2021

Finally Back Home

stargrace July 20, 2021 0Comment

A fast moving fire had us evacuated on July 10th – and we were finally allowed back home, so in true Stargrace fashion I am going to back date a bunch of posts, because even though I wasn’t writing at the time, I did get some gaming (and knitting!) done. Honestly, I’m just glad that our house is still standing, that we had a place to go, and most of all, that we’re back home.

The kids handled things brilliantly, as kids do, but because our son has autism it was quite stressful to try to make things as ‘routine’ as possible for him in a situation where absolutely nothing was routine. He has some pretty exact food requirements and staying at your bosses’ house is stressful enough without everything extra going on. We were able to get away to the city for a few days, but hotels quickly filled up with other evacuees, so we stayed at a nearby town which is still quite isolated. It was odd to come home and see giant holes of space where forest used to stand. A big thank you to everyone who helped keep our home safe.

Knitting Yarn

Silver Bell Sweater – Completed!

stargrace July 19, 2021 0Comment

It took a REALLY long time, and multiple time-outs, but I FINALLY completed my Silver Bell Sweater. I started this project back in December of 2020 but was constantly fighting with the needles as I knit it, making it a bundle of not-fun. I ended up having to frog most of the body due to some awkward dropped stitches along the neck line, then frogging most of the body a second time due to some dropped stitches in the back. I ordered a set of ChiaoGoo needles (best needles I’ve ever owned, incase you’re wondering) and got back to it this year. Then I messed up a sleeve, and had to frog that and start over. Finally, we were evacuated when I had just 10 stitches left and I didn’t bring any spare needles with me since I wasn’t expecting to be gone that long, and I couldn’t finish it until we arrived back home yesterday.

This sweater is so incredibly comfortable, and I’m very happy with it. It’s huge and oversized, perfect for wearing over a tank top. I expect I’ll get a lot of use from it in the fall and winter months. PLUS I knocked a large project off of the to-do list, and I’m glad for that.

Next? Finishing off the second heel on my socks so that I can hopefully fly through the legs.

Gaming

Ding, 105

Well for once I don’t have a screen shot to show off, but that’s because I’ve been gaming on my laptop, and it’s always awkward to shuffle pictures around. I’ve been meandering through some zones with my team of three (shadowknight, enchanter, shaman) and three mercs – and having an absolute blast. The game is still filled with people playing (even if a lot of them are multiboxing these days) and current-day zones are always full of groups. The shaman has leveled up from their boosted level of 85 to almost 97, and the other two characters are sitting at a respectable 105 – that’s 5 whole levels since I returned. I’m quite pleased! Picking up spells and figuring out where I go next has been a bit difficult as I’m not overly familiar with progression in the older expansions, but there are still guides out there and I’m able to fumble my way around. I’m hoping to catch the shaman up and then maybe gear everyone out a bit more. I’m not sure I’ll be able to take the team all the way to 115 but that is the (eventual) end goal. We’ll just have to see.

Happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself!

Real Life

Health Goals – Progress

stargrace July 17, 2021 1Comment

As a quick recap – April 15th (one day after my 40th birthday) I decided it was time for a healthier me. I wanted to help limit some of the issues I have with MS, and I was hoping that losing weight would give me some quality of life changes by putting less overall pressure on my body. I started at 250lbs, and today I’m at 213lbs.

I’ve lost 37lbs – but I don’t actually see it when I look in the mirror, and I don’t actually feel like I’ve lost that much. I think I’m probably just always going to see myself as a bigger girl for a long time, the mental battle that comes with weight loss is just as difficult as the physical one. I’ve been doing a mixture of keto and just eating less food, I ended up losing quite a bit while we were evacuated just due to stress which is NOT something I suggest to anyone. Each month I give myself a budget of $100 for keto friendly foods that I can find, and this month that meant some amazing tortilla wraps, some bbq sauce, ketchup, some chocolate milk shake mix, and some konjac noodle rice stuff that I’m hoping to use to make keto friendly sushi. Turns out seaweed is perfectly good to eat on a low carb diet.

Long term my first major goal is getting below 200lbs. Once there, I plan on dropping keto and working on portion sizes and learning sustainability when it comes to proper meals, even in my unique location where pretty much the only grocery options are frozen carbs. I also plan on incorporating exercise into the equation once I’m below 200lbs. Due to my MS, I have to be careful about how I go about this. Some days I can’t walk or make use of my hands, and I don’t want to injure myself. I’m not exactly proud of the progress I’ve made, but I’m glad I’m getting somewhere. It’s a mixed bag, honestly. I’m also not seeing any changes in my MS symptoms yet, but I’m sure my body is thankful not to have so much weight to carry around, even if I can’t feel any difference.

Real Life

Inside

stargrace July 16, 2021 0Comment

Created with procreate on an iPad with an Apple Pencil, I called this one ‘inside’ because even though I feel small, inside I’m all roar.

Finally Back Home

Silver Bell Sweater – Completed!

Ding, 105

Health Goals – Progress

Inside

You Missed

The Search For Hrada-Oki Bivouac

Personal EVE Economic Update (October)

Expensive Month (preparing for fun)

Locked Out (again)