Due to a lingering illness, I have decided to delay the release of this month’s episode of The Power Up Notes, as well as the current and upcoming episodes of Creative Engineering, until I am feeling better. I appreciate your patience, prayers, and support while I take this time to recover. I look forward to getting back to creating new content for you all as soon as possible.
In this video, I’m sharing my personal reflections on Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. I dive into what I’m giving up this year, my hopes for the season, and what this journey means to me through the lens of my Catholic faith.
For today’s aside, I want to pose a question to all of you: If you could be any comic book hero for just one day, who would you choose and why? It is easy to get caught up in who has the flashiest powers, but I am more interested in the motivation behind your choice.
As for me, I would choose Captain America. Even though he has enhanced abilities, he is still mortal and is guided by a very clear sense of right and wrong. What really resonates with me is his ending in Endgame. After everything he went through, he used the opportunity to go back and live a normal life, eventually growing into an old man. I love the fact that he took the chance to actually marry Peggy Carter and have a family with her. That desire for a quiet, grounded life and a family, despite having the power of a hero, is why he is my pick.
I would love to hear your picks in the comments below after you become a member if you aren’t already one. If you are a member and part of my Discord server, feel free to head over to it to share more about your choice and see what everyone else is saying.
I often talk about the future of Swagnilla Ice, but I want to be real with you all about the present. For a long time, I tried to do things the traditional way. I applied for the steady, permanent roles, but the job market has a way of being cold.
Despite my efforts, the traditional 9-to-5 world hasn’t been biting. And even when I did have that stability, it proved to be an illusion. My longest run at a job was six years before I was given the boot.
That experience changed how I look at employment and why I’ve embraced temp work while we build this community together.
The Illusion of Permanent Work
Getting let go after six years teaches you a hard lesson: no matter how much time you put in, you are often just a line on a spreadsheet. When that permanent safety net disappears, you realize that the only thing you truly own is what you build for yourself. That is exactly what I am doing here with this blog and my video series.
Turning Rejection into Fuel
It’s frustrating to put yourself out there and not get the call back. But instead of letting that stall me, I’m using temping as a tool. It’s a way to keep Harmani Investments happy and the rent paid without tied-down loyalty to companies that haven’t shown that same loyalty to me in the past.
Why the Membership Matters
This is why I’m so focused on our membership tiers. Whether you are a Peasant, a Knight, or a Duke, you are helping me build a career that can’t be taken away by a corporate boot. Until Swagnilla Ice is fully supported by the community, temping is how I bridge the gap. It keeps me agile, it keeps the bills paid, and most importantly, it keeps me from being at the mercy of a hiring manager who doesn’t see the value in what I do.
By supporting me here at Swagnilla Ice with a membership, you are helping me to secure the future and produce more awesome content like this blog post.
I follow a steady exercise regime now of visiting the aquatic centre at Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre every other day as long as I am not working that day. My routine is a simple 20 minutes of jogging back and forth or in place in the deep area of the leisure pool (sometimes I will swim a few laps back and forth for extra exercise), then a 5 minute soak in the hot tub, and finishing with 5 minutes of riding the water slide (walking up the stairs to the top is good exercise!). This can vary by a few minutes depending on various factors, but I am usually out of the pool in about forty minutes at the latest. If you need to get more exercise, why don’t you try it? The water is great for cushioning your joints especially if you suffer from arthritic pain like I do!
Wishing all of my readers a truly Happy New Year. May you find abundant happiness and hope in the days ahead, and may God bless you and your family throughout the year.
I have spent years stopping by the golden arches for a quick meal between shifts, but lately, something has felt off. After some reflection, I have decided to officially move on from McDonald’s, and it is honestly a bigger relief than I expected.
The breaking point happened on Christmas Day. I checked the official app and Google Maps, both of which confirmed the location was open 24/7 for walk-in customers. However, after making the effort to get there, I was met with locked doors and a sign stating it was drive-through only. As someone who doesn’t drive, I was left standing in the cold with no way to get service despite the glowing Open signs.
What made the situation even harder to swallow was the weather. It was freezing outside, and a big part of the plan was to step inside for a few minutes to warm up before the walk back home. Standing there in the cold on Christmas, staring at a Drive-Thru Only sign while the app insisted the lobby was open, felt like a slap in the face. When a billion-dollar company can’t keep its own digital hours accurate, it shows a lack of respect for a customer’s time and effort. It is one thing to have a technical glitch; it is another to leave a customer out in the elements because your business model only accounts for people in heated cars.
The kicker? I’m walking away from nearly 3,000 McDonald’s points, but honestly, it’s a small price to pay for my peace of mind. When I look at the competition, the choice is easy. Starbucks actually serves hot chocolate that tastes like chocolate, not watery sugar. Tim Hortons and Subway offer fresher, more diverse food options that don’t leave me feeling sluggish. To top it off, the rewards system at Tim’s actually feels like it respects my wallet—I earn freebies way faster there than I ever did at McDonald’s.
Missing out on that meal ended up being a blessing in disguise. Instead of settling for fast food, I had a proper brunch yesterday: two egg, ham, and spread cheese sandwiches, a hot glass of apple cider to shake off the chill, and some vanilla-flavoured almond milk. Not only did it taste better, but using eggs with Omega 3 is a win for my heart health, too.
It isn’t just about a missed meal; it is about the principle of the matter. This experience reminded me that my time and my patronage are better spent elsewhere—somewhere that actually values accessibility for everyone, not just those behind a steering wheel. From now on, I will be taking my business to places that keep their doors open and their digital promises honest.
To all my readers, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May your celebrations be safe and full of joy alongside your family and friends. It is a beautiful time to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
I have decided to officially retire from the lottery. After a long streak of what can only be described as impressively bad luck, I am hanging up my tickets for good. From now on, I will be investing that six to ten dollars into things with a guaranteed return, even if that just means a cup of hot chocolate to get me through my next temp assignment.
In my last post on Friday, I talked about my accident and the injuries that I received from it, as well as the excellent care I received from the doctors and nurses at the Royal Alexandria Hospital. Since I am still suffering from a sore and stiff neck from said accident, I figured I would look up some saints to call on and decided to share my findings with you today.
The first saint I want to mention is Saint Ursicinus, who is the patron saint of stiff necks. He was a disciple who followed his abbot into exile from northern France in the seventh century. Here’s a prayer we can use to invoke his intercession:
O Holy Ursicinus, you who know the discomfort and pain of the body, be my swift intercessor. I ask for your prayers, particularly for the relief of this stiffness and soreness in my neck. Ease the tension, quiet the pain, and restore flexibility to my body, so that I may turn my attention fully to God’s will. Amen.
The next saint is St. Gemma Galgani, the patron saint of spinal pain. She developed spinal meningitis at age sixteen but was cured. She claimed it was due to her devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She later died young of tuberculosis and was canonized by 1940, and was also declared a Virgin. Here’s a prayer for her intercession for those who are suffering any type of spinal pain:
Dear St. Gemma, you bore immense suffering in your body, yet your faith shone brighter than your pain. Look upon me now as I struggle with the persistent discomfort and stiffness. Through the merit of your own suffering, pray to the Lord to grant me strength, patience, and a miraculous lessening of my burden. Help me to use this cross of pain for the salvation of my soul. Amen.
The next person I am praying to for intercession is Blessed Michael McGivney. Although he is not yet officially a Saint, he was beatified in 2020 after a miracle was attributed to his intercession, and we pray that a second miracle will lead to his canonization. As the founder of the Knights of Columbus, he dedicated his life to practical charity, particularly supporting families who were suffering from the illness or death of a loved one. I call upon Blessed Michael McGivney not just for physical healing, but for the patience and courage needed to endure this lingering recovery.
Here is the prayer we can use to invoke his intercession and support his cause for sainthood:
God, our Father, protector of the poor and defender of the widow and orphan, you called your priest, Blessed Michael McGivney, to be an apostle of Christian family life and to lead the young to the generous service of their neighbor.
Through his intercession, I humbly ask for the favor of my own healing from this persistent neck stiffness and pain.
May the inspiration of your servant prompt us to greater confidence in your love, and we humbly ask that you glorify Blessed Michael McGivney on earth according to the design of your holy will, granting the miracle needed for his canonization. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The next saint I am seeking intercession from in heaven is Saint Luke, the Evangelist. Before he became an evangelist, he was a physician and is considered the patron saint of doctors and healing today. He also wrote two books of the Bible, the one named after him and the book of Acts. Both were letters to a friend of his, whom he was trying to persuade to become a believer in Jesus. No doubt he took the time to interview the people he wrote about as his physician training would have demanded of him, including Saint Paul, whom he travelled with.
Invocation to St. Luke the Evangelist: St. Luke, beloved physician and faithful Evangelist, I ask for your intercession on behalf of all healers and for my own recovery. Grant wisdom to those who offer me counsel and care, that they may rightly discern the path to my recovery. Pray for the healing of my injury, that I may experience the wholeness which Christ offers to all who seek Him.
Amen.
To round out my list of intercessors, I’m calling upon St. Raphael the Archangel. His name is derived from the Hebrew words Rafa (to heal) and El (God), meaning “God Heals” or “Divine Healer.” He is one of the three Archangels named in scripture and features prominently in the Book of Tobit, where he guides Tobias on a journey and brings about the healing of his father’s blindness. Today, he is widely regarded as the patron of travelers, the sick, and those seeking healing for any physical, mental, or spiritual ailment. Calling upon St. Raphael is a way of asking God Himself to oversee and complete my recovery.
Here is the prayer we can use to invoke his intercession:
Invocation to St. Raphael the Archangel: Holy Archangel Raphael, whose name means ‘God Heals,’ guide me on my journey to recovery. Send the light of heaven to banish all darkness of pain and despair. Guard me from discouragement and lead me to the means of grace that will bring about my restoration. Heal me, O Lord, through the prayers of your faithful Archangel, that I may serve You better.
Amen.
As I continue to cope with the stiffness and soreness in my neck, I find immense comfort in knowing that there are so many powerful intercessors ready to “answer the call.” I humbly ask that you keep me in your prayers, asking God, through the intercession of St. Ursicinus, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Luke, St. Raphael, or Blessed Michael McGivney, to bring about my full healing and recovery. More importantly, let my search be a reminder to all of us: if you or someone you know is suffering—whether from a debilitating injury, chronic pain, or a difficult diagnosis—take a moment to call upon one of these Heavenly advocates. May their prayers bring comfort, hope, and true healing to all who are unwell.