#unfortunately it is hard to be chill relaxed and committed to regular exercise when you are Fucking Sick Every Two Weeks

[vamptastic]

sick again. hatred and madness on planet earth.

[selene-tempest]

How to care for your John Tracy

So, you want to get a John?

Before deciding that a John Tracy is the one for you, you must first realise that they take a lot of specialist care, time and attention that you must be willing to put in if you wish to get the best out of your John.

When taking on a John Tracy one must approach as you would a feral cat, making no sudden movements, do not attempt to touch or grab on first meeting. Allow him to size you up, get used to your presence and approach in his own time and at his own pace.

This could take minutes, hours, days, weeks or longer, there is no set time frame in getting a John to trust you, it varies from person to person. You must be prepared for setbacks and times when it might seem like an impossible task. They require regular reinforcement of their socialising, lots of praise and quiet support.

If you do not have the time, patience or love to devote to your John then we suggest you consider adopting a different breed of Tracy, they are many and varied. For a readily sociable one we suggest you try a Scott or a Gordon, both of which are friendly from the offset and easily tamed with the offer of food.

If a quieter Tracy is still needed but one that is less skittish than the John breed then maybe a Virgil is better suited to your situation. Or if you want one you can play with a lot, then an Alan would be perfect for you. A Tracy is a lifetime commitment so take your time in choosing the right one for you.

Personality traits:

If you do decided that the John is still for you then you will find that all the time and effort you put in is incredibly rewarding. Once you have proved yourself to a John you will find that it will go from a hissing, trembling, retreating ball of anxiety to a purring, snuggling pussy cat that is happy to cuddle for as long as you wish and is, in general, a pretty laid back, chilled addition to your life and household.

Contrary to popular belief a John Tracy is not an antisocial being, this is misinformation that has been circulated due to their quiet nature and contentment in their own company. A John Tracy is by nature actually an asocial introvert (see below pictures).

Once your John Tracy is used to you and has adapted to your ways he will be the most loving, wonderful, affectionate, caring, engaging, sweet, adorable, funny and friendly creature in the world. When he is allowed to do so on his terms in a way that makes him feel safe and secure, of course.

A John Tracy does not hate people or dislike interacting with them, he simply does not do well in crowds and social situations in which he is not prepared or comfortable. Then he may feel overwhelmed and react in a way that society sees as negatively, although for a John social anxiety is perfectly normal and acceptable and should be treated as such. A John is perfect as he is.

Your John Tracy requires a safe and secure place that he can retreat to when feeling overwhelmed or over stimulated, but on the whole, if allowed to come out of his shell and interact without being pushed, forced or tricked he will be perfectly content. John's need positive reinforcement, kind words and to be made to feel secure and loved from the start, this is the only way to bond with one.

A John Tracy is a devoted, loyal and loving creature that is known to mate for life, as do most other breeds of Tracy. A Tracy is a delightful companion that you will not be able to live without once you have one.

Unfortunately, many people will just not work out with a John Tracy, the very reason that so many varieties of this breed are left abandoned in space stations around earth's orbit.

Many see them as hard to socialise and grow impatient with their John, wanting him to act a certain way in a certain length of time, none of which is conducive to a happy and healthy John.

This is often seen as a fatal flaw in the John breed of Tracy, but many John enthusiasts insist that that is part of their attraction. The introverted tendencies of the John is in no way a flaw, it is part of what makes this particular breed of Tracy so special and so desirable to the right person.

John's make very good companions and they are well worth the additional effort that you will have to put in.

Feeding:

John's are not demanding in the food department and you will have to be prepared to offer food at regular intervals as they hardly ever seek it out for themselves.

Your John will try to exist on a diet of bagels and cheeseburgers but this is not good for them and, as much as they may protest or go on hunger strikes, you must continue to offer them a variety of options in your quest to ensure they eat enough to survive.

The same rules apply to keeping them hydrated, they will naturally gravitate towards coffee and occasionally water but they need to include fruit juices, herbal teas and the occasional meal replacement if they have been in a particularly stubborn mood, which they are regularly inclined to slip into.

Nothing is more stubborn than a Tracy breed and the John is one of the worst.

Exercising:

Your John will take care of itself in the exercise department although, once bonded to their person, a John will often try to entice you, or can be easily tempted itself, into playtime and physical activity.

When left to its own devices a John Tracy will spend many hours running, either outside in nature or indoors on an exercise ring. This helps to keep them healthy and fit for their jobs, for all Tracys are working creatures, all highly trained in their fields.

A John will also enjoy playing in water, such as swimming or diving and some extreme sports if it sparks his interest as John's are very athletic and flexible.

John's not only require physical exercise but mental agility training too. They have a very active, inquisitive and engaging brain and enjoy problem solving, organisation and stimulating intellectual conversations.

John's like to work with their hands and are very good with computers and AI's but be warned, they are also very good at hacking and you will have very little privacy with a John in your life.

Housing needs:

You John will require extensive housing to stay happy and content. He will require not only the run of your house with the ability to explore every single inch of your property but also his own specialist housing.

John's require a lot of space, both in the social way, the physical way and the outer space way. Do not deprive him of these essentials.

He will require access to both indoor and outdoor housing of the tropical island variety as well as his own space station.

Now this might seem excessive but it is a necessary part of having a John. John Tracys require extended periods of time in Zero-Gravity in order to both thrive but also stay calm and in control. John's like to feel weightless and to indulge whenever the urge takes them so you will have to be prepared to spend large amounts of time without your John in attendance.

John's prefer quieter surroundings to noise and will often take themselves off to hide if they are over stimulated and surrounded by other noisy Tracy breeds. You cannot stop this, it is part of the John's nature and you have to accept this if you wish to have one of your own. Attempting to force a John into socialising when he does not wish to is an unpleasant, cruel and unfair action and should never be undertaken if there is any other option.

John's also require a number of soft surfaces on which to stretch out, relax and be quiet. John's seem to require very little sleep and are very active both in body and mind for long periods before they crash out completely and need time to re energise themselves.

Appearance:

John's come in a variety of Ginger and Blond colours and are on the taller end of the Tracy spectrum. Long, lean and sleekly muscled the John is a beautiful specimen of Tracy breeding and very pleasing to look at.

Their hair is of the softest quality and, when a John is relaxed and content in your presence, they often enjoy it being stroked and petted, this pleases them and helps them to stay calm and sleepy.

John's have arguably the prettiest eyes of any Tracy breed, although lovers of the Scott, Virgil, Gordon or Alan breeds will beg to differ saying that blues and browns are nicer.

John's sometimes have a questionable dress sense when allowed to please themselves but their standard blue is figure forming and pleasing to behold.

Petting and affection:

John's can be extremely affectionate when they feel comfortable with someone. It just takes them a long time to get there.

John's do not like sudden movements or to be grabbed or forced into affection by someone they do not know well and are not already comfortable with. Unexpected affection from someone that is not one of their chosen people will cause them to freeze like a fainting goat and adopt the tactic of play dead until the threat goes away.

But when a John is comfortable it very much enjoys attention, affection and love.

As mentioned above, John's are an introverted breed of Tracy and allowances have to be made for them. They do not respond well to being forced out of their comfort zones or into interacting when they do not want to.

When a John wishes to interact they will be friendly, approachable and funny. They will happily join in with family activities and events but be aware that they may require additional quiet time after to recharge. This is just the way of the John.

Additional tips and information :

-Respect your John's boundaries. They will make it clear with body language if they are comfortable or not even if they do not verbalise it.

-John's are sensitive and they will respond with sarcasm when they feel threatened or attacked.

-John's cannot be forced into anything they don't want to do. They cannot be moved if they don't want to move. They cannot be tricked or cajoled, they are too smart, give up now.

-John's love their family more than anything and are fiercely protective of them. Never get in between a John and another Tracy breed. You will come off worse.

-John's have a death stare that might actually kill you. You have been warned.

-John's are generally very sensible, until it comes to a challenge between other Tracys, they are extremely competitive creatures and nothing will stop them.

-John's are logical and organised.

-John's do not respond well to blackmail, trickery, deception or engineered situations.

-A John is perfect as it is, never try to change it or force it to be something that it isn't.

-Being socially avoidant is only one part of his personality and it's only when you take the time to get to know him that you will see the rest.

All in all, we can highly recommend bringing a Tracy into your life, they are wonderful creatures and well worth your time and energy. Just think carefully before you choose a John as they require the most love, patience and attention.

(John pic curtesy of @misssquidtracy)

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 71, September 2017

On Monday night, I attended my Body Balance class with Kaz at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. I’ve been feeling mentally and physically exhausted leading up to this week. The next few days for me are going to be all about survival, having to pay off multiple expenses and hope that I can stay afloat after sending myself back into financial debt again. It’ll only be a temporary state after I finally get my tax refund from the ATO and get myself back on track next month.

Hence why continuing to go out to my group fitness classes is so important. Because it keeps me grounded and sane amidst all the chaos of forking out money that you don’t have. We had a lot of laughs in tonight’s class which certainly helped to put me in a more positive mindset. Sometimes laughing and not taking things too seriously in the class is really necessary like falling over in a balancing pose or collapsing after a tough Pilates workout. Having fun whilst exercising should always be top priority.

Tonight we did the following poses and movements: Tai-Chi Warmup (Overhead arm swings, bow and arrow), Sun Salutations (Extended mountain pose, forward fold, half lift, downward facing dog, plank, baby cobra, low lunges), Yoga and Balancing (Chair pose, Warrior 2 and 3, Tree pose), Pilates (Seal pose, table top, bridge with pulses, criss-cross crunches), Hamstring Stretches (Wide-legged seated forward fold, staff pose with forward bend) and Relaxation. https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/f...

On Tuesday morning, I had my second session with Dr. Yasmin Baliz at CNS: Comprehensive Neuropsychological Services in Narre Warren. Today was my first day of psychological testing and I could already feel myself getting flustered in the office. I really didn’t know what to expect or how I would go with it. Thankfully, Yasmin has such a warm, patient and lovely personality so she didn’t add any unnecessary pressure on me.

I had to do a wide range of tasks including recreating patterns using blocks, recalling a list of numbers forwards and backwards, general knowledge questions, mental arithmetic, definitions of words, IQ test questions on sequences and geometry. My biggest obstacle was definitely myself...overthinking, second guessing, getting myself worried about making a mistake or not knowing an answer or taking too long answering a question.

Suddenly, I felt 6 years old again, back when I had speech therapy and struggled with my social development. I did make a very interesting discovery in the last couple of weeks, finding out that I was a regular patient at Box Hill hospital back in 1990. I literally couldn’t find my voice back then but at least I’m doing something about it now. I really excelled on the maths and general knowledge questions but found the IQ type questions and pattern recreation ones really difficult. http://humanservicesdirectory.vic.gov.au/...

On Tuesday afternoon, I had an appointment with my counsellor Ruth at Piece Together Counselling in Narre Warren. Today was all about dismantling a lot of personal issues including the burden my financial debt has had on me, the stress and anxiety of the trivia night last week and things that I can look forward to in the months ahead. The most important thing for me in relation to managing several big expenses all due at once is believing that I will survive and overcome this. Things may seem really bleak and depressing right now but I will recover and get back on top of my debt again.

The trivia night last Friday night was a massive bust for me. There were several issues going on for me that night. Feeling exhausted, worn out and stressed about the financial pressure I’m under. Dealing with my parents having an uncomfortable disagreement. Being left out and socially excluded by some of my workmates. I honestly wanted to make a bee-line for the exit during the intermission because I was emotionally drained and over it by that point. I wasn’t enjoying myself at all and it didn’t help that I was in a shitty mental state nor did I feel included by anyone there.

By on the positive side, I did have a few wins. Doing my first ever band interview with Above the Fallen on Saturday. Committing to attending the Do It In A Dress charity event next week, a yoga retreat in November and the UNIFY gathering music festival in January. These are all significant goals for me because they serve to improve my self-confidence, to be part of something bigger than myself, to make contributions to others and work on my personal development. Like Ruth said to me today, I need to give myself more credit and be proud of myself for what I’ve achieved this year. It is a big deal for me. https://www.piecetogethercousellingnarrewarren.org/...

On Wednesday morning, I had my Strength Training session with Luke Davey at Breakaway Fitness in Berwick. I was feeling noticeably calmer and more grounded at UFT today. I think part of the reason is knowing that my tax refund will be arriving within the next 3 days and that I’ll be able to take control of this financial burden that I’m under. But also I was feeling better mentally and emotionally today which meant I could put more energy and focus into my training.

WARM-UP...I began today’s session by doing some stretches into my arm and shoulders using the resistance strap and pulling it out to the side and backwards. I also used a rubber ball to release tension from my shoulder and collar bones and do 3 rounds of 10 push ups on my knees.

DEVELOPMENT...Today I worked on my bench press technique, doing 5 sets of single reps at 52.5kg. This was a personal best for me and for once I actually felt really proud of that achievement. I think the playlist of songs that Luke chose really helped to put me in a positive mindset. Hanson’s mmm bop, Jewel’s Intuition, Rihanna’s Pon De Replay, Jesse McCartney’s Beautiful Soul, Nirvana’s Come As You Are.

In terms of my technique and form, I honestly felt great. I was activating my glutes, legs, chest and arms, I kept the bar path as straight as I could and I really pushed that bar up as hard as I could. There was no frustration or negative thoughts interfering which certainly made it easier and Luke didn’t even have to help much at all. It’s gratifying knowing that I’m getting better and more confident at doing bench press now.

WORKOUT...And here is where my big mental challenge was today. I had to do 3 rounds of the following: 20 walking lunges, 15 squats, 20 walking lunges and 15 kettle bell swings. The walking lunges especially fucking killed me. A mixture of keeping my balance, dealing with the lactic acid buildup in my thighs, sweating profusely, fatigue and the mental battle to keep pushing through those reps. Luke was as encouraging and motivating as ever despite how tough this workout was. I was determined not to give up, no matter how long it took me and it felt awesome finishing it. https://www.facebook.com/breakawayf...

On Thursday morning, I went to my Slow Flow yoga class with Keren Gurrieri at Now, Yoga. in Narre Warren South. I was in two minds about going to this class today but interestingly enough, active recovery through yoga stretches actually really helps with reducing muscle fatigue. And after my workout yesterday, I could feel the DOM’s in my thighs big time! I also hadn’t been to a class here in a few weeks so I gave myself a nudge and went. https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-124...

It was a very small class this morning with only the three of us students but who cares? It made for an intimate and more one-on-one type yoga class. We ended up workshopping the flowing sequence from Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff pose) and Upwards Facing Dog. There is a huge focus on upper body strength, controlled movement and body alignment. It takes a long time to master these poses but I could already see myself improving. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/7...

The other part of the class involved hip opening and shoulder opening stretches. This included Warrior 2, High Lunge, Tree pose, Cat-Cow pose and Wide Legged Forward Fold. We also did a completed pose called Bird of Paradise which begins with a bind (one arm joining the other) from behind your leg, moving your feet close together and balancing on one foot. Very much one for all the contortionists and circus performers out there. I gave it a fair crack though and did okay with it. https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/b...

On Thursday afternoon, I caught up with my good friend Amy Amy at the Cat Cafe Melbourne. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly the smoothest journey for me as I had to deal with replacement buses from Narre Warren to Westall. Considering all the waiting around and stop-starting in peak hour traffic, I knew that I was going to be running late getting myself into the city. However, all of this was beyond my control.

My visit with Amy to the Cat Cafe was brief but worthwhile. A two-storey, chilled out playpen for rescue cats with plenty of towers, scratching poles, fur blankets and wooden blocks scattering around the room. The coffees and snack menu prices were all reasonable as well. And of course the cats were all beautiful to look at and pat. I had a great time catching up with Amy and it was good to unload some of the issues I’ve been experiencing in the last couple of weeks. I would highly recommend going to this cafe just to see the cats alone. Also make sure that you make a booking online as spaces for sessions are really limited. https://catcafemelbourne.com/

On Friday morning/afternoon, I went out to the city today with my parents for the AFL Grand Final parade in front of the Old Treasury Building in Melbourne. I still remember my first footy related moment. I was probably only 5 or 6 years old and my parents signed me up to the local Auskick at Jordanville Community Centre. Even then, I knew that I had no interest in playing footy and wasn’t “one of the boys”. In fact, just seeing one of the other boys flashing his bright blue mouthguard at me was enough to scare me off for life.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying though. My parents have always been passionate Richmond supporters since I was a young boy but I just felt so indifferent about it. Even at school, I wanted to keep as far away from the footy oval as possible for fear of being hit by the football (I had zero hand eye co-ordination back then and I also hated sports). But today, considering it’s been 37 years since Richmond have been in a grand final, I decided to get involved in the parade for the sake of my family.

We rocked up on black and yellow scarves, beanies, hats and jumpers and also brought along some flags and masks. We found a spot near the corner of Spring Street and Flinders Lane. The crowd was massive, appropriately 100,000 fans turned up apparently. The wait for the parade to start felt like an eternity and only lasted about 15 minutes or so. The people around me were well-behaved for the most part, despite a guy literally yelling out on my right side and nearly making me deaf. Otherwise, I enjoyed being a part of the parade and the Richmond supporters as a collective. GO TIGES!