Force Jump, Level 1: Standing Jump

Another tricky challenge...this one took a few tries.

My first try barely got me off the ground, even with lots of effort. I lacked any Cheddar Monk grace.

Eventually, however I managed it more easily. Practice makes perfect. I definitely needed that smoothie for an energy burst.

Charity, Level 1: Make a Donation

This challenge was a bit harder for this padawan to accomplish, as I do not have a credit card, and therefore no means of donating online to the Jane Goodall Institute. However! the challenge says "Padawans...may use their initiative to make alternative arrangements to demonstrate their level of charity."


Huzahh! For I keep a charity jar on my nightstand, where each night I empty all of my loose change (Makes my purse and heart lighter). When it is full, I find some way to give it to a charitable organization of some kind. Unfortunately, the Red Cross had just knocked on all of the doors in my building last week, and I had emptied most of this change into their donation fund. The jar wasn't completely empty, as I left some in there and had added more since, so I dumped it out.

There were more quarters than I was expecting! Six US dollars and 78 cents. Not too shabby.

I headed down to the coffee shop. There I found two 'tip' jars (Actually, now that I look at my pictures, there was a third for March of Dimes.). Instead of giving the baristas money, they ask that you give money to one of their causes. One was Pennies for Peace (http://www.penniesforpeace.org/), and the other was a fund to build orphanages in developing nations. I split my money between them. I also got a smoothie while I was there. I needed my energy to work on my force jump!

I hope the masters will accept this as my charity level one. If not, I will try to make other arrangements once my charity jar gets more full again.

Force Levitation, Level 1: Ball

I found this task to be slightly easier than I found Level 1 Force Manipulation (that was a challenge indeed!) It took me several times before I succeeded in making the ball hover long enough to claim mastery of this skill.

And of course, after a long day of training, a Cheddar Monk needs a snack!

Build Your Laser Sword

Ah, now this was a challenge I was looking forward to. I've been fencing with steel blades for a long time...swords were much more my style than singing or force manipulation. I first gathered materials. The local shopkeepers were most helpful, if a bit puzzled at my requests. One woman must have entertained padawans before though, for she guessed my craft!

Ready to Begin!

Now that I had my materials, I was ready to begin. I took great care in this step of my journey - I knew that with this blade, I would get more than the bruises and cuts I knew from fencing with foils and sabres (the metal kind).

Every Cheddar Monk knows that the focusing crystal is the heart of the blade.

Although I did not escape entirely without injury (perhaps the Masters remember being a clumsy padawan - not always easy), I did manage a respectable saber. Turning it on was a glorious moment indeed!

For those interested, I used a chrome plated pipe (1 1/4 inch), rubber rings the same diameter as the pipe, electrical tape, a red thumbtack, a drain plug, and a threaded rubber runner. And lots of Gorilla super glue, which peeled off some of my skin. I recommend gloves! (Which I was told once or twice....clearly I need to learn to listen to my elders.) Oh, and garbage ties to fasten it to my belt! Also in that picture you can see scissors, an X-acto knife, and a pocket knife. I like a variety of tools, but you could probably get away with only using one. (Apologies to people who know more about hardware stuff than I do if I named something incorrectly...mostly my experience handy(wo)man wise is building wooden things, like cornhole boards and the shed in my parent's backyard, and then it's like, jigsaw, tablesaw, wood glue, ruler. Not too terribly complicated. Except I laid tile once! And demo'd and rebuilt a wall, that was fun! But seriously, I have no idea what most of the labels in the plumbing section mean. Some things I try to fix myself. Plumbing I leave to the experts.)

Force Manip, Level One

Much like many others before her, this padawan prefers sword work to the intricacies of the Force. However, with patience I eventually prevailed.

The First Challenge: Loyalty, Level 1

Knowing that singing is not where this padawan's talents lie, I took the time while my roommate was away to record the Darths & Droids Pledge of Allegiance. My neighbors were treated to my own rousing a cappella version of this wonderful tune.

Beginning My Journey

If you want to be a Cheddar Monk, you have to look the part! Why, who would trust you in a crisis if you haven't any Cheddar Monk robes? These robes are universally recognized as marking each member of the Cheddar Monk order. You aren't a Cheddar Monk at all, they'll scoff, looking at your scruffy clothes. All the force suggestion in the world can't erase a bad first impression.

Therefore, the first item of business before I enrolled in the Padawan Academy was to acquire my own robes. I could have bought some pre-made, but who wants that off-the-rack look? I would make my own! I boldly decided.

First I would have to learn to sew.

I had a simple sewing kit (needles and thread, small scissors, measurement tape, and various bobs and bits I don't know the name of), and some measurements.

Off to the store to get the materials.

I found the perfect fabric for my tunic (yes, I was making that, too) and my robes. There was just enough of the tunic fabric left for what I needed! The Cheddar Masters shone their luck upon me, indeed. One day, this pile of fabric would be my robes.

Fortune struck again when my ally in this quest revealed herself to be a master seamstress! I bowed before her wisdom as she schooled me in the art of crafting clothing. Never had I sewn together more than a pillow that quickly fell apart...but this woman must have been a Cheddar Master in disguise herself, for the patience she had! Soon, I had a perfectly wearable (if unhemmed) Cheddar Monk robe for my days at the Academy, and was well on my way to having the rest of my uniform as well. I bade her my thanks, and set forth on my quest.

This padawan is ready for the Academy.