Couch 225: 2+2=5, Sheeple!

I got some university swag yesterday. I totally had forgotten about it. Last July if you made some sort of donation of a certain amount to the University you would get some swag in February (it's now March people!). I got a tee shirt. A sweat shirt. A duffel bag. And a baseball style hat. All with my university name printed and/or embroidered on them. I'm wearing the tee shirt and the sweatshirt today. And the duffel bag is really nice. I might see if my Dad wants the baseball hat. I can't really see myself wearing that. I had just ordered a new university sweatshirt in this same color so I am a little bummed that I spent the money, only to receive this one. But the one I ordered is a hoodie and it's nicer than this one (I think, I don't have it yet). But this one is nice and soft on the inside. So yeah! Free (sort of) swag!

Today I should get a new mystery book from Amazon. My camo yarn which should inspire me to finish my black scarf so I can make the camo one. And my insoles. Yeah! Package day!!!! And it's Taco Tuesday!

Popular misconception: sore isn't really the determining factor for how much weight to lift or whether you had a good workout. Some people never get sore, some only get sore sometimes, some people get sore the next day. The test for weight is whether you can complete a full set while maintaining good form (like no back swaying on biceps curls) and yet it feels difficult. If doing that seems easy, then you can probably handle more weight.

If you go to a store like Walmart or Target, try out their dumbbells right there and you'll know what weight you can handle...but do a full set to be sure.

I don't know what weight you got, but I don't see any reason most people can't start with 5 lbs. I've only gotten lower weights for Pilates, which has some 2-lb. exercises in its standard repertoire.

Thanks @@. Yes, I was able to do the full set without it feeling hard. I definitely think I will go back to Target and exchange them for heavier ones. I don't know what I was thinking!

i just want to run away from absolutely every.single.thing that constitutes "my life" right now. I just don't want to be anything that has anything to do with me anymore. I feel like I am seeing the black cloud of depression moving toward me again and that scares me and I feel like there is nothing that can be done about it. I feel wretched and hopelessly broken these last few days tbh. I know a lot of this likely has to do with not sleeping much. Last night I did get about 6 hours which was more than I have been getting so maybe maybe maybe if I can get that much or more the next couple of nights things will start looking brighter. If not I'll get in touch with my old pdoc and ask to go back on meds.

Hawaii sounds lovely. I need to look into the whole quarantine thing, if it's still a thing, etc. and if not then after I get my 2nd shot start seriously planning a trip. I think it would be wonderful to get away by myself and lay on a warm beach somewhere, even if it's not Hawaii.


They just opened up these cute little guest cabins up on one of the nearby mountains... it's close enough (same county even) that I wouldn't have to worry about any quarantines I would still be able to come home if one got enacted. I think I should REALLY seriously plan one or two nights up there by myself. That might be just the ticket, actually, and easier than the whole Hawaii thing while the pandemic is still a thing. And I don't have to wait til my 2nd vaccine cuz I'd just be driving myself up there in my own private car.

HUGS Artie

I shocked my hairdresser by asking for an actual hairstyle instead of color and trim. She was very happy (as was the rest of the salon—I am famous for not trying new things there).

Anyway it is an angled chin length bob and I really like it.

Thats my favorite hairstyle

Sounds pretty @@

I can't usually use 5lb's anymore - because of elbow pain and wrist problems. Too much racquetball in my youth and a couple of broken wrists from getting hit by cars while on two wheels. I usually use 3s now. The wrist/elbow thing interferes with some yoga poses as well.

The company I work for is owned by a husband and wife. Today is the husband's birthday. So I sent him a Harry and David gift basket to his house (he works in NY, I live in CA so it wasn't like I could give it to him in person). He just got it and he really liked it. This makes me feel good today!

Good on trying new hair but I have no idea what it is. The fact that you and exhankster are speaking the same language is somewhat unsettling.

stopdog something like this

btw that's not me. That's a picture from the internet.

I watch a lot of true crime tv shows. I must say, lady lawyers often look like their fellow sharks have randomly bitten off their hair. And eyebrows. I suppose it saves time that they then devote to their client, which is truly admirable.

Thats a compliment, right?

I have had the song "Creep" stuck in my head for over a week now. Make it go away!

Kind of like the picture that Kit posted except not quite as angled and a bit further down the neck. And curly.

I did something to the tendons in my right elbow while chopping ice at my mother's over the winter and for the past few months lifted the normal weight with the left arm but no weight or 2lbs. or 5 lbs. with the right. Now it's finally healed enough to lift my normal weight.

I seriously have never looked at someone and thought that. I rarely look at anyone and think about their hair. I keep my head almost shaved - no random bites and I don't have enough that anyone can grab ahold of. Good for lawyering and cage wrestling.
I am not as fixated on hair as some it seems.

Sure - flaunt your youthful healing abilities.

Now I want a haircut. I haven't had one since well before the pandemic. I am trying to schedule one for tomorrow at my local hair dressers but they are taking forever to approve it. I haven't been doing anything with my hair since the pandemic so it is limp and long and just laying there. Now I am inspired by @@ to go get it cut and styled. I still want to keep some length but maybe just put in some layers or something.

Did I hear cage wrestling? SD vs ex-hankster in the title bout!

That's actually one of my favorite songs when I "get all up in my feelings."

I don't want to give you another ear worm but I'll take this one from you so you can get some peace.

I hope you're able to get it done! I got mine cut what, like a month ago or something like that and found out it had been 2 years since my last haircut before that! haha. I had been sticking mine up in a high ponytail pretty much 24/7 and the ends were so terribly scraggly. It felt incredible getting like 4 inches of scraggliness cut off, that I went back a week later and got another 2 inches taken off. I'm wearing it down a lot more of the time now. Mine's just straight and all one length, but I have been thinking about going back and having them do something new but I'm not sure what. I wish I had curly hair. Instead of curly, though, I got this super thick-coarse stuff.

Couch, this has been a hell of a week. Pet related trauma on Saturday at the crack of dawn. Hectic Monday at work as usual. Then my car broke Monday night. Due to backups at the dealership because of recalls, they can't look at my car for 6 weeks. My local mechanic won't even look at it because "it sounds like catastrophic engine failure and you definitely want that paid for by the warranty because it will be several thousand dollars."

I can't win.