caitykat

[caitykat]

Knitting update

As of 10.6.22

I have spent ~57.75 hours working on this blanket. mostly while watching tv or listening to podcasts/audiobooks

Yarn count- Green- 4 skeins ; Silver/Grey- 5(ish) skeins

Stitches- 163 and still doing the 9 stitch wide honeycomb stitch border- it seems to be around 56 in. wide.

I think I need another 8-10 inches and it will be finished!

*maybe*

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 11

9.26 - 3 mile run with mom. She wants to do it together more often, so, I guess we'll be setting up a standing meeting on mon/wed?

9.28 - 3.6 mile run. Also technically with mom, but she walked while answering a phone call while I went ahead and ran. We met up after to do some planks...yuck.

9.29 - Soccer. I like having subs, but it is frustrating not being able to play because there are too many of you.

9.30 - 1.8 mile run

10.1 - 3.6 mile run

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 10

9.19- 8 mile bike on a borrowed road bike. My friend is lending me her spare to try out so I can get a feel for it. It’s a bit short for me and I can’t figure out how to adjust the seat height… my pelvis hurt.

9.21- 2 mile run

9.22- Soccer followed by pizza and beer to celebrate my upcoming birthday

9.23- 3 mile Run then a 3 hour drive to the beach

9.24- SCUBA DIVE!!!! ( and some beach swimming too)

9.25- More beach swimming. there were sooo many jellyfish about.

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 9

9.12- 2 mile run 1 mile walk. Tried to do some interval type training.

9.14- 3 mile run

9.15- Soccer- short sided. we didn't have enough people so we played 4 v4 instead of 6 v 6. It was fast paced and fun.

9.17- well... I was going to run. But, I am waaaaaay to hungover to run in 90 degree heat. I did walk around a museum for a while and climb 7 flights of stairs, though. Does that count as exercise?

9.18- Soccer game. 90's of heat. The other team forfeited, because they didn't' have enough to play. We gave them some players- including myself- and played out a full game. I honestly don't remember who won. I do know that I could not score to save my life. every shot was wide or to the keeper *sigh*

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 8

9.7- 3.8 mile run- I tried some interval-ish training. First mile was an easy jog, On the 2nd mile I pushed hard and ran it a full 2 min faster pace. Then I did an easy jog for the rest( with short periods of walking when needed. I want to get a faster time for my next 5k on Halloween weekend.

9.8-Free Pilates class "reformer"- not free. I had to spend $15 on grippy socks... Also, played 2 games of short sided soccer. My abs don't hurt yet

9.10- Ran 3.6 Miles- oh wow, I feel sore in my abdomen in places i didn't realize were muscled.

9.11- First 11v 11 women's soccer game of the fall season! We won handily. But oh wow, did I forget how hard running around for 90 minutes in the early September heat is.

[caitykat]

Knitting update

Added a new skein of silver “mist” and a new skein of green "parsley"

My cat wanted to get in on the action. Normally I manage to stop her from going after the needles of the yarn itself. - she LOVES batting at pens, paintbrushes, chopsticks, etc. so if I’m not careful with how I knit she likes to sit in my lap and attack my hands while I work.

Man, I love this monster

Yarn count- Green- 3 skeins ; Silver/Grey- 4(ish) skeins

Stitches- 163 and still doing the 9 stitch wide honeycomb stitch border- it seems to be around 56 in. wide and measured to about 27in long.

So, halfway?

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 7

8.29- walked 1.8 miles with mom. It was my recovery day from the triathlon. Shockingly, I'm not sore. I guess I actually did train correctly (moderately)

8.31- ran 3miles at 4:45 in the afternoon on a sunny day... in August... when the temperature read 95 degrees F... sooo much water needed afterwards

9.1- Played soccer tonight... we had our asses handed to us... Still fun regardless

9.2- "Cabbage" ball practice with company team (it's like softball with a bigger squishier ball) We have a company Labor day picnic with a tournament. I'm a free agent since I don't owe allegiance to anyone but the main company as a whole, so I got recruited.

9.3- 5k today! My time can be completely written off because a GODDAMN TRAIN caught over half the racers. The course crosses over a train track and the organizers must have neglected to look at a train schedule... Highly amusing. One of my friends actually got 1st for women in the race. :) Congrats!

9.5- Played in 3 games at the Picnic cabbage ball tourney. We lost in the "finals." It was so hot and I definitely should have drunk more water/less beer

[caitykat]

Still on the Responsible Adulting Kick- Budgeting like an adult?

I have spent hours over the past 2 months tediously recording each and every cent I've spent from July 1st to August 31st. Granted, with the spending being all on cards, it wasn't that hard to hunt down. Most of the time spent was figuring out the best way to record it in a spreadsheet that allows me to do functions and make a pretty pie chart...Thanks google :)

I admit that I totally could have used a budget app or something, but the time spent was also part of the whole process...

All of this in an effort make a real budget to follow.

I've always been pretty good with my knowing my spending, but I've never actively tracked it or actually followed preplanned budget. Its always been a nebulous knowledge paired with the occasional thought to pay off my credit cards.

Ironically, I work in accounting. (You'd think I would have done this before at some point...)

Ultimately I want to buy my own place. My three older brothers and their wives all bought houses recently, so the green monster is rearing its head. I HATE paying rent. It's like throwing money down a hole or setting it on fire. I'd much rather pay a mortgage and be working towards something.

WHY ARE HOUSES AND CONDOS SO EXPENSIVE???

*SIGH*- hence the stricter control on my money so I can save up more and MAYBE manage to afford down payment at some point in the next 5 years...or I could marry someone rich

Let's see if I can follow the budget I put together for this month with those two months of data to work from.

[caitykat]

Handwritten Pen Pals- Keeping in touch with friends- old school

Friends are hard to make as an adult and hard to keep as well.

I am not the best at staying in touch via tech. I'm very much an "out of sight out of mind" sort of person. That's not a great thing to be when all of your friends from college live all across the country.

Back in 2019 my best friend got accepted into a grad program far away and was leaving me. She's like me, but worse. I needed a way to stay in touch.

I happened to have a box of blank note cards and her new address, so I decided to send a letter ahead of her to be waiting for when she arrived with her caravan of stuff and her cat. She wrote back. We kept at it.

Then, another friend sent me a post card from a trip she had been on. I texted her for her current address with out explaining why, sent her a letter and waited to see what would happen. She also wrote back. Thus started a trend. Before I knew it I had a list of 23 addresses.

Some write back. Some wrote once. Some never did, but sent me a text or email. But I got to talk to them and reconnect and it's nice.

I LOVE receiving a letter in the mail. there is something about knowing that someone took the time to write down a note specifically for me, that feels good. (I guess my love language is acts of service?) I can only hope that they also feel the same way when they receive a letter from me.

The best part is that I'm not expected to be quick when writing. I can go months before writing again and its not strange at all... it's been since the start of the year that I've sent anything and a bit more than a year since I've sent an actual letter to just about anyone.

I FINALLY started some letters to friends. Doing them in small batches helps :)

Though, I can't say I look forward to hunting down any new addresses. The woes of a generation unable to afford property...

Of course postage price on stamps just went up *sigh*

[caitykat]

My First Triathlon!

I completed my first triathlon this past weekend. It was hard and hot and I felt awful during it and I LOVED it. (endorphins are scary folks)

Thoughts on the race:

Less people have experience swim racing then I expected. I actually finished 1st in the 400m beginner swim for both men and women -23 people competing. As a child I raced in the summers and I played on the club water polo team in college, so I'm a strong swimmer, but I don't consider myself a real swimmer in anyway. It was weird to be faster than them. (I also apparently have a skewed view of triathlons, since 2 of the 3 people I know who do them come from swim or water polo back grounds)

Get a Road/Tri BIKE- my heavy 30 year old commuter bike is an excellent bike and in wonderful condition, but it is SLOWER than any and all road bikes. That lead I had from the swim, yeah I lost that real quick. I heard sooooooo many cheerful encouragements as people passed me by on the bike portion of the race.- super nice, but I can't say I enjoyed having everyone make a comment on my OBVIOUS "beginner-ness." Only problem- a decent starter road or tri bike is at LEAST $800-$1200 *sigh*

Training for runs really does help. My pace for the run was 8:58. My normal pace for 5ks is in the 9:30 range. I really can't believe I did that well after biking 20 miles.

I want to do it again. I'm going to do it again.

(I just need to find an affordable road bike... or win the lottery)

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 6

8.22- 1.5 mile run and 2 mile walk- my best friend from college/hiking BFF called me while I was running, so I started walking to chat with her without gasping. I got another lap around the park then chilled on a bench while we spoke- it turned into a 1.5 hr call...

8.23- got all set to jog for a bit, then the sky absolutely opened up.

8.24- 3.6 mile run

8.25- 1.8 mile run- skipped soccer because I don’t want to accidentally get injured before Sunday. HOWEVER, I feel a blister forming because of the newer running shoes I’ve been trying to break in…

8.27-Rest/ Perp

8.28- CAJUNMAN TRIATHLON!!!!!

I DID IT!!!!!

I swam 400m, biked 20 miles, and ran 5k! I actually finished first in the swim for the beginner division. but everyone caught up to me on the bike.... my commuter bike goes 3-4 mph slower than any road bike.... My run was the most surprising part. Even though my legs felt like they had cement block attached at the ankle, I actually ran it at my regular 5k pace.(I guess I should actually train for these races a bit more often)

[caitykat]

Knit Blanket Update- 27 hrs

27.5ish hours total so far

Ran out of grey yarn 3 hours ago. The green is starting to get pretty thin too.

Switched to a silver-yarn called "mist". It's smooth like the green and original silver/grey, but a bit thinner. Smaller stitches, so its taking a bit longer to add length. But the blanket is softer with it. Still incredibly warm to have on my lap in August weather

Yarn count- Green- 2 skeins ; Silver/Grey- 3(ish) skeins- bought 3 when I found it. Hopefully that will be enough

Stitches- 163 and still doing the 9 stitch wide honeycomb stitch border- Haven't messed that up yet :)

[caitykat]

Current TV show-Possessed (2019) -GAHHHH!!!!!

SPOILERS ( though it has been out for several years now so....)

Episode 14... GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

I can NOT STAND Hong Seo-jung! (Go Joon-hee is quite good)

How can she think that killing herself when dealing with a serial killer who wants to END the world from the freaking AFTERLIFE is going to do any good?!?!?!?! Why would you EVER think he would up hold any promise made to Kang Pil-sung in regards to murder? He sure as heck didn't for the Chief and Detective Kim!!! (granted they don't know that... but I mean, who didn't see that sort of thing happening)

Is she depressed? Is that what her character is supposed to be? Or is she just someone who doesn't try? Is this a reaction to losing her best friend?- understandable, but considering the fact that Hwang Dae-Doo can control other peoples spirits and eat them. why would turning yourself into a spirit help in ANY way???? You can't escape him even after death. I wouldn't work!

Uggghhhh.... I had to stop watching the episode because of her nonsenses and they killed off both my favorite characters! How could you kill Officer Choi and Seung-hee? They were the best.

I though all the focus on the Chief and his daughter meant the chief would die (sad but expected). not that Hwang Dae-doo would annihilate them all. I'm curious is Choi Nam-hyun will be targeted next. He doesn't have any family that's mentioned, so it would just be him that would be killed in some awful way. (I'm glad he got that right hook in on Pil-sung. Pil-sung deserved it for not saying, "Hey a crazy murderer is targeting me and everyone I love" instead of rambling on about a spirit of a murderer possessing people and targeting me and everyone I love. you lost him at spirit, dude)

Wow. This drama hits really freaking hard. It's like GOT killing off Ned. They mean business, none of that silly plot-armor shit. (Unless you are Pil-sung) Though, there does seem to be a lack of common sense going around...

*cleans tear of sadness and frustration from face*

*suspends disbelief*

My rant is done. Time to get back into it.

Update: UGGGHHHHno…Pil-sung is doing it too. Dammit. If you die, then no one will stop him. Use your brain. He won't honor any freaking bargain. Especially, not one to a dead man

Update again: NOPE. Did NOT Like. Gahhhh!!!!

Well done show, but hated the ending

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 5

8.15-3.6 miles run. WAAAAAAAYYYY too humid to do more

8.18- played soccer tonight! We won!

8.19- 0.5 mile Swim. Should have done more, but my ovaries felt like they were about to rip themselves from my abdominal cavity. Plus Mom called and wanted to chat.

8.20- played in 2 hour long soccer games. It drizzled a bit while we played. My shirt felt like I had jumped into a pool afterwards.

8.21-14 mile Bike... next weekend's 20 mile bike is going to be a doozy....

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 4

8.8- Paddled in a Kayak for 45 minutes- then flew home- felt progressively worse throughout the flight, delays and all...

8.9-12- so I tested positive for Covid...

8.13- 3.6 mile run/jog- feeling better but still not much energy

8.14-10 mile bike-again, better than before, but still less energy

Damn. Covid really threw me off my training schedule...

[caitykat]

Knit Blanket Update

15 hours in when I hopped on the plane last week.

It was quite warm, when the AC started snowing on me...

Finished about 4ish hours while on various planes and on vacation. I actually sat and looked up if I could bring the needles through TSA. You can. They prefer wooden to metal and circular to straight... I guess its harder to stab some one with circular needles?

Yarn count- Green- 2 skeins ; Silver/Grey- 2(ish) skeins

(The silver/grey I started with wasn't brand new. I'm not sure exactly how much of it had already been used)

Stitches- still at 163 and still doing the 9 stitch wide honeycomb stitch border

[caitykat]

Healthy-ish? Log 3

8.1- 3.6 mile run in the drizzle.

(There was no way I was actually waking up early to do it the next morning. Just as well I didn’t. It rained that morning too)

8.3- 0.5 mile-ish swim... I don't know I lost track of my laps in the pool and I was in a hurry to get to dinner with my friends.

8.5- Vacation at a lake! Lots of swimming! and some water skiiing

8.6- 5 mile run and some swimming

8.7- more swimming and some paddling- no idea about distances