The Experiment - Day 6

This is Day 6 of the Experiment (where my 10-year-old daughter Rebecca gives me tasks I must complete.

Yesterday was the first day that I didn't complete one of the tasks. The first task was to take a mile-long walk, one that I've taken many times. I was doubled over in pain most of the day, and could not manage to break away from the house to do it. Today, I've also been assigned a walk, albeit a shorter one. I'm still not feeling great, but I hope to be able to accomplish this one today. If it doesn't stop raining, I suppose I will have to put on my rain coat and go. (Yes, you sense mild resistance - I'm still not feeling very well physically, and would rather curl up in a ball.)

I am proud to say I did learn something new yesterday - a few things, actually. I found a website called Learn Something Every Day, where I learned that we burn more calories sleeping than we do watching TV and that ostriches don't ever stick their heads in the sand. But my favorite factoid was that most toilets flush in the key of E. That of course spurred investigation on my part. I took my trusty electronic tuner into the bathroom and discovered that our toilet actually flushes in B flat and refills in C#. I told a friend who is a plumber, and he envisioned showing up for a job with a tuning fork, and saying, "Well, Ma'am, here's the problem. Your toilet should be flushing in E, but it's flushing slightly higher, in F. Retuning your bowl will be a major job - I'm afraid this is gonna cost you!" This task offered more amusement than I had expected!

Since I didn't complete Task 1, I made sure I completed yesterday's extra task of sketching in my sketchbook. However, I have been sketching the way I always used to, by creating a cartoon-style journal of my life - how I feel, train of thought, whims and such. I guess that approach was less whimsical and more empirical than Rebecca had in mind, so she has clarified the parameters of this task (see today's Task 3).

Here's the list of today's tasks:

1. Create a cool craft project. Have fun and be creative. Do something you didn't think you could do. It's a rainy Saturday, and as I said, I don't feel well. Do I have time for this? Do I have the energy for this? I also have to do some accounting and design work to catch up on. Look out - here comes the Excuse Express. Whooo-whooooooo! Maybe the problem is that when I hear the word "project", I envision something that will take days to do. I need to scale back and make this achievable. But what can I do that I currently don't think I can do? Careful - don't fall back into excuses!
2. Walk the small loop around our house (a much shorter route than was delegated yesterday). I can do this.
3. Doodle. Don't draw real things. Start with a line, and then another add a circle, etc. Keep it abstract.

I'll let you know tomorrow how I did!