Mystery solved

So on and off since the eye surgery that required me to lie on my left side for 2 wks, I’ve had significant issues w my right shoulder.   I’ve never been able to find the exact trigger but it’s often worse at work - so I had figured any combo of ergonomics, sitting wrong, crossing my legs for too long, etc.

Although I also recall the worst muscle pain I ever had came after sleeping on the most comfy bed for a couple weeks.  I couldn’t believe it when I figured it out, but true story.   So occasionally I wonder if this issue was tied to my love of slouching on a comfy couch.  

Anyways - was starting to get worse again recently, but I’d also been doing a ton of handstand practice and using all the shoulder muscles, so I’d just assumed it was fatigued.

Except…. I went to the cottage.  Where I significantly increased my practice time AND added in waterskiing AND swimming / diving.  And somehow it didn’t hurt all week?   Which of course I didn’t even notice cause you rarely notice the absence of pain…

Until on the last day, before I left, it came back with a vengeance.  So I’m gonna say it’s stress related.   Which makes everything make sense in retrospect but doesn’t actually help me fix it :(

Life without Internet...

So having no internet for a week was both awesome and super frustrating.  And it wasn’t really “no” internet - it was more severely limited.  Some learning experiences:

• some apps that help my life are unavailable, incl Duo and all my learning programs 
• The number of times I want to google something significantly outweighs the number of times I *need* to google something, and sometimes it’s okay to let it go
• Solving the impossible research puzzle is one of my favourite things to do - basically impossible to work it effectively without high speed internet
• I actually enjoy short videos and miss them when I can’t watch them.
• I don’t miss any of the rest of social media 
• I write a LOT more - to be fair, this could be related to having things to write about.  Esp as I very much write blog style rather than journal style.  
• My short term memory is non existent - if it’s not written down, it didn’t (or won’t) happen.
• Until this week, I didn’t realize when I had no service it wouldn’t actually acknowledge that - instead it just says SOS 😂 
• Things that I wanted to share w friends and family in that moment were not available (eg little cousin who asked how big Sasha was when I got her - normally I would show her a pic, but it’s not on my phone so…. SOL).
• I rely on my camera a lot more than I would ever have realized 
• Air drop is awesome!
• I LOVE being able to ignore my email completely 

It's surprisingly easy to misplace a sleeping black dog in the dark ;)

Lost Sasha tonight - you know, the only night I’ve been able to hear coyotes and wolves outside.

She was with me in the main cottage when parents went to bed (parents and I usually bunk in the little cottage) and I was pretty sure nobody had let her out after (would be a complete accident if they had, and the only people to go outside after my parents are animal-savvy so wouldn’t have not noticed her slipping out.  Also not her style - she’s pretty confident in her exits and entrances).  But then I realized baby gate to the basement was open.  The basement where I took her earlier today to cool off.  And where the older kids sleep.  Sure enough, she was downstairs sleeping in the cool basement w the kids.  😂.  The trick, beyond finding a black dog in pitch black, was to call her just loudly enough to wake her without waking anyone else *g*

Deeming that a win though - and honestly, if I didn’t think it would stress my Mum if Sasha wasn’t where she sb in the am, I prob would’ve let her stay.  The kids would’ve loved it ;).  Maybe tomorrow night.

Turns out skiing is fun in both winter AND summer. And I have an equal lack of skill in both ;)

Got to try waterskiing once more!   SO much fun.  Honestly I love the being pulled out of the water more than anything.   First vid is amusing cause you can see the moment I remembered that for this sport arms sb straight lol.  It’s like the rope was suddenly poison.   Later I let go of said rope altogether once while outside the wake over some speed bumps.  Was disappointed in myself for that a bit cause totally bailed on the mental game not out of necessity. I even knew it at the time.  But at least I managed to get up on the first try when they picked me back up 😂. Did a second lap too just cause.   Skis noticably closer together until I got too tired, so that was awesome!   Too tired kicked in about a lap and a half and I felt it in inner thighs and hips which was the challenge last year too.  Shocked my arms weren’t toast given that I’d already done the handstand thing this am.

I am:

• super stoked that I got up on the first time both times
• Thrilled that the work I put into getting strong enough to do this sport apparently paid off (last year I could only try the once cause I was lame for more than a wk later)
• Disappointed in myself for allowing past wimpiness to reassert itself - it’s been literal decades since that’s happened.   AND I fought it and won the first time, so *really* no excuse 
• Really grateful that I got the chance to try
• Highly amused by my ability to self coach a skill I know nothing about 😂 
• Unwilling to do the math on how many years 10k hours is when you practice like 15 mins a year ;)
• Completely physically exhausted and mentally way too wired to sleep

Till next year :)

Cottage Luck

 “That blue towel is a magnet for horseflies and deer flies”.  Awesome.  One guess as to whose towel that is ;).  Sheesh.  So I’ve borrowed another towel for the week and we’re now using my original towel as bait 😂 

So much fun. So much exercise. So many goals achieved :)

Today’s adventure will be a blog post.   Of the type that the short version is one of the longest posts ever 😂 For your entertainment: 

“Use your imagination” version (originally titled ‘short version’ but that’s such a lie I have to update ;)

- good - more sleep than last night

- bad - not enough and woken at 6:30 by my mum who was frantic cause Sasha was lost

- good - Sash came back on my first call

- bad - wide awake

- good - means I get to take sunrise pics (stunning but way too early!), possibly handstand pics, AND early am swim.

- neutral - Doug (uncle) had a similar idea

- bad - water wasn’t the stunning glass-flat it can be

- good - it was still *very* quiet making for good handstand practice conditions

- bad - video died on like the 2nd effort and wasn’t exactly quality videography 

- good - I acknowledged that I really wanted a good sunrise pic of handstands and Doug is an incredible photographer who actually likes a challenge lol combined w being v patient.  So willing to play this game.

- bad - wrong clothes so I’m afraid that even if he got an *amazing* shot, it still won’t look good :(

- good - best stand ever! And called it on a good note.  

- bad - it was *after* my phone died ;-P

I was SO excited by this 😂 
PC: Doug Hern

- neutral - immediately after I was done, the lake went mirror-flat.  Sun was up by then though.   

- good - this made for amazing swimming, esp as I’m not a strong swimmer

- bad - I’d forgotten goggles and can’t swim properly without them cause contact lens.  

- good - reassured Sasha who’s okay w me going in the water as long as I get right back out but panics if I’m swimming or treading water or being eaten by a giant donut 

It took Sasha a while to believe the donut wasn't going to hurt me.

- bad - It was not yet 9am and I was ready for a nap ;) 

- good - cousin wanted to go waterskiing, which means I *also* would get to go waterskiing 

- bad - I am not good at waterskiing 😂  Last year was the first time since I was a tween that I tried it, and it took many many many (copy and paste) attempts to get up.  And I loved it.  But then I was sore for weeks.

- also bad - somewhat concerned that waterskiing muscles might overlap significantly with handstand muscles which had already delivered their contractual hours today and really this week ;)

- good turns out they’re a LOT stronger than last time, as is my body awareness and ability to coach myself through new skills I know nothing about ;)

- bad - I self coach OUT LOUD;  while nobody could hear me, I can only imagine what my spotter in the boat must’ve thought ;).  Accelerating rapidly toward my crazy old lady title ;)

- good - it worked?!?!   Up on second time, stayed up in and out of wake, and didn’t let go till I got back.  Soooo excited and proud of myself.

- neutral - huge thunderstorm after lunch.

- bad - I was alone in the backup cottage so I could put on dry clothes (extra sleeping places really - when they built new, they kept the old and just moved it over) when the storm hit.  All entertainment (my books, phone, etc) in the main cottage.  

- good - I LOVE a thunderstorm in the woods.  In general really but especially there.

- neutral - it lulled me into a nap of coma level depth

- bad - I slept through milkshakes

- good - I felt human again afterwards AND all storm repair had already been completed by those who didn’t storm nap (3 or 4 of us, incl those who invited us up, got in great naps).

- good Chris just arrived :)

Rest of the day admittedly neutral, but cottage neutral with is normal-life excellent.   I will likely sleep very well tonight 😂. 

Mistakes you didn't used to be able to make ;)

 😂 so today I uttered the sentence “I accidentally opened the garage while trying to turn on my flashlight.”   Under the category of things I never thought I’d say ;)

Context - needed the flashlight on my phone but it’s right next to the home controls - definitely accidentally opened the garage and turned on 3 lights at home.  Undid the process too but just amused me that that’s the kind of mistake you couldn’t make a decade ago.

Proof of a perfect day

I mean really, does it get any better than this?
(PC: Doug Hern)

I am lying in bed, physically exhausted but mentally happy, and I realize, despite no mind-altering substances, the bed feels like it's floating….   Any day that you've spent enough time on a boat or floaty to make it seem like the stationary bed is floating, is, by definition, an excellent day.

Proposal: Loki as the God of Autocorrect

So on my phone, more than once autocorrect has chosen to update "lol" to "Loki".   This is particularly amusing in that I type faster than the letters appear on the screen, so often I've hit send before autocorrect kicks in.   Which, given that LOL is usually at the end of a sentence, can make for some very confused recipients.   But Chris won the internet today w “Loki would be the god fitting autocorrect”.  And I now propose that the world should adopt this as the new standard ;).  Also, I've stopped correcting Loki, so if you get a weird text or post from me, that's why ;)

I feel like this is all the approval needed ;-P

Does it count if you only partially get there?

So my target of handstands at the cottage has, according to the only *actual* gymnast in the group, been accomplished.  I feel personally like that’s kinda like being a “real rider” when you fall off ;)

Can I do what I’d hoped to be able to do at this point?  Not quite ;).   But can I do WAY MORE than I thought I’d be able to two weeks ago?!?!  100% yes.  (edited well after the fact to add: I went back and reread the first few weeks - I never had a details in my goal beyond 'handstand on the dock' - so turns out I DID meet it; yeah for goals with no metrics and bars at tripping height ;).  

Anyway - Today was the best yet - by a lot.  And I was soooo excited.   Most of the fam has seen me try now so pretty excited.  And being good humans who know how far this is outside my comfort zone, have been strongly encouraging.  

So yesterday I did warmup and practice up on the deck by the cottage while everyone else was at the dock.   Def didn’t have the courage for an audience, and having gone to bed at 5am I didn’t make an appearance in the main cottage till 10, so they were all on the water already.   Amazing how scary every new surface is lol.  So v glad I had practiced on *our* deck first.   Anyways - pretty avg session and short cause I wanted to be on the dock too lol

First cottage practice session

At lunchtime, all but my uncle Doug went up for lunch, so I gave it a try on the dock…. And did it?!?!  Like stag style of course but I did technically get and hold my balance on a floating dock so I was pretty super impressed.  I’m not sure what it says that I found it easier to balance on something that was moving?!?!   Like there’s a WTF lol.   I did not, however, video it.  Boooo.   However, when I came down to tidy water toys right before dinner, I decided there was enough time for one more quick session - it honestly wasn’t as good, but I did at least get up, and proof.   Admit I had to laugh when Elaine’s only comment on it was “this looks awfully close to the edge isn’t it?”  She’s not wrong, but ambidextrous I am not, so since I always fall the same direction I’m not too fussed.  And worst case, if I miss, I end up in the water.  This is not tragic.

E's point is valid - look how close my hands were as I was cartwheeling out.
Safe to say, far less scary when my left hand was in line with my right ;)

FF to today - wasn’t sure I’d have enough strength left.  Same amount of sleep this time but shifted up a bit.   This time though, I tried it when two of the kids were there - incl the one who actually knows how to do this.   At my request, she gave me a couple tips that, while I may have heard or heard variations of before, we’re really helpful to be able to see in-person what she was doing and how it worked.  Spider fingers was top of that list.  My default is flat, and I’ve tried the theory before but couldn’t get it.  She got it into my brain.  

lol sound on to hear my genuine excitement and my coach / cheerleaders in this adventure.  

Also first audience who was not Friend/Coach Elaine or Uncle Doug ;)

Anyways - I was so so so excited and proud of myself today.  Here’s hoping tomorrow is even better.