february 2024
Hello! š½
feeling grey
I got sick at the beginning of February, and my job got tougher. So I was a bit grey this month. Itās not a feeling Iām super familiar with. It feels like boredom but also no energy. Or just laziness.
This time of year in general is hard for me. Things are slower, itās usually rainy and grey outside. Daylight saving time is still stealing daylight.
And when the sun goes down here, it gets particularly dark because we often have cloud cover. No moonlight :(
Work has been tough in the new year too. Iāve been working harder for longer hours without finding much purpose.
Iām learning that in those moments itās best to try to do something and not consume. Start reading, drawing, writing, and exercising.
fitness
Thankfully, February was a great month for fitness. Despite sickness at the beginning of the month, I was able to keep up my normal schedule.
Not being able to exercise wouldāve made this month infinitely harder, Iām sure. Exercise is one of my principle sources of the good hormones (serotonin/dopamine/endorphins), especially on weeknights.
climbing
I got a red tape for the second time in my bouldering career which was awesome. Climbing is weird in that the feeling of progression comes and goes depending on the current setting and my mood. But this month I felt good.
gymnastics
I started an adult gymnastics class this month in an effort to finally deliver on my two long-standing resolutions (one minute handstand and standing backflip).
The teacher scolded me in my first class for flipping without his permission but we get along famously now. Iāve successfully irritated my right hip flexor with the amount of backflips (into a foam pit) Iām doing.
weightlifting
I hit 225 on bench press this month which felt good. They were perhaps the worst-looking reps ever performed in that gym. But still legal I think.
running
I started running on Sundays with a group of friends. Itās great to get outside on the weekend and have an excuse to get a little pastry treat afterwards. This combination of pace/distance/frequency means Iām not getting injured (š¤) which is wonderful.
the bachelor
We started watching the Bachelor this month. Iām convinced that this show is actually just a cult disguised as a reality television show.
This seasonās Bachelor, Joey, is so sincere and honest that I canāt help but trust that he actually believes in the concept of the show:
Dating six women at the same time and picking one of them will result in finding your true love.
The cult is most striking when Joey is sitting in front of the parents and has to justify why itās actually okay that heās dating three other women in addition to their daughter. That takes some skill! And a lot of indoctrination!
Somehow, he explains the concept in such a sincere way that most of the parents walk away content. Incredible.
The amount of propaganda required to convince me to date someone who is also dating five other people at the same time is insane. And for it to be televised?
Hereās a handy instagram account that summarizes some interesting data about the show.
links
the end
Thatās all for now. Thanks for reading!