Ideas
This is a list of stuff I want to try doing at some point. Some are hare brained, for sure. If you have comments or ideas, or are interested in collaborating, reach out!
(This doesn't include programming stuff, see the programming projects page for that.)
Todo
Float, tread water, and swim efficiently
Whistle loudly without using my hands
Make an outdoor structure in nature using nature and use it (sleep under a lean-to, etc.)
Make a terrarium and have it last a year
Make ginger beer
Make a raft out of bottles?
Build a chair
Sing bach chorales with friends in a super reverberant space (concrete stairwell, silo, etc.)
Eat foraged dandelions (greens for salad, roots for tea, heads for wine)
Perform ~15 minutes of music on my pump organ in a public space
Organize a tournament of something that is not important (coworker did this for rock paper scissors, sounds wild)
No computer, internet, phone (other than calling) for a month
Make a sling that can throw a rock using rope and use it
Convert our old water heater to store rain water
No internet videos for a month
Make a zine
Make a pocket sundial from an altoids tin
Stalled
Play "hand flute" a full octave
Open a rotary combination "love lock" that is on a bridge and put it back
Make a flag for our house
Doing
Drop in on a halfpipe/quarterpipe/bowl on a skateboard
- 20240706: Got a regular popsicle stick, which was a big leg up from my cruiser. That helped a lot, but I still have to get over the fear of just slamming my front foot down when I drop. It's just very scary and I'm not sure how to scaffold it well.
Learn Toki Pona well enough to read and write in it semi-fluently
- 20240706: This is probably the third time I've tried. But this time it's sticking. I'm spending time journaling with it, reading on some Discord servers, and going over my Anki deck every day. Lots of using it and just messing around. Trying to remain child-like.
- 20240921: It has now been a few months of mostly just doing Anki reviews. I really have the vocab down now. Need to get into using it, reading it, conversing with it.
- 20241125: Been on autopilot with an Anki deck for a while. I want to get back into using it when I journal, as that's a good way to practice, particularly complex ideas.
Run a 5k
- 20240706: Started running in the mornings. Only two thirds of a mile per day to make sure shin splints don't get happening and I'm at least slightly conditioned before I go for longer. But I love running. Some real ooga-booga caveman feelings in there.
- 20240825: Haven't been running in the mornings, but have been using a rowing machine. As far as cardio goes, I feel like this is still going in the right direction.
- 20240910: Been rowing for a while now. I think I may go for a run tomorrow morning just to see how this is affecting my running. I'm curious to see if it affects it at all. FOund a good site full of 5k's, so looks like I could literally pick any weekend and do a "formal" one.
Become shodan rank in Aikido
- 20240706: Am currently at fifth kyu. It's a long road, but I appreciate the tie I am spending in this art. Plus it's a fun way to do conditioning at home, using a wooden sword and staff.
- 20240825: Still cookin'.
- 20241125: Starting to look forward to a fourth kyu test. There is a whole lot more to practice for this, but I have a method that I used for preparing for music auditions ages I ago I might try.
Done
Camp with only a bivy sack (and maybe a tarp for cover)
I made the bivy sack and tried camping in it a while ago. It got wet in there really quickly, which sounds like a normal experience. So it's good as an emergency, but I'd rather cowboy camp with a tarp and a bug net.
Make a shirt from scratch
I made a shirt from the book "Zero Waste Patterns" and it was fun! While it ended up being the wrong shirt for me, I learned a lot about sewing and generally working with textiles and it showed me what I need to do next time.
"Zero Waste Patterns" by Birgitta Helmersson
Make a lagerphone for my buddy
- 20240910: Bought the materials, found a few how-to's, going to get started this weekend!
- 20240914: Took about an hour and a half and was super easy. Immediately satisfying and quite a presence as an instrument.
- 20240919: Gave it to him, and he immediately turned around and played rite of spring on his piano with one hand and hitting the lagerphone on the ground. Perfect.