ID

So... I did something really silly. I let most of my ID expire. Normally, I use this blog to talk about my accomplishments, adventures, and commentaries. Less often do I speak on my mistakes and shortcomings. But today, I'm going to talk about this.

I was first made aware of my situation when I was trying to purchase beer and was asked for ID. Doesn't happen too often, and I'm sure I don't look under 19 (our legal drinking age) but they have to ask if they think you're 25 or younger, and sometimes they send people out to sting servers that don't ask. My male pattern baldness is too progressed to belong to an 18 year old, but maybe I pass for a rough looking 24 year old out on a sting.

So I gave her my driver's license and she asked if I had something that wasn't expired. So I asked if she could take my Health Card, and she could, but when she looked at it, she asked me if I had anything that wasn't expired. I didn't, and got denied for being under suspicion of being 18 years old or younger.

Just went to a nearby beer store where people are familiar with me. Even so, I was super nervous and feeling like an underage kid trying to score some forbidden drink. Wound up acting real nervous purchasing from a guy I've known for four years. I mean, if I was underage during that time of purchase, I would have had to have been 14 when I started buying from that guy.

Want to know something really lame about me? I never attempted to purchase alcohol underage. Not once. Even still, there's a small part of me that worries I'll get ID'd every time I go to the liquor store.

Anyway, turns out it's a bit difficult to get photo ID if you don't have valid photo ID. Usually, you need three pieces of identification to prove you are who you say you are. I'm not going to look it up to confirm, but I believe they were something along the lines of one piece to prove your identity, one to prove your citizenship, and one to prove your address. I believe I was able to prove my citizenship and address, but not my identity. I could use my health card to prove identity for my driver's license, or my driver's license to prove identity for my health card. But I didn't have either.

So, turns out, you can use your birth certificate as proof of identity for your health card (but not driver's license). One problem, though. I had left my birth certificate in Guelph, and I guess it got lost during one of the times that the family moved. So I needed to get my birth certificate to get my health card, and my health card to get my driver's license.

To get your birth certificate, you need to have a reference from someone who has known you for five years and who is in a profession considered "trustworthy". I used to use my grandfather, but he's retired now, and apparently the Canadian government no longer considers you "trustworthy" the moment you retire. I wound up using my boss.

It's funny, because one of the "trustworthy" professions is Social Service Worker, which is what I am, and I am even registered with the Ontario College of Social Work and Social Service Work. So, I am a prime candidate to prove someone's existence, but I can't prove my own existence.

Anyway, sent in the application. Cost me like, $160. Got it in the mail, then hit up Service Ontario for my health card application. Thought it might take me a while, but I only had to wait like, 15 minutes.

I'm an organ donor now. They asked me at the counter and I okayed it. I had the option of donating just to save people, or to save people and use them for research. I said they could use them for whatever. The lady at the counter seemed like she was encouraging me to donate to save lives but not for research, but I was like "If I'm dead, I ain't usin' 'em. Just use them for whatever people need."

I acted cool, but I've honestly been a little creeped since that conversation. I've always thought organ donors were cool, but it was a real spur-of-the-moment conversation about what to do with some of my possessions that I use quite regularly. Overall, I'm happy with my decision. Just a little creeped out with it as well.

A few weeks later, and I have my new photo health card. Now I just need to renew my G1 (first stage of a graduated licensing system). Some people are suggesting that I get an Ontario ID card (generic photo ID for people that can't get alternative identification) because they don't believe that I will be graduating through our licensing system, since I have made a number of attempts throughout the last decade and it hasn't happened.  But FORGET THAT! I WILL get my driver's license! I WILL!

This is our fifth post of the month, which means that, pathetically, September is 2019's month with the most posts. Lot of accomplishments this year, not a lot of posts.

I wound up having three sunflowers this year, by the way.

EaFy Day 2019

You might not remember from last year, but EaFy Day (Extend-a-Family-y Day) is an annual event that occurs at my organization. We all gather together for a day full of team building, and each year has a different theme. The theme and specific events within it, as well as the location where it is held, change each year. Apparently there has been a Harry Potter themed EaFy Day, and a Murder Mystery one. The only one other than this year's that I have attended was, Choose Your Happy.

Choose Your Happy was held at St Jacob's Market, a sort of popular but old-fashioned shopping area just outside of Waterloo. People ride horses and sell organic food out there. I ultimately found my Happy by going to a store called Taste, which is a house of sauces that allows you to taste a product before purchasing it. I asked for their hottest sauce, and they presented me with a bottle of Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Pepper Puree and told me if I wanted to buy it, I had to taste it first.

Despite never having tried a Super Hot (anything spicier than a Habanero) I knew well that the Scorpion Pepper was the second hottest pepper in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. I had been to this store before, but only as a support worker, and I had always felt that, should I succumb to the heat, I might rely on the person I served to support me for the rest of the day, so I'd never pushed myself.

But I was alone, with nothing to lose. So I danced with the Scorpion and found it surprisingly palatable (It's a slow burn that allows you to taste it before the heat sets in). I wound up developing a hot sauce collection because of this day.

This year's theme was Choose Your Own Adventure. So, another theme that values choice. It was held at a campsite, the pamphlet explaining the day was written like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, "If you enjoy nature, turn to page three, if you like competition, turn to page 4, etc." It was small enough that you could read the whole thing, though.

Scheduled events of the day were a Thai-Chi class, canoeing (Did I tell you guys about my canoe accident this summer?), and a camp fire. They also provided board games, some choose-your-own-adventure books, and a photo scavenger hunt.

The adventure I chose for the afternoon was to run around worrying about whether or not I was still doing CCLD (Citizen Centred Leadership, an online course that my organization has paid for me to take) as a session was supposed to happen during EaFy Day hours, and my ride there was leaving before the course would end.

It all worked out. Three of my classmates were also attending EaFy Day, we got the WiFi password from the camp (never been at a campsite with WiFi before), we shared a laptop, and one of them gave me a ride back.

But during the morning, I completed the photo scavenger hunt, in which you have to take a selfie...

...with a tree

 ...with a pinecone

 ...with a sign

 ...with three types of leaves

 ...with two types of sticks

 ...in the sunlight

 ...in the shade

 ...with something smooth

 ...with something bumpy

 ...with a trash bin

 ...with a red car

 ...with something round

 ...eating something

 ...smelling something refreshing

 ...with something red

 ....with something colourful

....with animal tracks.

I'd like to point out that, to win the scavenger hunt, you only needed to get ten out of seventeen, but I got every one. The most difficult was the animal tracks. I was at a loss until somebody gave me a tip in that a person won the year previous by using someone's paw print tattoo. Then it just took a little networking to find someone with such a tattoo. Barring that, I was going to use a shoe print and argue that humans are animals.

I made a self-imposed rule that I couldn't use the same item for two images. For example, I had already taken a selfie with a red leaf and a red car, but I required myself to find something new for the "with something red" photo. I also could have just smelled and then eaten the orange slice for "smelling something refreshing" and "while eating", but instead I used a muffin for one of the images.

I think I might have technically failed the trash bin one. I think the exact wording was "in front of a trash can" and I don't know if what I got qualifies as a "can" and I'm beside it, not in front. But I had my list verified by the person who made the activity, and she didn't burn me for that.

There were like, four other people playing, but I think I'm the only one who got all seventeen, so I'm declaring myself the winner.

Thirty

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. To celebrate, I went to Guelph, and my girlfriend came to visit. She had already met my mother, so it wasn't too much of a gamble, but she got to meet my brother and see my family's home, which was pretty cool.

My mother and brother got me the dried up head of a Kong sunflower, which is a ridiculously huge breed of sunflower that grows multiple blossoms, and which I've always dreamed of growing. One of their neighbours grew them this year, and I didn't really believe he'd managed it until I saw them for myself. They were small Kongs, but unmistakably the real deal. With this dried up Kong head, I should be able to harvest the seeds and grow my own next year.

They also got me a water filtration system to attach to my tap at home, because I don't trust my Kitchener pipes. It's the same filter that the city got for them to eliminate the lead that had been detected in their pipes, so it should be good. I found this to be a very appropriate gift for turning thirty, because concerns about water quality seems like quite an "adult" issue to have.

My girlfriend got me a journal to write down my dreams, because I'd said that I wanted to start doing a dream journal again, as well as to write down bucket list items (growing a Kong sunflower is on my bucket list), and some tickets for doing a "paint night" on her, since she knows painting is a hobby of mine, and she found out I'd never heard of a "paint night" before (it's like a painting session with a prompt given by an instructor).

My girlfriend treated me to Crafty Ramen, which is a restaurant in Guelph (much higher quality and more dressed up than Mr. Noodles, more akin to an authentic Japanese ramen spot). I had the Gryphon Bowl, which is something I've wanted to try for a long time, but for some reason, while it is often featured, it's never been available while I was in town. It was good. It was spicy at a comfortable level, and had pork and corn.

Birthday dinner was a barbecue. It was only the second time my mother had used the barbecue I got her for her birthday. She said she needed the inbetween step of watching me and listening to my instructions, and me watching her while she does most of the work. She seemed to be fairly comfortable with the process by the time dinner was ready.

Annual reminder that the 21st isn't just my birthday, it's also the International Day of Peace:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Peace

This year's theme was "Climate Action for Peace" in acknowledgement that sustainable global peace doesn't just come through reducing physical violence, it's also about caring for this planet that we all share.

Also, check out this wacky guy:

https://twitter.com/electrolemon/status/1175445355992797184

He does a video clip based on the Earth Wind and Fire song, September which is based on the "21st night of September". This year, if you buy a shirt from him, 100% of the proceeds go toward Climate Action for Change"

I'm not opposed to turning thirty. I'm not saying that I want to get old, or that I don't wish I'd accomplished more, but honestly, my twenties gave me a pr etty fair shake. Let's review the decade:

I entered the Katimavik program, where I was stationed in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Chisasibi, North Quebec. In this time I worked for Community Connections, a day program for adults with developmental disabilities, the Regional Food Distribution Association, otherwise known as the food bank for food banks, and then a series of projects in Chisasibi, such as looking after children for a summer camp, helping facilitate a powwow, and living on Fort George in a teepee for a week. We also did workshops and volunteer events on evenings and weekends and took turns acting as House Manager.

Then I came back and worked factories in three different Linamar Branches, moving from being an Assembly Line Worker, inserting springs and rocker into car axles and clutches, to being a Machine Operator.

Then I did Canada World Youth, where I lived and worked with a citizen of Mali, a country in West Africa, in a host family in La Pocatier, Quebec, acting as a horticulturalist for three months. Then we moved to Karadie, a village of 800 adults without English or electricity for three months.

Then I came back and did the Human Services Foundation program at Conestoga College for a year and earned an Ontario College Certificate before entering the Social Service Worker program, which I did for two years and earned an Ontario College Diploma.

I did two years of student placement at WALES (Working Adults Learning Empowering Skills), a community group run through an organization called Extend-a-Family, made for people diagnosed with developmental disabilities, helping them develop and actualize their goals and dreams.

I worked for a year as an Independent Facilitator for Facile (now Bridges to Belonging), helping people diagnosed with disabilities build their futures while working in the community.

I did four years of Summer Program (a recreational program run through Extend-a-Family), doing both a Day Program and an Overnight Camp.

I've done four years of Direct Support (one-to-one work in the community with people diagnosed with developmental disabilities)

I've been a Safe Management Instructor, teaching crisis intervention and prevention techniques for three years.

I worked for the better part of a year working night shift at a group home for displaced youth through Hatts Off.

I did a year of education at the University of Waterloo in the Social Development Studies program, and then realized that my old student placement, WALES, was hiring, and quit higher education to become their In-House Facilitator, which I've been doing for a little over a year now.

Katimavik through Canada World Youth, my family (mother and brother) has changed their residential setting three times (and I have lived with them at each location). I lived in the Conestoga College Residence for a year, then lived in student housing (not connected with the college, but still marketed to students) for two years. After graduating, I subletted for five months, and then moved to the place I am currently at, where I have been for three, going on four years.

This means that, not including Katimavik or CWY, I have lived in seven locations in the past decade. Including my youth programs, I have lived in twelve (I changed host families in my Quebec rotation during CWY)

During my time in student housing, which included a place where I had six roommates at a time, I had twenty roommates overall. After moving out, I have lived with six more people (not including a couple from Newfoundland who I spent less than a week with and ultimately decided Ontario living wasn't for them), bringing me to 26 roommates overall, not including my youth programs. Including my youth programs, I initially had ten roommates in Katimavik (but two dropped out in the first three weeks, so we won't count them, and we won't count Project Leaders either), and one in CWY (not including host families), meaning I've had 35 roommates.

Near the end of the decade, I got a cat, something I'd been wanting to do for seven years. Then I got a girlfriend!

So yeah, I don't feel like my twenties cheated me.

Harvest Moon Friday the 13th

This past week we had Friday the 13th falling on a full moon night, a phenomenon that occurs about once per twenty years. I don't like to admit it, but I'm a bit superstitious and like to lay low when either of those events occur. When they pair up like that, you know I'll be playing it safe. Unfortunately, I'm an adult and I have a job, and my girlfriend is visiting that day. Can't skip either of those.

Specifically, the full moon was the official annual Harvest Moon, which was once valued by agriculturalists that relied on the moon's light to work into the night during the harvest season. People tend to call any large and yellow moon a harvest moon, but turns out, there is only one that is officially named so per year.

Anyway, work was fine. No strange hiccups. Got home, met my girl. I'd been playing up the romantic connection between my life and sunflowers, and the significance of the fact that, despite my best efforts, I had been unable to grow any over the past three years, but that, after meeting her, they had finally started developing.

Well, guess what happened?

First blossom happens on Friday the 13th, on the day she visits! What a stroke of luck!

That day, I also decided to buy a mattress. I had been using the same twin-sized mattress I'd been using since student housing, which I'd adopted from a previous owner. No idea how many people had used it previous to me, or what had been done on it. Time for an upgrade.

Transportation is always an issue, since I don't drive and neither do most of my friends. I found a vacuum-sealed mattress in a box with wheels. Felt like something custom-made for me. Like, how do we make a large mattress that can be transported long distance on foot.

When we were walking home, a storm broke out, but luckily we were near somewhere we could take shelter. When we felt we could chance it, we headed back. Luckily, it only started to rain again once we got into my townhouse complex. The handle on the box broke off when we got to my front door, and the wheels fell off as soon as I lifted it in. The box lasted exactly as long as it needed to. Lucky us.

The mattress I got was queen-sized and the type of sunflower that blossomed was Lemon Queen. Day of Queens. Best Friday the 13th ever!

My new mattress is made of foam, but it's like, part memory foam, part firm foam, and part hard foam, or something like that. Guarantee you my old mattress was only one layer of like, ancient foam. I wound going for the queen size, not so much for width but because the double was 75 inches long, which is 6'3" and my height. The queen is 80 inches in length, which is 6'8", and I'd like my mattress to be longer than me.

The Gryphon's Perch

I recently rebranded this blog's name from "Lair of the Gryphon" to "The Gryphon's Perch". I was initially opposed to rebranding while my viewership is in decline, since it might look like a desperate attempt to "revamp" the blog. But really, viewership has never been the goal of this blog. It was initially a self-motivation tool to inspire me to regularly do things worth talking about during a time in my life when I was struggling with stagnancy, and it turned into a way of keeping a few key viewers updated on my life, as well a practice in self-discipline. I guess keeping my writing skills somewhat fresh has been a secondary function, and then random views from people going to Karadie for CWY, or people doing SSW, or people Googling my name (the three reasons I've been contacted by people I didn't know were readers) was a tertiary function of the site.

I'm turning 30 on the 21st of this month, so instead of thinking of this as an attempt to rebrand for viewers, I'd rather think of it as a.... reframing of my own life perspective. I'm leaving behind the edgy, dark, overdramatic "lair" of my youth and settling into the more understated, practical, observational.... "perch" of a more stable adult.

I probably don't need to explain it, but a gryphon is a flying mythical beast, and a perch is somewhere that a flying creature settles from a high height. It would make sense for a gryphon to perch somewhere.

Recently, I went to Ripley's aquarium in Toronto with the person I'm seeing.

I've been wanting to go to this place for so long! I feel like everyone managed to get there before me, but I finally made it!

Takeaways:  Flounders are great. I always thought of them as fish that lie on their bellies, but they actually lie sideways and swim sideways. They have a body that is built for relaxing. Sloths of the sea.

Stonefish are jerks. They couldn't decide between being venomous or to use camouflage as a defense, so they decided to pretend to be a rock, and if anything falls for that, punish them for it.

Biggest "wow" moment was when a sawfish swam overhead when we were riding through the tube with the moving sidewalk and aquarium on all sides. I remember seeing a shark swim toward us and overhead and saying "That was it. That was the moment I came here for". But then there were stingrays and sea turtles after that which also gave great moments. When the sawfish lowered itself above me, from my peripheral I thought it was a prop and a gimmick from the aquarium. When I looked up and registered that it was real, I actually screamed. Felt magical. Wasn't even a big sawfish fan before this.

I'm a big fan of the pistol shrimp, which is a species of shrimp that can clamp their claw so fast that it creates a void in the ocean that temporarily burns as hot as the surface of the sun, and is loud enough to disrupt submarine communications. They didn't have any of those, but they did have mantis shrimp, which are a similarly intimidating species that can punch with the force of a .22 calibre bullet. They looked so modest...


After the aquarium we went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). A fall fare that happens in Toronto. Biggest moment that happened there was riding the ferris wheel, which wouldn't sound like a big deal to most people, but I'm deathly afraid of heights.

You're sitting in a cup that sways back and forth, and you're not secured with a seat belt or anything. They don't allow single rides, so that made me feel like they were depending on your ride partner to balance your weight, which wouldn't work in my case, as I am a good bit heavier. The only thing you can hold onto is the cable in the centre, but if the cable were to break, it would break from above, so that wouldn't help you. The whole ride through, I was thinking about the cable breaking or the cup we were sitting on flipping upside-down.

The person I'm seeing has also pointed out a number of mispronunciations that nobody has called me out on before. When I say the words "calm" and "palm", I make sure to voice the "L" sound. Apparently, most people say "com" instead of "calm". So "calm.com" would just be two words repeating. Also, a "pom pom", like what cheer leaders use, is like saying "palm palm" twice.

That one actually makes me wonder if "pom poms" are based on the word "palm" because cheerleaders are showing their "palms" when cheering, but it's twice as good with the sparkly thing, so they have to say it twice.

I've been saying "sriracha", the spicy tomato-based sauce as "sree-racha". Apparently it's supposed to be "Sir-racha". So why is there an "R" after the "S"?

This is what happens when you read more than you talk. I remember when I was younger, I used the word "finicky" and pronounced it "fih-nicky". My brother said "Fin-icky". I said, "Duncan, quit being so "fih-nicky".