Life update

I’ve lost 170 pounds and my body has done nothing but be difficult ever since. My hot take is that sometimes I think I was happier before I did all this work and lost all that weight.

I would smile SO MUCH if he resigned. I’d even consider smiling AT HIM. That’s how much I’d smile. Also, if a man ever berated me about smiling like the President did today to a longtime reporter, I’d be hitting him with my very tiny fists before I even realized I was doing so.

ICYMI amidst all of the other dumpster fires, $14 million was stolen from libraries and funneled to Hillsdale College and PragerU to fund white supremacist revisionist history and pro-regime propaganda. Cuts to IMLS funding will impact small public libraries the hardest.

The Kennedy Center was going to host Hamilton. Then Trump put his name on it and lost that and countless other performances. Everything that man touches dies.

I’ve been off Mounjaro now for nearly 3 weeks. I stopped Phentermine about a week and a half ago. And I’ve laid around like a lump now for over a week and shamelessly eaten cake whenever I wanted to. Weighed myself today for the first time since pre-surgery and I’ve gained exactly 1 pound. 🤡

The interesting thing about recovering from abdominal-located surgery is that I do see a progression in healing after a little over a week, but it still hurts just as badly as day 1 did whenever I move. I’m still not standing fully upright.

Mom made me my childhood on a (delicious) plate! Look at this magnificent Midwest masterpiece casserole ❤️

Look, CNN and Anderson Cooper have not been perfect covering the corrupt Trump administration and their deliberate incitement of violence to punish MN for not being loyal to the president. Even this week. But his interview with “pink jacket lady” (Stella Carlson) is a master class of journalism.

1/27/2026 - Minneapolis ICE just attempted an illegal entry into the ECUADORIAN CONSULATE to abduct someone They did not have a warrant

Granted, up and down the stairs. Still counts!!!

I was feeling pretty good today. But then I sneezed and I’m pretty sure my vision went white. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that level of physical pain before. It’s been half an hour and it still feels like I’m on fire. Ouuuuuuch Also, I normally sneeze in 2s…

I’m a gun owner. Former member of the NRA. Lifelong Republican. Evangelical Christian, my grandfather was a pastor in the Lutheran Missouri synod. Alex Pretti was murdered. There is no ambiguity here.

Took my next dose of painkillers and I feel so weird just lying around. I want to work out! But that is a very hard not-allowed thing for 6 weeks. Imma eat cake instead.

I think I’m finding that painkillers make me loopy for the first 40 minutes or so and then I’m normal and a hair sleepy. Great.

We took off the bandages today and I saw my new body for the first time. Now, I’m really puffed up still. It’s only day 4. Plus, all the swelling is headed down to my hips and I look like a Kardashian. Still though, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe it was me.

It’s time to start marking my post-surgery achievements!

It’s not an exaggeration to say that @squirrelydoc.bsky.social saved my life and sanity yesterday. Love you, big sister. Thank you.

Sydney and I are on the mend after intense surgeries. Beyond grateful to my mom for basically moving in with me for 2 weeks to take care of both of us.

As a former longtime member of the NRA, Alex Pretti was the fabled ‘good guy with a gun’ (that he never even brandished) that members claim exists and vow to be. One single now-executed nurse was more of a hero than any member of ICE. I pray his family finds peace and his murderers face justice.

We increased my painkillers last night and things got much better very quickly. Today I want to sleep BUT ALSO I could like do some cleaning maybe because I feel very bouncy but don’t worry I’m not going to use my jump rope or anything. I don’t know where it is tbh. Maybe I should find it!

Hello from the finish line of a project that started in 8/22. Today, I had surgery for an abdominoplasty, panniculectomy and mons lift. My excess torso skin/overhang is gone. But I’m having mixed feelings.

Surgery went well and I’m heading home.

I could write a book on what it’s like to care for a cat who had bilateral extracapsular stabilization on both back legs due to rupturing her cranial cruciate ligaments (CCL)—basically the human ACLs.

She was a surly donut this morning but a purring one tonight. Warning: shows one of her new scars

You’ve never seen a madder donut. (She’s OK and currently sleeping with her head on my arm.)

Tried to cuddle again with Sydney this morning and she has never been more over spending so much time with me. She let me know in no uncertain terms that she had better things to do. Her morning meows definitely had some profane words included 🤡

Sydney spent a couple of hours roaming around this evening and it was so good to see. The Feliway plug had poisoned her to the point that she stopped grooming herself. She was already lethargic due to her bad knees, so I didn’t see it for what it was at first.

Sydney isn’t an overly-cuddly cat. But today, probably thanks to her painkillers, she fell asleep in my arms and stayed there for a good half an hour. She hasn’t done that in years. 🥰

Sydney is on the mend from what strongly looks like Feliway multicat poisoning. It’s similar to essential oil poisoning and got very scary yesterday. Today, she’s much more alert and aware. She’s also back to grooming herself, thank goodness. She’s not at 100%, but it’s a noticeable improvement.

The face of a trapped cat so over all of the attention she’s gotten today 🤡

I just gave Sydney a tub bath and lived! Since the Feliway bottle likely leaked on her, I needed to make sure it wasn’t harming her further. She even let me blow-dry her—using my Hello Kitty blowdryer, obviously. She was vocal, but no hissing or scratching. Such a good girl!

I dropped Sydney off for her dual knee surgery this morning, but she appears to be suffering rare side effects due to an overexposure of Feliway.

‘Twas the night before Sydney’s bilateral extracapsular stabilization surgery and all through the (club)house… my strong little kitty was purring up a storm and demanding headpets

Sydney’s fancy ortho doctor is right next to my knee doctor’s clinic and it gave me a good laugh this morning.

Sydney had a neuro consult today and they confirmed they think this is an orthopedics issue. I was able to move her Wednesday appointment to 8 a.m. tomorrow. She did eat and drink a little last night, but not much.

There is a fire about 5 miles from my house. Winds are currently 40mph. I’m keeping an eye on it. Syd and I can evacuate immediately if needed.

She sees neuro tomorrow and ortho on Wednesday. Until then, I’m trying to lessen her steps (and pain) as much as possible. So I made her a clubhouse. Just call it SD-6.

As I laid down to sleep, Sydney didn’t join me on the bed. I worried I locked her out of the bedroom. Found her hiding in the closet. She ran away from me, meowing loudly. Looks like another issue with one of her legs, she’s definitely limping. Heading to the vet.

Friends. I’m your sober, no-questions-asked driver tonight if you need one. Or I’ll book you an uber. Just ask. Please be safe tonight.

It’s the fourth anniversary of the Marshall Fire, the worst day of my life. I did not stay home and wallow. In fact, I successfully managed to shove myself out the door! … then I got briefly locked in a Goodwill due to extensive police shenanigans in the parking lot. I had to laugh at the irony.

Perfectly cooked after 15 minutes in an air fryer. I don’t miss my grill.

We had a Colorado Anime Fest staff meeting back on my birthday, Dec. 6, and I was extremely lucky that fabulous staff photographer Nic Lunt was there with a camera! I usually do a sparkly birthday selfie, this was an amazing and generous upgrade. Thank you, Nic!

Just over here wearing a dress (and belt!) in a brand I didn’t even dare to dream about. In a size 6. Plus, my very favorite red Frye boots that never would’ve fit on my ankles. Thank you, Mounjaro.

Don’t forget to cancel your Southwest Airlines credit card before you’re charged the new higher annual fee! You can transfer at least some of your balance to a different Chase-branded card to lessen the hit for closing it. RIP to a once-great airline 💔

Merry Christmas from me, circa 1990 and me, circa 2025. These pictures look like they’re from the same era and I find it highly entertaining. 🤡

Canadians making sure Americans see a news report that was censored here due to the installed “news chief” and owners being friendly to the current Nazis and facists running our democracy definitely makes them the South Korea of this connected land mass.

December 2021 | last year (with a new knee!) | Today Thank you, Mounjaro.

Look at her glorious, in-progress winter coat. Sydney is a purrfect 50/50 combo of a Norwegian Forest (note her majestic mane + britches) and a Maine Coon (with multiple hair lengths and silky softness). Her fur is double-layered and looks more silver here in color, but her undercoat is a soft gold.

When the resident supermodel decides she wants a photo shoot, one obliges.