Week 6 Status Update

We're six weeks into the year.  How's the week in review?

Fooling Mother Nature (First Draft):  I confess, I didn't even think about it.

Polar Bear on the Loose (Revision, using How To Revise Your Novel):  Still working in Lesson 7, but I confess I haven't worked on it this week -- maybe a little later tonight I'll get some time in on it.

750words.com: I've written at least my 750 words each day and have a current streak of 243 days.  I've written 10,135 words so far this month.  I'm still working toward my next badge, the Double Flock -- 250,000 words.  I'm currently at 234,911 words, so I'm creeping up on it.

Internet Responsibilities:
- I blogged once this week
- I've neglected an FM project.
- I want to learn some WordPress CMS techniques, and my goal is to learn one thing a month.  I did not do anything on that this week.

- I installed Time Out Free from the Mac App Store.  It grays out my screen after 50 minutes on the computer, strongly encouraging me to go do something else for at least ten minutes.  I can delay or skip the break if I want to, but, mostly, I've been getting up and doing something else.  Much appreciated!  It's one of the best apps I've gotten from the app store, and it's free.

Pets:
- Everyone survived the cold weather

- Dazzle is still amazingly spry for her age.  Trying to turn quickly drops her on her hindquarters though, poor girl.

- Kittens are at that stage you can't wait for them to grow out of but you miss after they do.

Property:
- I defrosted the freezer at the shop.

- I swept some dirt from a corner that gets seepage. I figure when it gets wet, it will make mud, so it's best to get it off the floor while it's dry.

- I spent fifteen minutes each day in the blue room (a back bedroom named such for it's blue wallpaper) pulling boxes of my stuff out to take to the store for storage and sorting.  My goal this week is to get all my stuff out of that room so hubby can sort his stuff -- or tell me to take it to the store.

- I worked on my Things Today list, which has routinely had 40+ items on it, many just waiting for me to do them.  The list is currently carrying 13 items -- several of which can't be done (mowing lawn, pulling weeds, trimming and edging)

- We took a trailer load of 5 gallon buckets filled with rocks, tree shreddings, and torn linoleum out to the ranch.  We haven't been out there in some time, so naturally, several trees have fallen across the road.  Chain saws come in very handy; we had to use it four times.  We flushed five deer at one point -- nice, large, healthy looking deer.  We noted several areas where the fence is down, and we'll have to spend at least a day pulling barbed wire soon.  Right before we got up to the motor home site, we noticed a large tree down across the road.  That, too, will be a job for another day.  Inside the motor home, a critter, probably a rat, has been busy trashing the place.  Sigh.  The motor home was slated for renovation anyway.  Now it's mandatory.
- I pressed and rehung the drapes on the front window in the living room.  My mom only made them for us two years ago.  We have one of the four windows hung -- finally.  Only three more to go.

Health:
- I rode the recumbent bike for ten minutes (twice) , on custom 1 setting, which increases resistance one level until it maxes out then it decreases the same way and tapers off to a light load to finish out program.  I call it the peak setting.  Max heart rate was 140 (calculated max heart rate for me is 170).  Average heart rate was 120.  Since I said at the beginning of the year, "When the max heart rate gets down to 153, I'll increase time," I guess it's time to add more minutes to my workout.  Yay!

- I counted the ranch work as exercise, since my step count for that day was over 10,000.

- In summary, I worked out for three days this week.  I'm pleased with that and that my heart rate is plummeting while riding the bike.  I don't feel any healthier, but I do like a lower heart rate.  Resting  heart rate is the same -- 72.  A few years ago, I was below 60.  It'd be nice to get back to that again.  Step by step.