IronMike's 2023 log: Fewer means better, right? (EO & RUS)

[IronMike]

StringerBell has been the source of una tonnellata of great ideas for Italian and generally for language learning. By the way, edX also has an Intermediate and an Advanced version of Italian Language and Culture.

Most definitely! Already have those on my plan for fall.

[IronMike]

Should have made it official the other day. So here goes.

b) Russian is my strongest language and I haven't taken a DLPT in a while. And my history of DLPT prep has proven to me that I can only study hard for about a month before I get burned out. So maybe in November or so I'll cram and take the Russian DLPT and OPI. I think I can realistically get a 2+/2+ on the DLPT and a 2 on the OPI. Language goal #2.

With the aforementioned result of a 2+ on my OPI, I have managed to not only meet, but exceed Language goal #2. 2+/2+/2+ on the Russian DLPT and OPI! w00t!

And with my 1L/2R on the Italian DLPT back in May (Language goal #1 being 1/1 or higher), I am officially done with the two language goals part of my Polyglot Fitness Challenge.

Still remaining are both of my Fitness goals:

Fitness goals:
a) I've done a swim in Chattanooga a couple times, called Swim the Suck. It's a 10-ish mile swim in the Tennessee river. Last year I did it in 5:15. I'm doing it again this year. I'd like to do it in under 5:00. Fitness goal #1.
b) I've been lifting for a little over a year. I started primarily because my lower back would start to affect my swimming at the 4-hour mark. So I thought lifting would strengthen my back and sure enough it has. Along with that I've become stronger and I've liked lifting heavy. I lift three days a week except between about mid-May to end of August when I lift just twice a week (spend more time swimming). The wife and I did a power-lifting competition last year at our Y; she of course destroyed it getting 2nd and 3rd in squat and bench. I only did deadlift and hit a PR for myself (325lbs). That was September. Next one is...wait for it...in September. Not sure if this goal is too much of a stretch but I'd love to deadlift 370lbs. Fitness goal #2.

Change to Fitness goal #2: I'm not doing the lifting comp this month. With 3 months off, I had to start almost at zero; just yesterday I did 1x5 reps of 195 pounds. Not hard, but certainly nowhere near 370#. Maybe by December?

[IronMike]

Italian continuing. First two lessons in Italian Vocabulary done, and lesson 6 of Ultimate Italian complete. Did exercises in both as well. I'm following along with The Untranslated's method of studying, as I really want to read Umberto Eco in the original, along with stories in Sessanta racconti. For reading I'm going through my Easy Italian Reader, I'm at chapter 10 now. Also doing the edX course. Maybe I'm doing too much?

Esperanto Sumoo also continues. Love that I'm able to use Esperanto to learn Italian!

[IronMike]

Helped out my daughter's swim team today by timing at the high school meet. One of the moms I noticed was speaking Italian to one of the swimmers. I spoke with her and turns out she's an Italian teacher at my daughter's school. Had fun speaking Italian with her. Even funnier, she was the original teacher in the basement of the restaurant where I'm currently taking class!

So now I'm going to make sure that I practice and prepare prior to all swim meets!

[IronMike]

While I was being lazy, you know, sleeping every night and only working 8 hours per day, super-swimmer and friend Sarah Thomas just went and swam the English Channel not once, not twice, not three times, but four times in a row. No other person has ever done that. Hell, before she started her fourth "lap," only four people have ever swum it three times in a row. Holy poop! (What have I done with my life?)

#4WayEnglishChannelSwim

[Teango]

I always feel so pleased with myself when I leave tourists, inflatable flamingoes, and paddle boarders in my wake and swim out to a distant buoy. Same thing...rrright??

[moonlyrics]

I spoke with her and turns out she's an Italian teacher at my daughter's school. Had fun speaking Italian with her. Even funnier, she was the original teacher in the basement of the restaurant where I'm currently taking class!

looking back, that's a good stroke of luck. with italian, a milanese accent is so gorgeous.

what regional accent for italian do you use?

[IronMike]

I spoke with her and turns out she's an Italian teacher at my daughter's school. Had fun speaking Italian with her. Even funnier, she was the original teacher in the basement of the restaurant where I'm currently taking class!

looking back, that's a good stroke of luck. with italian, a milanese accent is so gorgeous.

what regional accent for italian do you use?

Um...I speak what is known as the halting-umming-American Italian accent.

[IronMike]

Third page?! What the heck?!

So, the Sumoo went well. Read ~75 pages in Esenca lernolibro de la itala lingvo. But made me miss reading Esperanto, so this morning I started Kiuj semas plorante... Great book so far and in a subject I like.

Consolidated my Italian now. Working through the Ultimate Italian book and listening to Pimsleur. Once I am done with Ultimate Italian (maybe before...it is 40 lessons after all) I'll dive into Sessanta ricconti. I've already tried the first story (I sette messagheri, or smthg like that; don't have it at hand) but it took me the better part of an hour to get through the first 3 paragraphs. End goal remains to read The Name of the Rose in the original, so we'll see.

[IronMike]

Consolidated my Italian now. Working through the Ultimate Italian book and listening to Pimsleur. Once I am done with Ultimate Italian (maybe before...it is 40 lessons after all) I'll dive into Sessanta ricconti. I've already tried the first story (I sette messagheri, or smthg like that; don't have it at hand) but it took me the better part of an hour to get through the first 3 paragraphs. End goal remains to read The Name of the Rose in the original, so we'll see.

Forgot to mention the edX course Italian Language and Culture: Beginner. I'll continue using it. Much easier to do it during my allowed-study time at work. I like it so far. Just finishing up unit 1.2 right now. Ultimate Italian at home. Pimsleur on the walk to/from the train station M-F.