Category Archives: Personal

The Art of Stepping Away

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I have been writing a fanfiction chapter nearly every day for almost two weeks, but yesterday I chose to skip my session because I was feeling a bit drained. Even though I have plenty of ideas for the story, I didn’t feel like I could give them my best effort.

It is important to recognize when you need a break, whether you are writing, gaming, or exercising. Pushing yourself too hard can cause you to dread the projects you love instead of feeling eager to dive into them.

By taking a break, you can avoid several common issues:

  1. Strain and fatigue: Whether this is physical, mental, or both, taking a break allows your body and mind to relax. For physical exercise, rest allows your muscles to repair and grow stronger.
  2. Burnout: Taking a break prevents that heavy feeling of no longer wanting to pursue your project.
  3. Mental blocks: This is especially important for creative tasks and gaming. A lack of inspiration can lead to mindless grinding or staring at a blank screen, unable to produce anything meaningful.
  4. Lack of rest: You need downtime after working intensely. The human body is not designed to run at 100 percent all the time; you are a person, not a machine.

How do you know when you need a break? Review the previous list and ask yourself if you are experiencing any of those symptoms. Have you been exercising for more than an hour a day, or working on a project for two or three days straight? If so, it is time to declare the next day a rest day and find a way to relax. For those who are Christian, if the next day is Sunday, always take a break on that day to honor the Lord; your life will be blessed for doing so.

I am planning to post a completely original story here in the future for only my Knights and Dukes to read and comment on. If you aren’t yet a member, now is a great chance to sign up and support me as I move toward that goal. I want to complete my fanfiction projects first—you can find me on Archive of Our Own as swagnillaice—before I begin this new story. I will continue to create my videos while I write my fanfiction and then the original fiction, which will eventually replace these Friday posts. Until the next time I post, may God bless all of you.

No videos until I feel well…

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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.

Comic Book Character for a Day: Who Would You Choose?

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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.

The Reality Check: Why Temping is My Path Forward

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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.

My Exercise Regime

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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!

Locked Out: Why I’m Done with the Golden Arches

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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.

No More Lotto Tickets for Me

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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.