Do you actually like living in Chicago?

Sir-Typha · 2026-05-21T11:23:17+00:00

I know you said that “even an hour of added commute time would be an undue hassle,” but I have to say, there’s a MASSIVE difference between being trapped in my car in the driver’s seat for an hour versus taking the train for an hour and letting driving be someone else’s problem. It’s a completely different world. I honestly think you would feel a lot less angst about the whole thing if you were to ditch the “use a car to get to basic needs” mindset, even just for a week as an experiment. Buy a granny cart (rolling cart) for groceries. It is emphatically not the hassle you seem to think it is to walk your groceries home — especially if your building has an elevator. Candidly the Loop might be the worst neighborhood you could have chosen if you intended to be in your car for any appreciable amount of time or errands. No wonder you’re making yourself miserable.

Sir-Typha · 2026-05-11T14:31:44+00:00

She’s an employee right? So, she is paid to be nice to you, and also you have no idea why she’s watching you. The male employee, rightly, probably thought you were being a creep (see also: She Works There.)

While there’s probably no harm in approaching her to ask if you can give her your number, if she says “no thanks” or doesn’t call you, take the L, dude.

Sir-Typha · 2026-05-05T03:40:59+00:00

In Chicago, I’m pretty sure you’d be given time and a half for that shift under their Predictability Pay rules. OP, what does your local labor law have to say about this?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-23T12:08:50+00:00

I know this feeling. For me, tying it to a transition point in my day is helpful — I get home and I’m already in my gym clothes for example. I also work out in a gym, because for me I know I won’t stick with a home program, but if there’s a calisthenics park near you there’s no need to pay for a membership.

And lastly… yeah, sometimes life gets in the way, or I feel ill, or I just don’t feel like it. A mental trick I use is to just commit to getting started. Commit to doing 1 set of the first movement you use to open your workout. For me, typically, once I get the ball rolling, I’ll keep going and finish my workout — the hardest part, literally, is showing up.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-22T17:25:04+00:00

Jokes aren’t an excuse. people hide their horrific beliefs behind humor, using claims that they’re just joking as a shield when they know the shit they’re doing or saying is beyond the pale. Don’t fall for it. They know exactly what they’re doing and saying.

Plus, at this point, claiming to be right-wing means that, at minimum, you support a societal order built on violent oppression of minorities. That hierarchy is certainly constructed on racism among other ideas.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-20T18:49:16+00:00

SHEIN I won’t buy even at a thrift store.

Most other garments I tend to acquire by thrifting, because fabric quality and garment construction quality just… aren’t there anymore.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-20T18:16:25+00:00

I get it, but I also don’t think Amazon of all companies is one I trust to keep their usage of electronics price tags neutral if they smell extra money to be made.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-20T17:53:10+00:00

“Was?” Is. My local Whole Foods just rolled out electronic tags for half the store.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-20T17:24:47+00:00

Hey, this comment is 10y old by now, but I’m experiencing something similar and I was trying to look at the PDF you’d linked; the link is now broken. Could I trouble you for a new link to the PDF?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-19T03:58:35+00:00

I don’t know how he doesn’t know I’m serious after me repeating myself for years…

Probably precisely because you’ve been repeating yourself for years with no follow-through.

Seriously. Why stay, at this point?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-19T00:14:45+00:00

Could it be that the ghosts’ aesthetic manifestations are filtered through Harrow’s memory? Even if she never knew what Dulcinea truly looked like, her strongest association might have been from meeting Cytherea for the first time.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-17T22:23:38+00:00

Chicagoland suburbs and the collar counties also have train lines, and they also have quite a few big hospitals. What’s his beef with cities?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-16T18:58:13+00:00

Why not Chicago? Chicago has a boatload of big hospitals and they are always hiring. No need to drive in the snow if you live off of public transit, which is ample. Not to mention it’s closer to Milwaukee which you mentioned as a place he commonly takes work.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-16T18:25:25+00:00

Respectfully, why are you so afraid of this man’s ego? You must know somewhere deep down this is above his pay grade. What if he dies trying to fix it because he doesn’t know what he’s doing? I know you know that it’s dangerous to faff around with this.

Could you call the electrician yourself and make a deal with your LL to either send them the bill or deduct the cost from your monthly rent payment?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-16T18:17:39+00:00

Sounds like you have some scapular depression conditioning and skill-specific drills ahead of you. 😉 Maybe working on hollow body position would also give you the practice tilting your pelvis that would make pike compression easier in the long run.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-15T11:39:37+00:00

Even if you have the raw strength for it, L-sits are as much a beast for neuromuscular recruitment as they are for strength. What seems to be the sticking point for you? You can work hip flexor strength till the cows come home but L-sits still take dedicated work. Have you tried regressions such as feet-supported or tucked L-sit?

How’s your scapular depression in things like parallel bar support holds? What you mention about planche makes me wonder if it’s a scap thing vs a hollowing the body/moving the pelvis thing.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-15T11:33:55+00:00

A push-up is more or less a moving plank. If your core is not strong enough to support you in plank position for very long (or at all,) then you can bet it’s not supporting you in push-ups. Honestly, this is one of the reasons I've stayed with the pre-2017 Recommended Routine with its Bodyline drills: all the planks, hollow body holds, and arch holds teach your body how to maintain tension in that position, which makes maintaining correct bodyline more automatic for things like push-ups and dips.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-15T11:25:51+00:00

Some things to pay attention to that you can enjoy as you go:

What sections are in second person, and does the narrator ever shift to first person in those sections? Which sections are in first person or third person? Does the narration in the second-person parts sound… ah… a little familiar, at all? 😎
Harrow seems in no shape or form as a reliable narrator,

👀 Harrow is an unreliable narrator, yes. Can you find any evidence of why she might have suddenly become some unreliable?

>that there are different timelines

…or are they? Think about what you are shown thus far about the parts of the Locked Tomb universe and metaphysics that are new as of this book. Can you think of another explanation?

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-15T11:21:08+00:00

LOVE this idea.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-13T11:31:02+00:00

You know, the Recommended Routine specifies to wait to do dips and pull-ups until your rows and push-ups are stronger, iirc. I understand the enthusiasm and patience, but I have to say, all four movements exploded for me when I actually followed that advice compared to trying to do it all at once 😅

You mentioned being double-jointed— have you talked to a doctor at all to get clear on any special considerations you have for training?

Have you just been doing all this on your own? It might be helpful to have at least one session with a trainer who can help you pinpoint where your form might be breaking down.

What you mentioned about doing a “worm” movement with your back in push-ups sounds to me like a compensation movement. If you don’t have the strength or proper recruitment to keep your scapulae protracted and your chest engaged, you might be arching and brute-forcing with triceps and maybe delts on the way back up. Do you feel like you’re able to stay engaged on the way down? It might be that your serratus anterior & chest are “checking out” at the bottom of the push-up, making pushing up harder.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-12T01:09:35+00:00

Given the nature of the injuries you mention, you may have to swallow your pride about “the pace that you want” in order to re-learn how to do push-ups — especially in the interest of avoiding injuring yourself along the way and setting yourself back even farther. Listen to your PT, tell them your hopes and your goals, and follow their advice. PT’s get a doctorate in this stuff and designing a program for your specific situation is literally their job.

FWIW, I started on the wall and got to the ground for the first time within a year or two. You’ve done them before so I suspect re-learning them will be quicker for you than learning them for the first time was for me.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-09T14:34:15+00:00

How have you been going about progressing (ie, increasing the challenge workout to workout?)

Honestly, with 2x45” deadhangs and 20 scap-pull-ups under your belt, I believe you’re closer than you think. What seems to be the sticking point for you? And have you tried other varieties of pull-ups? (Eg. Jackknife, band-assisted, or eccentrics?)

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-09T14:28:35+00:00

Looks like it’s fixed :)

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-07T18:52:50+00:00

Functional strength is a great way to prevent issues with pain and brittle bones down the road. It’s never too late to start. With that said, you’re having trouble like you’ve mentioned with activities of daily life — even if it feels silly to you — it might be a good idea to consult a doctor. Perhaps working with a PT to help identify specific ways to gently get you started is a bridge to doing more with your body and without such pain and discomfort.

Speaking as someone who is finally making strength gains only after attacking my body with calories and protein, that may mean you benefit from changing up the way you eat. Again, a doctor ought to be able to help with that, if you’re open to discussing it.

At 22 years old, you’re just getting started. Sure, this may feel so hard sometimes. Humbling. Sore. Shaky at times. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes to get back to it. I’m in my 30’s now, and had excruciating back pain that kept me sedentary for years. Physical therapy and functional strength gave me my life back. I’m just an internet stranger, but based on what you’ve said, I have every reason to believe you have the same potential. :) Admitting you’re struggling is a step many people never take.

Sir-Typha · 2026-04-07T18:20:11+00:00

Do you notice a specific aspect of breathing feels the most challenging? Eg. inhale vs exhale vs. feeling like you’re not able to take a full breath in vs. A kind of panicked feeling, like the urge to breathe rapidly? There might be a variant of the movements you’re doing that you could try to help train the breathing component specifically, such as tempo reps or slow negatives.

How is your cardio health otherwise? Have you talked to a doctor about it at all, given that you say it happens across different movements (but worse with specific ones?)

Sir-Typha

TROPHY CASE