1338 Catbatgirl.

Oh man, kids… What a series of days.

I can’t type as much as I would like, because it’s quite difficult to type from bed. I don’t even know where to start. It took all of the last two days to make this page. I’ve cobbled together a little drawing area around my bed, but it is significantly less conducive to art than my chair and desk. Still, I was able to do this, which is not my worst work. I can move around on my leg, but it hurts. I’ve tried to stay in bed as much as I can so the swelling will go down, but with no one around to help sometimes there is no other option. I should have bought a crutch when I was last at the store, but foolishly thought I would magically be fine in two days, or some shit. Not walking on the actual foot would probably have been better…

I’m not going to try and tell you about the ghost girl experience just yet, but don’t let me forget to once I’m at my normal keys.

Next week I’m running guest comics. I may run them every day depending on how many I get. A few already have been of exceptional quality, but I haven’t counted them. I’m having a hard time with organization without my regular work area. Be that as it may I think you guys will enjoy this forced break from the story. I wish it hadn’t come to this, but once I’m healed up everything should start falling back into a better place.

See you guys in the comments.

hello interwebs I’ve been attempting to help around the house by doing dishes and cooking and such because Jackie cant and my aunt was sick the last few days. Jackie’s foot looks a little less swollen and disgusting so that’s good I think. I finished a book today that was full of heart break and happiness, it hit me in all the feels. other than that school was decent, no homework which is the best. I finished my chalk art pastel project which turned out good I thought but Jackie says it’s only fine. I’m a bit offended I tried pretty hard on it…for some reason lately the topic of college has been on the air at school and I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do and I’m leaning towards trying to be a police officer and maybe try to do writing as a side job and art. I’m still so indecisive but I really think I want to be a police officer. I’m incredibly tired after this first week back I haven’t slept worth crap lately so I am very much looking forward to sleeping in and catching up on my sleep schedule. Today my aunt was apparently feeling better because she drove to pueblo to return my broken water dancing speakers I got for Christmas and got me new ones. I was super excited and tried them out and they are awesome and colorful,2 of my favorite things. anyways I’m thinking its time for a little zombies and to watch a movie if Jackie’s up for it then its bed time for this teen. goodnight all

32 Comments

I’m very stoked about you saying that you have a [ghost girl] story. No pressure or anything, but please, please tells us that story, sometime.

Hey Crave! Great comic as usual, but I jus wanted to say…

I think it might be a good idea to go to the hospital. I’m not trying to freak you out here, but listening to what happened to you and what you’re currently suffering, It sounds identical to what happened to me a few years ago on Christmas week. I woke up one morning, and everything seemed normal, until I got a shower. As I got out I started shivering. It was winter, so I didn’t think anything of it at first. I was supposed to go to my parents and help them put up some new furniture that day, so I got in my car, but even with my winter coat, I could not stop shivering.

By the time I got home I was starting to feel bad and couldn’t get warm no matter what I did. My mother told me to take my temperature and we found out I had a 100 degree fever. The next day was even worse. I wore shorts that day, and when my mom saw my leg, she got very upset, it was red from the knee down, infected red.

I was taken to the emergency room and it was there that I found out that I was now diabetic. I ended up spending the entire Christmas week in a hospital room. Like you, my leg was swollen, and it hurt to walk around on it, but I was miserable for that week. I lost a week of work, and spent my entire saved up Christmas vacation at my parents home, unable to sleep because we kept having to change my portable IV drip every few hours.
Despite this I kept the leg, an have lost a lot of weight since then (though I’m still hovering right around 300, need to lose more.)

But despite this, it was better then losing the leg, you know. I don’t know if you got the same thing I did, but it never hurts to know.

Just thought I’d tell you that after reading your symptoms, man.

They actually thought it could be a blood clot, but it ended up being an infection. If it had anything to do with diabetes they didn’t say so. I do have high blood pressure now though.

Hey, Jackie, please take care of yourself, keep us informed how you’re doing, and get back to strength before you chain yourself to the drawing board again. Your professional dedication to the update schedule is well known. We’ll still be here after the break.

As an older concerned reader, I have to say that adult-onset diabetes is no joke. My grandmother had both her legs amputated because of it, though that was some decades ago, and treatment is presumably better now. It scared me so damn bad that I decided to break the sugar habit at the age of 19. All the women in both my parents’ families loved sweets and added sugar to absolutely everything (except coffee, oddly enough) and made cookies and candies by the carload for the holidays. So it’s not like I grew up eating raw veggies and brown rice. My teeth are still full of metal from the cavities I had as a teen.

Over time, I gradually cut back on sugar and sweet foods. Like, I’d buy a candy bar if I wanted, but not keep a bag of them in the house. The palate adjusts, and highly sweetened foods become less palatable.

Sugar is not poison (I am no idiot diet-police crusader), but too much of it can definitely corrode your health. And high-fructose corn syrup exposes people to unprecedented dietary concentrations of a saccharide that may promote inflammation when it is metabolized. It appears that it adds calories without satisfying hunger, and may even increase the sensation of hunger.

I’d encourage everybody who regularly drinks sweetened carbonated beverages to cut back on them. Maybe give flavored seltzers a try, or fruit juice diluted in seltzer.

Hang in there, Jackie and Teen. We’re out here wishing the best for you.

I was diagnosed with adult-onset (Type II) diabetes 8 or 9 years ago. My Mom and older Brother had dealt with it for years, so I beat up on my Doctor to have me tested, and it turned out my waking glucose (blood sugar) was 211, over twice what it should have been. I haven’t had any really weird side effects, but I’m trying to keep it under control (110 this morning).

Alex is always a hoot; she’s forever the smartest person in the room and she knows it. So, what’s with Reggie today? He doesn’t usually skulk around like the Hunchback of Marbleton.

I, too want to read the ‘Ghost Girl’ story, and I have one of my own from my recent stay in the Warehouse of the Walking Dead (@tyersome gave me that idea). It was not a good experience, but I walked away wiser for it.

He leaning over the desk I cleverly hid below the frame, looking at documents she put out. I was hoping that would come across even without an establishing shot. XD

Aha, Alex thinks of herself as a crusading avenger! She wants JUSTICE for this murdered family! This explains much.

Lovelovelove this strip. I love seeing such a positive interaction between Reggie and someone who doesn’t ordinarily fall into a class of people he thinks highly of (overweight people). The fact that he’s capable of being genuinely pleasant and appreciative here is wonderful and hints at so much rich chance for character development on Reggie’s part! (I know the road won’t be easy or swift, but it’s still a wonderful hint – sort of a reward for all the times he’s obnoxious *laugh*).

All in all, the universe has been giving him a lot of hints lately through, well, everybody.

Teen,

If you are still interested in a law enforcment career early in your senior year, talk to the Air Force recruter. While any of the branches can be jerks and change your training choice, AF seems to do it less. See about going in for Security Police. The training is good, your “beat” is better than what you can get as a rookie on the outside, it looks good on your resume when you apply for civlian law enforcment jobs, and almost every air base is near enough to a college that you can take classes while you are in so you can also complete a criminology degree at the same time.

I concur with this advice; there’s also the possibility of GI bill benefits and similar to help pay for tuition, and many colleges have veteran assistance offices. Just steer clear of drugs, tattoos and piercings (other than basic ear piercings) until you’ve decided definitely against a military stint or are already in, as there’s no point in making it harder to get recruited.

If you’re not already a senior, you can also talk to them about it now, to find out if you can get into Air Force ROTC – it gives you some additional potential for guaranteed entry at graduation and possibly other benefits (such as lots of scholarships). http://www.afrotc.com/ has info on it.

All I’ll add to this is that if you go into the Air Force, you better be sure you agree with the policies that you’re being asked to help institute and enforce; it’s not like civilian life; you can’t just quit and get another job.

I seriously DON’T want to start a flame war here; this is one of the best and most civil forums on the web,; all I’m saying is pay some serious attention to who you’re being an enforcement arm for, and decide for yourself if you agree with what they’re trying to do. There’s other ways to get into law enforcement that don’t require you to be complicit in a foreign policy you may possibly not agree with, and yes, you really should find out as much as you can about that policy before you sign up; it does concern you, very much.

I’m a total stranger to you, but as a reader here I’ve grown to care what happens; I think you rock and have a whole lot to offer. It’s worth it to think about who and where you’re offering it to.

That’s it; unsolicited advice from a total stranger. Now I’ve really done it. .. . over, and out. . . .

I kind agree with what idiotranter said.

I apologize in advance for what I’m about to post, but:

I think military jobs are great, but once you sign up for a military job, + take the Oath Of Service, then you must STAY IN the service.
It’s one of the unbreakable contracts in the Government. Once you sign up for 4 years or more, you are legally bound to do them. If you don’t, they may take you to court, to try + send you to prison for a number of years.

Everyone’s military experience is different, but: I have a good friend who did over 4 years, + then some [required by all] reserve years, In the Navy, doing office-type stuff.

He thinks that the Navy is the best, and he doesn’t put the Navy or its people down at all, but: since he isn’t fond of exercise, or some people who like to pull rank a lot, he’d rather have gone to a civilian college, or maybe even a [non-armed forces + non-federal govt.] police academy, instead.

Once again, some people adore military service. And I don’t mean to put anyone or any service-person down. That isn’t my aim.
But, if you join an Armed Forces branch, you are completely required to stay for your term.

To me, it isn’t like a doctor’s office, or a department store, or a Burger King: you can’t resign, if you don’t like the job, and then just walk away from the job.

Once again, I profuselyapologize if I have offended anyone.

Civilian life, + Military life, are very different animals, in my point of view.

Have a Good Day, TRA

Just to clarify what my friend had said: he + I had discussed that he liked the idea of getting a 4 year college degree before joining the military, or going to a police academy before joining the military, but he had only said he’d prefer getting a college degree. I’m not sure if he would rather have gone to a police academy, instead of going into the military.

Hope you feel better soon, take care of yourself man. Also your dedication to this comic is awe inspiring.

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