Back in the forge today after a 12 month mutiny. Fully expected to get humbled. Thought I would ultimately be fighting for my life on warmups, questioning everything. But honestly… I surprised myself. Strength didn’t just disappear like I thought it would. I was moving way more than I gave myself credit for. Turns out the body remembers, even when your brain is busy being dramatic. Shoutout to the shape smiths and the other warriors watching me ease back in like I didn’t just ghost the forge for a year. Big takeaway. You’re almost always stronger than you think you are. Physically, mentally, all of it. Most of it is just showing up again. Today wasn’t crazy. Nothing flashy. But the mutiny is over. And we’re back to work

Some of you may have noticed my absence last week. On Friday April 3rd at about 2:00 am I got up out of bed too fast and passed out from the lack of blood flow to my brain. I have always had a history of falling when I get up too fast, but it's never made me pass out. This condition is known as orthostatic hypotension. It was especially bad before I started lifting. I hadn't had this problem for years now and didn't think it was an issue until that Friday. On the way to the ground I hit the left side of my head and the base of my neck, almost tearing my ear in half in the process. The result? A concussion and four stitches. As well as a major red flag that my thyroid medication is underdosed. This is the first concussion I've ever had. I'm hoping it's the last as well. But it has taught me some valuable lessons that I needed this year. So here is what I've learned: 1. Your brain needs idle time We spend a tremendous amount of time over consuming information. I realize now that I constantly bombard my brain with inputs. From podcasts to books there are very few of those precious moments where my brain can sit still. For some of you this might sound like a kind of hell. For me it took a bit more adjustment than I would have liked. I spent hours staring at my boring, white ceiling. I couldn't read, I couldn't listen to anything, I couldn't get up. It was just me and my brain. It was quality time with the only person in I should know best: me. It's amazing what staring at a ceiling or taking a walk without a podcast can do when your brain is already healthy. When you're concussed, it's mandatory. I realized that this idle time is what allows your brain to reconnect with the world around it. So many of us buy into woo woo nonsense like "grounding", or "chakras" when the answer is staring us in the face. The whole time it was just sitting with the silence that brings you back to the world around you. There is no need to live forever when there is an eternity in every moment if you'd stop to find it. That, by the way, is me getting a little woo woo.

Hi all! Remember how our Spring Champion won a gift card to Big Spoon? Well @Rose Rivezzi wanted to make sure you all received something special this spring too. So in time for easter, she has gifted our members 20% off Big Spoon orders! The cards with the code are up front in our lobby area! Feel free to pick yours up and enjoy some of Potsdam's best food!!

Congratulations @Susan Dodds for having the highest tonnage score for our Spring Quest! She will receive the $300 gift card to Big Spoon and she will receive our spring champion shirt And congratulations to all members of Maire’s Marauders! Each of you will receive our spring quest shirt as well. Later today or sometime tomorrow we will offer the shirts to be available for all other adventurers to purchase. The link will be active for 7 days only, after 7 days all orders are final and no extra shirts will be available! We will text all adventurers the link for the shirts and post it around the Forge for your convenience. We will celebrate this victory on the top of Mt. Arab! Tentatively scheduled for April 19th. All are invited to attend the hike!

Well, sort of. We're entering the last week of our Spring Quest with the holdover form the winter wizards' spell! But that's okay, it kept many of the monsters at bay so far... but they will come. It is the FINAL week of our quest. and I'm sure many of you are wondering what the winning prizes will be-- details to come. But here's the moment you've all been waiting for-- SCORES Maire's Marauders: 884,127.6 Tyler's Tacticians: 698,894.4 Richard's Retainers: 456,895.9 Joe's Jolly-Rogers: 746,426.3 Gavin's Grenadiers: 659,729.6 When the monsters come, points change hands quickly. Your random events will get... violent.. to say the least. One more week. May the Adirondikraken have mercy on your team.