There’s a podcast called The Loudest Girl In The World, hosted by Lauren Ober. The show concerns Ober’s autism diagnosis at 42, as well as her experience dealing with this information and opening up to others about it. When I listened to it last summer, I related pretty heavily to what she was talking about. I’ve also started to make peace with how my own brain works in the last few years. It’s been a rough road, though.

I’m on the bus. It’s too early to be human and I haven’t had my coffee yet so I don’t really want to do much; maybe read or listen to music, things that help tune out the other people or the monotony of the commute. When I leave the suburbs, it's usually dark. I sometimes look out the windows, but more to see how far I’ve traveled than at anything interesting. By the time I arrive downtown, I can see the sun coming up over the harbour.

The year is winding down. I’m preparing to go to New Brunswick for my regular Christmas visit with the family; my travel arrangements up there have all been taken care of. I haven’t bothered with Christmas shopping yet; my cash flow was a little tight until my last paycheque came in, and my tolerance for the malls has dropped over the years. Everything costs too much money now.

“The Sammy Maudlin Show” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Glamour”, “Message From Prickley: The Sammy Maudlin Show”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Stretch Your Arm”, “Ronny Barrett’s Sports”, “Promo: Taxi Driver”, “Totacontrol”, “Message From Guy: Urgent Announcement”, and “The Sammy Maudlin Show”.

“Night Gallery” sketches include “Crazy Crafts”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Tom Snyder MD”, “SCTV News”, “Grizzly Abrams”, “Hugh Betcha’s Night Gallery”, and “Signoff: The National Anthem”.

“Man’s Ability To Imitate” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Man’s Ability To Imitate”, “PSA: Concerned Children for Truth in Advertising / National Organization to Reinstate Cigarette Advertising”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Monster Chiller Horror Theatre”, “Promo: Sea Talk”, “SCTV News”, “Comment with David Brinkley”, “Promo: The Invisible Man”, and “Cooking With Marcello”.

“Mel’s Rock Pile” sketches include: “Promo: Shakespeare In The Park”, “Cheryl Kinsey: Traveling Sexologist”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: The Merv Griffin Show”, “Message From Guy: Viewer Mail”, “PSA: Participaction”, “Promo: Flashing Eyes”, and “Mel’s Rock Pile”.

“Play It Again, Bob” sketches include “Message From Prickley: Play It Again, Bob”, “Promo: The Trial of Oscar Wilde”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Roto-Rooster”, “SCTV News” and “Play It Again, Bob”.

“Gaslight” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Conversational Scottish”, “Promo: Chick Monk, Roadie Marriage Counselor”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Dick Cavett”, “Gaslight”, and “Sermonette: “Father” Raoul Wilson”.

“Death Motel” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Communicating in Italian”, “Bubie’s Chicken Medication”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Edna’s Back”, “Promo: Danny Eubanks: Seminarian/Rookie Cop”, “Monster Chiller Horror Theatre” and “Death Motel”.

“The Lone Ranger Show” sketches include “Sunrise Semester: Conversational New Yorkese”, “Tex and Edna Boil’s Organ Emporium”, “Kanadian Korner”, “Promo: Donohue”, “60/20”, “Message From Guy: Satellite Orbit”, “PSA: Foster Boss”, and “The Lone Ranger Show”.