Progress: Amazing, Incremental, Amazing

Like, two weeks ago? three? I started trying to push up from a headstand into a handstand, in yoga.

I have to put my feet against the wall for this; I'm okay in the headstand no wall, but not really in the handstand.

You've probably guessed the end of this story but I'm TELLING IT ANYWAY. IT'S FAST.

I do yoga most days. Every day at the end of class (when I'm headstandin', mostly) I tried this.

It seemed kind of impossible, at first. Like I'd push push and push and just- seriously, nothing. A slight transference of weight from the crown of my head to my pushing hands.

Then three days ago just vzzzmp: up I went, like nothing.

I wanted to give it a couple days to make sure it was not some crazy fluke. It was not; yesterday I was particularly tired, and the mat was slick with sweat, and my hands were in an awkward position: still did it.

It's really satisfying; it feels strong.

I am actively trying to make this a metaphor for other things in life, because in this case I think basically it totally is.

That's all.

Clash of Clans: a Dialogue

In which an apparently earnest-ish conversation about "gender binaries" in my ex-clan's chat for Clash of Clans, of which if you have not heard that's just fine, is derailed by various misbehaviors and "teen baby diaper lover".

Note: while the images advance in time from top image to bottom image, in a manner to which you, dear Reader, are no doubt accustomed, the chat within each image--the chat window in Clash of Clans--advances from bottom to top.

I give you:

And here's a GIF, in case you wanted to see it in motion:

HliAT #8

How Long It Actually Takes to...

switch my monitor on its bracket from Landscape to Portrait orientation, meaning: get screwdriver, unscrew 4 screws, reposition monitor (holding it up), rescrew 4 screws, put screwdriver away: 04:36.00

This is definitely to file under "things I'd overestimate because they seem fussy." I'd've guessed this'd take 4 times as long as this. But it was simple.

counterpoint: installing the second monitor on the same set of brackets, later that night, took almost 2 hours not because of technical issues but because of a dumb stubborness on my part about checking the ONE THING that would've solved a problem I was having ten minutes in... that is dumb, but is how long THAT thing took, which is perhaps why I'd tend to so overestimate stuff like the subject of this HLiaT. "Something always go wrong."

HliAT #7

How Long It Actually Takes to...

"put the surfboard back," i.e.,: reposition the car, unstrap the board from the room, throw any towels or whatever in the car, throw the strap in the car, reposition the board in the first then the second hanging loop (where it's stored, hanging, in the carpot), put the stick that I use to help with that part back, tidy the back of the hatch a bit: 03:55.60

This one's interesting; another underestimation! I'd've guessed five minutes, and--in so guessing--said to myself "that's way too little." The lesson here's simple: I really dislike futzy things with lots of little business and locking and unlocking and latching and unlatching, and possibly tend to overestimate them.

HLiaT: #6

COMPARISON HLiaT: 
biking vs. driving from home to yoga

How Long it Actually Takes To...

set up the darn bike, because it's locked behind the car and you have to get it out and get the keys out of the car and maneuver this that and the other thing so the whole thing takes: 3:57.34

[recap: HLiaT #5]  bike, from the moment you are seated on your bike, all set, to the moment you've locked your bike at Maha Yoga: 08:48.99

bike, from my apartment to Maha Yoga, total (adding ~30 seconds for walk from bike rack, which is right by the studio): 13:17.33

vs.

How Long it Actually Takes To...

drive, from my carport to Maha: 4:27.65

walk from a representative parking spot to the studio (further than the bike rack): 02:17.12

drive from home to Maha: 06:44.77

All righty then. Looking at this, seems like biking is worth it unless I'm really cutting it close.

HliAT, #5

How Long it Actually Takes To...

bike--from the moment you are seated on your bike, all set (it takes a couple minutes to get to this moment - that's for another HliAT)--to the moment you've locked your bike at Maha Yoga: 08:48.99

FIRST EVER HliAT UNDERESTIMATION. Google Maps says the ride alone should take 9 minutes. Yes!

HliAT, #4

How Long it Actually Takes to...

go from your apartment down 1 flight of stairs quick pick something up in the car then walk out front to where your friend is waiting in her car: 8 minutes

Expected time: 2 minutes

Factor of error: THREE HUNDRED PERCENT

anonymized to protect the innocent. thank you for keeping me honest.