Exercise. I went from 0-1 days per week to 30 minutes every day for the past 6 weeks, only skipping two days over that time.
@Moobythegoldensock@ericbomb that's amazing!!! I hope you keep it up :) starting a new habit like that and keeping it consistent ain't easy - glad you're nailing it so far.
Survived another week
This was going to be my answer, so I'm replying to your comment in solidarity.
I wish I could say I believe things will get better for me if I just persevere, but I don't think I do. As long as I'm here though, there is a non-zero hope that someday, I'll be able to live and not just survive. I hope the same for you too.
A worthy achievement in and of itself. Keep it up, I believe in you!
I haven't ate meat in 6/7 days, broke down and had a BLT yesterday. Tough to give up the bacon completely but I'm working on it.
I am proud of you!
You can do it! Just don't get discouraged if you break here and there!
You know when a friend's loved one dies and you tell them the usual sentiments about being there for them, anything you need etc? But there's rarely anything you can do, especially if you're not in their immediate circles where you could be making food or helping with estate etc.
Friend needed to do some job applications quite urgently, but was obviously not in the right headspace to do a great job. Friend asked me to help review drafts (I write for a living) and between us we got out 3 very solid applications.
I'm proud my skills had real and immediate use to someone. This white collar shit can feel pretty ineffectual sometimes, but this was a tangible help to someone so I'm proud of myself.
Words have power, when you use them to support others. After translating marketing lies for a living for too many years I'm always glad when my language skills can be put to good use to help someone.
Government mouthpiece; I hear you.
Avoided being hung over, which I guess I could attribute to not drinking.
I was hoping to do that today, but alas I'm lemmying while i await a curbside happyhour order.
I threw a work party and it turned out to be really fun. Everyone got drunk and silly, some people danced, someone people sat by the campfire, everyone ate way too much food. It reminded me why I love my workplace so much.
Username doesn't check out but I'm glad for you. Finding a good job with good people is a great thing
Yeah it changed my life!
First time at a personal trainer.
I am writing this from the grave.
Well done lad.
Exercise. I've now done it 8 weeks straight, and I think I have it locked in as a long term habit.
Never had that before in my life and I'm 48 now. It's never too late to get going folks.
Just about kept my shit together. It's been a really shitty week.
Good on you, brosis. That's already a fine achievement
Thank you, your comment gave me a lovely warm feeling in my stomach. I'll get through this.
Finally scheduled the two root canals I need. I get pretty bad anxiety talking on the phone, especially to strangers so doctor’s appointments are always hard. But I finally did it so I’ll be done with this pain soon.
Been there before, buddy. I'm proud of you for making the first steps.
Quick tip: you're not supposed to feel pain during the actual procedure. I have what the dentists call "long nerves" and had a brief moment of blinding pain but I spoke up and they juiced me more. No more pain 🙏
Helping someone escape domestic abuse and care for her animals while her dangerous lunatic ex keeps wrecking her house and farm, actually risking to put the entire mountain on fire, and the police keeps typing a pile of documents about the ongoing case without actually doing anything.
I'll keep doing it even if I end up tearing the 'Call us if you experience domestic violence' posters off of the police station walls tomorrow to shove them up the arses of the smug bastard clowns in uniform who are supposed to guarantee the safety of vulnerable people.
Been a long week and no end in sight.
Wow. Awesome of you to do this…
No, really I just happened to have all the skills and resources needed (milk a goat, look like an at least vaguely threatening garden gnome when carrying a farm tool, have a spare rest room and some spare time etc.) and I'm glad I can. I've been in this situation without support and will try to help others get out if it's within my power.
Yesterday I was a bit eaten up at the edges and flashbacking heavily after so much frustration with the aggressor and the police, thus having to write the above rant. We went and fed the animals today without more hassle and are all mentally in a better place.
She's off to find a new place to live, and we'll make sure the animals get moved there safely. It more often than not ends up like this - victim has to leave, as authorities cannot protect them adequately or don't care enough to do so.
Couple weeks ago I helped a friend escape a DV situation too, although it wasn't a "house and a farm", more of an "apartment". Still, he had wrecked the place so my spouse and I spent a week cleaning it and organizing my friend's stuff (and my spouse continued for another week after I had to go back to work). We found evidence of a lot of horrible shit this guy did that he left behind, but our friend didn't want to harm him or something so we respected her wishes on that not going to the police. (Who probably wouldn't have done anything anyways)
It was exhausting, emotionally draining, hard work but I was glad to do it, I imagine you feel similarly
I have accompanied my friend to the DV support office today and listened through a detailed account of what he did. It's tough to listen to. Tough to come to terms with the fact that there is so little actual help available, and all of it is excruciatingly slow to arrive and locked behind bureaucratic barriers. Tough to come to terms with the fact that so many women, myself included, easily fall prey to bullshit artists on a power trip, or man sized toddlers with puppy eyes, or a mix of the two. And it's always women who I would have thought far beyond such situations. I feel I still haven't understood what went on inside of myself as I lived through this shit and didn't leave, and I haven't understood what happens inside of these guys, how they can turn from decent person into absolute shitshow within days or months.
I expect to see rather more of this as people get driven to the edge by the ongoing financial, social, political crisis all around us.
After picking up the guitar 3 years ago, I recorded a song yesterday for the first time. Feels good, man.
I haven't stabbed anyone!
it can be hard some days but I believe in you
Overcame my anxiety and asked a pretty girl out. We're going out for drinks tomorrow night 😁
That’s awesome. Keep putting yourself out there!
Thank you!
I'm teaching myself French. J'ai étudié le français pendant quatre ans when I was younger, but it's been years. Maintenant, mes enfants want to learn French, so I'm re-learning with them. And just in the last week, we started making plans for a trip to France! Je suis content!
Rules for visiting France -
If you want to visit a city, it's Lyon or Bordeaux
If you want to visit the countryside, it's Provence and Haute Savoie
Huge généralisation btw but just... don't go to Paris
Lol! My wife and I have actually been to Paris before and liked it a lot, but we stayed away from the regular tourist stuff and stuck to the weirder, off-the-beaten-path things you can do in Paris (the catacombs, poking around Roman ruins, etc).
We're actually considering Versailles because we've heard it's like being in a more relaxed and easy-going Paris, and the gardens appeal to my wife - as in, she's thiiiiiiis close to simply insisting on it.
But neither of us had considered Lyon or Bordeaux, and I'll add them to my list. What are they like?
Versailles is horribly crowded in the summer but lovely at other times.
Lyon is very cosmopolitan for shopping etc, loads of wee independent clothes shops and nowhere near as many tourist traps as Paris. If you like Roman stuff, Lyon is bursting at the seams with it. It's also very close to the Alps so day trips to the mountains are only an hour or two by car
Bordeaux used to be a bit run down twenty years ago, but got their act together. Fantastic gastronomy, really laid back atmosphere, lovely little streets to wander around. Plus Saint Émilion, who claim to have the best red wine in France. (I disagree and nominate Chateauneuf du Pape for that) You can also day trip to Arcachon, a huuuuge beach on the Atlantic coast
France is massive, the size of Texas but without the empty spaces, and there are literally thousands of better options than Paris!
Merci beaucoup pour les recommandations complètes.
Avoiding tourist traps in favor of actual fun and fulfilling things to do is one of our major goals. I'll look more closely at Lyon and Bordeaux (and other parts of France, too). You've helped me make a more informed choice, and I appreciate it.
I was fired in June for a mixed non-descript bag of reasons from my previous employer of 8 years. The reasons they told me were not what they told the DOL. They told the DOL that I was fired for attendance issues, which is weird since I hadn't been absent since March, and the company's on-site nurse told me not to come to work. I used 2.5 days of my yearly allowable 6 days of sick time within 6 months. They also told them I falsified records.
What's really weird is that it happened to coincide with my complaint of workplace harassment by a former boss.
The worst part was they lied to the DOL and told them I admitted to falsifying records. Little did they know, I recorded audio of my HR meeting so I could prove that I didn't admit to falsifying records.
Anyways, after months of fighting for unemployment benefits (they didn't even give me a severance), I won my appeal hearing. My previous employer didn't even give the DOL an in service phone number, so they didn't even attend the hearing.
They really were banking on me not trying to fight them. After months of me sounding like an insane person to everyone I talked about it to, I finally got vindication.
And before you think this must be some small operating business where my boss just didn't want to show up to lose, this is a large publicly traded company with thousands of employees and is an industry leader in the field. The site I worked for was a drop in their revenue bucket with a mere 70 million in net revenue.
I may be jobless right now, with 5 kids, a mortgage, and had my name dragged through the mud, but I'm so fucking proud of myself for sticking up for myself and proving that I was fucking right the entire time.
They still haven't been able to fill my position, have had more people quit and are in dire straights according to an inside source.
Oh and the kicker? Turns out the last woman they fired complained about the same person, but they gave her a giant severance package even though she was only employed with them less than a year.
Can't wait to see that place bleed itself to death.
1st in Diamond League in Duolingo. Now I can relax and just keep up my daily streak.
Me too! It's so fulfilling!
@Tini@Stoney_Logica1 wait is that how that works? If you get first you stay in diamond? I've been bouncing around obsidian and diamond these past few weeks based on my level of motivation (and the number of 2x boosts I get)
I tried just barely staying up in diamond for some weeks and I think (purely anecdotal) I then got paired with similarly slacking people. I also did the first lesson of the week as late as I could on the first day because then you enter a league with people that do that too, ie not the super competitive folks that rush into getting XP right away.
I ended up placing first in diamond with a very low score compared to what I've heard ppl need to get.
@BeepStreet this is the kind of insider mechanics I need to know lol
So many times I accidentally joined the super hardcore leagues bc I had waited until the last minute to do the last lesson of the week like the slacker I am, then got sucked into doing a bunch to try and rank up, and kept doing lessons as the week rolled over, thus putting me in with the people who started the new week right away. Now I know....
You get an achievement for getting 1st. You can keep defending and stay at Diamond level if you care but there's not really an incentive to do so unless you want the gems/Lingots for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
There is also a Diamond Tournament but I'm on Android and don't have access to that yet.
Take it easy, there is a recovery day for a reason.
I got called into a work meeting yesterday. Apparently they are very pleased with my progress.
So that's nice. I have no idea what they're talking about, but it's nice.
I wrote a song and have been recording it for like the past year. Kind of got too complicated so I just ignored it for the last few months. This week I said I would finish it by the end of the month and today I have the final mixing sesh at the studio 👐
Bought a nice Sawstop table saw that I've been eyeing for years. I make good money, but have issues spending anything on myself. According to my therapist, it's from a fear of catastrophe. Even though I'm extremely frugal, make good money, and am in a better position than the vast majority of people my age, there's a constant voice in the back of my head telling me that I don't need whatever it is that I want to get for myself.
In moderation, that's a good thing, but I've taken it to a pretty far extreme. It legitimately stresses me out to buy something for myself that costs more than $15-20, even if I can afford it. I talked to my therapist about it, mentioned the table saw, and he suggested that I buy it. I talked to my wife about it, and she talked me into it, and I finally bit the bullet and did it. Definitely a luxury, but it's cheaper than a hospital visit to sew a finger back on.
However, I do not recommend moving it solo to prove a point. 450lbs is not light
@UsernameLost@ericbomb glad you were able to push past the doubts and treat yourself. Hopefully all the cool projects that come out of it will prove it's worth even more for you :) (and don't chop your finger off pls)
@UsernameLost oooooohhh quality buy!! I love the videos of the mechanism engaging (like in this one https://youtu.be/SYLAi4jwXcs?feature=shared) where the aluminum hops up and crumples into the saw.... Even to the extent where the momentum is stopped so suddenly where the teeth of the blade just fly off .... So gnarly.
It's super cool from an engineering standpoint! And I'm rather attached to my fingers, I'd like it to stay that way. Until I got a shaper, I would say the job site table saw I have was the most dangerous tool in my shop. That shaper scares the shit out of me. Just from a volume and complacency standpoint, I'm still more likely to have an accident on the table saw than any other tool, but that shaper can and will eat your entire hand.
Really cool video, thanks for sharing! The high speed test makes me feel even better about this purchase!
@UsernameLost as attached to fingers as they are to you id say :p
I've only recently got into using power tools and the like and am still impressed by the sheer, well, power they have.
I used a miter saw for the first time a few weeks ago. The SPEED at which that thing can seemingly melt it's way through wood or aluminum like it's butter is impressive.
Any power tool can hurt you. I had a piece of maple kickback and explode on a miter saw, which I didn't even know was possible.
Luckily, the only actual injury I've gotten while woodworking was on a scroll saw, which is basically just a sewing machine with a small saw blade. Piece of wood pinched around the blade and jerked up, took the back of my finger against the blade. Minimal damage, but it bled like a stuck pig for a bit
@UsernameLost aiiyeeeee exploding wood does not sound like a good time. Or losing skin 🙃
The worst I've had so far is a splinter or some chafed skin. 👀🤞
Lol can't say I recommend either experience. As far as power tool injuries go, scroll saw is probably the best one to do it on. I think it was completely healed in a few days, but basically just a shallow cut. Be careful, don't get complacent, and you should be able to avoid major injuries!
Learned to sew!
Pretty cool, is that with a sewing machine ? or entirely by hand
Machine. I sort of knew hand stuff already but I'm not good at it. I sewed a cosplay of Link for DragonCon thos year. Will probably post some pics tomorrow.
I traveled 12 hours to an isolated lake to spread my father's ashes as he requested.
I tutor college students for free in chemistry (occasionally physics, math and biochem as well but mostly chemistry) every day, 7 days a week so that.
Amazing. Can you teach me how to make meth?
Technically just over 7 days but I'm saying it. I started a Bachelor's in Cyber Security at a big university.
I'm the first in my family to ever seek higher education and my nephew (who lives with me) has already been asking questions about how he can go to college someday as well.
feelsgoodman.jpg
Got an open source offline text to speech AI that can read me any text of any length, another that can convert my speech into text, and finally got another working directly on the command line using python.
I wrote 14 pages of a masters thesis.
Went to a nudist beach for the first time!
How did it go ?
Scary and then relaxing and really fun. Being nude in nature is a unique experince
Cool !! Being nude in nature is one thing, being nude among strangers is another entirely... but it is freeing, so freeing !
Pics or didn't happen
Kind of hard to carry a phone when I'm naked lol
They make you take off your hands as well. That's an extreme nudist beach.
Put together a fun party with friends
Nobody cares, but I have reached the point where I can drive my project car to work.
I dragged it out of a field in January of 2023, and I did a quick and dirty engine rebuild to get it running long enough I could find what else is wrong with it. I've replaced the brakes and some steering parts, along with some broken lights. I rebuilt and tuned the carburetor, set the timing, replaced the plugs, distributor cap, wires, and rotor.
And now when I drive it people look at me.
What car is it?
Suzuki Samurai
I'm starting to understand math after failing all my exams, i hope i can pass in October...
If it helps, I found Khan academy to be an excellent resource for learning math when your teacher sucks. It's free and makes learning feel more like a fun game
Thankfully i have a good teacher that does classes via google meet so i'm covered, anyway, thanks for the help.
Wish you good luck (or not needing to be lucky).
I finally started being active physically, by going on walks, and doing a bit of workout. This weekend will mark the 2 week completion, i have never felt so good mentally in my life, as i have been feeling since i started working out. I am gonna stick to it.
I need to do this too. I always know it, but then I don’t. How did your motivation come about?
If you're talking about long term working out, motivation will not cut it. It has to be determination/making it a habit.
Like - "Time to take a shower", "time to workout".
But working out doesn't mean you have to push yourself till you feel like puking. Start small, do 10 squats at lunch and another 10 when you finish your work day for e.g.. Do something you find fun, not something that's just "well running is exercise so I guess I have to do that"
Hey, sorry for the late reply, i have found that whenever i set a goal of losing x amount of weight, i always slowly lose motivation. So, this time i have set myself free from any restraint, and am focusing only on the good benefits that excercising gives me (mental clarity, less anxiety also slow and steady weight loss). There is no constraint to do x amount of workout everyday, instead its just get out of the house, get walking, get some sun and if you want to, then lift some weight. And surprisingly, i haven't missed a day.
Thanks
I got back into reading (after ~ half year pause).
Hey, well done, keep it up! I'm well onto my 52-book target this year for the first time ever (yay!)
I survived a hurricane and got my lawn mowed in the process…
Finally renewed my license. Only 4 months late this year.
For WinRAR?
I laughed too hard at this. Thank you. XD
A mass call-out the likes of which has never been seen haha
Took a “mental health day” off from work. First time I have ever took PTO for myself.
@Withers_Larue@ericbomb if it was your first ever you definitely deserved it. Here's hoping you had a bubble bath, hot soup, and a fun movie all at the same time.
I beat the shit out of Godskin Noble today. Took me about ten tries. At least three of those, he had a sliver of life left and cheesed me in a corner with his roll attack. I was livid. Like, the angriest I've ever been at a video game. Damn Elden Ring has some cheesy bosses.
The time I beat him, I was so calm. Just slowly chipping him down to nothing. BLAM. Dead. It felt so good. Nothing beats beating a hard boss in a Soulsbournekiro game.
Soulsbournekiro
I can only surmise this is a Souls game in which you roleplay as Jason Bourne
Haha! Yeah, the nomenclature has gotten a bit weird with Fromsoft games. Now we've got Armored Core VI to contend with, too. It seems different enough, it probably won't get lumped in with the Souls/Bloodborne/Sekiro stuff. Sekiro's pretty different too, though. Next it'll be Soulsbornekirocore.
Got a big job interview. It's down to me and one person and I feel like I have the edge. I (hopefully) find out the results tomorrow! I desperately need the money lol.
Also had a second interview, and got told that they already has found their hire before they called me in. But they really liked me and see potential and they're gonna try and find a way to hire me.
Good luck to your brother. I didn't get it :/
Beating twilight princess on Wii after leaving it for few years. Now I can start botw, it's on same timeline :D
Omg congrats! I'd always wished I had beat twilight princess.
I really cleaned. I'm too exhausted to get into it, but it was a terrible mess and now it's clean. I have a lot of disabilities including severe chronic ankle and back pain and endocrine issues that make me tired all the time, but I did it!
Built a tiny and rather simple piece of software to make my daily work easier that now the whole company uses :)
Swam 15 km last week (not all at once I hasten to add, I'm not that good!)
Almost nothing, I suppose I should try and fix that
You made it through; that's an achievement in and of itself these days.
Lost 3 lbs!
But I binged on food today...
Spent the "weekend" with my two kids (they are in the next city for university) and we got tattoos.
all Hail Rat King!
Actually going to the office 3 times this week and actually staying there for almost 8 hour a day.
Reverted a payment provider at work without bugs in a legacy project in an hour. (Software)
Absolutely nothing. ☹️
Started working out and have done a fair leg workout three times with a mix of bodyweight exercises and kettlebells. Haven't worked out even semi-regularly during the past two years, or since my son was born, so the body feels weak but the positive impact on mental clarity and sleep quality is already a huge plus.
Nearly climbed an indoor route graded 6c at my gym. 6c was my target when I started climbing in June and I gave myself a year as my aimed timescale, I worked out the crux of a 6c route on Sunday and am only one move off finishing now.
Way ahead of schedule! And for anyone who's never tried rock climbing I can't recommend it enough, it's a sport for people that love video games where every route is a level that needs beating and you learn new abilities to unlock those harder levels. Helps that's I'm stronger and fitter than I've ever been before even after just 3 months, it's one hell of a workout!
In the overwhelm of a job that’s been way over my head, I managed to sit down and process a couple pieces of business. It’s not much, but the mountain of work is getting a little smaller.
I spent the better part of the last decade in a good deal of pain due to an undiagnosed spinal injury in my neck. In the 4-5 months leading up to having surgery, the pain and muscle spasms were so bad I couldn't stand or walk on my own, put on my own clothes, or take care of myself. I was severely suicidally depressed, extremely overweight, and jobless.
In July of 2022 I was finally able to get approved for surgery (I had to wait 3 months for an MRI), my surgeon performed a corpectomy (removal of the vertebral body) of my C5-C6 vertebrae and fused C4-C7. I spent the next 3 months in a neck brace, doing rehab and physical therapy and decided that this was going to be the turning point in my life.
In the 9 months since I got the brace off, we've been eating better (the hardest one) and I lift weights 2x per week for about 1.5 hrs and walk 3x per week for about 45 min. I've lost about 40 lbs so far and I can definitely see changes in my physique for the first time. I have a long way to go, but I makes me proud to see how far I have come.
But to answer to question, yesterday I went on a 4.5 mile hike up a mountain with a friend and was able to complete it all. My feet are quite sore today, but I'm really proud of myself for being able to do something like that after being in such bad condition.
Updated the model for an active aerodynamic surface control system.
Proud? Actually nothing.
I read two books after years of not reading for pleasure. I started tracking my food and trying to get enough protein after some chaotic months. Trying to ingest enough sodium to keep my POTS in check. I painted two things, after not painting for 8 years! I've been trying to keep 'unproductive' screentime down. (Movies and shows I haven't seen before are fine, scrolling on my phone forever is not). I still waste hours on my phone when I'm fatigued but I'm more mindful about what I do when I feel able
great question, thank you /gen
.... am I supposed to post mine? I am content just having thought it over /j
Raised out of my funk for once and got back on antidepressants, my financial aid and scholarship applications done, and my project work for the week all done today. I honestly didn't think I would get this done in a week, let alone in one day.
Exercise. I went from 0-1 days per week to 30 minutes every day for the past 6 weeks, only skipping two days over that time.
@Moobythegoldensock @ericbomb that's amazing!!! I hope you keep it up :) starting a new habit like that and keeping it consistent ain't easy - glad you're nailing it so far.
Survived another week
This was going to be my answer, so I'm replying to your comment in solidarity.
I wish I could say I believe things will get better for me if I just persevere, but I don't think I do. As long as I'm here though, there is a non-zero hope that someday, I'll be able to live and not just survive. I hope the same for you too.
A worthy achievement in and of itself. Keep it up, I believe in you!
I haven't ate meat in 6/7 days, broke down and had a BLT yesterday. Tough to give up the bacon completely but I'm working on it.
I am proud of you!
You can do it! Just don't get discouraged if you break here and there!
You know when a friend's loved one dies and you tell them the usual sentiments about being there for them, anything you need etc? But there's rarely anything you can do, especially if you're not in their immediate circles where you could be making food or helping with estate etc.
Friend needed to do some job applications quite urgently, but was obviously not in the right headspace to do a great job. Friend asked me to help review drafts (I write for a living) and between us we got out 3 very solid applications.
I'm proud my skills had real and immediate use to someone. This white collar shit can feel pretty ineffectual sometimes, but this was a tangible help to someone so I'm proud of myself.
Words have power, when you use them to support others. After translating marketing lies for a living for too many years I'm always glad when my language skills can be put to good use to help someone.
Government mouthpiece; I hear you.
Avoided being hung over, which I guess I could attribute to not drinking.
I was hoping to do that today, but alas I'm lemmying while i await a curbside happyhour order.
I threw a work party and it turned out to be really fun. Everyone got drunk and silly, some people danced, someone people sat by the campfire, everyone ate way too much food. It reminded me why I love my workplace so much.
Username doesn't check out but I'm glad for you. Finding a good job with good people is a great thing
Yeah it changed my life!
First time at a personal trainer.
I am writing this from the grave.
Well done lad.
Exercise. I've now done it 8 weeks straight, and I think I have it locked in as a long term habit.
Never had that before in my life and I'm 48 now. It's never too late to get going folks.
Just about kept my shit together. It's been a really shitty week.
Good on you, brosis. That's already a fine achievement
Thank you, your comment gave me a lovely warm feeling in my stomach. I'll get through this.
Finally scheduled the two root canals I need. I get pretty bad anxiety talking on the phone, especially to strangers so doctor’s appointments are always hard. But I finally did it so I’ll be done with this pain soon.
Been there before, buddy. I'm proud of you for making the first steps.
Quick tip: you're not supposed to feel pain during the actual procedure. I have what the dentists call "long nerves" and had a brief moment of blinding pain but I spoke up and they juiced me more. No more pain 🙏
Helping someone escape domestic abuse and care for her animals while her dangerous lunatic ex keeps wrecking her house and farm, actually risking to put the entire mountain on fire, and the police keeps typing a pile of documents about the ongoing case without actually doing anything. I'll keep doing it even if I end up tearing the 'Call us if you experience domestic violence' posters off of the police station walls tomorrow to shove them up the arses of the smug bastard clowns in uniform who are supposed to guarantee the safety of vulnerable people. Been a long week and no end in sight.
Wow. Awesome of you to do this…
No, really I just happened to have all the skills and resources needed (milk a goat, look like an at least vaguely threatening garden gnome when carrying a farm tool, have a spare rest room and some spare time etc.) and I'm glad I can. I've been in this situation without support and will try to help others get out if it's within my power.
Yesterday I was a bit eaten up at the edges and flashbacking heavily after so much frustration with the aggressor and the police, thus having to write the above rant. We went and fed the animals today without more hassle and are all mentally in a better place.
She's off to find a new place to live, and we'll make sure the animals get moved there safely. It more often than not ends up like this - victim has to leave, as authorities cannot protect them adequately or don't care enough to do so.
Couple weeks ago I helped a friend escape a DV situation too, although it wasn't a "house and a farm", more of an "apartment". Still, he had wrecked the place so my spouse and I spent a week cleaning it and organizing my friend's stuff (and my spouse continued for another week after I had to go back to work). We found evidence of a lot of horrible shit this guy did that he left behind, but our friend didn't want to harm him or something so we respected her wishes on that not going to the police. (Who probably wouldn't have done anything anyways)
It was exhausting, emotionally draining, hard work but I was glad to do it, I imagine you feel similarly
I have accompanied my friend to the DV support office today and listened through a detailed account of what he did. It's tough to listen to. Tough to come to terms with the fact that there is so little actual help available, and all of it is excruciatingly slow to arrive and locked behind bureaucratic barriers. Tough to come to terms with the fact that so many women, myself included, easily fall prey to bullshit artists on a power trip, or man sized toddlers with puppy eyes, or a mix of the two. And it's always women who I would have thought far beyond such situations. I feel I still haven't understood what went on inside of myself as I lived through this shit and didn't leave, and I haven't understood what happens inside of these guys, how they can turn from decent person into absolute shitshow within days or months.
I expect to see rather more of this as people get driven to the edge by the ongoing financial, social, political crisis all around us.
After picking up the guitar 3 years ago, I recorded a song yesterday for the first time. Feels good, man.
I haven't stabbed anyone!
it can be hard some days but I believe in you
Overcame my anxiety and asked a pretty girl out. We're going out for drinks tomorrow night 😁
That’s awesome. Keep putting yourself out there!
Thank you!
I'm teaching myself French. J'ai étudié le français pendant quatre ans when I was younger, but it's been years. Maintenant, mes enfants want to learn French, so I'm re-learning with them. And just in the last week, we started making plans for a trip to France! Je suis content!
Rules for visiting France -
If you want to visit a city, it's Lyon or Bordeaux
If you want to visit the countryside, it's Provence and Haute Savoie
Huge généralisation btw but just... don't go to Paris
Lol! My wife and I have actually been to Paris before and liked it a lot, but we stayed away from the regular tourist stuff and stuck to the weirder, off-the-beaten-path things you can do in Paris (the catacombs, poking around Roman ruins, etc).
We're actually considering Versailles because we've heard it's like being in a more relaxed and easy-going Paris, and the gardens appeal to my wife - as in, she's thiiiiiiis close to simply insisting on it.
But neither of us had considered Lyon or Bordeaux, and I'll add them to my list. What are they like?
Versailles is horribly crowded in the summer but lovely at other times.
Lyon is very cosmopolitan for shopping etc, loads of wee independent clothes shops and nowhere near as many tourist traps as Paris. If you like Roman stuff, Lyon is bursting at the seams with it. It's also very close to the Alps so day trips to the mountains are only an hour or two by car
Bordeaux used to be a bit run down twenty years ago, but got their act together. Fantastic gastronomy, really laid back atmosphere, lovely little streets to wander around. Plus Saint Émilion, who claim to have the best red wine in France. (I disagree and nominate Chateauneuf du Pape for that) You can also day trip to Arcachon, a huuuuge beach on the Atlantic coast
France is massive, the size of Texas but without the empty spaces, and there are literally thousands of better options than Paris!
Merci beaucoup pour les recommandations complètes.
Avoiding tourist traps in favor of actual fun and fulfilling things to do is one of our major goals. I'll look more closely at Lyon and Bordeaux (and other parts of France, too). You've helped me make a more informed choice, and I appreciate it.
I was fired in June for a mixed non-descript bag of reasons from my previous employer of 8 years. The reasons they told me were not what they told the DOL. They told the DOL that I was fired for attendance issues, which is weird since I hadn't been absent since March, and the company's on-site nurse told me not to come to work. I used 2.5 days of my yearly allowable 6 days of sick time within 6 months. They also told them I falsified records.
What's really weird is that it happened to coincide with my complaint of workplace harassment by a former boss.
The worst part was they lied to the DOL and told them I admitted to falsifying records. Little did they know, I recorded audio of my HR meeting so I could prove that I didn't admit to falsifying records.
Anyways, after months of fighting for unemployment benefits (they didn't even give me a severance), I won my appeal hearing. My previous employer didn't even give the DOL an in service phone number, so they didn't even attend the hearing.
They really were banking on me not trying to fight them. After months of me sounding like an insane person to everyone I talked about it to, I finally got vindication.
And before you think this must be some small operating business where my boss just didn't want to show up to lose, this is a large publicly traded company with thousands of employees and is an industry leader in the field. The site I worked for was a drop in their revenue bucket with a mere 70 million in net revenue.
I may be jobless right now, with 5 kids, a mortgage, and had my name dragged through the mud, but I'm so fucking proud of myself for sticking up for myself and proving that I was fucking right the entire time.
They still haven't been able to fill my position, have had more people quit and are in dire straights according to an inside source.
Oh and the kicker? Turns out the last woman they fired complained about the same person, but they gave her a giant severance package even though she was only employed with them less than a year.
Can't wait to see that place bleed itself to death.
1st in Diamond League in Duolingo. Now I can relax and just keep up my daily streak.
Me too! It's so fulfilling!
@Tini @Stoney_Logica1 wait is that how that works? If you get first you stay in diamond? I've been bouncing around obsidian and diamond these past few weeks based on my level of motivation (and the number of 2x boosts I get)
I tried just barely staying up in diamond for some weeks and I think (purely anecdotal) I then got paired with similarly slacking people. I also did the first lesson of the week as late as I could on the first day because then you enter a league with people that do that too, ie not the super competitive folks that rush into getting XP right away.
I ended up placing first in diamond with a very low score compared to what I've heard ppl need to get.
@BeepStreet this is the kind of insider mechanics I need to know lol
So many times I accidentally joined the super hardcore leagues bc I had waited until the last minute to do the last lesson of the week like the slacker I am, then got sucked into doing a bunch to try and rank up, and kept doing lessons as the week rolled over, thus putting me in with the people who started the new week right away. Now I know....
You get an achievement for getting 1st. You can keep defending and stay at Diamond level if you care but there's not really an incentive to do so unless you want the gems/Lingots for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd.
There is also a Diamond Tournament but I'm on Android and don't have access to that yet.
@Stoney_Logica1 you get bonus gems for podium?!?!!
Yes. The higher the league level, the more you get for top three.
https://duolingo.fandom.com/wiki/League
I went to the gym every day in the last 7 days.
Take it easy, there is a recovery day for a reason.
I got called into a work meeting yesterday. Apparently they are very pleased with my progress.
So that's nice. I have no idea what they're talking about, but it's nice.
I wrote a song and have been recording it for like the past year. Kind of got too complicated so I just ignored it for the last few months. This week I said I would finish it by the end of the month and today I have the final mixing sesh at the studio 👐
Bought a nice Sawstop table saw that I've been eyeing for years. I make good money, but have issues spending anything on myself. According to my therapist, it's from a fear of catastrophe. Even though I'm extremely frugal, make good money, and am in a better position than the vast majority of people my age, there's a constant voice in the back of my head telling me that I don't need whatever it is that I want to get for myself.
In moderation, that's a good thing, but I've taken it to a pretty far extreme. It legitimately stresses me out to buy something for myself that costs more than $15-20, even if I can afford it. I talked to my therapist about it, mentioned the table saw, and he suggested that I buy it. I talked to my wife about it, and she talked me into it, and I finally bit the bullet and did it. Definitely a luxury, but it's cheaper than a hospital visit to sew a finger back on.
However, I do not recommend moving it solo to prove a point. 450lbs is not light
@UsernameLost @ericbomb glad you were able to push past the doubts and treat yourself. Hopefully all the cool projects that come out of it will prove it's worth even more for you :) (and don't chop your finger off pls)
Thanks!
I'll try! Been successful for 6 years now, but accidents happen, which is why I wanted this one!
@UsernameLost oooooohhh quality buy!! I love the videos of the mechanism engaging (like in this one https://youtu.be/SYLAi4jwXcs?feature=shared) where the aluminum hops up and crumples into the saw.... Even to the extent where the momentum is stopped so suddenly where the teeth of the blade just fly off .... So gnarly.
It's super cool from an engineering standpoint! And I'm rather attached to my fingers, I'd like it to stay that way. Until I got a shaper, I would say the job site table saw I have was the most dangerous tool in my shop. That shaper scares the shit out of me. Just from a volume and complacency standpoint, I'm still more likely to have an accident on the table saw than any other tool, but that shaper can and will eat your entire hand.
Really cool video, thanks for sharing! The high speed test makes me feel even better about this purchase!
@UsernameLost as attached to fingers as they are to you id say :p
I've only recently got into using power tools and the like and am still impressed by the sheer, well, power they have.
I used a miter saw for the first time a few weeks ago. The SPEED at which that thing can seemingly melt it's way through wood or aluminum like it's butter is impressive.
Any power tool can hurt you. I had a piece of maple kickback and explode on a miter saw, which I didn't even know was possible.
Luckily, the only actual injury I've gotten while woodworking was on a scroll saw, which is basically just a sewing machine with a small saw blade. Piece of wood pinched around the blade and jerked up, took the back of my finger against the blade. Minimal damage, but it bled like a stuck pig for a bit
@UsernameLost aiiyeeeee exploding wood does not sound like a good time. Or losing skin 🙃
The worst I've had so far is a splinter or some chafed skin. 👀🤞
Lol can't say I recommend either experience. As far as power tool injuries go, scroll saw is probably the best one to do it on. I think it was completely healed in a few days, but basically just a shallow cut. Be careful, don't get complacent, and you should be able to avoid major injuries!
Learned to sew!
Pretty cool, is that with a sewing machine ? or entirely by hand
Machine. I sort of knew hand stuff already but I'm not good at it. I sewed a cosplay of Link for DragonCon thos year. Will probably post some pics tomorrow.
I traveled 12 hours to an isolated lake to spread my father's ashes as he requested.
I tutor college students for free in chemistry (occasionally physics, math and biochem as well but mostly chemistry) every day, 7 days a week so that.
Amazing. Can you teach me how to make meth?
Technically just over 7 days but I'm saying it. I started a Bachelor's in Cyber Security at a big university.
I'm the first in my family to ever seek higher education and my nephew (who lives with me) has already been asking questions about how he can go to college someday as well.
feelsgoodman.jpg
Got an open source offline text to speech AI that can read me any text of any length, another that can convert my speech into text, and finally got another working directly on the command line using python.
I wrote 14 pages of a masters thesis.
Went to a nudist beach for the first time!
How did it go ?
Scary and then relaxing and really fun. Being nude in nature is a unique experince
Cool !! Being nude in nature is one thing, being nude among strangers is another entirely... but it is freeing, so freeing !
Pics or didn't happen
Kind of hard to carry a phone when I'm naked lol
They make you take off your hands as well. That's an extreme nudist beach.
Put together a fun party with friends
Nobody cares, but I have reached the point where I can drive my project car to work.
I dragged it out of a field in January of 2023, and I did a quick and dirty engine rebuild to get it running long enough I could find what else is wrong with it. I've replaced the brakes and some steering parts, along with some broken lights. I rebuilt and tuned the carburetor, set the timing, replaced the plugs, distributor cap, wires, and rotor.
And now when I drive it people look at me.
What car is it?
Suzuki Samurai
I'm starting to understand math after failing all my exams, i hope i can pass in October...
If it helps, I found Khan academy to be an excellent resource for learning math when your teacher sucks. It's free and makes learning feel more like a fun game
Thankfully i have a good teacher that does classes via google meet so i'm covered, anyway, thanks for the help.
Wish you good luck (or not needing to be lucky).
I finally started being active physically, by going on walks, and doing a bit of workout. This weekend will mark the 2 week completion, i have never felt so good mentally in my life, as i have been feeling since i started working out. I am gonna stick to it.
I need to do this too. I always know it, but then I don’t. How did your motivation come about?
If you're talking about long term working out, motivation will not cut it. It has to be determination/making it a habit. Like - "Time to take a shower", "time to workout".
But working out doesn't mean you have to push yourself till you feel like puking. Start small, do 10 squats at lunch and another 10 when you finish your work day for e.g.. Do something you find fun, not something that's just "well running is exercise so I guess I have to do that"
Hey, sorry for the late reply, i have found that whenever i set a goal of losing x amount of weight, i always slowly lose motivation. So, this time i have set myself free from any restraint, and am focusing only on the good benefits that excercising gives me (mental clarity, less anxiety also slow and steady weight loss). There is no constraint to do x amount of workout everyday, instead its just get out of the house, get walking, get some sun and if you want to, then lift some weight. And surprisingly, i haven't missed a day.
Thanks
I got back into reading (after ~ half year pause).
Hey, well done, keep it up! I'm well onto my 52-book target this year for the first time ever (yay!)
I survived a hurricane and got my lawn mowed in the process…
Finally renewed my license. Only 4 months late this year.
For WinRAR?
I laughed too hard at this. Thank you. XD
A mass call-out the likes of which has never been seen haha
Took a “mental health day” off from work. First time I have ever took PTO for myself.
@Withers_Larue @ericbomb if it was your first ever you definitely deserved it. Here's hoping you had a bubble bath, hot soup, and a fun movie all at the same time.
I beat the shit out of Godskin Noble today. Took me about ten tries. At least three of those, he had a sliver of life left and cheesed me in a corner with his roll attack. I was livid. Like, the angriest I've ever been at a video game. Damn Elden Ring has some cheesy bosses.
The time I beat him, I was so calm. Just slowly chipping him down to nothing. BLAM. Dead. It felt so good. Nothing beats beating a hard boss in a Soulsbournekiro game.
I can only surmise this is a Souls game in which you roleplay as Jason Bourne
Haha! Yeah, the nomenclature has gotten a bit weird with Fromsoft games. Now we've got Armored Core VI to contend with, too. It seems different enough, it probably won't get lumped in with the Souls/Bloodborne/Sekiro stuff. Sekiro's pretty different too, though. Next it'll be Soulsbornekirocore.
Got a big job interview. It's down to me and one person and I feel like I have the edge. I (hopefully) find out the results tomorrow! I desperately need the money lol.
Also had a second interview, and got told that they already has found their hire before they called me in. But they really liked me and see potential and they're gonna try and find a way to hire me.
Good luck to your brother. I didn't get it :/
Beating twilight princess on Wii after leaving it for few years. Now I can start botw, it's on same timeline :D
Omg congrats! I'd always wished I had beat twilight princess.
I really cleaned. I'm too exhausted to get into it, but it was a terrible mess and now it's clean. I have a lot of disabilities including severe chronic ankle and back pain and endocrine issues that make me tired all the time, but I did it!
Built a tiny and rather simple piece of software to make my daily work easier that now the whole company uses :)
Swam 15 km last week (not all at once I hasten to add, I'm not that good!)
Almost nothing, I suppose I should try and fix that
You made it through; that's an achievement in and of itself these days.
Lost 3 lbs!
But I binged on food today...
Spent the "weekend" with my two kids (they are in the next city for university) and we got tattoos. all Hail Rat King!
Actually going to the office 3 times this week and actually staying there for almost 8 hour a day.
Reverted a payment provider at work without bugs in a legacy project in an hour. (Software)
Absolutely nothing. ☹️
Started working out and have done a fair leg workout three times with a mix of bodyweight exercises and kettlebells. Haven't worked out even semi-regularly during the past two years, or since my son was born, so the body feels weak but the positive impact on mental clarity and sleep quality is already a huge plus.
Nearly climbed an indoor route graded 6c at my gym. 6c was my target when I started climbing in June and I gave myself a year as my aimed timescale, I worked out the crux of a 6c route on Sunday and am only one move off finishing now.
Way ahead of schedule! And for anyone who's never tried rock climbing I can't recommend it enough, it's a sport for people that love video games where every route is a level that needs beating and you learn new abilities to unlock those harder levels. Helps that's I'm stronger and fitter than I've ever been before even after just 3 months, it's one hell of a workout!
In the overwhelm of a job that’s been way over my head, I managed to sit down and process a couple pieces of business. It’s not much, but the mountain of work is getting a little smaller.
I spent the better part of the last decade in a good deal of pain due to an undiagnosed spinal injury in my neck. In the 4-5 months leading up to having surgery, the pain and muscle spasms were so bad I couldn't stand or walk on my own, put on my own clothes, or take care of myself. I was severely suicidally depressed, extremely overweight, and jobless.
In July of 2022 I was finally able to get approved for surgery (I had to wait 3 months for an MRI), my surgeon performed a corpectomy (removal of the vertebral body) of my C5-C6 vertebrae and fused C4-C7. I spent the next 3 months in a neck brace, doing rehab and physical therapy and decided that this was going to be the turning point in my life.
In the 9 months since I got the brace off, we've been eating better (the hardest one) and I lift weights 2x per week for about 1.5 hrs and walk 3x per week for about 45 min. I've lost about 40 lbs so far and I can definitely see changes in my physique for the first time. I have a long way to go, but I makes me proud to see how far I have come.
But to answer to question, yesterday I went on a 4.5 mile hike up a mountain with a friend and was able to complete it all. My feet are quite sore today, but I'm really proud of myself for being able to do something like that after being in such bad condition.
Updated the model for an active aerodynamic surface control system.
Proud? Actually nothing.
I read two books after years of not reading for pleasure. I started tracking my food and trying to get enough protein after some chaotic months. Trying to ingest enough sodium to keep my POTS in check. I painted two things, after not painting for 8 years! I've been trying to keep 'unproductive' screentime down. (Movies and shows I haven't seen before are fine, scrolling on my phone forever is not). I still waste hours on my phone when I'm fatigued but I'm more mindful about what I do when I feel able
great question, thank you /gen
.... am I supposed to post mine? I am content just having thought it over /j
Raised out of my funk for once and got back on antidepressants, my financial aid and scholarship applications done, and my project work for the week all done today. I honestly didn't think I would get this done in a week, let alone in one day.
Did LSD