Sunday Check-In! Boo-yah!
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Mar. 11th, 2013 | 11:29 pm
It’s time for the weekly check-in! Thanks again to
kathrynrose for setting up this awesome program.
Health
GOAL: Stronger and thinner – weight 150-152.5, 10 pullups without stopping and 20 pushups without stopping.
Weight: 155, down two pounds
Pull-ups: Still on two sets of 4
Push-ups: Still working on deeper arm bends and looking forward, but I’m doing 20-25
10 minutes daily exercise: WIN! This week I did it every day. I’m doing it pre-shower and while watching The Daily Show or listening to a radio program I want to write for. And it’s amazing how much better it makes me feel to launch into the day after even 10 minutes of exercise.
2 of 3 meals a day are healthy: Yes! And I’m almost completely off dairy.
Less sugar in coffee/less coffee: I am down to three small-but-heaping spoonfuls and being conscious about it.
The Hey You Dumbass Discovery Of The Week—If I stir the coffee a lot more, the sugar goes farther and I don’t drink a quarter-inch of sugary soy milk at the bottom.
Education
GOAL: Speak Afrikaans well enough to understand dinner table conversation, even if I have to respond in English.
I’m carrying my workbooks all the time, and I had a fun week translating gossip column articles! My teacher and I noticed that speaking spontaneously is the hardest part right now, so she quizzed me on my translation and I responded, all in Afrikaans:
Heidi: What has Pippa Middleton written?
Me: An article giving party tips for parents throwing a toddler’s birthday party.
Heidi: And what does Pippa recommend?
Me: That you decorate the room with balloons.
Heidi: Why is that?
Me: Because babies love balloons.
Apparently, the article—which I took to be a snarky piece—was 100% serious in their admiration for Pippa and her party tips.
I am now starting a translation of an article about a 51-year-old woman who is getting Twilight-themed tattoos all over her body. Scholarliness knows NO BOUNDS over here at Die Huis Van Whipchick.
Employment
GOAL: Increase writing income by 25% each year for the next three years
1000 words/day, 5 days out of 7: YES, and it’s more like 2500 words.
I’m doing a lot better at working through the I-don’t-wanna days. Having the awesomest writing buddy ever helps a lot (yay
kathrynrose!) and I like my coffee shop.
Discovery this week is that I need to be doing two sessions a day on my major project, not one. I’m also getting better at thinking ahead to what else I want to be working on this summer and mentally preparing calendar space for it.
I’m also targeting my radio listening to shows I’d like to apply to as an intern. I’m looking at literary magazines with an eye to building a publication record for teaching, as well as for paid writing.
Daily Living
GOAL: Build a garden apartment behind my house.
I’m encountering some zoning and finance issues. My big step this week was waiting until after my ex-husband’s major production went up (to three standing ovations, so proud!) and calling him to say I needed to talk through his move-in and I needed him to hear me and not be busy protecting his own need to move back in. We’ll talk Wednesday about the best way to handle things.
Right now I’m leaning towards re-stating this goal. I think I want to boot the roommates who are least financially beneficial, let the ex move in, and spend less money by remodeling the kitchen instead, and redecorating a bit.
Committing to this goal full-on has let me really examine what I want. I think what I want is a calm, pleasant house to come home to, that is clean and orderly and not full of people.
Finances
GOAL: Be in a better financial position
Pay off car by June 2014: On track.
Get my third roommate up to date on his rent by sending weekly texts to remind him: On track.
Understand my IRA by calling the company and asking questions: Not yet.
Take advantage of
drwex’s offer to chat about financial planning: Conversation has started!
It was useful just to think about what I want in my life in order to present a picture of my financial standing to another person.
Social
GOAL: Happy relationship with good communication
I’m now emailing and calling on a less-regular but more-spontaneous schedule, after putting it on the list made the habit. And he emailed back four emails yesterday, one with a picture, and helped me with Afrikaans prepositions in a way that made me laugh and feel loved.
OVERALL: Using a time-tracking program has made me realize how often I sit down to do something that’s either personal time or a particular job, and I get interrupted by something else. I’d like to limit checking my email to maybe 5 times a day, and turn off my phone when I’m having a productive spell.
I’m feeling good this week, and being able to reach out for help, especially with writing, has helped a lot. It’s hard to battle the shame and guilt of feeling like I have the privilege of time and space and am wasting it, and I truly appreciate that I have help getting my butt in gear.
________________________________________ ________________
Health
GOAL: Stronger and thinner – weight 150-152.5, 10 pullups without stopping and 20 pushups without stopping.
Weight: 155, down two pounds
Pull-ups: Still on two sets of 4
Push-ups: Still working on deeper arm bends and looking forward, but I’m doing 20-25
10 minutes daily exercise: WIN! This week I did it every day. I’m doing it pre-shower and while watching The Daily Show or listening to a radio program I want to write for. And it’s amazing how much better it makes me feel to launch into the day after even 10 minutes of exercise.
2 of 3 meals a day are healthy: Yes! And I’m almost completely off dairy.
Less sugar in coffee/less coffee: I am down to three small-but-heaping spoonfuls and being conscious about it.
The Hey You Dumbass Discovery Of The Week—If I stir the coffee a lot more, the sugar goes farther and I don’t drink a quarter-inch of sugary soy milk at the bottom.
Education
GOAL: Speak Afrikaans well enough to understand dinner table conversation, even if I have to respond in English.
I’m carrying my workbooks all the time, and I had a fun week translating gossip column articles! My teacher and I noticed that speaking spontaneously is the hardest part right now, so she quizzed me on my translation and I responded, all in Afrikaans:
Heidi: What has Pippa Middleton written?
Me: An article giving party tips for parents throwing a toddler’s birthday party.
Heidi: And what does Pippa recommend?
Me: That you decorate the room with balloons.
Heidi: Why is that?
Me: Because babies love balloons.
Apparently, the article—which I took to be a snarky piece—was 100% serious in their admiration for Pippa and her party tips.
I am now starting a translation of an article about a 51-year-old woman who is getting Twilight-themed tattoos all over her body. Scholarliness knows NO BOUNDS over here at Die Huis Van Whipchick.
Employment
GOAL: Increase writing income by 25% each year for the next three years
1000 words/day, 5 days out of 7: YES, and it’s more like 2500 words.
I’m doing a lot better at working through the I-don’t-wanna days. Having the awesomest writing buddy ever helps a lot (yay
Discovery this week is that I need to be doing two sessions a day on my major project, not one. I’m also getting better at thinking ahead to what else I want to be working on this summer and mentally preparing calendar space for it.
I’m also targeting my radio listening to shows I’d like to apply to as an intern. I’m looking at literary magazines with an eye to building a publication record for teaching, as well as for paid writing.
Daily Living
GOAL: Build a garden apartment behind my house.
I’m encountering some zoning and finance issues. My big step this week was waiting until after my ex-husband’s major production went up (to three standing ovations, so proud!) and calling him to say I needed to talk through his move-in and I needed him to hear me and not be busy protecting his own need to move back in. We’ll talk Wednesday about the best way to handle things.
Right now I’m leaning towards re-stating this goal. I think I want to boot the roommates who are least financially beneficial, let the ex move in, and spend less money by remodeling the kitchen instead, and redecorating a bit.
Committing to this goal full-on has let me really examine what I want. I think what I want is a calm, pleasant house to come home to, that is clean and orderly and not full of people.
Finances
GOAL: Be in a better financial position
Pay off car by June 2014: On track.
Get my third roommate up to date on his rent by sending weekly texts to remind him: On track.
Understand my IRA by calling the company and asking questions: Not yet.
Take advantage of
It was useful just to think about what I want in my life in order to present a picture of my financial standing to another person.
Social
GOAL: Happy relationship with good communication
I’m now emailing and calling on a less-regular but more-spontaneous schedule, after putting it on the list made the habit. And he emailed back four emails yesterday, one with a picture, and helped me with Afrikaans prepositions in a way that made me laugh and feel loved.
OVERALL: Using a time-tracking program has made me realize how often I sit down to do something that’s either personal time or a particular job, and I get interrupted by something else. I’d like to limit checking my email to maybe 5 times a day, and turn off my phone when I’m having a productive spell.
I’m feeling good this week, and being able to reach out for help, especially with writing, has helped a lot. It’s hard to battle the shame and guilt of feeling like I have the privilege of time and space and am wasting it, and I truly appreciate that I have help getting my butt in gear.
________________________________________
(no subject)
from:
sweeny_todd
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 04:00 am (UTC)
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from:
sweeny_todd
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 04:21 am (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:06 pm (UTC)
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You know what has helped me a LOT? I went to a school supply store (in South Africa) and bought workbooks designed for kindergarteners. The books have friendly pictures and I'm learning words in little groups of words that sound alike (like in English, cat-mat-hat, that kind of stuff). The repetitive style and the basic-ness of the concepts is helping me a LOT. And I actually have fun using them, whereas looking at my grammar book meant for adults makes me confused and hopeless.
The other thing I've started doing is highlighting in my dictionary every word I learn in pink, and every loan-word in yellow. So I spend 10-15 minutes two or three times a day, just reviewing words I know, and words that are easy once I get the weird pronunciation. Like, ok, coffee break and all the words that start with T.
Hope some of this is helpful - I did a little Japanese a few years ago, and it's not an easy language! You're taking on a big challenge--go you!
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from:
notodette
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 04:04 am (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:07 pm (UTC)
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I am SO IMPRESSED with your blog tour! You totally rock :)
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from:
roina_arwen
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 04:08 am (UTC)
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I love your "Dumbass" discovery - I have to do the same thing with my skinny mochas, because if I don't stir it frequently (especially if I have leftover that I refrigerate overnight and reheat the next morning) I get mocha sludge in the bottom, LOL.
I think I may start doing the 10 minutes in the morning thing soon. I have a $50 gift card to Macy's burning a hole in my purse, so I'm going to go investigate what home exercise equipment that might go towards. Even if I have to invest a little more towards something, I know in the end it will be worth it.
Any suggestions for a beginner?
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:15 pm (UTC)
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So I know five or six kinds of crunches and I do some of each, five or six kinds of pushups, ditto. And I set a number of reps so I can just count them off and check them off the list. I try to rotate body areas:
Day 1, 3, 5 - abs and pushups
Day 2, 4, 6 - legs and butt
And every day I stretch a little.
YouTube videos are terrific for finding easy exercises that can be done on the floor. Maybe a ten-minute yoga video or ballet barre exercises that could be done at the kitchen counter? (I love tendus and they are great for legs and butt, and then I feel like a pretty ballerina when i do them)
I also have a pull up bar in the doorway to the kitchen so that I do 2-3 pull-ups every time I pass through that doorway. My mom doesn't pull up yet, so she sets her shoulders into an active position (the opposite of shrugging, to protect the shoulder muscles), bends her elbows, and hangs with her knees up for a count of 10 and repeats that.
The pull up bar can also be used on the floor for tricep dips and push-ups that are gentler on the wrists.
So yeah, I recommend one of those :)
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from:
roina_arwen
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:29 pm (UTC)
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I'll definitely go to YouTube and see what I can find that I'm able to do at my current fitness level (ie: low). Thanks for the suggestions!
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(no subject)
from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 06:47 pm (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:20 pm (UTC)
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A
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 06:50 pm (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 07:32 pm (UTC)
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Brain: What are you thinking? What the hell is this?
Brain: Well, we meant to--
Brain: Yeah, you meant to.
If you wanna commit, I'm here!
I'm doing 9 pages (retype, not from scratch).
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 08:37 pm (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 13th, 2013 01:47 am (UTC)
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I also stall a lot before i start :)
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Glad it's being useful
from:
drwex
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 02:54 pm (UTC)
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Committing to this goal full-on has let me really examine what I want. I think what I want is a calm, pleasant house to come home to, that is clean and orderly and not full of people.
Yay! As I think I mentioned on the house-play post, that level of chaos would make me absolutely bonkers.
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Re: Glad it's being useful
from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:22 pm (UTC)
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Yeah, I HATE feeling angry and sad every time I come home. And I'm amazed anew at my ability to be a shark in my business life and a pushover, who feels guilty about evicting people who are late with their rent, in my personal life.
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from:
blythe025
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 04:54 pm (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:22 pm (UTC)
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from:
unmowngrass
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:00 pm (UTC)
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from:
whipchick
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 05:22 pm (UTC)
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:)
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from:
caile
date: Mar. 12th, 2013 10:28 pm (UTC)
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from:
jem0000000
date: Mar. 13th, 2013 06:55 am (UTC)
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Congrats on all your progress! :)
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