riderdrauggrim - Tumblr blog

riderdrauggrim · 3 years

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"Fun" RDG facts!

I went somewhat reclusive in the early 2000's, which meant, among other things, I stopped being exposed to New Music due to not having to be bombarded with radio stations at work, and having no acquaintances to make me listen to things.

As such, I only knew of My Chemical Romance in that they were A Band People Listen To.

I DID, however, love me some Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

So when Advent Children Complete was released, with a new closing track by "Calling" artist Kyosuke Himuro, in collaboration with some 'Gerard Way' guy, I was like "Oh, sweet song. Oh, that's the guy from that band people like."

And when I found the Umbrella Academy comics, I wasn't thinking "By the guy from MCR", I recognized it as "By the guy from the Japanese Ending Credits of Advent Children Complete."

Wups.

https://youtu.be/bWfKrw3ofEo

youtube

Also apparently the drummer from NIN?

Cool.

More track trivia: For the English release of Advent Children Complete, they kept the "Calling" music track over the credits. "Safe and Sound" was only used on the Japanese release, despite "Calling" being sung in Japanese, and "Safe and Sound" being sung in English. Go figure.

#gerard way #mcr #advent children #final fantasy vii: advent children #Youtube

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riderdrauggrim · 3 years

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Canada: :Makes roads through forests.:

Travelers: Gee, sure is a lot of wildlife in these forests. Maybe you should do something so we don't hit them?

Quebec: :Builds Fences.:

Atlantic Provinces: :Builds Fences and Cuts Back the Roadside Foliage.:

Praries: :Cuts Down Everything Taller Than Four Feet so you can see the deer fifteen kilometers away.:

Ontario: :Puts up A Sign.:

Travellers: Gee Ontario, that doesn't help much. And you're very large and have a LOT of forests. Could you maybe do more?

Ontario:

Travellers: You're kinda making it really hard to see if a deer is going to leap out unimpeded nto the road in front of us.

Ontario:

Ontario Drivers:

Seriously when I saw the varoous types of fences in Quebec and the Maritimes I was stunned. Provinces that actually try and protect both the motorists and the wildlife? Whaaaat?

Anyway, this has been brought to you by: I'm heading back into Northern Ontario tomorrow, wheeee.

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riderdrauggrim · 3 years

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Day Wed. Nov 4, 2020

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Hard to get much more Canadian than this.

Fun story about Mac the Moose, there.

So Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan builds a big moose statue back in 1984. It's claimed to be the World's Largest Moose Statue, though I'm not sure it had a lot of competition.

THAT IS...

UNTIL 2015.

When somewhere over in Norway they put up -another- Moose Statue, though THAT one was about a foot taller than Mac.

So the Moose Jawnians... Moose Jawas? The local Canadians said "S'cuse me, eh?" and tried to figure out how to win the title back.

It was pointed out that due to material and structural limitations at the time of creation, Mac's antlers were much smaller than would be proportionate to a Moose of his stature.

So that was the answer.

In 2019 he was refitted with a brand new, more size appropriate set of antlers, which also brought his overall height to 34 feet, reclaiming the title of World's Largest Moose Statue.

As a fun take, the old antlers have been left "shed" on the ground beside him.

Heh heh, Road to -

Saskatchewan with the Self Care tips:

It's the location of the Diner from Corner Gas:

Since it was only ever meant to be a film set, it wasn't built that great, and over time the foundation started sinking so the city had to knock it down. But come on over to "Dog River" aka Rouleau and tour the other locations used as set pieces in the show.

If you want.

Might as well.

Hours of "Flat and Not A Lot To See" out here.

Going to jump off the Trans Canada Highway. It's a very good road, but it's very straight and functional and lacking in Local Flavour.

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riderdrauggrim · 3 years

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Day Mon Nov 2, 2020

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta.

Camping out for the day, enjoying the view.

Sunny and 21°C, just perfect.

Haven't found any fossils. Just lots of little garbage pieces. Not allowed to remove fossils anyway, and I know I'd be sorely tempted. "You guys have so many already! Share!"

A few other campers taking advantage of the weather, on their ways to various points east and west.

Tomorrow I'll take off towards Regina, if the swarms of deer don't eat me during the night.

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Thurs Oct 29, 2020 sidetracked.

THEY HAD THIS IN THE FOYER AT CANADIAN TIRE.

GARWIK SAID NO.

I HAVE A NEED.

-If it wasn't heavy and made of cheap resin, and if I wasn't still over 3,500km from home, grrrr....-

It becomes more and more apparent that it's a REALLY good thing I don't have a Ridgeline yet.

Between all the roadkill samples I could have snagged for the ROM, and four foot long wolf statues, the truck bed would be... Interesting...

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Thurs Oct 29, 2020.

🎶 One day more.... 🎶 (Leaving Radium.)

🎶 Another day, 🎶 (The World's Largest Paddle)

🎶 Another destiny... 🎶 (Lake Louise somewhere over there.)

🎶 This never ending road to- 🎶 (This one goes out to the OG Royal Canadian Air Farce)

... (Wait for it...)

🎶

Yes. That was a Les Miserables joke.

Yes, I've been waiting a month and a half to do that.

No, I did not come up with that myself.

I have borrowed it from the incredibly kind and talented Susan Gilmour (from Edmonton!), with whom I had the pleasure of teching her solo show "SUSAN GILMOUR: THE LADY SINGS THE TUNES" in the Studio at Theatre Aquarius in the 2006/2007 season.

Apparently she was in Sister Act out here last year, lucky bastards.

What else...

Got to my hotel. Cops have been here twice in two hours.

The Trans Canada 1 Highway from Golden to Canmore was wet but not actively raining, and the landscape was covered with snow and low clouds. Very picturesque.

It was apparently around 3°C, and I took it careful on bridges and corners. REALLY good thing I didn't try and rush it through yesterday, it was colder, and there definitely would have been ice.

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Tomorrow's agenda is Downtown Calgary, Vulcan, Canadian Tire, and boring the hell out of some local LXblr.

-hears sirens outside again-

How is being in a literal building doing me more concern than a forest with grizzley bears and cougars?

#musical theater #les mis

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Some sort of Rayban Charity Event offer going around except the 'charity' is giving you a virus apparently. Heads up if you get the spam.

(And for a second I thought someone was actually interacting with me -sniffles-).

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Tues Oct 27, 2020, Part 2.

The next half hour basically consisted of:

Grazing.

Pawing at the snow.

Seeming disinterested.

Eventually one of them would move -just so- and they'd both suddenly heads up, YOU WANNA GO M8 staring at each other unflinching for a minute or two.

And then one of them would seem to lose interest.

They'd forget what they were doing.

And go back to grazing.

Finally Bigger tried to lay down.

Kicker was NOT HAVING IT.

He'd take to steps, freeze, take two steps, freeze, like a kitten learning how to stalk.

Then, just when he was a foot or two away, Bigger got fed up, jumped to his feet, and...

Then they'd both stand stock still, waiting.

Waiting.

Wait, what were we doing?

Oh, right.

This looped three or four more times.

Grazing.

Laying down.

FINALLY got the money shot.

There y'go.

Bet National Geographic doesn't have a .gif THAT poor quality.

They can speak to my agent.

Anyways, beautiful nature, and my laundry was done.

Trundled on up to Radium Hot Springs pool, since it's the only Hot Spring in the Rockies I could find that's allowing walk-up visitors.

Yah, it's a "pool" with added chemicals for health and safety, not as cool as "a puddle in some rocks" but I didn't want to be caught illegally at the rock pool springs and be "made an example of" as an out-of-province visitor who thinks I'm above the rules or something.

Even as a "warm water pool" it was pretty neat. Chatted with one of the park staff and another guest from Edmonton who does air traffic control.

Spent way too long and got way too pruney.

Also, Wikipedia says:

"The hot springs were named after the radioactive element when an analysis of the water showed that it contained small traces of radon which is a decay product of radium.[3] The radiation dosage from bathing in the pools is inconsequential; approximately 0.13 millirems (1.3 μSv) from the water for a half-hour bathing, around ten times average background levels. The air concentration of radon is about 23 picocuries (0.85 Bq) per litre which is higher than the level (4 picocuries per litre) at which mitigation is necessary at residences; but is also inconsequential (about 0.7 mrem or 7.0 μSv for a half-hour bathing) from a dose impact perspective.[4]"

But I was in there for like... Four hours?

So I'm pretty sure I've enhanced my already prodigious mutant super powers.

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Tues Oct 27, 2020, Part 1.

Radium Hot Springs.

Radium Park Lodge (cheapest place online).

Actually really nice place. Kind guy at the front desk outright told me it would be cheaper for me to book the second night online (41 bucks on Booking.com) vs paying him (70 something).

That was... Concerning? Like. Obviously I want him to earn a fair income. But how badly is he being fleeced by the online vendors?

Had the same thing in Vancouver. The 60$ online room was 98$ for an extra night at the front desk.

Anyways. Nice chap, appreciated the chance to save a little cash, even though I felt bad for it. And he wouldn't take any money for a Tide Pod, which made me feel worse.

Booked a second night because this place has a washer/dryer.

~Doin' laundry cuz I only have two sets of clothes and my T-Shirts smell like cheese.~

The place I was looking at staying in Calgary does NOT have a washer/dryer and if I end up meeting some LXBlr folks in town I didn't want them to have to deal with Eau Du Unwashed.

Went for a walk while I was waiting on the dryer, found this sweet park, complete with hockey rink and badass seated horse teeter-totter.

And then this pair of bad boys strolled around the corner.

It's rutting season. There were no ~ladies~ around to impress. Regardless, the one kept trying to goad the other into fighting.

How does a Bighorn Sheep do this, you might ask?

Apparently, or at least, in this case, by walking up behind the sheep you want to pick a fight with.

Putting your head right up to it's rump.

And, using your straight stiff front leg;

Kick the other sheep in the balls.

I have no idea if sheep balls are as sensitive as their human counterparts.

I don't think so, because generally the ram getting kicked would get fed up of the pestering and wander off a bit.

They'd both start grazing.

Then the second sheep would remember what he was doing.

Wander over.

And start kicking between the legs again.

An elderly local said she'd never seen that before.

She said the Larger one (being kicked) had less curve in his horns, so he was younger than the Smaller one (kicking) who had longer horns.

In any event. They wandered down the road, grazing and pestering/being pestered and moving on.

You can see the damage on the bark of the tree I'm next to where they rub their horns and itch their heads.

More jimmy punting.

Eventually they went down into the park, the Getting Kicked bored with the whole affair and just wanting to graze in peace, the Kicker trailing along.

And of course JUST as I turn my back and leave them to it, I hear a resounding THONK.

Well, now I'm irked, and settle in on a bench with the camera ready.

DID I FILM ANYTHING?

KEEP WATCHING TO FIND OUT.

YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

Side note, I'm sick and tired of the newer Youtube algorithm bullshit forcing content creators to pad out their videos to over 10 minutes to try and make a living off them.

Good gods, could you imagine if Tumblr posts had a word count before monetization?

Literally the only reason I have to break this up is a ten image per post limit.

Sorry.

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Hotel beds and phantom itches.

::something's crawling on my leg::

NOTHING IS CRAWLING ON MY LEG

::no you don't understand, something is crawling on my leg::

NO THERE ISN'T, STOP THAT

::but something's crawli-::

NO. NOTHING.

-Turns in light. Throws back sheets.-

SEE? NOTHING. THIS IS A VERY NICE, CLEAN BED. NOW LET ME SLEEP.

-Turns off light. Tries to get comfortable again.-

::hey... hey... did you feel that tickle? ... i think... something's crawli-::

FFFFFFFFF

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Is bed bug PTSD a thing?

#tw: bed bugs

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Mon Oct 26, 2020, Part 2

And then the sun set with an hour and a half left to Radium and everything was DARK and there's signs warning about Deer, Moose, Elk AND Bighorn Sheep jumping onto the road at any second.

And for about 45 minutes I was the only person traveling North.

Finally a pickup truck pulled onto the road behind me, I let him pass then sidled up behind him to utilize the increased beam spread of his headlights.

Good thing, too, he had to jam on the brakes when a deer wandered out. I had plenty of time to slow down, but still, glad he was in front and not the other way 'round.

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Made it to the motel easily.

Was cold and hungry, pizza place two blocks away was the only thing open.

Coconut Shrimp Pesto pizza?

http://wildsidepizzeria.com

Helllll yah.

-can't stop humming the Beastars intro-

Meanwhile, outside the shop, Louis and a friend were catching a bite to eat as well.

A large part of me wanted to see how close I could get, like some old stories I'd read about being a skilled enough hunter to touch a deer without it knowing... But... The main road was behind them, and I didn't want to cause them to startle into a passing car.

Plus it's probably illegal.

Ah well.

In my room:

Of course the knee jerk reaction was "lol spelling" but then I was like "No, fuck that, English is a HARD language to learn, they're doing their best, good for them!"

So, Thank You, To all the shop clerks and hotel owners and gas station employees who speak English way better than I speak French, I appreciate you, and I'm sorry if sometimes I don't understand. I know you're doing your best, our language is a stupid mess of contradictions borrowed from too many sources.

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Day Mon Oct 26, 2020, Part 1

Departure:

Later than I'd like. Spent too much time packing shit back up.

Bought a few items of clothing from one of the permanent residents here, I think he hits garage sales or thrift stores and looks for good quality items to clean and resell.

Anyways, had a few winter coats that actually mostly fit my runt self, so now I have coats I don't immediately need but have to lug home with me.

Then I felt really bad because he proceeded to speed shovel a clear path across the campground to give me a route out that avoided the sheets of melt/freeze that had formed on the dirt road access.

Thanks so much, Moss!

Caught the ferry out of Balfour, nice trek back to literally across from where I'd started, just to head south again.

Water backtrack, hah.

There's a quirky house here built by a retired mortician made entirely out of empty bottles of embalming fluid he'd saved over the years. With donations from others. It was closed for the season and I didn't want to trespass so just grabbed a few photos from the road.

Skyyyyyyyy colourssssss.

Phone camera at speed doesn't do it justice, sorry...

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Hell yah, Chekov's Gun at it's finest.

Murder Hornets are back for the end of Act III.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/first-asian-giant-murder-hornet-nest-in-us-found-near-british-columbias-south-border-honeybees

Sweet photos and facts:

https://twitter.com/ferrisjabr/status/1320140155387142144?s=19

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Unfollow me right now if you don’t think:

Digimon are digital monsters

Digimon are the champions

Digimon change into digital champions to save the digital world

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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Sometimes when I'm adventuring, I notice things about myself that make me chuckle.

Bugs, for instance.

Before booking a hotel, I scour the latest reviews for any indication of a bed bug infestation.

On arrival, my first order of business is checking the edges of the mattresses and box spring and such, looking for telltale black dots of blood droppings.

So far, thankfully, either but luck or fate, I haven't found or had to deal with any.

No bugs.

No thank you.

Meanwhile.

I'm out in a camp ground, I set up my bivy shelter, leaving the flap open for access as I wander off to the washroom or exploring.

Come back, whups.

Fish out the ants/spiders/mosquitos/etc that have wandered inside while I was gone.

Make a mental note to close the flap before leaving.

Never remember.

Scoop more bugs out.

So what is it about "wild bugs" that has me so blase, but "inside bugs" that puts me on edge?

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We had bedbugs in our apartment once, several years ago, it seemed almost everyone in Hamilton did, and they care nothing for social status or your bank account.

Even knowing that "anyone can get them, it doesn't mean you're dirty," the shame I felt knowing we had fallen victim to the recent upswell of infestations, the dots of itchy red welts along my back, the fear I might somehow "transmit" them to my coworkers...

Well, suffice to say it left enough of a mental trauma to be adamant about not experiencing it again.

Maybe that's it, then. The social stigma aspect of it.

Or the unknown factor of time.

A mosquito bite is a mosquito bite. It feeds once, then buzzes off, and you never see her again.

Bedbugs come out again and again, hunting you down, making more to find you.

-shivers-

I wish I had advice for dealing with them, I really do.

I was attempting a self-experiment using these skin patches that released a vitamin into your system that was supposed to "taint" your blood and make it unappetizing to mosquitos. I'd had good luck with the patches while camping. Logic being "they both eat blood, maybe it'll work?"

Except then the little bastards ~went away~ and without a control group I have no idea if the patch worked, or they all just spontaneously imploded, or what.

And I'm not keen to find another batch and recreate the scenario.

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riderdrauggrim · 4 years

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I have been out of Pepsi for 12 hours.

I don't know if I have the strength to go on.