I’m 66% through The Uncool, Cameron Crowe’s memoir. Not sure what I think yet, but it does remind me how much I loath most 70s Dude Rock. So boring.

Gonna reread The Cider House Rules by John Irving. I loved it when I read it the first time 30 years ago (how did I get so old?). Hope it holds up.

Can't wait for my west coast fam to get here for the holiday and discover I now talk to my cats like Gomez & Morticia Addams talk to each other.

Yes. Yes! I want this for Christmas, regardless of context.

My most-listened albums this year were 1. Amanda Shires, Nobody’s Girl 2. Jason Isbell, Foxes in the Snow It’d be funny if #3 was that Lily Allen record. It was Hana Vu’s Romantacism.

I really need every damn place to stop asking me to fill out a survey about my experience. The blood lab, really? Leave me alone.

They’re playing Dave Matthews in the waiting area where I get blood brawn. Uffda!

Do you remember the olden days of e-commerce when you were lucky to get a shippping notice? Now you get an email for: receipt, shipping pending, shipped!, delivery pending, delivered!, fill out this survey, and leave a review.

I’m watching a 1955 gameshow sponsored by Stopette deodorant with “anti-immune properties.”

I wanted to study Latin in college, but my mom told me to take something more useful. So, I took Russian.

I’ve started learning Latin on Duolingo. My favorite thing so far is that “disco” is Latin for “I learn.”

The good news: my invasive eye treatments went from every 4 to 6 to 8 to 12 to now 15 weeks. The bad news: I still can’t fucking see clearly.

Had a lot of self-worth & identity tied to being a single, independent, female freelancer. For 16 years I managed to support myself, pay my mortgage, pay off my student loans, and stay out of debt. Even had some saved for the rainy day that was having a stroke.

Did not expect that cancelling my FreshBooks account would make me so teary. Just when I think I have a grip on being disabled something comes along to kick me in the teeth and remonds me it's not that easy.

I took a temp job at a software company because you could wear jeans & they had free pop. FREE POP! (Coincidentally, I'm rightthissecond downloading 15 years of freelance data so I can cancel FreshBooks. Now that I'm disabled I can't work like I used to.)

She’s calling some of y’all out. “There is a certain kind of Replacements fan, I know, who is going to tear their hair out and be bothered in the extreme the second they read about “aesthetic strategies” and “artistic intention” in the context of their fave-ever band.” www.gq.com/story/when-t...

Just discovered my mom recycled a bunch of “good” boxes I was saving for Christmas. More upset than this transgression warrants. Clearly she does not know a good box when she sees it.

Also a fan of the songs on the jukebox.

This video brings me so much joy! I think the urine stalls & kewpie dolls are my favorite.

The Healthy Benefits of Poor People’s Insurance Dear Darling Ones, One of the benefits of being poor is the insurance, or at least it is right now. Who knows what the future holds for poor people insurance? Probably nothing. The only thing America hates more than black people, anyone not generally…

The good news? I got to pick the color of my new wheelchair. The bad news? I’m struggling with needing a wheelchair. I feel like I wasted my ability to walk by sitting on my ass so much.

It wasn’t too shabby. Cooking the Funyuns may have been a mistake. Some of them tasted like old fryer oil. Might be due to my aged Funyuns. Who knows?

Adventures in Tator Tot Hotdish: ground turkey with onions & jalapeños; roasted corn & black beans; tots; variety of shredded cheese from opened bags; cream of jalapeño soup; and a Spicy Queso Funyun crumble.

My Top Five movie genres: - Books - Ones I didn’t see, but I read the book it’s based on - Richard Linklater’s oeuvre - Winona Ryder - Grease 2

I’m the kind of pedantic nerd/asshole who looks up when Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were invented (1990, released in 1992) to see if the book I’m reading is right. It was. I was wrong.

I made a chicken stew, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and Scotcharoos. I sent most of it over to my mom & sister. I do enjoy feeding people.

Fergus has decided my basket of yarn is her new bed. I was using that, menace.

I quit a book today because I refuse to read any romcom that involves the love interests meeting by tripping over or spilling something on each other. I have quit so many books for this breach of literary conduct.

There is nothing more heart-warming than the ENTIRE Twin Cities metro area running outside to capture the Aurora Borealis & share it with picture. I could weep. It makes me so happy.

I finished it and now I’m broken. May need to stare at the wall for awhile. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ May be the best novel I’ve read this year.

I’m reading “Heart the Lover” by Lily King. It is so delicate & wonderful my throat hurts and my chest is heavy. It is a privilege to be so moved by art.

Nothing like scheduling your annual brain scan & cardio-vascular follow-up first thing in the morning.

My phone just autocorrected “Didion,” changing it to “Dixon.” The stream of expletives I said out loud was probably an overreaction. Maybe. It’s been a long day.

April, Come She Will Hiya Darling Ones, There has been some very minor, minute, minuscule movement on the big issues in my life. If you have forgotten what those are, they're The Dole and Non-Janky Wheelchair. On The Dole front I got a sheaf of papers from Social Security asking me if I hired a…

Got fitted for a proper wheelchair today & learned my back is 29 inches long. Also, it seems all the wheelchair showrooms (a thing i also learned) are in the North metro. A bit of a hike from Shakopee.

Tomorrow I get to go to a Seating Clinic, which is what they call measuring you for a proper wheelchair to fit your 6’5” body.

And the same can be said for ALL forms of government assistance. It’s a battle. Well, unless you’re a billionaire. Then you got Congress on your side.

Lest you think getting Social Security Disability is easy. I've been rejected twice & asked for a hearing in July. I just filled out papers so they can begin scheduling a hearing. In 2 months I should get notice that my hearing will be in 75 days. I hope the $3K I have left lasts until April.

I live in a country where the government is willingly letting people starve. For reasons. If I believed in God, I doubt they’d bless the USA any time soon.

This is so lovely.

Selfishness in the Time of The Horrors Hi Darling Ones, I've had a lot on mind. Well, I always do. But lately I've been thinking about the two finger-snaps in Dire Straits' "Romeo & Juliet" and if the are significant in some way, if they are meant to symbolize something. You'd be surprised by how…

Photographic evidence.

Just to brag: I’m having focaccia pizza for dinner with focaccia & sauce I made with my own two hands (or really my hand + my floppy scoop).

This also reminds me how far I’ve come in recovering from the stroke. I couldn’t even chop vegetables. Now I can use a mandolin & keep my hands intact. Take that, stupid shaky Floppy Scoop.

I’ve made meatloaf & scalloped potatoes (from scratch) for dinner, which makes me feel like my own 1950s Midwestern housewife.

Maseratis & Peace Lilies Dear Darling Ones, Tuesday we celebrated the life of my Aunt Sherry, who died much too young (67) down in Florida where she retired with my Uncle Wayne. I attended the celebration at the Savage American Legion along with a lot of my St. Martin family, what felt like half…

Yes, I am a literal giant (6’5”) booknerd. I’ll probably read 10 more books by year’s end.

Goodreads wants me to tell you I completed my 2025 challenge of reading 90 books. Go me.

New Sugar song. Diet Coke with Lime is back. My cup runneth over.

I’m a GenXer who still uses “poser” as the ultimate insult.