Views & News

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I am reminded again (and again) that I cannot have more than one hobby or pastime at a time.

I have let my ficcing slip and now I am under my word count target for the year. And, more distressing for me, Yahtzee is coming to a close and I haven't done anything with the prompts I got in March (not to mention the tarot prompts I got in January). Argh!

But I finished the garden porch! And did two puzzles! So it's not like I'm idle but...sigh...I wish I had more time to do everything. There's the book bingo, too. And getting through the Mary Westmacott I'm working on...and Fannish 50!

I tried that 75 hard challenge for a few days. I think it started on Tiktok, but I saw it on Youtube. So for 75 days (and if you fail you start over, which I didn't do) you:

1. drink a gallon of water (128 oz) this was the hardest part because it means I have to spend a good portion of the day (and night) urinating which is rarely ever convenient and never fun.

2. do two 45-minute workouts, one of which has to be outside. This I could manage as we have a balcony and I counted a 45 minute walk as a 'workout.'

3. read 10 pages of a self-improving book. [not terribly difficult either]

4. take a selfie. [nope. I don't take selfies, but I tried for the sake of the challenge.]

5. do a diet [not specified. you pick the diet.]

I managed 17 days before quitting. The issue was my word count. I really wanted to work on my ficcing and I felt like being nervous about hitting my goals each day was distracting me. And all the peeing!!

SUGA is broadcasting a concert from Japan via movie theatres and I bought a ticket for a movie theatre. This is the tour of the concert I got waitlisted for. Obviously, cheaper than the concert itself. I don't know how it will be. Or how my damaged psyche will react. I am nervous. But the boys' father even postponed his departure for Africa so I could go, so I'm going.

The boys' father leaves June 4 for a month, Mali and Togo. So I will be on my own wrapping up the school & soccer season and trying to get the boys in swimming lessons and keeping them entertained. Aaaargh!

Minisculus did his First Communion so I no longer have to go back to church EVER! AMEN!

Minisculus also was picked for a travel team at soccer for next year! I am not going to volunteer to be the manager (I learned my lesson with Minor, har, hhar). It will be interesting to see how it goes this time.

Minor is going to try out for his level in a couple of weeks and I told him if he doesn't make it first round we are trying a new sport. Maybe swimming or track or maybe he'll just stick with singing and go farther/more intensely with that.

The diet isn't going well. Like I said, I can only do one thing at a time and if I want to lose weight I feel like that's the ONLY or practically only thing I can do.

I am still doing Postcrossing postcard penpals. There is a man in China named Eels and he likes James Dean. So I ordered a James Dean postcard to send him. I hope he likes it. I also ordered some new puzzles with the gift card my sister sent me.

I know I am rambling but I did one fic for Dick or Treat today that will also count for Yahtzee so maybe I can catch up...maybe...?

Comments

[smallhobbit]

Even though I have more time to myself I still find that there's only so many things I can do and more crafting means less ficcing or vice versa. I'm sure you will catch up with your word count though. And do enjoy the broadcast concert!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, it's a truth that keeps coming home to me over and over. I need to pare down my expectations!

It will be interesting (I hope!). I don't know what to expect. I did go to the same theatre to see the BBC Sherlock christmas episode once upon a time. So it won't be my first fannish outing to the cinema. But I am wondering what it will be like.

[firecat]

Same on hobbies/pastimes. I have many more than I can pursue all at once, so I think of them as a deck of cards and I periodically discard one or two from my hand and pick up one or two from the stock.

Congrats on being free of church.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

That's a mature way to look at it. Deck of cards.

Yes, I'm not sad about that!

[debriswoman]

I circle round to different hobbies almost randomly…and try to remember they are supposed to be fun…not an obligation…24 hour days are not long enough, and I sometimes felt more productive when time was shorter:-p

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

try to remember they are supposed to be fun…not an obligation…

Yes, that's the thing, no? Hobbies shouldn't be stressful. And yet you want to accomplish things, goals, whatever. And you keep stepping over bits and pieces of your hobbies (that you are neglecting!)

[dr_zook]

And all the peeing!!

Not to underestimate, really... But wait, did you really drink almost 4 litres of water daily?? That's way too much!!

Good luck with returning to writing the amount you want to. :)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes! It was a lot. My water bottle x 4 every day for 17 days. I do think I need to drink more water but with this challenge it was sort of a part time job. I couldn't keep up with it.

Thank you! I am ficcing right now so we'll see how it ends up at the end of the month.

[dr_zook]

Still sounds like A LOT of water. (This would be my concerned voice. Around here GPs ask to drink 1,5 - 2 litres daily, of course more when you're working hard, doing sports etc.) I'm not sure I would have done this due to a TikTok challenge. But as long as you feel alright I'll just lower my level of concern. ;)

Yay for ficcing! 🥳

[garonne]

I cannot have more than one hobby or pastime at a time

Oh, I know exactly what you mean! It always feels like I can do writing OR something else... the something else, whatever it may be, always makes my word count fall almost to zero :(

The challenge sounds quite difficult. Congratulations on doing 17 days of it!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Right and when you get out of the habit of ficcing it is difficult to get back at it. Especially longer works.

Thank you!