February Becomes March

Rah

This summer is best described with the psychological word anhedonia, which means “the emotional state where you hate the the sun for trying to kill you”. Many psychologists who specialize in anhedonia have spent their entire careers just browsing the internet, but it’s been all hands on deck for them this summer. Most have come down with a case of anhedonia themselves.

Then a miracle happened. The blistering heat was swept away by blissful, yet smokey, wind from Canada. Despite the air quality alerts, one could actually walk outside without turning into beef jerky. The sun became a thing of beauty instead of a source of all evil.

Yeah. That was a good week.

Now that the sun is back and trying to assassinate me, not only in broad daylight, but with broad daylight, let’s go back to February and cool off.

Once when I was a graphic artist, I had a newspaper ad that was due every Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. The contents of the ad were dependent on a guy named Norm. Norm was out every Wednesday, but always assured me that he would return in plenty of time for me to create my ad. Norm was a liar.

Needless to say, whenever there was a major snowstorm it always managed to be on a Wednesday. The building would evacuate, but I would have to stay and wait on Norm. Norm would show up around 4:00 p.m., I would do my usual begging for a deadline extension, and I would get to leave around 7:00 p.m. Due to the snow, my usual 25 minute drive would breeze by in a mere three hours or more.

I no longer work there, I no longer drive in snowstorms, and Norm is dead to me.

Management always leaves terse instructions during snowstorms as they get the hell out of there.

I contemplated sleeping at my desk many times. I did take a nice, long nap once, but that was on the clock. Probably because of Norm, now that I think about it.

The sound is definitely down on my phone, but I don’t usually miss calls because my watch also vibrates. Soon, Apple will come out with the iHat and my head will vibrate as well. God forbid that I’m unavailable.

Poor Todd. I know some people who can relax and be right at home in a closed store but there’s no amount of homey comfort I can find in such an empty, public environment with unlimited access to junk food. I want unlimited access to junk food from my own bed.

This was fun. I received compliments from snowmobile enthusiasts for using the correct term of sledding, but I had no idea that was the term until I looked it up. I’ve always wanted to be able to use a snowmobile when it snows, but it winds up that they cost money. Money always gets in the way of having a good time.

This is the rare instance of an idea resulting from a doodle. One day I was doodling, and Tabby the cheerleader appeared. I was very happy she did.

This strip pleased me to no end. It’s ridiculous, sarcastic, and somehow commenting on the unrealistic expectations and expected results that management wants.

Honestly, I could’ve done cheerleading Tabby forever. We all need a cheerleader who shows zero enthusiasm. She’s more of a cheerless leader. Instead of hyping ourselves up to do better, let’s just go through the motions and see if we actually do better.

It’s the only time she smiles. I always leave smiling, and why not? Leaving means going home to food, pets, tv, and possible sleep. Some people are too exhausted to smile when they leave, and I can appreciate that, but it’s people who arrive to work smiling that I can’t figure out. Maybe they’re already thinking about leaving when they get there.