So, since early November, I’ve been watching/tracking what I eat. And I’m down ~23 pounds.
A few weeks ago, I decided to pony up for a personal trainer for six weeks.
And I just walked back in from the closest thing I’ve ever been able to call a “jog”.
And I kind of liked it?
Finished reading: The Caledonian Gambit by Dan Moren 📚
Fun read as far as the words go, but the audiobook grated a fair bit and I had to power through. I guess the Scottish accents shouldn’t have been a surprise …
Finished reading: The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin 📚
Finished reading: The Obelisk Gate by N. K. Jemisin 📚
Finished reading: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin 📚
I had read and enjoyed the Inheritence Trilogy a while back, and dipped back into Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy with this on audiobook over the new year.
Wow.
Amazing views from the top of the Gateway Arch this morning!
Had fun anyway, though!
Friday, December 30, 2022
I read a blog post recently by a fellow resident of Indianapolis who’s having a hard time lately and found themselves lamenting the lack of places for “Forest bathing” in Indianapolis (and cities like it). It seemed familiar to me - as one of the ways I reset myself often is to go for a walk in the woods. Sometimes I go far afield - down to Brown County, or many a Indiana state park.
Finished reading: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers 📚
Really good moments - dampened only slightly by my forgetfulness of the book it’s a sequel to.
Recently finished reading: Lock In by John Scalzi 📚
Nothing earth-shattering, but a fun read over the holidays.
The biggest thing I learned this year:
The mental strain from sticking with a bad situation robs you of the energy for so many impactful things in life.
If something doesn’t feel right, quit sooner.
When I was a kid, I would doodle by splitting a page into a series of triangles.
Tried it a bit today and kind of like the result. Scanner didn’t pick up some of the lighter lines.
Debating if I keep fiddling with it or leave it as-is.
Introduce yourself with 5 TV shows:
On November 6, I stepped on a scale at home and had a 298.5 staring back at me.
Since then, I’ve watched what I ate, made tweaks and restarted daily walks.
Also started weighing myself each day - as a reminder to pay attention.
Early, but close to dipping back below 280. 🎉
At my favorite work-from-a-coffee shop place (Porter Books and Bread), the Endless coffee comes in a thrifted coffee mug.
I smiled at the one I randomly got today.
First time I carved the turkey ahead of time - roasting it in parts - and it was great!
And I made turkey stock with the carcass last night while it dry brined, which made the gravy and stuffing fantastic.
Might stick to this technique in the future. Low stress, great taste!
Pies (pumpkin and pecan) are finished, and the turkey (in parts) is in the the oven for round one.
Brief break and then it’s time to prep what goes in the oven after the turkey comes out (stuffing, sweet potatoes, carrots, rolls).
Stop 28 on my quest to see a game at every FBS college hit South Bend for BC at Notre Dame.
This season finale also had some very special guest stars (and not just Touchdown Jesus).
My home for the next couple of hours as I’m running inspection for a robotics tournament.
I ask the teams some questions and then make sure their robot fits in the contraption to the right.
After the last two years or so of feeling stuck, this week’s burst of activity - while still taking time to care for myself with walks and mindfulness and watching what I eat - feels almost magical.
It’s unreasonable to expect this every week, but this week felt really good.
Two weeks into a new job, and this week I:
Tired. But a bit wired, too.