We have reached the end of the first half of 2024. Please give yourself a high five for making it this far.
Arts & Crafts
I really haven't crafted much all month. I've been letting myself heal. And I've needed a break. But I will be attending a different group soon and hopefully that will be good for me.
Decluttering & Minimalism
After watching tiktok videos where people put their beds in their closets, I felt inspired. My bed is too big for that, but my rowing machine folds up and fits nicely, so I was able to reclaim some floor space and move my bike stand. That led to me figuring out some other pieces and I've been making changes that I'm excited about.
Changes like dealing with the bathroom door that has never worked well. I'm switching to a bifold door that I have already. The only trouble is that it needs a little repair because the hole for the part that sits in the floor broke. Attempt 1 to repair this was just to fashion small plugs for it:
Well, when I tried drilling the new hole, it fell apart. Next up is a much bigger plug that will be cut off of a 2 x 4. The area that needs patching is much larger, but it also means a bigger surface to glue in place.
If this one doesn't work, I'll be getting a shorter door that hopefully won't need cutting, but I'd rather not spend the money if I don't have to, but it is the easiest alternative.
Well, when I tried drilling the new hole, it fell apart. Next up is a much bigger plug that will be cut off of a 2 x 4. The area that needs patching is much larger, but it also means a bigger surface to glue in place.
If this one doesn't work, I'll be getting a shorter door that hopefully won't need cutting, but I'd rather not spend the money if I don't have to, but it is the easiest alternative.
Gaming & Streaming
I've mainly been hanging out with friends in a new Minecraft modded world. Once I have mending on my tools, I'll be digging further into the earth.
Goal Setting & Tracking
Arts & Crafts: Clean my craft area.
Decluttering & Minimalism: Doors & curtains.
Gaming & Streaming: Have fun.
Lifestyle & Sports: Physio, massage, and exercise.
Music & Songwriting: Practice pizzicato
Lifestyle & Sports
Why do I keep forgetting things? So, good news . . . My rotator cuff isn't torn. I have mild tendinosis, which actually means that my arm is close to healed. Why am I still getting quit a bit of pain? Well, it's the supraspinatus tendon. It's thicker than it would normally be and there's not a lot of space in that area with the way a shoulder is made. I also get a pinched nerve in certain positions. My pectorals are still too strong in comparison with my upper back muscles. I'm sure those have a name, but I don't know it. Anyway, still working on that to help my shoulder ball be in proper alignment, but I CAN PLAY SOFTBALL. Ice, rest, and NSAIDs are recommended in between with lots of massaging my pecs and doing my exercises. It's also probably best to ease in by playing one game then taking one off or something.
I registered for a couple more pop up dance classes. One is hip-hop and the other is waacking. Waacking is a queer dance style involving techniques like voguing and it's the one I'm most interested in.
I also signed up for an 8-week class in Tai Chi as I've been wanting to learn it, but it's hard to find an evening one that accepts younger people. Most seem to be for retirees. Anyway, I think it's the perfect martial art while I continue to heal my shoulder. My massage therapist and physiotherapist like this as it uses a different axis for my shoulder than softball and curling uses, which will help with overall strengthening and mobility in a gentle way.
Music & Songwriting
Violin lesson two happened on Wednesday and I honestly wasn't expecting much after last week where she mentioned two lessons would be spent on the bow. I'm hoping this is worth it. I'm naturally very skeptical.
I saw a man practicing flute in his car before his lesson. What a smart instrument choice as it is so easy to do that with. I don't think I could, but perhaps I could find a place to go outside or
The lesson featured more pizzicato with the same for homework. My teacher rosined my bow and then put it away because stance and pizzicato practice were the thing.
A carbon fibre bow was on sale and well rated, so I picked it up. I put dark rosin on it.
Reading & Writing
I attended a Silent Book Club this week and I really enjoyed it. I was a couple chapters from the end of Stone Butch Blues after reading it there. We were briefly interrupted by a very large spider with a bulbous body like a black widow has. The woman across from me saved us all, so we didn't have to set fire to Dominion City Brewing Co.
I disturbed the peace briefly when I got up to use the washroom on account of the all metal chairs. Ooops.
I have since finished reading Stone Butch Blues and I think it's a quintessential read for any female-identifying 2SLGBTQIA+ person and allies would do well to read it too. There is some tough content in there involving sexual assault and police brutality, but it's all necessary to understanding the characters. It's rare that is the case, but it is so in this book. The only way to get the book is to order it from Leslie Feinberg's site, but it's around $10 and well worth it. One can also grab the PDF from the site for free.
I feel like the book was a learning experience in terms of balancing the light and dark moments in a story. Leslie takes you to dark places and then finds a way to bring hope and light back.