Toren Atkinson

Today I learned about Foster’s Rule which tells us why tortoised get big and mammoths get small when they’re isolated on islands. Neato burrito!

Everyone knows not to talk in a movie theater. Right? Right?

Well here’s something else I’d like to point out. This is particularly true if you’re in a book or comic store. If you’re talking to the clerk/owner at the cashier desk, and there’s somebody standing behind you with product in their hand, get the fuck out of the way. You can keep talking if you like, I don’t care, but I have places to be and none of those places are behind your bigass backpack and your Superman Returns critique. And I’m sure the owner of the store would like to take my $20. I have given up and put the book back in frustration before, and I’ll do it again.

Don’t be a schnook

Let me buy my book

It was so refreshing to walk in the rain this morning!

PS my new D&D character’s name is Zabsurast Hoohoo and I think that’s awesome like hot dog.

Has anyone else heard of this red paper clip guy? Two days until his housewarming in Kipling, SK. He traded a paper clip for a house. Very inspiring. Also very inspiring is the miniseries “The Long Way Round” with Ewan McGregor and his buddy motorbiking around the world. Stewie got it on DVD and we pretty much watched the entire 5 episode series in a couple days. All reality TV should be so good.

Here’s the master plan for the rest of the month:

This week: Finish my Power Enterprise drawings

Next week: Illustrate Amanda’s digestive system boardgame

Week after: Kid’s book.

Throughout: Thickets album.

 

ADDENDUM: Photos of real life monsters from the deep sea that are up for awards. Must see!

PLUS: Space is big.

Mom says depression runs in my family. I didn’t know!

The symptoms of depression are sleeping a lot, avoiding taking care of business (not opening your mail, etc.) avoiding daily life in general. Getting panic attacks, and generally not being able to cope. Of course, those people who have these symptoms can’t get themselves to the doctor for help, so they need people around them to help them. [A relative] has been off work on “stress Leave” it seems every year. She works as a teacher’s assistant. She doesn’t even go home to her house, she lives on her sailboat, because she doesn’t want to answer the phone, or open her mail. She ends up in a big mess because of this, then has to cope with even bigger problems. She is on a medication to help her now, but school is already out, so she won’t be going back to work until next fall. We hope she gets better. [Another relative] is quite bad, but being of the generation that doesn’t even recognize depression, she just carries on best she can. She doesn’t change her clothes or wash her hair, but that could be said of a lot of older people. She also sleeps a lot, especially when they lived here. It didn’t matter what time of day you called them, they were napping. They slept in front of the TV as well…She is a lot more active since they moved to the retirement center, lots to do there, and they have to come out of their rooms for meals, and tea-time and coffee-time. She even plays bingo in the mornings. [Yet another relative] has panic attacks, and gets stressed out easily, I have to be careful what I say. He has been much better this past year, but he still cops out and disappears to the local old-mens’ club, i.e. the Legion, every day. So much for that, keep your chin up, but don’t hesitate to ask questions of your doctor if you feel blue for long periods of time. Sometimes counselling helps and you don’t need medication.

Well, I don’t feel blue for long periods of time (just after I get dumped). I never get panic attacks. I do avoid opening my mail sometimes, but only for a few days (typically these are bills). I often ignore emails but only if they require long indepth replies, or replies that involve answers that I don’t have. However, I do have a distinct lack of ambition and distinct antisocial tendencies. I cannot schmooze worth a damn. I do absolutely loathe anything that has to do with bureaucracy and paperwork, i.e. taxes. I just let my driver’s license expire and I am loathe to think about the hoops I’m going to have to jump through, i.e. leaving the house and waiting in line. Filling out forms of any kind doesn’t agree with me. I hate the telephone, and use it as little as possible. But I am emailing people constantly. So who knows what’s going on in my brain. Not me.

Why did my bike’s back tire suddenly become bent and warped for no apparent reason while I was riding it?

Why did I forget to bring it in to a shop on the two days I had off?

Why are Cyclepath and the Bike Doctor, the only two bike repair shops I know within walking distance from my place, open from 10-6, the exact hours that I have to be at work?

Read this article, and pay close attention to the very last sentence.

Here, for your disinterest, is a list of my favourite foods:

Licorice, Bubble tea (taro milkshake), Chocolate (especially dark chocolate), Pizza (particularly Mediterranean with feta cheese and kalamata olives), Ice cream, Butter tarts, Butter chicken, Roast potatoes, “Home fries,” Chicken shawarma, Miss Vickie’s sea salt and malt vinegar chips, Hardbite honey mustard chips & Rold Gold honey mustard pretzel chunks, Count Chocula, Golden Grahams & Reese Peanut Butter Puffs, Four cheese tortellini, Syrupy ball desert found in Indian restaurants, Henry Weinhardt’s Premium Draft root beer, Yams with brown sugar, Wasabi peas, Peanut M&Ms, Bridge Mix, Chai tea.

From that list, here’s what I was able to eat/drink on the MediFlat diet: Chai tea (after a fashion).

However the MediFarce thang is pretty much at an end. I’ll still be eating differently than I used to, but I won’t be denying myself anything anymore, just trying to make sure I don’t overdo it. When Stewie asked me if I wanted anything from Germany, I asked him to look out for exotic Ritter Sport (good quality chocolate) flavours. He totally came through for me with a package of tiny bars featuring three new flavours. I’ve been enjoying one of the tiny bars each night for the past few nights. The old me would have the package done in an evening. Tonight is the drawing class for Slackademics and there’s no way I could partake in a potluck while sticking to the MediFool regimen.