once-in-a-while update.

I finished The First Seven Days program, which is my first new badge in a very long time.

Since it's my second badge since restarting all the programs, I get to pick from my prize figures. I bought a bunch of Wonder Woman and Supergirl figurines from work, and I get to pick one every other program I finish (even the small ones). Since I finished two shorter programs, I picked a tiny Wonder Woman figure. It's a great one to start with, because it's one I plan to carry around with me, to remind me of who I am. (I'm Wonder Woman.) Picture attached.

Day 1 (cardio): love cardio

Day 2 (strength): don't love, but good for you

Day 3 (abs & core): don't love, but good for you

Day 4 (stretching): love, but feels like a cheating workout if that's all I do

Day 5 (circuit strength): don't love, but at least it's kinda quick and easy

Day 6 (yoga): love, but also a bit of a cheaty workout

Day 7 (hiit): LOVE LOVE LOVE (one of my favourite type of workouts, no counting, yay)

I'm halfway through the 15 minutes of walking a day challenge. Also halfway through the PowerPose challenge, I better get back on that.

Only a few more weeks until my next new badgey. The walking has done a lot to boost my energy and mood (I track).
 

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Bad news and good news - trigger warning, animal aggression and owner negligence

Bad news:

I got bit by a dog while I was out Friday morning. I was wearing leggings which weren't damaged and hid the bite, so the family denied he'd bitten me and I had to practically shout at them that he'd bitten me until they finally shut up about how the dog didn't bite. I didn't think to get the family's contact info and they fled while I went into a cafe for a minute, still processing I'd just been bitten. By the time I'd finally processed that the dog had actually bitten me and verified that it had indeed pierced the skin, they were long gone and I ended up in the hospital getting set up for rabies vaccines. (The chances of the dog having rabies was near zero, but I wanted a dead zero because rabies is very much the sort of thing where there can and should be a zero percent chance you'll die of it.)

Good news:

The leggings blocked most of the damage it seems, so it's more bruise than bite. Hurts, but it isn't infected or anything. Should heal soon I hope. I'll give up my daily walks as long as it hurts because I don't want to run the risk of lengthening the healing process even if the pain is not all that bad, but I'll see if there are maybe some gentler workouts that won't strain my leg or arm (vaccines hurt too).

Folks, PSA, if your dog bites someone, do NOT flee the scene. Give the person your contact info, get theirs, send them proof that the dog is vaccinated against rabies, and report the bite to the appropriate authorities. If the bite isn't too bad it is highly unlikely the dog will be hurt or taken away from its owners; at worst it might have to wear a muzzle in public and maybe will be quarantined for a week or so. If someone ends up in the hospital getting vaccinated against rabies because of an animal you own, you're too irresponsible to own a pet and you shouldn't.

Can't believe there are people like that in the world. Didn't even ask if I was okay. Stood there mute, maybe muttered a single apology, until I'd turned my back on them and then they ran. Wish there was some way to track them down and sue, but the cafe where it happened doesn't have security cams anywhere, unfortunately, and there's only so far I'm willing to go to find them.

So yeah. I'm alright really. More pissed off at the family than hurt. It wasn't the dog's fault I ended up getting a rabies shot. Humans suck.
 
Started first strike. Will go slowly as I always juggle multiple programs.

Also walked to the library and back, an hour and a half total. Got so tired, needed fifteen minutes to sit and rest on the way back.

Leg is better. Bite healed. Rabies shots finished. All good.

It's the Jewish New Year. Happy Jewish New Year, everyone.

New Year's resolution? Hmmmmm. I don't know. I'm taking ideas. Health or mental health related. Gotta admit I haven't thought about it yet this year, so many things I wanna do, sleep better, eat better, exercise more, meditate more, read more.
 
Exercise of the day, gentle burpees without any jump. Then power pose. That's it.

Need to reduce cholesterol, so I'm working on that. Ate a ton of fruits and veggies. Kiwis at breakfast, corn on the cob at lunch, falafel salad for dinner. Floffel salad, as I love to call it.

First new year's resolution: take my night meds at the same time every evening. I'm starting with 12:30 AM, it's a bit late but it's the earliest I can take them consistently.

Day number one of a new streak.
 
Daily dare, 40 toe taps, power pose, wall push-ups day #2.

Really didn't think I could push through anything today since it's after Yom Kippur (I don't quite fast, but I follow the rules around not-fasting which are still restrictive), but actually I enjoyed what I did just before med-time, I could feel my abs and arms getting stronger in a nice way.

Day #2 of a streak.
 
Daily dare, 40 backfists; wall push-ups day #3; power pose; 30 days of liit day #7.

I did a day of a program! Woo, go me!

Day #3 of a streak.
 
:v: 40 Half Jacks
:v: Power Pose Challenge - Day 25

Light cold starting. Doesn't really impact my ability to exercise I guess? It's very very light, but I might take it easy for a few days anyway. I've sort of like. Really gotten onto the bandwagon with the whole "make it easier" and "make it harder" thing. I used to feel like I had to max out every workout or exercise or not do it at all!!! But I just did a light version of today's daily dare and it wasn't too hard but it worked my abs (I'm on the crunches).

Seventy three books out of the library. I'm happy again, G-d help me. When I'm happy and enthusiastic about reading I feel bad about my library book addiction, then when I'm sick and can't read I feel even worse. Like whatever, you know what... if I want to read seventy three books at once, WHO'S GONNA STOP ME.

(Most of the books are to read to the kids I work with. But still.)
 
I had a dispute with my landlord, that started in me informing him that his cat was repeatedly waking me up at night and risking my health and that they needed to make arrangements so she would stop waking me; he snapped at me that I chose to live in his house and if she was waking me it was my fault for choosing to feed her and that it wasn't his responsibility to make alternative arrangements for the cat to be fed, and if I didn't want to feed the cat anymore it was on me to pay for an automatic cat feeder out of my own pocket. The fact that he chooses to take my rent money every month and chooses to own more pets than he can comfortably afford while refusing to fulfill his legal responsibilities towards his cat and tenant was neither here nor there; all that mattered to him was that I'd made the mistake of choosing to help feed his pet.

Needless to say I'm shaken up, because I've dealt with a lot of toxic folk but never a landlord bullying me into being financially responsible for his pet as punishment for having provided the free labour of feeding the cat for several years on top of rent payments. I did not choose to feed the cat by the way; she was starving because her owners were neglecting her, I just happened to be happy to help look after the sweet little thing as long as she wasn't disruptive to my health. Anyway, I'm kind of in shock and feel completely emotionally drained so I'll try to do a little gentle exercise, maybe some meditation and yoga, until I feel ready to start sketching out a plan to get safely out of this situation. Rent is expensive in my area and I would need a full time job to afford to move out permanently. I don't think getting out tomorrow or in a week or a month is a realistic goal, but I think if I draw up a year long plan I can make it.

Luckily, her actual owner (landlord's wife) is being a lot more reasonable and is actually trying to take over the feeding, and has always provided the food for me to feed her with, the arrangement was mutually consensual as I genuinely enjoyed bonding with Draq so as long as it worked it felt like I had a free cat, so I'm going to give credit where credit is due. It's just a shame he tried to turn what had been a consensual, positive experience for all involved into some kind of... whatever, I don't know.
 
I was so sad that I lost my streak yesterday... then remembered I went for a forty minute walk to the pharmacy and back! So yay, that keeps the streak (not the daily dare streak though). Fuck landlords.
 
:v: 10 min yoga
:v: 40 Split Jacks
:v: First Strike - Day 3
:v: Power Pose Challenge - Day 28

Talking to my cousin about the whole cat situation. Will update.

In other news, book is going well. Just three more chapters to edit. I'm going to start the gratitude/victories challenges soon because I need some positivity in my life.
 
:v: Power Pose Challenge - Day 29
:v: 30 Leg Scissors
:v: First Strike - Day 4 · 3 sets
:v: Zen - Day 4

My community has a new rabbi... he speaks English, his wife not so much. I had a conversation with her this morning, got by but was rusty, went home and got out all my old language learning materials. I'm prioritizing French because it'll open up more job opportunities, but I'll try to polish up my Hebrew too while I'm at it. Shame to let all my work studying the language go to waste.
 
:v: Vitality - Day 13
:v: Power Pose Challenge - Day 30
:v: Vitality - Day 14 · 7 sets
:v: Wall Push-Ups Challenge - Day 4
:v: Counting Victories Challenge - Day 1
:v: Daily Gratitude Challenge - Day 1

Big big big win for today, but it's too long a story to even begin to explain. There's a social media app I've been avoiding for like eight to ten months due to ... well, anyway, my friend logged into my account and blocked someone and deleted all their messages, and long story short I guess I can use the app again. Or I should be able to, soon - she's going to check in about a week if they've tried to circumvent the block and then I'm all clear.

I didn't do two days of vitality, only one, but they both show up here because I forgot to log a day's and clicked it today instead.
 
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