AI Adventures

So as some of you know from this blog, I've been utilising AI to help get in spoken spanish practice between lessons since, well, I don't live in a Spanish-speaking country ;).  What may not be as well known is AI is becoming more common at work too and I'm finding random uses for it that I quite appreciate because it saves me a ton of time for more interesting things.

Where this collides is the topic I picked in today's practice session was "getting help from a career advisor" lol.  Shockingly, once we got through some of the basics, it had some theoretically good ideas.  It offered to send me some links, which I was actually almost into seeing and then... I remembered it's just the language app not the work app and as such it will NOT, in-fact, actually do anything other than correct and analyze my conversation skills.   lol oops.

Also amusing to me - at the end of each feedback report it has a "cultural tip" related to the conversation.   This was today's:    

Where my significant protest lay is that the AI was the first to mention PMI 😂. I only used it back in response to the question it asked me.  And, vowels are pronounced differently in Spanish so it both took me a sec to recognize what it was saying AND made me interested to know if I could say it back in a way that wouldn't get my pronunciation yelled at.

I will say, this tech is improving fast and impressively.  I had a friend try it the other day for whom English is not his first language (obv I switched all the settings around) and I was really entertained listening to the English AI - we started with British by accident but I switched it to US to make it more familiar and omg was it ever a riot.   Very definitely a real feeling and sounding conversation to what you'd hear on the street.   It still has a compartively short memory, but far less so than it used to, so it does feel like an actual conversation now.

The only part I consistently don't like, and this one actually drives me insane.  It's effectively taking dictation and then you get your feedback from that - great in that you can see what it heard (identifies pronunciation issues) etc.  Less great in that I *often* get feedback that I spelt something wrong because I missed a silent letter.  A SILENT letter.  I was *supposed* to miss it while speaking.  The AI typed it.  And I know, logically, that I can just ignore that feedback and move on.  But man it annoys me every single friggin time.   lol logic is not welcome here!   Also, potentially because it would be one simple IF statement to solve -- if the user didn't physically type the sentence, no feedback regarding silent letters that weren't typed.  But - maybe it'll learn that eventually.

Living in interesting times - I do wonder sometimes what this chapter will look like in HS History texts ;)

We're all mad here

I still have mine, and his batteries last about a decade at a time ;)

So when I was a kid I had an AG Bear (who am I kidding - I STILL have an AG Bear and I apologise to him every time I squish him into a box to move him lol).   Anyways - for those who don’t know, AG came to life in the 80s as talking bear, shortly before Teddy Ruxpin.  Both bears would talk to their person (or anyone really, they’re not selective lol) but TR did it in English while AG did so in Bear.  So you would think TR would be “better” but in reality by AG speaking bear to any kid w an imagination the conversation possibilities were endless.  And his tone modulated to echo the speaker so it really felt like a conversation.

But what really amuses me now is I realize I do the exact same thing with Mori 😂.  I always talk to my animals, this isn’t new.  But Mori has a conversational range and personality that I’ve never experienced in a pet before and it amuses me to no end.  Sometimes makes me roll my eyes - esp when it’s very clearly a “come here and play with me!” order at the top of his voice (who knew such a tiny critter could have such a loud voice).  But more often than not he makes me laugh.  Volume and tone change significantly and sometimes you can tell exactly what he’s saying but sometimes really could be a whole conversation and it makes me laugh.  But it also definitely feels like talking to AG.  Good for stress relief and creative thinking but occasionally makes people wonder if you aren’t just slightly mad ;).  But then, the best people are.

There's a reason a cat said it first ;)

Deeming No Socials November a Win

Those who know...

So I figured I should do a wrap-up post.   I followed my social rules through the month completely and have since softened them *very* slightly but honestly, keeping pretty close to it.   Things I found:

- I missed being able to share interesting things, esp if I knew there were people who'd find it interesting but who I don't really have any real in-person contact with

- I did not even slightly miss scrolling, but it took almost the whole month before I stopped picking up my phone any time I was remotely bored.  I'm not thrilled about that so continuing to keep an eye on it.

- I read a lot more, wrote a lot more, and - surprisingly - slept much better?   Not really at all sure how or even if that's connected, but was accurate.   

- I did not, actually, apply any of that extra time for anything that I'd thought I might (you know, the 8000 hobbies I never have enough time to get good enough at to enjoy?) but I also didn't miss it.  So I'm not entirely certain what happened there but I'm okay w that.   More baking and more reading I think pretty much sums it up.

- I don't have instant awareness of what's going on in the world anymore, but I'm okay w that.  Between work and friends I find out what the world is talking about even without the socials.

- The one thing I did miss was seeing updates from my friends who I don't see regularly (incl both those who I only know online and those IRL)

Since the month ended the only thing I've loosened is letting myself post things from non-social world.  We'll see how it goes :).  But so far, I'm feeling it's a much better balance for myself.

TIL that Montessori for Seniors is a thing?

 I've heard a fair bit about Montessori schools and activities for kids, but I was a little surprised to see that the top of the wish list for "Santa for Seniors" charity (gifts for those living in seniors' residences with no family) was Montessori kits.   Definitely sent me googling -- apparently the same principles to the work done with kids can be applied to help people living with dementia.

From the website: Montessori for Dementia, Disability and Ageing is an innovative approach to care services that can be adopted for individuals or groups as a philosophy of care. The goal of the Montessori program is to support older adults and people living with dementia by creating a prepared environment, filled with cues and memory supports, that enables individuals to care for themselves, others, and their community.  We strive to develop communities that treat individuals with respect and dignity and honor their choices so that they may live as independently as possible.  

Took a little more fun to find what the kits are - basically activities that help support the skills for independent living (eg folding clothes, tying shoes), combined with some puzzles and games.

Day 2 of Acro Adventures

So, for those of you who are new here - my latest way to ensure I remain humble is I, while solidly into middle age (much as I'd rather not admit it), randomly joined a class that is all the tumbling components of gymnastics.   I, who have never done gymnastics, have zero flexibility, can only hold a handstand for a couple seconds at most, and have only ever accomplished a flip off a diving board ;). 

  

But sure - gymnastics is a totally reasonable thing to take on as an adult.   This was absolutely confirmed by the fact that in last class - my first - I was not the only beginner.  Woohoo!   Sadly, the other woman didn't make it back, so I am now, in fact, the only beginner.   lol

Warmup was quite different.  I get the impression though that it doesn't normally change so dramatically each week but rather they had a key staff member away, so our coach (who's definitely the "real" adult of the group ;) was doing other things at the start and had one of the other coaches (I'm going to say maybe early uni age?) cover the warmup.   It was definitely a kid warmup but it did warm us up and got a few giggles so why not.   Also when she split the arial class it was “older ones over here” which got a laugh from everyone and our coach reminded her to stick to “more advanced” since with adults skills and age are not necessarily tied ;)

Anyways - when warmup ended the same coach from last week took over (yeah!) but we were down to only four in our class, while the arial class was still full.  The four included 1 superstar (also potentially the youngest by about 20 years), 2 who did gymnastics for many years but had a gap and are relearning as adults (think gymnastics version of reriders) and me.

So on the plus side, I’m fully embracing the “new and incompetent” side of things ;).  I can, and happily will, learn from anybody.  And I know enough about adult learning both from a teaching and a learning side that I can figure out pretty quickly what I need to be able to attempt to mimic.    Lots of different drills today - a bunch on the bouncy track (I think that’s the tumble track?  But then I’m not sure what they call the trampoline one so forgive me if I make up my own names till more sinks in).    

When it came time for choose your own adventure, the pro went to the bouncy track to do arials and other flippy things, while the other two went together to the handstand wall to work on something that wasn’t handstands but I think was to build up to handsprings.  But I didn’t want to get in their way so once they were set up I asked if anything I could do on the trampoline track.  

So the idea was handstand then fall flat on my back (onto a nice cushion).   First of all, my handstands are questionable at best and non existent on a trampoline 😂. And second of all - that’s more of a mental game than you’d think.  First time I got the handstand and then bailed entirely rather than go over backwards.  Oops.  Then I did it wrong a couple dozen times with my shoulders hitting first and *then* my body.  Got *almost* there, and then was too tired to do anything else ;).   

By this point the two handstanders had come over and were also doing variations of handstand and fall - they’re working toward more advanced skills and at least one is fighting a mental battle over it and negotiated w the coach to “try it next week”.

Then we had an example of on the trampoline, from a standing straddle position, lean over and grab your ankles (bend knees if wildly inflexible!), flip onto your lower shoulders on the trampoline, and then bounce back to your feet, rinse and repeat w/o ever letting go.

The other two decided that was too scary and would also be next week but to me it looked mildly entertaining so I asked if I could try it.  I’m pretty sure my coach is reasonably certain I’m going to enthusiastically kill myself 😂.  She demoed again and made sure I was set up right and was right w me, with on hand only millimeters from me if I needed assistance so thinking this one might’ve been higher risk than I really calculated ;).   

And when I grabbed my ankles ALL the survival instincts kicked in with This is a BAD Life Choice!!!!   The other two were right.  It’s friggin terrifying!

But I’m an eventer.  And when things go wrong in eventing or there’s a BFJ on course that scares all the things out of you, not only do you have to tackle it, but you have to convince the 1000lbs+ prey animal w a brain the size of a walnut that the predator sitting on top of it *really wants* to jump the BFJ.   

That’s right.  You have to so fully commit emotionally to a complete lie that a critter whose entire existence relies on reading threats, thinks you *really* want to do the thing that’s making you think you should’ve take up a nice, quiet, safe sport - like rugby.

After 30ish years of that training, even after a longer gap than I’d like to acknowledge, when I feel that fear kick in, I fully commit to The Thing.  Whatever it is.  

So I flipped upside down and bounced back to my feet.  A few times.  It wasn’t particularly hard and I’m not sure I understand why we (I - the others deferred to next week) did it.  But it wasn’t horrifying.   The flipping onto the mat last wk was way more fun though ;)

One of the others commented on “I wish I could be fearless like that” - internally I laughed so hard.  Externally I tried to explain many many years of training in overcoming fear.  But I don’t think she got it and I wasn’t super coherent at the time between exhausted, excited, overwhelmed, and mildly dizzy ;)

Today’s overall was much more of a workout.  Also learned a ton more.  Was mildly amused when she asked the others to do something from a squatting position so I did too for a laugh even though I’m not close to good at it standing so definitely don’t need a harder version and got told “oh no, that’s just to build strength - you have more than enough of that, better for you to work on technique”.  Hey - it’s the closest thing to an ego boost I’m going to get in this class, so I’ll take it!   And my only normal strength comparison these days is Chris, who is significantly stronger than I.  But I have enough for beginner gymnastics so win!   

Also with no depth perception it’s much easier for me to place my hands on the mat where I want them and use strength to get upside down than to throw myself at the ground just to get some extra impulsion - so I actually like the “harder” ones cause I know reliably where the ground is ;). But I think the single most repeated correction across the exercises for me today was “start back farther” / “take a bigger step into it” - so I’m just gonna have to suck it up and learn where the ground is.  But maybe I’ll start on the bouncy track ;)

TIL: Cartwheels are a complicated way to change direction ;)

Who here has done a cartwheel?   Decades ago right?  Throw hands to the ground and then flip feet over them - pretty basic.   Well I don't know why I had it in my head that when doing this you're either facing sideways and stay facing sideways the whole way OR facing forward and end facing forward (isn't that how you can cartwheel down a line?!?!), but definitely facing forward and ending facing backwards would not have been on my list.   

Yet TIL, while others are options, officially if you do it "right" as per gymanastic rules you end up facing the opposite direction you started.

When was the last time you did something for the first time?

For me it was tonight - and, in typical Laur style, it was not a typical adulting new thing like “I took a new route home” (often a great mental health break) or “I bought a different brand of toilet paper” (not worth the risk!)!  

Gonna just acknowledge here and now - I'm still high after a lot of fun and exhausted after a very long day, so I'm absolutely not guaranteeing any quality - or even particularly comprehensible - writing.  

I joined an adult Acro class.   For those of you with the same puzzled look I had - think acrobatics ;-P.  With nothing but the description, the fact that I could try the first class without signing up, that it was only a 4 week commitment, and that it happened to start the week I emailed to ask about it….  Away I went ;)

So I foolishly assumed the people in the viewing area waiting for the kids to finish were mostly parents of said children.  They were not.  There were probably about 15 adults there who filed into the gym when class start was announced - which had me mildly confused since they said the class would be 6-8 until I realized it was two classes worth.  The warmup is combined and then people doing arial stuff (which I’ve done before and is all kinds of fun but basically impossible to improve cause you can’t practice at home) and the acro group which stays closer to the floor.   I have floors at home ;)

Warmup was an experience.  I’m sure for kids who did gymnastics or dance it’s normal, and even for a large number of team sports there may be similar drills, but pretty well the entirety of my athletic interests - and therefore experience - started and ended w a combo of grade school gym class and horses.

So imagine 3 straight lines that run the length of the floor, everybody in a row goes from one end of the line to the other doing something.  But it’s not just one something, it’s a combo.   So first example was lunge, warrior-ish pose, front kick, then land the front leg and rinse and repeat on the other leg until you get to the end of the line.  Strength, balance, and flexibility together.  Sweet.  There were a couple variations on that - some more strength and some more balance focused.

Inch-worm that followed was arguably less fun ;).  And the line of 2 push-ups, lie down with hands and legs off the ground and roll-over without using them, hollow body hold, roll the rest of the way; rinse and repeat….  Well suffice to say I was just as well I was last in line for that one and “didn’t get to” finish my line ;)

Now that we were all warmed up it was time for stretching.  I am the extreme opposite of a flexible human.  But at least I wasn’t alone!  While I’m definitely among the least flexible in the group, there were others of similar lack of ability.

Okay so at this point they split out the two classes.  And we’re back to the lines.   Except the *very first* exercise was cartwheel down the line…

Ummm right - those lines are kinda close together and if I try something that even pretends to mimic a cartwheel I’m going to hurt somebody.  So I tagged our instructor w a “I haven’t done a cartwheel in 30 years - I might need some suggestions” and a woman nearby lit up!  “Oh I’ve never done one ever and am just learning”.  It wasn’t her first week here, but she’d never even done one as a kid and was thrilled to have another beginner in the class.  

So coach worked w us a bit and then set us up w a big square cushion to practice cartwheeling over (ummm isn’t that going to be harder?  Absolutely- but it’ll help you build the strength and get the concept).  Cool - okay.  So we worked on that while the others did lines of walking on their hands (that one I have hopes of doing some day) and walking in a bridge (far less likely - my bridge is dangerously structurally unsound).

Then we were divided into different areas to work on different things.  I honestly didn’t catch too much of what was happening because I was so lost, but I def understood “we can practice handstands against this (padded) wall” - sweet, sign me up.  My new same level as me partner joined me.  She was ahead of me in cartwheels but I had last summer’s practice for handstands and it was coming back fast which was awesome!  We took turns at the mat and our coach came over and gave us some structural clues.

But I’m not handstand fit anymore and I haven’t practiced in a v long time, so I tired pretty quickly and was watching the others doing some really cool stuff.  On one side was an inflated track that very much looked like the floor of a bouncy castle - two people there were practicing arials (think handsfree cartwheel).  Since I can’t even do the version WITH hands, I think we’ll pass on that.

Some were doing strength or flexibility training that I really didn’t understand at all but I also wasn’t really watching cause at the far side of the gym was a trampoline track with giant crash pads at the end where people were learning flips.  

We were like 2 mins before the end of class and one of them waves us over w “do you want to try?”   Yes!  That looks so ridiculously fun and absolutely no way in which I could seriously injure myself ;).  My partner had to leave though so she opted out and exited the gym.   Coach had me demonstrate that I could do a somersault on the floor (no worries - although made me shockingly dizzy in a way it didn’t as a child) and then she sent me to the bouncy castle floor that is, in fact, bouncy ;).  To try it there.  Since it was softer and springier I found that much easier and was giggling and feeling ridiculous if not particularly challenged by it.

So then I was promoted to the trampoline version after “just bounce a bit first to get used to it”.   I made sure all the other women were actually done because we had to remove one of the crash mats for my level (you’d think more was easier but in this case more is higher and you have to really commit ;)).  One stayed w me, not because she needed the beginner level but because coach told her she was ready to try land the actual flip and it also requires fewer mats.

All I had to do was bounce and do a somersault onto the mat.  Somehow suddenly terrifying?   Like it’s the softest landing yet but somehow both having my arms up in the air and needing a tiny bit of height suddenly made it super scary.  Which means I absolutely did it, multiple times (if there’s one thing eventing teaches you it’s to keep going forward when you’re terrified 😂).   And the woman who I was trading off w nailed her front flips so that was fun to watch.

I very much want to try the double mats next time to learn to get the height for flips.

So yes, there will be a next time.   I was definitely one of the oldest there and the least experienced BUT not by a horrifying amount - there was at least one mother / daughter combo which was nice to see.   

And it’s only a couple hours later and my body is questioning my life choices lol tomorrow and Friday will be interesting!

But omg was it ever fun.   

Random Small World Moment

So on Thurs I was chatting with one of the women I work with who I don’t know well but have met a few times.  I mentioned that I wasn’t going out with the team after work because I had tickets to the Royal and the fact that her eyes lit up rather than giving me a confused look lmk she was probably a horse person.   Sure enough, v much a re-rider, had ridden as a kid and started back up super-recently.   So we chatted for a bit and I didn’t immediately recognise the barn she was riding at, but said I’d poke around ;).  Also, she only knew her coach’s first name - Ally (there are a shocking number of riding coaches in the area named Ally) but by the description I had a strong feeling I might know who it was.

We were chatting about riding schools in general and I happened to mention Foxcroft (which is where I rode as a teen, and where I started teaching) — turns out that’s also where she rode as a kid and timing-wise there’s a very strong chance I taught her at summer camp at some point or another ;). 

Then fast-forward to today and Ally sends me a pic of “look who’s in my lesson!” — so this Ally, who I’d hoped but didn’t really believe it might be, is who I both rode and worked with at Pony Club when I was in uni.  In Fredericton. (For those not in the loop - it’s about a 15h drive from here).

So yeah - double small world loop with the same person.  Kinda made my day :) 

TIL: Spanish Edition

So I just had a lightbulb moment:

I can’t believe how long it’s taken me to realize this but I think part of the reason I can read in Spanish so much easier than I can listen is that my eyes read ahead of my brain.  So for all the critical information to understand Spanish that comes later in the sentence than in English, I need the speaker to pause after each sentence so I can mentally understand the words, restructure and translate.   But when I read, my brain gives me the meaning of the words in English, and my eyes are far enough ahead of my brain that I have the structural info already.

Realized that while reading a transcript while listening to a blog post. 

Now arguably it'd be nice if my brain could just give me the meaning in English when listening like it does for reading ;).   Maybe some day!

And while I completely get why my teachers say not to translate 😂 I’m not good enough for that quite yet!

The one in which Bev rides to the rescue.

Alright team, buckle up for the wicked alignment of things that resulted in my car being abandoned in the GO Station parking lot for the night ;). 

I went to the office today - I know, foolish life choice, but stay with me ;).  As per every commuter, I had my backpack with me.  Into it, I carefully secured my keys in the zippered pocket they live in every time I commute since I don’t actually carry a purse anymore.

Why don’t I carry a purse anymore?  Well because like most digitally competent people, everything I need is on my phone.   Everything, that is, except my work ID badge/door key since that is not an option in my current office.  And also I don’t like carrying extra stuff ;)

So suffice to say I forgot said work badge.  No big deal - I’m reasonably good at finding colleagues willing to let me in.

All good right?   Except…. I had agreed to go to a work-sponsored charity event after work in another building.   No worries - I was going w a colleague.  But said colleague had to bail :(. But still no worries - my card, that I didn’t have with me, also works in that building.  However, I wasn’t concerned about its lack because quite frankly, they want people at charity events and it was taking place on a floor that has reception, so cool.

Now since this is one of the few times I’m in the office back to back days, I deemed there was no reason to lug my laptop home as long as I brought my phone w me.  Minor win for commuting.  Minor loss for adulting.

Why should that matter?   Well dear reader, I went over to the charity event and dutifully stayed until the end (also - it was well done and is, in fact, something I firmly believe in supporting so…. Fair).  At which point as I gratefully headed back to the train station I realized…

…my car keys are still in my backpack at the first office. 

*sigh*

Okay but it’s a gorgeous night and less than a 15 min walk.  Also, it’s not like I have anything better to do tonight at this point.   

Except…. And I’m super glad I remembered this tiny issue before walking all the way back…. You need a badge to work the elevators after hours AND to open the door to the floor.  A badge that I don’t have on me.   And since I was one of the last to leave the first time, odds of anyone being there to let me in even if the elevator worked were nonexistent. 

So yeah, because I don’t carry a wallet, and because I forgot my work badge, and because I’m going to the office tomorrow, and because I agreed to go to the charity event, and because I went alone, I cannot drive my car home.  Had any one of those things been different, you would’ve been spared this ridiculous story and Bev wouldn’t be currently riding to my rescue at the train station and saving me cab fare 😉