My Context

As I write this afternoon with a propped-up, extra-swollen quad, I hear the whirl of a concrete saw. It coincides with the mound of dirt in my front yard. Yes, my very FIRST full day at my new place and there is a crew working on pulling the sewer line that for whatever reason, it is not a straight shot to the street, but runs beneath the walk to my front door, drawing ever closer to the base of that big ol' tree. At this rate, I'm either gonna have another swimming pool, or that tree is gonna have a fantastic moat!

While they were here upending roots from deep in my yard, a couple of guys from the pool place swung by to take a gander at our oddly not running pool and to share the basics of pool management. Yes, it looks like we are going to need a new motor or drive or something? It passed inspection from that company's boss. shrug I have put on hold my shopping on Carvana.

Maybe my shop will be just me whittling wood down with a dull pocketknife.

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The Logistics

Yes, we moved yesterday. I picked up a 20' U-Haul yesterday before noon and gave it back around 4:30 AM. And lemme tell ya, this Hulk would in time shrink back down to Bruce Banner! I played Tetris / sacked groceries and fitted everything inside, then quickly dumped it back down into the new garage—I got a knack for pre-work for quick execution. At one point, I was encouraged to take a break, but I responded something akin to, "No, I do what I do and I fight." On the third move from the garage to the house, I just lost all power. I could not call forth from Castle Greyskull any longer. I'd grab some hulking thing and just didn't have it.

I woke up at 1:45 AM and could not walk from a razor-sharp, right ankle pain. And how I scowled that I put those crutches way across the house. But, I got 'em, boy howdy did I get them. Throughout today, I've moved couches and organized boxes, my knee up my right quad—the same as I injured in August—is just a tight, numb experience.

I just walk around the house with a shortened crutch as a cane. Yea, but nevertheless, "I'm your huckleberry."

Harbor Freight Trip 06 of 2023

It is not a wow factor for me, but I picked up a few more thing from HF:

• 30x18 wood dolly (rated for 1000lb)
• 3x 200L LED Flip Lights
• Pair of snips
• Plastic sheeting, 10x25

YouTube Link

Beverages

I am now on Day 6 of my coffee detox. I took NO ibuprofen yesterday because I only experienced a limited amount of aching in my calves. Ibuprofen was just a stopgap measure so that I was not distracted from doing...well, ANYTHING. I am on my third day of an unexplained neck tightness on the toward the back-right quadrant, but who knows? Maybe instead of coffee detox, it is from awkward sleep? Regardless, it is fair to say that on my sixth day, I am out of the woods with my coffee depoisoning. I feel the benefits of being coffee-free.

Fun fact: I can totally pack an iced YETI tumbler into a moving box.

Destination '23 Finalized

I have chosen the objectives that I am going to roll with for 2023. And it is only halfway into the third month of the new year, too! Somebody pat me on the back! Ah...again, we put three (technically four) offers on houses this year; my mind has been preoccupied. The list is not too far of a reach to attain. Lose 110 lbs? Done it before. Learn code? Done it before. Learn Koine Greek? Totally shaky!

I have revised the list to ensure there are only three points under every heading. I removed the year-long, Cities Skylines city; theology book of the month; 250 audiobooks; and deleted the daily study of physical disciples in lieu of a two-day-a-week for Python and Greek.

I also cleaned up the Software Standards for legibility and removed my social media initiatives. I removed the Garmin step-count / challenges requirements because I am not focused on making a website happy; I am better served by a better balanced routine–even one tilting toward resistance! Of course, the effect of removing that req is how the 250-audiobook resolution goes up in flames.

Is it unrealistic to hit all of my marks? The year is already almost a quarter over. It is an issue of time discipline and optimization while mitigating the impact of constraints in the system. It can be done. I may have sat in a class or two on production operations management.

A LOT of Work Over a Beverage

I do not think I will be doing a day-by-day coffee detoxification status. OK, OK, since you asked...every time I just got a hint that the aches were coming, I popped a couple of ibuprofen back. I had SIX yesterday! That's INSANE for me! And as someone who only eats once a day, I'd chase it with a tablespoon of fat. "Git 'er done!"

I feel the ache begin to creep into my legs and onto my back, but I will attempt to not mitigate the pain before it arises. It could be just saying, "Top of the morning to ya!" And this morning began early: on my own, I woke up at 2:30 AM. I stretched, warmed up my muscles and centered my thoughts. By the time my 3:30 AM watch alarm went off, it might as well have been 10 AM.

Yesterday, I failed MISERABLY with new techniques for ghee: melted it over the stove to pour over ice as opposed to my typical hot water Vitamix with ghee at room temperate. It was the equivalent of candle shavings—Mmm...Southern Candle. I switched over to Kerrygold butter and was able to easily hit my 200-fat-gram mark.

The Move Setup

Our move-in date may or may not have been moved up by a day. Oh, technicalities! Utilities are set to be switched over, the Internet connection is ready to go live, the truck has been reserved—the list continues. I am more interested in how this shift will enhance my life, to further my development. I all but dismissed my Destination '23, my list of New Year's Resolutions. Sure, I maintained some, but dismissed most. A move here, a move there—everything got disjointed. But with my rollout of an updated website theme, I am bringing it back.

In the absence of coffee, my mind seems more focused...more clear. I do not have this avalanche of ideas crash into me or feel the need to spin plates.