
First, there is the question.
Then there is the search.
Finally, you get the answer.
βWhatβchoo talkinβ βbout, Willis?ββββGary Coleman, Diffβrent Strokes
Youβre the captain of your mindβs ship. You decide where that ship sails. If you donβt decide, the wind blows it around, currents take it to Timbuctoo. Your mind gets boarded by pirates.
βYou donβt know my mind, Tim! I canβt get it to do stuff! Itβs just all over the place. I canβt feel gratitude when all this world is pressing on me. I have a situation here.β
Yup. We allΒ do.
Can I offer you a way to set the tone? A way to steer that ship in your head just a tiny bit?
Ask a question. Your brain loves answering questions. Pick one that leads you down a garden path instead of into a dark back alley.Β
Ask, βWhat is one good thing that happened to me this week?β
Ask, βWhat do I have that I love and would be sad without?β The answer could be any number of things. It could be a person that you appreciate. It could be your career, your car, legs that work.
It could be mustard. Iβm not judging, I love mustard.
This is Timβs Grateful 8 Episode 5.Β
1. Running Gags and InsideΒ Jokes
Isnβt there something magical about running gags? They feed my soul.
Thatβs why Iβm trying to create one. Would anyone like to participate? Have you had the burger lately to do anything?
It started with Kathryn Vercillo of Create Me Free.
I have had theΒ burger.
βWhatβs true for me today is that I was about to say something else entirely when I noticed that in my last chat thread here what I wrote, or what it autocorrected to, was βI have had the burger lately to doodleβ which is hilarious and made me laugh out loud. Of course what I had was the urge, not a burger.ββββKathryn Vercillo, Create Me Free
Create Me Free is well worth checking out:Β
βWelcome to Create Me Free where I share all of my deep research into and musings about the complex relationship between art and mental health. While I touch on art as therapy and the benefits of creativity, I also look at the times when creativity exacerbates mental health symptoms.ββββKathryn Vercillo, Create Me Free
2. Bird Feeders That Keep Me and the CatΒ Amused
Yeah, we feed birds. In return, we get to watch them fly in. The old grab-and-go. Fast food for flying.
We get a lot of blue jays. They bully all of the smaller birds. The chickadees have to sneak in when itβs safe and the big blue meanies aren't there. Itβs a lot like high school.
The cat and I watch birds. Itβs a thing.Β
3. Adam Sandler as a SchoolΒ LizardΒ
I didnβt know if I would be into watching Adam Sandlerβs family-rated lizard avatar give advice to kids in a classroom, but I loved it. The voices include a lot of talent, like Bill Burr, Cecily Strong, Jason Alexander, Rob Schneider, and Jo Koy. Itβs on Netflix if youβre interested.
βThe last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of a class pet. A jaded 74-year-old lizard named Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his turtle terrarium-mate. When he learns that he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside, but instead gets caught up in his anxious studentsβ problemsβββsuch as an impossibly mean substitute teacher.ββββAlex Hartsell, IMDB
4. Voice Memos
Until recently, I had never used a voice memo. I was a text-only kinda guy. But a friend sent me a couple, I tried sending them back, and now Iβm a convert.Β
Texts are great for the small stuff. But they can be clunky and misleading for more complicated messages.
Where you donβt have time or bandwidth for a full-on phone call, but a text wonβt quite cut it, voice memos are great. Thanks for getting me on to those, India!
5. Running Water and IndoorΒ Plumbing
Without running water, you donβt have indoor plumbing. Thatβs bad enough in the summer. But in the winter? Oh, boy.
I grew up without it, which probably sounds crazy for a North American. Trust me. People live in Canada and the US without running water. You have no idea what a treat it is to poop indoors when itβs cold.

Picture it. Sicily, 1942. Wait. That was Golden Girls. Picture it. Alberta, Canada. An unspecified year.
Β You wake up at about 5:00 AM. You gotta pee really bad. You donβt have indoor plumbing.
Itβs -30 Celsius outside and blowing snow.
You groan with anticipated suffering, slowly sticking one foot out of the warm, cozy covers. Yup. It sucks.Β
With a sigh, you try to move quickly to keep the warmth around your body. On with the socks, a sweater, a big jacket, and a toque (stocking cap for non-Canadians.) Donβt forget the flashlight. Itβs dark out there!
You open the door, and a gust of shitty cold wind hits you in the face. You make a break for it and run over to the frozen, frosty outhouse.Β
You drop your pants. That seat is a block of ice! Finish up fast. As you stand up, the flashlight that you had put down beside the seat gets bumped and rolls toward the hole.
Nnnooooooooo! Down it goes.Β
Well, you arenβt getting that back.
Sprint for the house. Your hands are so cold you can barely get the door open. You make it inside and shut the door too hard. Oops. Did you wake anyone up? Quick, get back into that warm bed and thaw out!
I am so, so grateful for indoor plumbing and running water. Everyone should be.
6. That Moment Before theΒ Sunrise
Can you see that tiny speck of light on the top right? I believe thatβs Jupiter.
7. A HealthyΒ Body
Iβm so grateful for my eyes that see, my ears that (mostly!) hear, my skin, healthy lungs, strong muscles, feet that can run and hold me up all day, hands that can type and hold coffee mugs and food.
Yay, body! Keep up the good work.
8. OnlineΒ Courses
Itβs amazing what you can learn online. If we want to get new skills like programming, take up a hobby like crochet, learn to meditate. You could even become a Certified Vinyl Siding Installer.
Is there something you want to know more about? Thereβs a good chance you can find it online. although, if you want to get into brain surgery, in-person training is probably better.
Iβm taking a course now, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn new skills in my spare time, from home.Β
This was Timβs Grateful 8 Episode 5. Stick with me if you want to find out about my Gratitude Experiment!
This delights me to no end. I will forever have the burger to write. Thanks for the mention. <3 <3
Great list! The indoor plumbing one really got me. So true.