Rockin’ the 80’s

Blog Post Number 90! Wow, blogs fly. Summer 2022 is complete here in western Canada and we now make our way to The Fall. While this post will be fantastically funny and informative as per usual, it may not be as great as number 89 (easily one of my favorites). However, apparently not everyone agreed. My wife didn’t think it was all that special and the general response was minimal. It’s a good thing that I write these for me.

Controversial Sunday Schooling

My apologies if the Blog 89 commentary regarding the pope was offensive. I did say 5 hail Mary’s to ask God for forgiveness after I wrote that. He forgave me like he forgives everyone, always. I’m just kidding of course… He doesn’t exist. Odin, Thor, and Loki, on the other hand, exist… and they bow to Her.

Summer Concerts

The War on Drugs were fantastic. Kathleen Edwards sounded great. The Mariners rocked.

My wife and I also saw Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett in an 80’s Stadium Festival extravaganza. Motley Crue? Yikes! Def Leppard sang a song about them… Two Steps Behind. Motley Crue need a cover band to do their tour now.

Def Leppard were epic and have not lost their sound.  “Are you getting it? Armageddon It! Are you getting it? Joan Jettin It!”

Joan Jett still loves rock’n’roll but what’s a Jukebox? And what’s a dime? “I love rock’n’roll. Put another Doge in the Crypto Wallet to access the coded FLAC song, baby PC endearing term for person of non-descript-ness.”

Here’s one of my last photos of summer 2022. This is the Thompson River in beautiful Raleigh, British Columbia. There’ll likely be snow there before September is over. 

Queen

I was told the queen died.

I said, “Old news. Freddie Mercury died in 1991.”

“No, no. Queen Elizabeth died.”

“Still old news. Queen Elizabeth died in 1603.”

”No. Queen Elizabeth II.”

”Oh. She just died? Wasn’t that a while ago… in a car accident in France?”

”No. That was Princess Diana.”

“Guess I don’t really know my British royal family history, or current status, or much about them at all.” Shame.

Good News

At least there’s some good news:

With all the talk of war, the death of the queen, inflation, political strife, Covid variants, global warning, along with Monkey Pox, Small Pox, Chicken Pox, Jack in the Pox and Pandora’s Pox, at least we can all agree that it’s great news that The Mandalorian returns for season 3 in February. Go Go Mando!

Health Update

Thank you to everyone who has sent emails and messages of encouragement about my health. I am still not in a place to give any real information regarding my health status and what I’ve been going through. It would be an incomplete story at this stage. I’m hopeful of telling a complete story and it is my intention to do that on this forum at the right time. I can tell you that my health continues to improve and that I am very optimistic of recovering.

Future Plans

I’m now back to work. I’m hopeful that I will continue to be able to work part time as a nurse and a lot more as a writer. The novel is stalled and is now looking more and more like a 2023 release. I knew my novel wasn’t going anywhere when I re-read this dialogue I had written:

”I’m like going to try to like be like better like at everything in my life.”

“What about like socially and like relationships. They’re like important too.”

”Like I know but like I’m like going to get a cat.”

Words of Wisdom

1. Be wary of scams. I recently received an email stating that “The Package failed to be delivered. This is your 3th Alert.” I hope they don’t send me a 4rd Alert.

2. Read between the headlines. “Nurse That Acquired Job By Submitting False Nurse Certificate Banned From Applying For Legitimate Certificate.” Applying for false Certificates can and will continue. Carry on.

3. Remember, Write’s a Journey, Not a Destination.

That’s the 80’s in the books and a great start to the 90’s. Thank you to everyone who continues to read, comment, share, and support this blog as I tread water and gather myself for a future of great writing. It’s now time for the ending jokes. Many many people will not get the subtleties of this first one but what the HELL. Enjoy.

Do you want to watch The Book of Boba Fett?

Mustafar No!! However, we could watch Obi-Wan Kenobi And/ Or The Mandalorian.

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A Friend’s Facebook Status. “Going to see my friend, Roy Mundheim and go watch comedian, Trever Noah.”

You’re in for a treat. He’s hilarious! Trevor Noah can be funny sometimes too.

What the Sighing Says

It’s time for Blog Post #89. Happy August and welcome to another edition of the greatest blog I’ve ever started, written, produced, and promoted. Thank you to everyone who sent encouraging words and well wishes following Blog Post #88. My health recovery continues. Updates still on hold.

For now, I’ve returned to work. After 5 months off, my return has really been just like riding a bike; wobbly with lots of falls, getting back up, scraping knees, crying, going over jumps, flat tires, and feeling the burn in the legs, all while not wearing a helmet. It’s good to be back.

Website Update

Unfortunately, my Published Works have become a lot smaller. My articles for CityMash have disappeared along with the site itself. Also, my article documenting the challenges faced by my friend, Sylvia in her long battle with cancer was removed from the site where it was published after a site revamp. I removed the links from my Published Works and who knows when I’ll add to it again. The writing focus now is on the novel.

Novel Sneak Peak

Here’s another brief excerpt:

Exhaustion rushed from his brain-holding chamber all the way down his limbs as he awkwardly put on his hoody. I’m so tired. It’s like I have muppet arms. Let’s go… Let’s go anyway.

Altruistic Atheism

Star Wars: A New Pope

The Pope recently said that his trip to Canada showed him he may need to retire.

From Canada to the rest of the world, “You’re welcome.”

Happy Birthday Lesly

This month we celebrated my lovely wife’s 50th birthday:

Lesly, it’s your birthday.

God bless you this day.

You gave me the gift of a beautiful wife.

And I’m proud of you today.

Words of Wisdom

1. Don’t live in the past.

Prequels seem to be quite popular right now… for some reason. LOTR, GOT, Star Wars etc. With that, I have decided to take you back to when and how I started writing. It’s an interesting story that gives some real background and insight into how I got here. Here’s an exclusive excerpt of my early writings:

A B C D E F G

Stay tuned for more of Write or Wroy: The Prequels.

2. Recognize the signs and symptoms.

Do this. Don’t do that. Can’t you read the signs?

*This is actually a ‘No Cycling’ sign near where I live where there is a history of unexplained non-sanctioned, unauthorized cycling.

3. Don’t smoke.

A cigarette recall was recently announced. The reason has not been released but it could be a simple lack of sufficient approved carcinogens to meet health standards. That’s my guess anyway.

4. Don’t live in the past.

“Hey, you already said that!”

“You’d only know that if you didn’t heed the advice.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this month’s post. It’s great to be back writing regularly and I’m hopeful that it will equate to more progress on the novel along with blog posts as crazy good as this one. It’s now time for the ending jokes. Enjoy.

HBO announced that House of Dragons to not have gratuitous sex and violence.

So, it’s not for Game of Thrones’ fans then?

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Recently, there was outrage from the public after a man threw a bottle at a kitten in a baby stroller.

To be fair, we don’t know what the kitten said to him.

Juuust a Bit Outside

This one’s not late. It’s Blog Post #88. The summer is here in western Canada and although the weather hasn’t been exceptional, there have been some great weather days with amazing sunsets. I took this photo of Vancouver in late June.  It’s nice to have friends with rooftop patios.

Concerts are Back
Concerts have returned in full force. My wife and I saw OneRepublic perform a 30 minute set before a football game and it was fantastic. I definitely find OneRepublic much better than OneEmpire.

We have tickets to see The War on Drugs next month as well. If you follow this blog, you know I’m a huge fan of The WOD.
The What?
No, The WOD.
The Who?
They’re good too…but no, The WOD.

I saw there was an announcement that Hanson are coming to Vancouver. Would it be ok to listen to Mmmbop and then leave right away? Or do they just play that song over and over again?

My wife and I also have tickets to an 80’s concert/ fest in September with Joan Jett, Journey, Motley Crue, and Def Leppard. The tickets cost an arm…

Health Update
My health continues to improve. I’m still not %100 but each week that goes by, I continue to feel better. I have just received clearance to return to my work as a Registered Nurse. I’m excited to continue my nursing career. Although I’m not prepared to go into details of my illness now, I hope to share more later about the challenges I have been facing. Thank you to everyone who has sent messages of encouragement and support.

Novel Update
I’m pleased to say that real progress has been made on my upcoming debut novel. The creative juices have been flowing. The story is really coming together and I’m excited to share more as the progress continues. Here’s a brief excerpt:

He hit SEARCH and typed, “How to be amazing” then waited with a deep underlying belief that this was an act of utter futility. When his search yielded a photo of an erotic S&M Spiderman, he was proven right.

Words of Wisdom
1. When struggling it can be easy to stop and give up. Keep going. I’ve been reminded a few times by some great quotes.

”The only way to get through it is to get through it.” – Unknown.
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill.

2. Don’t be afraid to be an outlier. Don’t let anyone tell you what to like, what to support, or what to do.

As a Canadian, whose favorite baseball team is the Seattle Mariners, I often get the question, “How can you be a Mariners fan when the Toronto Blue Jays are Canada’s only team?”

My Answer: “I don’t prescribe to the narrative from Roger’s Communications that the Blue Jays are ‘Canada’s Team’. This propaganda did not begin until the Montreal Expos moved to Washington D.C in 2004. It was then that the corporate masterminds at Rogers and Sportsnet designated the Blue Jays as ‘Canada’s Team’ and added the red maple leaf to their logo. It was and is a campaign to appeal to national pride in order to increase the fanbase, corporate sponsorships, and revenue.

If Vancouver had the only NFL football team in Canada, I do not believe east coast Canadians would support them ahead of the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, or some other American NFL team.

The Seattle Mariners are just down the road from me. I’ve supported them since the 90’s and I’m emotionally invested. The Mariners have zero World Series Championships. Let them at least have The Roy!

Thanks for reading this month’s blog. I appreciate the support. It’s now time for the ending jokes, which have a baseball theme. If you don’t get them, don’t worry about it. You’re not really missing anything. Enjoy.

For our 15th wedding anniversary, I asked my wife what she wanted to do. She said, “Let’s go to Seattle and watch the Mariners play my Blue Jays.” I said, “Sounds great… who are the Blue Jays?”
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The Blue Jays were recently giving away short sleeve hoodies with the Blue Jays logo.
How ugly and useless!
Also, short sleeve hoodies aren’t very useful and are kind of ugly.
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I recently saw a Tweet from a Houston Astros fan saying that “The Blue Jays and the Mariners are redundant and don’t matter.”
I thought, “There go the Houston Astros, talking trash can again.”
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While in Seattle watching the Mariners play Toronto, the Mariners were promoting their upcoming Christmas in July Ugly Sweater Night.
With so many Blue Jays jerseys in the crowd, I thought it was Ugly Sweater Night.

Regarding Edible Baby Cows

Another post already? This is unhandleable as in ‘You can’t handle this… so much literary goodness in such a short period of time’. I know. I sympathize. It just had to be done. It’s June and it’s Blog Post #87. Thank you for all the responses and support after Blog Post #86. It inspired me to get right back at it with another post.

Details

More details are coming. My novel, my recent health issues, the secret to how I come up with these clever posts and jokes; the details will be revealed. Stay tuned.

Are the readers hooked? Do I have them hooked? Suspense, mystery, whodunnit, it’s all here.

The Novel

Here’s what I can tell you. I’ve started working on it again. The first draft was completed a while ago. I can also tell you that it’s not a suspense or a mystery. It’s not a thriller or a romance. I will reveal now that it is about a guy who loses his mom (but note that that storyline was on the pages long before I lost mine). I guess it’s a tragic milestone event that shapes many a person’s life. It’s a relatable event that can be life altering.

The Health

No, it’s not long Covid. I had symptoms long before we knew what Covid was or how it would change the world. As the cause of my illness is still only a theory, I’ve decided to wait to reveal much more. I will say that I have improved immensely over the past 6-8 weeks. I’m optimistic that I will recover.

The nursing care I have received during this difficult time has been exemplary. What else would you expect when I’m the nurse providing the care for myself?

The Secret

There’s no secret to how I come up with these jokes. I’m funny and I’m clever… unless you ask my wife. She uses words like ‘annoying’ and ‘insufferable’… but she doesn’t really know me.

The Plan

As an avid beer lover and brewery frequenter, it pains me to say that I am taking a break from this life-giving elixir. It’s a dry June for me for a bit of a body reset as I push for health recovery. It’s unfortunate for my readers as many of my best jokes and stories have come from beer sessions gone wild.

Spring?

It’s been a late Spring in western Canada. It has been unseasonably cold and wet. How bad has it been? I overheard an Irish person say, “It sure is cold and rainy here in Vancouver.” I took this beautiful photo last year when good weather still existed.

Obi-Wan Ken No-no-no Bi

Uff da. How bad has Obi-wan been? I’m expecting a ten-year old Mando the Mandalorian to come rescue this debacle in the next episode. Maybe, this will be the opportunity for Boba Fett to do something (other than take baths and arrange meetings)? Did Star Wars learn nothing from the horrible prequels, Boba Fett, and whatever those last two movies are called? Obi-One has been more of an Obi-Number-Two.

Words of Wisdom

1. Punctuation matters.

”Stuff Happen’s! … like apostrophes in the wrong place.

2. Watch Obi-wan: The Series.

“Many Producers ‘Tried’ to bring us this information.”

Thanks for checking out another amazing Blog Post. I think we can all agree that the back to back attack of jacked content spins the head and boggles the mind. It’s time for the ending jokes. I promised they would get better. I lied. Enjoy.

Anyone else glad that the Heard – Depp Defecation of Character lawsuit is finally over?

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Spring has been a bit late here in western Canada. It’s now here and with it so are the allergy irritants.

There’s been so much yellow powder in the air that it’s been downright A-pollen.  

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Did you actually call this blog “Re-Veal”?

Maybe

Loss, Losing, and Looking Ahead

Two months late in getting your fix, it’s Blog Post #86. Thank you for your patience. I know fully well that I have angered the masses by not posting a blog in March or April. Now, it’s May and I’m feeling the discontent. Somehow “better late than never” seems insufficient here.

Writings Produced

I have not written any of my novel, neither a short story, nor an article. I haven’t written a play or a skit. I haven’t written one little bit.

Loss

I have written one thing in the last couple months and here it is:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/port-alberni-bc/irene-mundheim-10714814

My mom died on April 14th after a brief hospitalization. It has been difficult. As my friend (and fellow writer) Stephan Mount eloquently said to me in an email, “While losing our nearest and dearest is always very difficult, losing your mom is an especially sad loss.”

As a spoiled only-child, losing my mom hurts. It’s difficult to be a momma’s boy without a momma. She was supportive, encouraging, and kind, always wanting the best for me. I will miss her terribly.

It was sad to take back this gift I had given her; the bent spine, the ruffled pages, the coffee stains, the love.

Losing

All this while also watching my health continue to deteriorate. What the hell is going on? Having more symptoms than a mythical medical school case study, I started to wonder if Dr. House was a real guy and how could I find him? I even made an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona. No doctor here has been able to get to the bottom of this medical mystery. They test for one or two things, find nothing, and then cite something lame like anxiety or psychological disorder. Don’t stretch your brain too far, Quincy.

Fortunately, I’m a determined Son of a B..eautiful woman who loved and cared for me teaching me resilience and perseverance. After a ‘breakthrough’, I have started improving. Theories as to why include a parasite or virus picked up on my travels to an environmental toxin somewhere in our home. Still inconclusive when it comes to the cause, the treatment I’m currently doing seems to be working. I’ve gone from feeling like I’m dying (seriously) with personality/ mood changes to having good days and seeing a return to my old self; a good thing for lovers of this amazing blog. I hope to share more specifics and the progress of my recovery over the next few months. Wish me luck and good fortune.

Looking Ahead

Now, it’s the battle to stay positive and find my old self; funny, playful, inquisitive, and ambitious. I’m looking ahead to again working on my first novel, returning to my work as a Registered Nurse, and taking further steps towards world domination… or whatever.

Words of Wisdom

1. Don’t give up on yourself. Sometimes, you might just have to find a different way or seek a new path to get there.

2. Always know that saying goodbye is hard… and part of life. Everyone in our lives will leave us… until the day comes when we leave them. Know it and live accordingly, embracing every great moment.

It’s great to be back writing and sharing my musings again, even if shorter than usual. I hope to be back on schedule with a monthly post, much to the relief of all my fan. It’s time for the ending jokes. I haven’t been in the most jocular mood over the last couple months, so the cupboard is a bit bare. This is the best I’ve got… but it will get better. Enjoy.

My nieces were recently involved in the play, Annie, which was running over a few days. The first evening I was asked if I wanted to go.

I said, “No, but I’ll go tomorrow.”

”Why not tonight? Why tomorrow?”

”Because I love tomorrow. It’s only a day away.”

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Conversation between my wife and I:

My wife: “You know you can’t just cite song lyrics as a punchline and call it a joke.”

Me: “Here’s something that you’re never gonna forget.You ain’t seen nothing yet…bbbaby you just ain’t seen nothing yet.

My wife: ”Whatever”

Me: ”Girl, Don’t Go Away Mad. Girl, Just Go Away.”

The Struggle is Real

Happy February! We’re staying alive with Blog Post #85. We’re past Week 100 of “two weeks to flatten the curve.” These are crazy times where I think we’ll all look back at laugh… well not all of us. Some of us got really sick. Some of us died. Some of us had our mental and physical health decline significantly. Everyone else though, they’ll laugh.

Novel Pause

Thanks to everyone who sent messages and words of encouragement after Blog Post 84. I appreciate the support and concern. My health continues to be a challenge. I have struggled for some time despite a multitude of tests, specialists, and treatments. I am still seeking a real diagnosis. For that reason, the novel has been put on hold. I need inspiration and a clear mind to truly write great work. It’s the reason this blog isn’t always great literary work. Sometimes it’s a reflection of how I’m feeling; in this case, ‘terrible.’ I’ll let you know when the novel is back up and running. In the meantime check out this photo I took.

Departure Bay, Vancouver Island 2022

Change

Inspired by Facebook’s name change and digital overhaul (Meta), I have decided to call my website, Munda. It will increase its appeal and user interface to include all media platforms. You’ll have access to videos, music, and games; games like G-Mundy. “A game for those who seek to find a way to leave their world behind. You roll the dice to move the token. The first player to reach their end wins.” Leave the world behind and reach your end!

Big News

In other breaking entertainment news, Disney announced a crossover series for the ages. Stark Wars, written and directed by George RR Lucas will follow the journey of Luke Littlefinger and friends, Han Frodo and Samwell Gam-G2D2 as they journey to the forest moon of Mordor to destroy the one Light Sabre to rule them all. There, they will encounter various Ewoks, Ents, and Muggles, all struggling against the tyranny of Darth Wracky. It is sure to be a Disney hit.

The Worst Book

The Book of Boba Fett has been awful. There hasn’t been a book this terrible since Nursing: The Funny Side of the Bedside took over Amazon in 2019.

How bad has The Book of Boba Fett been?

It was so bad that after Episode 4, Disney stopped it and started showing The Mandalorian Season 3 instead.

Words of Wisdom

1. Don’t steal. Recently, a man was charged with theft after 12 stolen catalytic converters were found in the trunk of his car. No word on how many thermal exhaust ports or flux capacitors were found.

2. Believe in yourself. Gain financial knowledge. It’s important to know… as NFT Blockchain infrastructure is advancing at the speed of Altcoin uptake hedged against the price of cryptocurrencies globally.

I read a recent headline that said, How to choose the right investment advisor. I thought, “That’s easy. Just look in the mirror.” You may not be able to be your own doctor, but you can/ should be your own financial advisor.

*This is after reading, researching, and consulting.

Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for novel and health updates in future blogs. Also, expect a big announcement for my website in March. No, not Munda but something even better. I look forward to sharing. It’s time for the ending jokes, focused on disease.  Enjoy.

Today, the government announced new Rabid tests.

First Covid and now we could be rabid?

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A big announcement from England’s Royal Family. Prince Charles has Covid.

It turned out to be fake news. He has Camilla. 

A New Year to Ponder

It’s a new year with A New Hope. What does the new year have in store? Well, it starts with Blog Post #84. Happy New Year to all readers of Write or Wroy near and far. How did I get another blog post out so quickly? Thanks to Covid, I found some extra time on my hands… I have since recovered and washed my hands of all that extra time. Pity.

The Year in Review: What the greats had to say:

Bill Gates called 2021, “the most unusual and difficult year of my life.”

Jeff Bezos thanked me for helping him get to space this year. You’re welcome Jeff. Note: He thanked every Amazon customer.

Betty White sadly said, “Goodbye.”

Elon Musk briefly mentioned that 2022 was coming before asking, “What will 2032 be like? And “Will we be on Mars?”

Roy Mundheim called 2021 the year of learning… to forget; the move-along year, the year that promised so much and delivered so much crap.

Photo Fun

I want to know. Have you ever seen the snow, coming down on a sunny day?

We had Roy. We had fun. We had seasons in the sun.

Seriously

The past year has not been my best. I wouldn’t be honest if I said that it was a great year for me personally. New ongoing complex health problems, another year of social-limiting restrictions, little travel, novel delays, my own run-in with Covid-19 for Xmas, and a lot of other unwanted mierda; has all led to a feeling of loss of self.

Despite a less-than-ideal year in 2021, I am grateful and appreciative of all I do have. I know and must reiterate that I am fortunate. I still have many great attributes of health, fitness, and physical ability. I continue to write, improve my Spanish, nurture my relationships, and contribute positively in my job. I hold tightly to the many gifts I still have. Now I reach, more than ever, for the resilience, adaptation, determination, and persistence which has defined me and my adult life so far. I will need every bit of all those, and then some, to push forward into the year ahead.

I’m hopeful to share some of my 2022 journey here. I’ve got new goals prioritizing health and fitness. I am determined to complete my first novel. I am looking to incorporate new aspects to my life; meditation, stress-reduction, self-care, positive mindset, and self kindness, all while trying to keep the determined, goal oriented, focused goodness that is me.

From the Novel

“Always know that you can decide to be something else, something more, something different. You get to decide who you want to be, how you want to be, what you’re going to do. Choose new. Choose wisely.”

Words of Wisdom

1. Meditate. It can clear your mind to make space for new and better.

2. Stress less. We’re all dead in the end anyway.

3. Be grateful.

Thanks for reading Blog Post 84 and starting the year in the best way that is humanly possible. Let’s make 2022 the best year we can. Happy New Year! It’s now time for the ending jokes. How do I keep coming up with these? Enjoy.

“I tested positive for Covid-19. Now, what are you going to do?”

“Omicron-a-go get tested.”

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Old Jokes Revisited

How bad was 2020?

Rob Thomas renamed his band Matchbox Twenty One.

How bad was 2021?

Rob Thomas renamed his band Maskbox ‘N’ Ninety-Five.

Then he retired from music and took up knitting.

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Covid Restrictions are back. Indoor dining was recently banned. It’s so awful.

I’ve been freezing my ass off on my balcony for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week.

Merry Ch…warentine!

Oh Xmas tree oh Xmas tree… it’s time for Blog Post 83. Praise be to our lord and savior, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou (better known as George Michael). Happy George Michael Memorial Day to all believers who are also Praying For Time.

Montreal

My wife and I ended the month of November with our first flight in 25 months. We explored the beautiful Canadian city of Montreal. If Montreal taught me anything, it’s that I should have learned to speak French. Hearing people speak fluent and, presumably, flawless French and then effortlessly switching to perfect English was humbling. Maybe one day, I’ll tackle French. It would be a good post-retirement hobby to feed my innate desire to be frustrated. Tres bien.

I took this photo of a very colorful building at the corner of St. Laurent Blvd and Marie-Anne Rui.

From here we walked up Marie-Anne, past The Professor’s Cafe, to Gilligan’s Rui where we were sure we saw a movie star. Then we went to Skipper’s Pub because we were Thurston.

The Novel Update

Progress continues on my novel. It’s taking shape and has something resembling a plot. Here’s an excerpt of the second draft:

“…You don’t want to make any big decisions right now, anyway. Wait. There’s time.”

“Is there though? It doesn’t feel like there is that much time. Every moment I sit here and think about deciding to do something is just time wasted. Thinking, pondering, dreaming, debating, reviewing, contemplating, and planning… all leading to more procrastinating … instead of doing.”

This month saw a surge of book sales of Nursing: The Funny Side of the Bedside. It shows that great literature is timeless and Xmas shopping is hard.

Staying Positive

I had two positive tests this past week. First, I tested positive for being awesome. Then I tested positive for Covid-19. It’s been basically like having a cold. Symptoms have been mild. People at work have barely even noticed. I’m joking of course… they’ve noticed.

They’ve also noticed the ‘being awesome’ part.

Seriously

Seriously, I haven’t been at work. I’ve been at home quarantining. My sentence ends at midnight on Boxing Day. I’m due for my booster vaccine and should get it in early 2022.

Words of Wisdom

1. Know your strengths. I recently saw a social media post that said, “I don’t know how to TikTok but I can write in cursive, do long division, and tell time on clocks with hands… so there’s that.”

I don’t know how to buy NFTs, put together IKEA furniture, or set the time on a microwave but I can hunt saber tooth tigers, build fire by rubbing two sticks together, and operate a brontosaurus at Mr. Slate’s Rock Quarry… so there’s that.

2. Get vaccinated! For others because it’s not just about you… or for yourself because it’s only about you… or both. Choose medicine and science over conspiracy theories and rhetoric.

3. Take time for yourself. Listen to music. Don’t be afraid to be alone.

As the saying goes, “Music is easier to listen to than people.” Wait, what? When you listen to music, you are literally listening to people… unless it’s birds singing.

4. If you haven’t been vaccinated, get vaccinated!

Thanks for reading the final blog post of 2021. It’s been quite the year. I appreciate all the support I’ve received and keep receiving for my writing; this blog, my first book, and for my upcoming novel. I look forward to sharing more musings and literary masterpieces in 2022. Stay tuned. It’s now time for the ending joke. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Enjoy

Social Media Ad: Does anyone have an elf they want to sell?

I had one, but he ran away… said something about wanting to become a dentist.

The Big Number Two Anniversary.

It’s true. It’s Blog Post #82. It’s time to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the greatest book I’ve ever written. It was two years ago this month that the finished version of my book, Nursing: The Funny Side of the Bedside went live on Amazon. Thank you to everyone who purchased my book, either in digital form or paperback. To date, I’ve sold copies in the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Norway, Australia, and of course, Canada. After a surprising surge in book sales in August of this year, sales have finally slowed. It was a great run that I’m very proud of.

What were the critics saying about this revolutionary literary work?

“This is the best book on nursing since Notes on Nursing: What It Is and What It Is Not by Florence Nightingale.” – Mother Teresa.

“I hated this book. Silly nonsense. What’s funny about nursing?” – Nurse Ratched.

“Prepare to be underwhelmed. This book is worse than a readmitted A.M.A patient.” – Nurse Jackie.

So, with reviews like that, it’s clear that it’s a ‘must-read’ for everyone.

One day, I will revise Nursing: The F Side of the B.S, include a few Covid-19 jokes, and expand more fully on the many concepts I cover in this important tell-all masterpiece. For now, I’m focused on my ‘in the works’ novel.

The Albatross

I thought writing a novel would be difficult and I was right. Having never written a novel, it has been extremely challenging. There’s the discipline and effort to sit down and get sentences out that turn into paragraphs that eventually become chapters which later will be the parts of the mountain I am trying to build. Then, there’s keeping track of every character name, subtle subplot, and where in time it is all happening. Through all that, there’s also the important work of maintaining my sanity.

Seriously: An Update

I’m currently working on Chapter 9 of the second draft. There are approximately thirty chapters. I haven’t revealed much about the book yet as I’m hoping to be a lot closer to finished before giving too much away. Here’s a small excerpt of dialogue I wanted to share. The novel is not about nursing but it’s also not ‘not about nursing’ as you can see here:

“Don’t worry about it. A lot of people were surprised I became a nurse, especially my dad. Once I explain that it’s science based, with a university degree, and involves helping people, people seem get it. It’s good work, in demand, and I feel like a contributor.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah, I did know you were also in nursing school. Ever think about going back?”

“No. That shit has sailed.”

I’ll be sharing a lot more in the new year with the goal of releasing the novel one year from now. It’s a challenging ambitious plan but one that is more than possible. Wish me well.

Words of Wisdom

1. Delete Facebook. It’s an evil, time-stealing, focus-destroying, brain-washing, soul-sucking labyrinth of human destruction. I’ve switched to Meta to preserve my health and humanity.

2. Don’t believe every statistic you read. Did you know that 63% of statistics are made up and only 34% percent of people actually agree with that?

A recent study revealed a list of the countries where Canadians are most often murdered. Somehow, Canada was not on the list.

Thanks for reading Blog Post #82 and supporting this writing endeavor. It’s time for the ending jokes. Stay safe and enjoy.

Did you hear that Tim Horton’s and Justin Bieber collaborated on a new donut flavor?

I would never try that. Sounds gross.

Sorry. What Do You Mean? It sounds Yummy.

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What do you want on your pizza?

I’m open to anything… except Hawaiian.

What about ham and pineapple?