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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: July 8th, 2023

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  • I injured my spine (at work) in 2022, but didn’t realise I had injured my spine. I thought it was a hamstring injury. I gradually dialled back the running to try and allow the “hamstring” to heal. I continued working. I stopped running in March '23. I discovered the extent of the injury in July when I got an MRI (just over a year after the injury). I was told I’d never run again.

    I had surgery at the end of November last year. I was cleared to return to work a couple of weeks ago. I was made officially redundant last week (unofficially it was retaliation from my employer for daring to refuse his offer of a private payout and opt for WorkCover instead).

    I ran a 32:43 at ParkRun this morning. I’m pretty happy. Unemployed, but happy.












  • What my mother called “allergy testing.”

    Basically, myself and my siblings were placed on a diet that consisted of rice cakes (the puffed-rice-compressed-discs-of-bland type) and margarine for a few days to “detox.” Then we were introduced to foods to see if we had an “allergic reaction.” Two things stand out in my memories.

    1. I specifically recall the sensation of waking in the middle of the night to vomit my “dinner” all over myself: an entire plate of overcooked, boiled, green (string) beans. This meant, to my deluded mother, that I was allergic to string beans. I’m not. Unfortunately, though, I couldn’t stand the taste of string beans for about 30 years after that.

    2. Going to birthday parties as an eight year old and bringing your own rice cakes (the puffed-rice-compressed-discs-of-bland type) and margarine and not being able to partake of the cakes and candy and soda and other sugary deliciousness was both soul cruising and humiliating.

    Edit: punctuating







  • It depends.

    • If you are dining, then place it on the far side of your plate.
    • If you are sitting at a table, but not dining, then place it approximately halfway between the dining position and the table edge.
    • If you are standing by the table, then I’d go with about 4"-6" from the table edge.
    • If you are standing by the table in a high traffic area, then I’d go with 6"-8".
    • If you notice someone nearby who is particularly animated when speaking, then I’d aim for the centre of the table.

    This answer assumes the table in question is a dining table. Coffee tables are a whole different kettle of fish; and don’t even get me started on side tables, bureaus and credenzas!

    Edit: formatting