I like lists

My brain is complicated and is thinking on its own (I think)

As I’ve reported before, my trusty Garmin Forerunner 255 has been reporting that I have been under a great deal of stress, experiencing high stress while sleeping and generally having Very Stressful days for about two months now. At first, I thought it was misinterpreting my kidney infection as stress and acted accordingly. But I’ve been off the antibiotics for a few weeks now and haven’t seen any return of symptoms, yet the Very Stressful reports persist.

So, I thought, maybe it’s something else. What else has coincided with the infection over the past few months?

  • I have basically stopped running. This isn’t permanent, I took a break after tripping and hurting my hands on my last run on December 30, then got hit with resurgent infection, finally seemed to recover from that and now there is snow on the ground. But I will run again.
  • Dealing with the infection and aftermath (there are more tests forthcoming for other things discovered that may be innocuous or could be more serious).
  • I have done little in the way of creativity: few drawings, no work on the game. I have been writing, but it’s mainly been the nonsense you’re reading on this blog right now.
  • Dealing with condo/strata stuff, as we restarted our efforts to shed the current council and management company (the latter of which specifically started harassing us last summer).

So, that’s a lot of stuff. Some I can deal with easily. I can fix not running by running. I can fix not drawing by drawing. The health stuff I just need to put aside for now. I feel fine and there’s nothing else to be done at the moment.

But the condo stuff, this got my attention this morning when I realized something: My mind wanders over to it constantly. When I say constantly, I am not engaging in hyperbole, or even just regular bole. Multiple times this morning, I caught myself thinking about condo stuff. It just comes up, unbidden, in my mind. Really, it’s kind of weird. It’s like my brain has adapted to just slotting in thoughts about the condo/strata whenever I’m not focused on anything else.

I think this may be a large part of my Very Stressful days.

Now, I do and will have to deal with strata stuff for at least a few more months, so there is no escaping it. But I don’t need to be constantly thinking about it. So my goal is to somehow train my mind to not think about it or if I do, to quickly divert to some other thought, such as:

  • Kittens
  • Puppies
  • Pop Tarts (just thinking, not eating)
  • Grassy meadows
  • Summer
  • A nice relaxing bubble bath
  • Walking alone among sequoias
  • Etc.

Basically, anything that will focus me away from strata and onto something relaxing.

I’ll see how it goes and report my findings soon, in the name of science and possibly my sanity.

Random things I remember from growing up in Duncan in the 1970s

I was six when the 70s started and 16 when it ended, so it pretty much encapsulates all of my childhood that I can still remember. Or think I can remember.

Kids, hold onto your smartphones as you hear about the primitive olden days:

  • Having a single phone in the house, in the hallway. It had a long coiled cord and was rotary. In the first few years it was also a party line.
  • One TV, in the living room. Maybe a 20 or 25-inch screen? It was colour, though! The guys watched Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday. I was not really into hockey. I was an artist! (See entry below on The Letterbox.)
  • The neighbours at the end of the block had seven chestnut trees in their year. We would put chestnuts on shoestrings and have chestnut fights, one of many dumb things we did as kids.
  • Speaking of dumb things: lawn darts! We played on the boulevard in front of the house.
  • A less dumb activity was bouncing on inner tubes in the same spot, using them as somewhat inefficient trampolines.
  • I would chop wood for our fireplace, because you were allowed fireplaces in the city back then. It was cozy in the winter.
  • I remember the Saucy Dragon arcade in downtown Duncan, which went on to be one of multiple arcades. In 1984, I even got my first job working at one. I eventually learned all the moves in the laser disc game Space Ace and could complete it on a single quarter. I believe all the arcades are gone now.
  • I’ve mentioned it before, but the stationery store, called The Letterbox, was a place I loved hanging out in. I was a writing nerd. I guess I still am. I’d buy fountain pens, refills, typewriter ribbons, art pencils and sketchpads there. And other stuff. It was my version of a candy store. It’s long gone. But there’s now a Staples.
  • Riding my bike without a helmet. No one wore helmets, it wasn’t even a point of discussion. I did fall a few times, but never cracked my skull open.
  • I got bit by every possible animal you can think of. I had probably 10x more tetanus shots than the average person.
  • The McDonald’s opening in August 1978 (yes, I remember) was a major event. The day before, a friend and I rode our bikes through the parking lot and counted the stalls. It was 70 or so, as I recall. A Filet-o-Fish sandwich, my favourite at the time, cost 65 cents. Previously, to eat at a McDonald’s, we had to have our parents drive us to Victoria or Nanaimo. In 1978, Duncan arrived. The McDonald’s, of course, is still there.
  • When I went to high school, literally just at the end of the street, I came home for lunch and got addicted to All My Children for a few years. Like the arcades, it, too, is gone.
  • More random things as I think of them.

Quotes that may not inspire you

It is always darkest before dawn. Unless you’re locked inside a broom closet.

A stitch in time will probably undo the fabric of reality

Every cloud has a tiny, angrier cloud inside it

Time heals all wounds, except shark scars because those are rad

When life gives you lemons, give life a kick in its lemon-soaked pants

I like Linux more than Windows*

*In some ways.

Here they are (a not exhaustive list):

  • Better font rendering. This surprised me, but fonts look fuller and sharper.
  • Faster. Everything feels snappier, especially ordinary OS things like opening/moving windows.
  • The file manager does not regularly crash. Or crash at all.
  • So much more customization for the UI.
  • The panel (taskbar) can go anywhere, like in Windows’ olden days.
  • App and OS updates are handled by a single manager, making it simpler and quicker than Windows. Also, I choose when to install them.
  • A better bunch of built-in apps.
  • A better Mastodon app (Tuba) than anything on Windows (though not quite as good as some available on Mac).
  • Desklets, applets and extensions add a ton of optional convenience features.

There are aspects that aren’t as polished as Windows, I haven’t replaced all equivalent apps yet, and gaming is still not quite there, but at this point, the downsides of running Linux (I am still using Mint) are considerably less than when I first started tinkering with it. This pleases me.

20 games that had an impact on me

This is borrowed from a thread on Mastodon in which the author posts a single game every day for 20 days, without explanation, that fit the criteria of “games that had an impact on me.”

I’m going to do my own variation here, listing out all 20 games, roughly in chronological order. Because I am olde, this also serves as a gaming history of sorts.

  1. Adventure (Atari 2600, 1980)
  2. Demon Attack (Atari 2600, 1982)
  3. Astrosmash (Intellivision, 1982)
  4. Miner 2049er (Atari 8-bit, 1982)
  5. Star Raiders (Atari 8-bit, 1982)
  6. Lode Runner (Commodore 64, 1984)
  7. Dungeon Master (Atari ST, 1987)
  8. SimCity (Amiga, 1989)
  9. Populous (Amiga, 1989)
  10. Betrayal at Krondor (PC, 1994)
  11. Myst (PC, 1994)
  12. Doom/Doom II (PC, 1993)
  13. Unreal (PC, 1998)
  14. Half-Life (PC, 1998)
  15. Star Wars: Jedi Knight (PC, 1997)
  16. Starsiege: Tribes (PC, 1999)
  17. Diablo 2 (PC, 1999)
  18. City of Heroes (PC, 2004)
  19. World of Warcraft (PC, 2004)
  20. PowerWash Simulator (PC, 2023)

Coming soon: I edit the list after remembering a bunch of games. Also, an explanation behind each game, in defiance of the Mastodon thread, because I make my own rules, baby.

Random things I enjoyed this past month, September 2024 edition

  • The song (and video) for “New Sensation” by INXS
  • A Coffee Crisp ice cream bar
  • Toast with strawberry jam, from a loaf of bread I’d just freshly baked
  • An elderberry-scented bubble bath
  • Using Linux Mint without any crashes or weirdness
  • Learning new keyboard shortcuts
  • Getting back into coding/programming (it still hurts my brain)
  • Drawing more
  • Writing more
  • S’mores1Not really
  • Rewatching Gravity Falls yet again
  • Running regularly without my legs falling apart
  • And other stuff

August of wind

It’s hard to come up with August-themed puns.

Here are a few reasons to like August:

  • In BC, the first Monday of the month (this year, it’s the 5th) is BC Day, a statutory holiday. Who doesn’t like stat holidays? I mean, other than retail workers, essential service workers and…probably a lot of other people, actually.
  • The day before BC Day is the Pride Parade in Vancouver. I’ve been multiple times and while I haven’t been in a while, it’s not because I don’t enjoy the parade, it’s more it’s too successful for its own good, drawing crowds up to 600,000 strong, which is close to the entire population of the city of Vancouver. Young guys in underwear are very popular. I’m not going to knock it, but I don’t want to be there when the parade ends and those 600,000 people need to leave. Also, the forecast is sunny and hot. This leads me to…
  • It’s still summer, if you like summer. I like summer. I like the longer nights, the warm days, the sun (not so much heat domes and the like). I like wearing shorts and not having to bundle up for my runs because it’s raining/snowing/hailing.
  • August has 31 days, so if you like it, there’s more of it.
  • If you go to school, it’s another month of school-free hanging out, relaxing and seeing the world, or some parts of it.
  • It’s also a popular vacation time, with the usually good weather.
  • If you’re into the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition), it starts in late August, and it lets city slickers see cows, pigs and, uh, probably farm equipment, up close and personal.
  • Probably other things I’ve missed and will secretly add to this list later.

Summer tips for summer fun

  • Move to Australia. It’s winter there! Just try to avoid the poison animals. So maybe don’t move there.
  • Dig a hole in your backyard that’s about 10 feet deep, where it’s always nice and cool. Convince Amazon to deliver your sunscreen there. I’m kidding, don’t use Amazon, they’re a terrible company.
  • Remember to stop activities before heatstroke, not after.
  • Sand is your friend. I mean, it’s not, but if you go to the beach, you’re going to have to pretend.
  • Notice how trees have all their leaves in the summer? Trees are your friends (unlike sand, which just gets in your shorts). Touch trees all summer, to keep in the shade and rekindle the primitive soul within. But mostly to keep out of the relentlessly cruel hot sun.
  • Remember how winter is six months of steady rain? It doesn’t matter that winter is only three months of the year, it’s still six months of rain. Think about how you are getting a nice sexy tan now instead of plodding through endless puddles from endless rain.
  • Heat domes are still rare! This is not a tip, but is helpful in managing expectations when people start going on about how it’s too hot. Manage those expectations! Everyone loves the, “Well, actually, it could be hotter…” guy! That guy could be you. Also works for all other genders. Note: Everyone may not actually love this person.
  • Do not listen to the 1992 album Summer in Paradise by The Beach Boys. Do you really want to hear Mike Love rap? (You do not.)

Random thoughts, June 25, 2024 edition

In random order, of course:

  • Only six months until Christmas!
  • R.E.M.’s song “I’ll Take the Rain” is lyrically bland and the music is a weird mix of synth strings and other stuff, yet I can’t bring myself to skip the song when it comes up on shuffle play.
  • I don’t remember the last time the grass was so green at the end of June.
  • I don’t trust authority. Neither should you.
  • Facebook, as bad as it was, is even more awful now. I don’t know how any reasonable person can use it, or would even want to use it. “Inertia is a hell of a drug” may not be catchy, but it might be accurate.
  • I am inordinately pleased any time I draw a long, curving line and nail it on the first try.
  • I wish I could swim better, but I seriously doubt I will ever try lessons again.
  • It delights me to see the EU and other countries kick giant tech companies in the junk.
  • Posting on any kind of social media is apparently something I just don’t care about anymore, even on sites that have no ads, no algorithm and you control the experience, like Mastodon.
  • I can never remember how to spell “algorithm”.
  • I should post more.
  • Cats are funny people.
  • It would be nice to spend one day in the pre-internet past, I think. Maybe two days. I like the internet, but, you know.
  • The AI hype bubble may burst before the end of the year.
  • Getting sick still sucks, but appreciating how great it feels to not be sick after is nice (but not worth getting sick in the first place).

Here’s a random GIF I found in my blog’s media library:

Inserting a USB cable

Pronouncements

Here are some, because it’s important for people on blogs to have opinions on trending topics or something.

  • AI: Very bad, silly and harmful, not necessarily in that order
  • Microsoft’s Recall (which uses AI): Very bad
  • Linux: Good, but could be better
  • Windows: Good, but Microsoft is determined to ruin it for reasons (see above)
  • macOS: Not really getting better, but good enough
  • Mechanical keyboards: Yes
  • Billionaires: All of them are bad, except those who got their money indirectly and not by design, and are giving it away
  • Capitalism: Deeply flawed and getting worse
  • Climate change: [screaming into the void]
  • The U.S. Supreme Court: Evil, corrupt and vile
  • Kittens: Yay!

Here is a kitten:

Raining? Have fun with these activities!

Photo by veeterzy

A list:

  • Jump in puddles (works best if under eight years of age)
  • Wait inside for it to stop raining
  • Do that jigsaw puzzle you bought ten years ago that’s buried in a closet somewhere
  • Listen to rain-related pop songs to “go with the flow”
  • If you have a car, now you don’t have to wash it! (Technically, this is not an activity.)
  • Do some dusting. Admit it, you haven’t dusted since you bought that jigsaw puzzle.
  • Plug your ears and say, “La la la, I can’t hear you, stupid rain!” over and over (works best if slightly mad.)
  • Just do regular stuff, but now it’s raining

Funkytown

I think I am in a funk. Why do I think this? A list, because, as always, I like lists:

  • I have been blogging a lot less lately, sometimes skipping multiple days
  • I have been playing PWS1PowerWash Simulator, my go-to de-stress game, to the point where I have worn out its pixels
  • I have the urge to draw, but do not draw
  • I have the urge to write, but do not write
  • My sleep quality has taken a dive in the last week or so
  • I had a few days with an unsourced headache just because (it’s gone now)
  • I haven’t been running in 11 days, sometimes for legit reasons, sometimes because I just didn’t want to go (note that I always feel better after running. The only time this doesn’t happen is if something goes horribly wrong on the run, like I have a close encounter with a tree root or something).

I think the cure is to just make myself do things, and I’ll naturally pull out of the funk. Why is the funk happening?

As always, it’s complicated. There are things happening. I think I am experiencing a certain sense of hopelessness in getting things–even small things2I like the word “things”–to change for the better. I don’t have much faith in people anymore. I guess that’s a big one. I don’t know that it will ever change.

But I muddle on.

Let’s see if I have a run update as my next post!