And that's without four medications that warn of “dizziness” and “drowsiness ” New normal so had to adjust everything.

Caffeine doesn't work well for me anymore so I've gone to Gatorade and protein bars instead. I'm finding that decaffeinated green tea establishes a good rhythm as opposed to “keeping me awake”. No coffee because of acid reflux. I don't want to have THAT keeping me awake.

And something as simple as to stop telling myself how tired I am if I happen to yawn. I'm not tired. Just need some oxygen.

Coffee is definitely an achilles heel for me. I too have become more sensitive to what it's actually doing to me when I drink it. I can feel how it makes everything rush and flip out within me. Those caffeine stress hormones at work, which also screws up my sleep, especially if I drink it in the afternoon.

It doesn't help that I live in Scandinavia either, where we have these really long, dark winter periods every year that just naturally makes us feel gloomy and depressed til' summer comes. That's why we are so obsessed with alcohol and caffeine and sweet pastries in my country.

But I don't drink much alcohol these days and I have at least made moves towards replacing coffee with Rooibos tea which is red tea that has zero caffeine in it, which I drink most evenings. Perhaps I can actually make that full transition this year. I hope so anyway.

I need to start drinking tea again…I get so cold, but I like the taste of coffee and the smell of it. Green tea can be energizing too. For some reason coffee can affect my sleep if I drink it in the evening, but not colas.

@bravo, the day I have to give up coffee and tomatoes for acid reflux is the day I stop living. I don't know how I would do it…

#andreas I also wanted to thank you…a while back, I started drinking coffee in a different mug thanks to the comment you left on my comic about coffee. It has definitely helped.

L.C.Stein wrote:

@bravo, the day I have to give up coffee and tomatoes for acid reflux is the day I stop living. I don't know how I would do it…

On my birthday a few years ago I had a cup of coffee after dinner.

Got home and had the worst chest pain. In fact all the symptoms of a heart attack. Went to the ER got all the prodding and poking through the night.(they had Turner Classic movies on though) It was reflux and not my heart, but still I don't skip the coffee it's lots of discomfort if not pain.

I can tolerate one small cup of coffee. To me not really worth it when I'd routinely drain the carafe of the coffee maker. Can't have citrus either but can tolerate tomatoes. And definitely don't mix them together. No coffee with a slice of pizza followed up by a lemon ice.

L.C.Stein wrote:
#andreas I also wanted to thank you…a while back, I started drinking coffee in a different mug thanks to the comment you left on my comic about coffee. It has definitely helped.

You're welcome🙂 Was it a travel mug? What does it look like?

Bravo, sorry to hear that. It's good to know your limits. I actually found out I was allergic to quinoa a couple year ago. There were times I would get these stomach pains like I wanted to die, and antacids would not help. After painful trial and error, I found out it was quinoa. That was a sad day for me sine I like quinoa and my husband is vegetarian.

Andreas,, the mug I got was a gift from my office - it's a Yeti mug. I also like it since it's very well insulated, and I can pour more coffee in it!

I had that yesterday! Only had one cup of coffee though, the night before. The acid in my stomach was doing bad things.

I did a photoshoot on Friday, went of with the models and friends afterwards, stayed at their hotel but couldn't sleep because redbul and whatever vodka drink I had messed with my brain.
Then off home early the next day. Got a little bit of sleep during the morning. Then off at 1pm to photograph a model friend of mine at a hotel… Off home at 6pm for another nap.

Then I did the Quackcast at 12am and that lasted till 4am. Didn't get much sleep again…
Spent all day sewing.
Went to bed late still sewing and watching mythbusters…
Exhausted at work the next day.
Got home, edited the Quackcast then stayed up till past 3am sewing, watching mythbusters and taking photos of my outfit.

Got another 3 and a half hours sleep. Then I rushed to get up and get ready to go off to the other side of the city to be a photographer on a boat party the models invited me to… Took over an hour to get there.

Great fun on the boat. I ate almost nothing, drank too much again. took many good pics… Off to an afterparty afterwards with a girl I met on the boat, then off to her place afterwards, then off home at 2am.
I got an hour sleep (because I couldn't fall asleep)… then off to work. Then finally off home for 2 hours nap, then uploading and editing photos…

I finally got about 5 hours sleep in a row last night, but I still feel awful :(

————–

This afternoon I'm off to see that lady from the boat again today, maybe take in a show and hopefully not get to bed toooooo late dammit!

It's great to say yes to stuff and take opportunities where they present themselves, but it's hard on the system. I've largely been avoiding coffee but I've been drinking a LOT of tea.

Anyway- life in a place with no CoVid-19. Summer in Perth.

Ozoneocean wrote:

It's great to say yes to stuff and take opportunities where they present themselves, but it's hard on the system. I've largely been avoiding coffee but I've been drinking a LOT of tea.

Anyway- life in a place with no CoVid-19. Summer in Perth.

“Summer in Perth” ? …or “Memoirs of a Root-rat” ? B-) Haha…

BearinOz wrote:
“Summer in Perth” ? …or “Memoirs of a Root-rat” ? B-) Haha…

Ozoneocean wrote:

BearinOz wrote:
“Summer in Perth” ? …or “Memoirs of a Root-rat” ? B-) Haha…

Haha !! Not msny would get that pic. !

Dang, Ozone, you're livin it up!! It's winter here on our side of the globe. :(

I've just finnished celebrating my nephew's birthday. He's turning 1-year old next tuesday. Funny thing was that the birthday cake that his mother, my younger sister, made had the same colors as my user banner. Strawberry- and -pear colored cream on the outside with blueberry- and -white chocolate flavoured mousse on the inside. Delicous and not too sweet😋

I've been muddling through “brain fog,” which I thought was a term I made up to describe the mental migraine symptoms, but apparently it's a word doctors are using to describe a symptom of post-Covid syndrome?

I had the mildest case of Covid last summer. My chest hurt in an unusual way for three days, and I had a temperature of 99 (97.3 is my typical). But also all these post-Covid symptoms just sound migraine to me. I have had an increase in migraines since then, but could be unrelated. Either way, I struggle to focus.

Anywho, I am making progress on Used Books. Two pages left in the current episode, and then I'll be printing my fifth book. It used to take two to three years, but this one has taken over five years for the same 200+ pages. So, I'm excited about that.



What I'm not excited about is that my story has come to a big “Bridge Out” sign. I know the finale of my story and have scripts for much of the stories on the way, but I have exactly zilch for my next chapter. :( I am most certainly going to have to take a hiatus to assemble my book and to do some serious writing.

I think I am a lerker(?) 😂 but that is wonderful! So many books you have printed. (I print mine small at home and it takes me months though or years to print it ready) but I do enjoy seeing how many and how much you accomplish with your work! I hope if you do sell you sell a lot of them.

And please be safe and take care are you feeling all better now?

yeonwoo wrote:
I think I am a lerker(?) 😂 but that is wonderful! So many books you have printed. (I print mine small at home and it takes me months though or years to print it ready) but I do enjoy seeing how many and how much you accomplish with your work! I hope if you do sell you sell a lot of them.

And please be safe and take care are you feeling all better now?

Aw. Thank you. The books look nice but I rarely sell any (maybe three or four books over the course of a decade). I buy a few copies to give to my friends. I get them printed through KaBlam, and they are available through IndyPlanet.

I'm okay today. I've had migraines for thirty years. They've gotten more frequent recently, but it might be because of how rapidly my eyesight is changing again. I've never figured out the triggers for certain, but they are mostly visual and/or weather-related. (I started getting migraines before storms last year. It happens every single time now.)

That's awesome, Used Books! This week (if I can get my act together) I will post my 100th strip. I'd love to get my comics compiled into a book, so I will check those places out. I am sorry to hear about your migranes. I get these awful tension headaches which sometimes mean that is a night I cannot draw…:(

That's a phenomenal collection UB! Amazing achievement :D

———————

It's finally happened, Covid got out of containment here! One of the security guards looking after the returned travelers with the infection got it and was out in the community… So far no one else has tested positive but the whole region is on lockdown till they've had a chance to trace and test all his connections.
Fingers crossed no one else got it and lockdown will end!

——————–

Weird when you learn that people think you're hot… Dressing well and taking care of your hair pays off.

Thanks, oz! I can't wait to get the book finished and in hand. Hoping to have it together by the end of the month.

You guys stay safe over there! My sis and family evacuated to her in-laws because of a wildfire. I hate to see this happening again. It's so deja vu from last year. -_- I don't think the world can handle another 2020.

As my webcomic's production is drawing to a close, I thought as well to mention that I am opening up to say that I am making a print version of the comic–with a new team.

The webcomic is going to continue, but I think the print version is going to continue though.

Anyway what do you guys think?



I'm going to make a print comic this year! :)

Wow, that looks amazing @MegaRdaniels! I think that would look awesome in print. :)

Pretty work!!!


————————


Covid lockdown ended on Friday but this week we all have to wear masks, even when we're sitting in the office, it's weird. It's weird to see people all in the street here and everywhere wearing masks in public.
They're so good about it here.
Thankfully the security guard hasn't infected anyone else so the masks are just a precaution.

Ugh this Covid thing still isn't over? I'm going back in my bunker. 😴

I just ordered a car online. So, we'll see how that goes.

usedbooks wrote:
I just ordered a car online. So, we'll see how that goes.

WOW! Expensive! O_O

———————

Jury duty next week on the 22nd! Argh! I hope I don't get picked :(
Such a pain.

Hey, I finally unfriended my Ex on Facebook the other day. No communication with her anyway and we're not actual friends so it was just a nasty, negative reminder to have her there.

Ozoneocean wrote:

usedbooks wrote:
I just ordered a car online. So, we'll see how that goes.

WOW! Expensive! O_O

It's a used car, so not *that* expensive (relatively speaking). But I still have to finance it with a six year loan and my tax refund as a down payment.

It's being delivered on the 23rd.

Ozoneocean wrote:

Hey, I finally unfriended my Ex on Facebook the other day. No communication with her anyway and we're not actual friends so it was just a nasty, negative reminder to have her there.

Was the Ex aware that she was dating the King of Drunk Duck?

Ozoneocean : Drunk Duck :: Jareth : Labyrinth

usedbooks wrote:
It's being delivered on the 23rd.

Congrats on that! I hope it's a good one :)

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
Was the Ex aware that she was dating the King of Drunk Duck?
Ozoneocean : Drunk Duck :: Jareth : Labyrinth

If I'm Jareth she was a goblin haha! LOL
j/k …she could be though XD

Drunk Duck is DEFINITELY the Labyrinth.

Ozoneocean wrote:

usedbooks wrote:
It's being delivered on the 23rd.

Congrats on that! I hope it's a good one :)

kawaiidaigakusei wrote:
Was the Ex aware that she was dating the King of Drunk Duck?
Ozoneocean : Drunk Duck :: Jareth : Labyrinth

If I'm Jareth she was a goblin haha! LOL
j/k …she could be though XD

Drunk Duck is DEFINITELY the Labyrinth.

Dance, magic dance! Dance, magic dance! Put that Drunk Duck spell on me!XD

Sorry, I can't help but make a stupid joke…@usedbooks will soon be debuting her new series “Used Cars”. I've seen those ads for Carvana everywhere, hope it works out and it's as easy as the ads make it out to be…

I actually had today off from work (Yay President's Day!). It's nice to have this bit of respite since March is a slog here in the U.S. (We don't have any holidays until Easter or Memorial Day)

I'm trying to get back into making comics but I keep getting paralyzed by whether it's okay if my stuff is just kinda crappy. I except that I'm never going to improve as an artist and I'm fine that anything I make will have around five people who read it if I'm lucky, but everyone talks about the need to improve as an artist and I know that's never going to happen in any meaningful way with me. I don't know what I want from this, probably just to vent my frustrations. Sorry