Formerfish's Advice Column

[Psyche]

yknow that's one of those questions i should have an impressive-sounding answer ready for

[Cheery Dog]

How do I keep myself motivated throughout the day?

I'm probably not the best one to give advice on this topic since just today I googled "why can't I get out of bed?" while laying in bed at 3pm.

I didn't learn anything from that search other than go to a doctor.

How do I go to the doctor when I'm stuck in bed though?

[Gamma Emerald]

Call 911

[Donempire]

How do I keep myself motivated throughout the day?

I'm probably not the best one to give advice on this topic since just today I googled "why can't I get out of bed?" while laying in bed at 3pm.

I didn't learn anything from that search other than go to a doctor.

How do I go to the doctor when I'm stuck in bed though?

The doctor comes to you

[Formerfish]

How do I keep myself motivated throughout the day?

I'm probably not the best one to give advice on this topic since just today I googled "why can't I get out of bed?" while laying in bed at 3pm.

I didn't learn anything from that search other than go to a doctor.

How do I go to the doctor when I'm stuck in bed though?

Call a trucking company and a construction company. Have the construction company cut a hole in your roof, and lift the bed out with a crane and have them place you on a flatbed truck to take you to the hospital.

[James Brafin]

So a very good friend took me to the store for an emergency for class today. How can I show her my gratitude?

[Formerfish]

So a very good friend took me to the store for an emergency for class today. How can I show her my gratitude?

I'm assuming that you are looking for something more than just a thank you, correct?

If it were me I would take her out for ice cream one night, or try to figure out something she is into, like an author, musician or other media, and try to find something unusual for her as a small token of your appreciation. Still say thank you though always good manners.

[James Brafin]

Good idea, thanks!

[vizIIsto]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

[Formerfish]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

Buy a bunch of bound notebooks, you are going to need a lot of them. I'm thinking at least 1 per thread and you'll need to start backing up all of the threads here in your notebooks. Having a physical copy of the site is the only way to avoid freaking out when the site isn't working.

Then if the site goes down, just pull out your notebook and keep playing like normal.

[Inferno390]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

Buy a bunch of bound notebooks, you are going to need a lot of them. I'm thinking at least 1 per thread and you'll need to start backing up all of the threads here in your notebooks. Having a physical copy of the site is the only way to avoid freaking out when the site isn't working.

Then if the site goes down, just pull out your notebook and keep playing like normal.

If only this worked
That would be amazing

[Formerfish]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

Buy a bunch of bound notebooks, you are going to need a lot of them. I'm thinking at least 1 per thread and you'll need to start backing up all of the threads here in your notebooks. Having a physical copy of the site is the only way to avoid freaking out when the site isn't working.

Then if the site goes down, just pull out your notebook and keep playing like normal.

If only this worked
That would be amazing

I kinda imagine one of the older school guys who disappeared started doing this and just slowly spiraled into insanity where they are constantly updating notebooks all day and behind them is shelves and shelves of notebooks that have been archived when the thread locks and no one can post anymore.

There are cross-references to the scum, mod, dead and any other pts to have complete records.

[Gamma Emerald]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

Buy a bunch of bound notebooks, you are going to need a lot of them. I'm thinking at least 1 per thread and you'll need to start backing up all of the threads here in your notebooks. Having a physical copy of the site is the only way to avoid freaking out when the site isn't working.

Then if the site goes down, just pull out your notebook and keep playing like normal.

I tried written game notes once
It’s hard to keep up but I think with my current situation it might be cool to try again

[Gamma Emerald]

how not to freak out when the site goes down again soon

Buy a bunch of bound notebooks, you are going to need a lot of them. I'm thinking at least 1 per thread and you'll need to start backing up all of the threads here in your notebooks. Having a physical copy of the site is the only way to avoid freaking out when the site isn't working.

Then if the site goes down, just pull out your notebook and keep playing like normal.

If only this worked
That would be amazing

I kinda imagine one of the older school guys who disappeared started doing this and just slowly spiraled into insanity where they are constantly updating notebooks all day and behind them is shelves and shelves of notebooks that have been archived when the thread locks and no one can post anymore.

There are cross-references to the scum, mod, dead and any other pts to have complete records.

This sounds epic my dude

[Nancy Drew 39]

Any cures for laziness and a total lack of self-discipline?

Asking for a friend

[Formerfish]

Any cures for laziness and a total lack of self-discipline?

Asking for a friend

Listen, I am right there with your friend. I am in a funk and I don't know how to get out of it. Right now I am underemployed as an IC for Amazon and don't have the motivation to work more than what I need to to pay my bills. I am on the verge of bankruptcy (which isn't a bad thing per se, it would help me a lot in my financial life since I am so fucked), and I'm feeling like shit because I can't even get a job as a seasonal worker at Target. As a result of all this I'm anxious and can't sleep at night, which means I'm exhausted and sleep most of the day when I'm not working which makes it so I see less and less of the sun which could be affecting me too.

I don't say all of this because I want a pity party. I say it because I think I'm at the point where I want to do something about it. I don't want to hate myself for sitting up all night binge watching Designated Survivor because I wish that was how our country was being run, or watching British Bake Show watching other people follow their dreams and do what they love to do.

So how do you get there? I think the answer is slowly, just like with exercise. You wouldn't decide to get off your couch one Sunday and run in a marathon, you would walk before you started to run. Changing any behavior follows the same model. If you make too many changes at once then you are dooming yourself to fail before you've even started. And knowing that these rules and ideas are never set in stone, they have to be mutable because that's what our lives are now.

So I have all these bad habits about my bedtime, mostly because I don't have one and because I don't have much responsibility there is a lot of mental moral gray area about when I should turn in. I think what I need to do is try to have a set time where I try to be in bed, like Midnight and then have an alarm set for 8am and don't hit snooze.

I know what you're saying right now too, how do I not hit snooze? I don't know, I haven't been there yet, but I think thinking about it is a good first step. Now I have to try it. Good luck to your friend.

[bugspray]

What are your favorite really easy and cheap meals?

[Nancy Drew 39]

Any cures for laziness and a total lack of self-discipline?

Asking for a friend

Listen, I am right there with your friend. I am in a funk and I don't know how to get out of it. Right now I am underemployed as an IC for Amazon and don't have the motivation to work more than what I need to to pay my bills. I am on the verge of bankruptcy (which isn't a bad thing per se, it would help me a lot in my financial life since I am so fucked), and I'm feeling like shit because I can't even get a job as a seasonal worker at Target. As a result of all this I'm anxious and can't sleep at night, which means I'm exhausted and sleep most of the day when I'm not working which makes it so I see less and less of the sun which could be affecting me too.

I don't say all of this because I want a pity party. I say it because I think I'm at the point where I want to do something about it. I don't want to hate myself for sitting up all night binge watching Designated Survivor because I wish that was how our country was being run, or watching British Bake Show watching other people follow their dreams and do what they love to do.

So how do you get there? I think the answer is slowly, just like with exercise. You wouldn't decide to get off your couch one Sunday and run in a marathon, you would walk before you started to run. Changing any behavior follows the same model. If you make too many changes at once then you are dooming yourself to fail before you've even started. And knowing that these rules and ideas are never set in stone, they have to be mutable because that's what our lives are now.

So I have all these bad habits about my bedtime, mostly because I don't have one and because I don't have much responsibility there is a lot of mental moral gray area about when I should turn in. I think what I need to do is try to have a set time where I try to be in bed, like Midnight and then have an alarm set for 8am and don't hit snooze.

I know what you're saying right now too, how do I not hit snooze? I don't know, I haven't been there yet, but I think thinking about it is a good first step. Now I have to try it. Good luck to your friend.

Thanks, my friend expresses their deep and undying gratitude for your extremely sympathetic and thoughtful response.

[Formerfish]

What are your favorite really easy and cheap meals?

Give me a little more to go on. What kinda budget are you on, or what's a normal meal for you? Are you opening a can of beans and cooking a hot dog to chop up and eating a roll with it, or are you having a meat and 2 sides?

What kind of cooking set up are you running? Camp fire, exec kitchen, easy bake oven?

I can give a variety of you like, or I can narrow in on you and give more specific answers. I've been working in the restaurant industry since I was 14, and that was 22 years ago. I've worked in fast casual, niche, and corporate staples. I'm self taught for the most part having watched my mom and dad cook growing up and then dicking around at restaurants I've worked at until I got promoted to manager somehow. It's amazing how quickly you get sick of the menu food and start to make your own. I've been able to translate that into my home cooking and have been able to grow drastically.

I'm just getting back to the point where food is an interest of mine beyond being necessary to live. I've thought about doing a cook book, but haven't worked up the dedication to put that together yet.

Let me know where your head's at and we can figure this out.

[Formerfish]

Thanks, my friend expresses their deep and undying gratitude for your extremely sympathetic and thoughtful response.

They're welcome. I know that sometimes we can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like when we feel that way the sight of a friend holding a flashlight is just as good in the short run. It gives you hope and you can lean on that friend while they show you the way out.

Half of that is letting someone know you're lost in the tunnel, which is the hardest thing to let anyone else in on. Once you take that step though, each one after gets easier to make than the last.

[James Brafin]

What are your favorite really easy and cheap meals?

Give me a little more to go on. What kinda budget are you on, or what's a normal meal for you? Are you opening a can of beans and cooking a hot dog to chop up and eating a roll with it, or are you having a meat and 2 sides?

What kind of cooking set up are you running? Camp fire, exec kitchen, easy bake oven?

I can give a variety of you like, or I can narrow in on you and give more specific answers. I've been working in the restaurant industry since I was 14, and that was 22 years ago. I've worked in fast casual, niche, and corporate staples. I'm self taught for the most part having watched my mom and dad cook growing up and then dicking around at restaurants I've worked at until I got promoted to manager somehow. It's amazing how quickly you get sick of the menu food and start to make your own. I've been able to translate that into my home cooking and have been able to grow drastically.

I'm just getting back to the point where food is an interest of mine beyond being necessary to live. I've thought about doing a cook book, but haven't worked up the dedication to put that together yet.

Let me know where your head's at and we can figure this out.

Here's one: Living in the dorms at college. Something quick, easy and tasty for $20?

[Formerfish]

Here's one: Living in the dorms at college. Something quick, easy and tasty for $20?

Dorm room you are probably going to be limited, I know I was at least as a freshman. Microwave, mini fridge and a hotplate or maybe coffee maker (I would often use a coffee pot and run water through the process without any coffee to have hot water for ramen, cuponoodles and tea. The trick here is to use things as innovatively as possible to maximize output), long shot for a toaster oven.

Dorm cooking is hard because it's like when looking for quick, cheap and tasty you can only pick 2 of those adjectives. Quick and cheap has you looking at ramen and hot pockets or frozen burritos. Tasty and quick requires a bit more equipment than a typical dorm room is going to have. Tasty and cheap might take a little manipulation as well.

If it we for just me I would probably invest in some rolls, good cheese, and meats to do Italian sandwiches. Little dressing, a tomato some lettuce I like banana peppers and salt and pepper.

Trying to impress someone? Pasta, but toss the cooked pasta in olive oil, grated parm cheese, chopped basil and parsley a little red pepper flake and squeeze a lemon over the whole dish. Serve like that with some garlic bread and pair with a protein if you feel froggy.

[Amrun]

When I was in college I bought a thing where I could cook pasta in the microwave. Cheap spaghetti FTW.


For those struggling to get out of bed: I went through this for a long time. I hit rock bottom, dropped out of school....

Here’s what you do: DO IT ANYWAY

Baby steps. Face what is hard. Go out to the living room where family is even when they might razz you. Go to the store.

Change your scenery.

Get a job, if you don’t have one. For me this was really helpful. It forced me out of the house at set times. At first it was a stupid one on weekends because that’s all I could handle. Then I got more responsibility at subsequent jobs until I am once again a competent and respected professional.


You can dig out of the hole. You have to pick up the shovel first.

It sounds way easier than it is. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I did do it, so that’s why I’m telling you now how I did it. It kind of is that simple when it comes down to it.

Seeing a doctor and therapist can help. There are now teletherapists. If you can’t do more, maybe start there.

[bugspray]

A good example of something I did yesterday was boil some rice in chicken broth (w/ basil, garlic) and then add some leftover pulled pork into it. Stuff like that where you basically just have a single pan and keep adding stuff but all of the prep sorta happens on one cutting board (I'll just cut meat last or not use any). Two pans is okay if one is just going to be deep frying or boiling stuff.
I use a lot of pho noodles and rice
My favorite spices: cumin, ginger, garlic, cayenne, basil (roughly ordered)

Also just a splash of vinegar into stuff seems to make it taste better so how else do I get that "acid" into my food that I've heard so much about?

[PJ.]

Here's one: Living in the dorms at college. Something quick, easy and tasty for $20?

what appliances do you have at your disposal? Can you store fresh food? Can you store frozen food? I'd personally invest in a george foremen grill if you have any type of food storage situation + a way to wash it.