Pages 38 and 39, Where Betty Succumbs to the Volcano's Nasty Sulfur Dioxide Gas

Betty encounters a poisonous volcano

Betty is having a difficult time. If only she had listened to Tuca’s warnings. But, she didn’t. She confidently plunged ahead with a cavalier disregard for caution. What an impetuous girl!

I haven’t mentioned that I’m fully recovered from my fall. Out of a new respect for my spine and ribs, I conscientiously stretch my back (using the BackPod) daily. I’ve never had back pain before, and naturally, I never gave a thought to taking care of my back. It’s one of those “you don’t appreciate what you’ve got until it’s gone” experiences. After being laid up for a month, I know that I never want to take my back and ribs for granted. Live and learn.

Chore Day, July 17, 2021 -- Blockhead

Pencil with ink outline

The usual chores today: vacuuming the house and doing laundry. Afterwards I spent time with my puppy. Nacho is playful and loves other dogs. They love him until he starts to paw them and climb on their backs. The poor guy just wants to play.

I overslept this morning. Normally I wake up at 6 am, but today I neglected to set my alarm and slept until 6:30 am. It was good to sleep in.

I’ve been doing serious back stretches. Over the past few years I’ve developed serious tech neck and rounded shoulders. I attribute my poor posture to years of leaning over my iPad while drawing and to sloppy posture while I’m at my workstation coding endless hours. My back has reached the point that the curvature can no longer be corrected by simply standing tall. I’m using a device call the BackPod to do deep massage on tight ligaments in my spine and ribs. It feels like an 800-lb masseuse has pinned me down with their knee.