Forum - What's everyone been up to?

Welcome back!

My life's pretty much the same as before, especially with work sucking up most of my time. I'm still taking ballet lessons twice a week and I now have an electric guitar! I'm also finally trying to get my driver's license.

There a pros and cons to work eating all your time ;)

Congrats and the new guitar! Learning an instrument is fun. I've been working on the Piano myself.

I'm so happy that Kitsu's health is improved, which is 'amazing' news, and so's the fact that you're here too, Nagini! ^^ *wriggles a little happy dance from sitting in Fae's armchair whilst listening to Mumford & Sons*

Well, since I was such a lazy procrastinator, I had a hectic & frantic end-of-semester time. Now that 'that' is more or less over with, I've more free time, but still have Real Life stuff to get done.

I must needs earn my driver's license, too. It's long overdue. (Two of my younger brothers have reached that milestone already afore Fae.) *sheepish*

I was a "late bloomer" with the driving, too. Actually, I still don't enjoy it. It's this evil, mandatory thing that must be done to survive in WI, where everything is a whole long way away from everything else.

Living in Florida and wanting to move back there motivated me to want to learn (I basically could've stayed there if I had a car and could drive) and I'd like being able to go where I want when I want, but at the same time, I don't want to drive on highways... I know what car I want though.

Oh? Mind me asking what model car?

Seems like all of us were "late bloomers" . . . Day before yesterday I FINALLY started driving on the road! *showers of confetti* It was nerve-wracking on the first loop, but the step-by-step skills check-off my Pater had me do helped a lot. Each day I'm doing the same square-(ish) circuit, and I'm getting that muscle memory down. Yay for new nerve pathways! I love it.

Terribly terrifyingly necessary, this driving vehicles be. *shurgs* But bonding time w/ Pater = gratefully glad Fae, so... ^,^ It all works out! (Things usually do.)

I want a Honda Fit. I really like the cargo space it has and I've always wanted a subcompact hatchback and it seems perfect for me. My cousin has one too, so I might ask if I can test drive it later on. Congrats on the road driving! I haven't started driving on roads yet, but I can get around a parking lot. Aside from cars, I've also been making some progress in ballet. I'm gonna add on a third class to my schedule and see if I can start pointework later this year (my teacher thinks I'm strong enough for it but I want to wait a bit longer and work on my core and balance).

So cool! I admire your dedication to ballet...and patience. Fae remembers how you would use French ballet terms to name your threads...like that one apprentice ceremony...ummmm...sorry, can't recall specifics right now. I'll be sure to look it up later, though.

The fae kin and I watched a YouTube video of Tokyo Ballet just this morn'! Wabi-sabi! As the Japanese would say, on discovering beauty within life's imperfections (Marie Sugio, https://www.theodysseyonline.com/11-beautiful-untranslatable-japanese-words).

My core needs much work... as my achiy lumbar (lower back) constantly tells me! ^,^ *contemplates doing sit-ups*

I remember the thread you're talking about! I think it was a ShadowClan one. And if sit ups don't help with your lumbar area, just engaging your lower abs/sacrum enough should help. Ballet alignment starts in that spot in/around your sacrum where the lower back muscles and abs stabilize the pelvis, and learning how to keep that engaged helped my lower back a lot. That exercise where you lay down and keep your legs a few inches from the ground is a great one for waking them up.