What I’m Up To – August 2024

(As of August 2024)

Updates

3 songs (check back at the end of the month – hopefully I’d have links to all three by then) – I have two. Rough and unpolished, but here goes:

“Redundancy”

“Rise to Fall”

Stretching and strengthening my hips, knees, ankles (they’ve gotten terribly tight over the past month) – …and now a thigh injury at the end of the month has gotten me all sedentary and tight again. Whoopsies!
Beatboxing (in the privacy of my car, alone) – Not good enough to entertain myself yet, haha. But slowly getting there.

Co-leading a 3-day, 2-nights “Learn To Camp” trip (for first-time campers) – Done. Absolutely lovely. 9.5/10

The Arabian Nights (translated by Husain Haddawy) – Done.
The Weight of Ink (Rachel Kadish) – Done. Would recommend.
The Agony and the Ecstasy (Irving Stone) – Done. Lovely, but a bit hefty of a book.

Whipcracking (until the snow comes!) – A little.
Rock slinging (with 3 slings I made in June) – One was more accurate and handy than the other two, lol. Not as big a fan of this as I thought I would be, so would focus more on archery and have rock slinging and whipcracking as “side interests.”

3 different writing workshops (19 students total) – Wrapping up in early Sept. I’d say they went well!

Preserved flower arrangement (a 3-week workshop) – Missed the last workshop due to a woodcarving injury, but shall complete the last project early Sept. Made a necklace and flower glass dome; will make a bouquet.
Clay moulding (finishing projects begun last month) – Done. Love the things I made 🙂

Basic car mechanics/auto repairs (practicing on Icarus) – Yep!
SICP (yes, again again…) – Some progress. Slow, however…very. I think I’m going to work through it this time, which means it could take months…

The interlinked concepts of destiny and identity (the intersection of the two, and the possibility of missing out on either – or both – intrigues and low-key frightens me) – Not much has changed here, haha – still wonderfully intrigued by it all!

Lazy summer afternoons (I’ve had so many of these in July, it feels like a lovely daydream…) – Multiple such afternoons. One that was especially lovely was taking a walk with a friend and a sister all afternoon through the woods, along a cliffside, and by the beach…right into the sunset. Magical.
Dreams that send my heart racing (especially ones that resurface after years of lying dormant) – There are many…
A certain 菇頭 😉 (Don’t ask me for details/explanation, haha) – Had a chance to meet near the end of the month. Then I had to get a cold. But of course.

Odelia Chan