It is rational to fear what covid does to the body. And this ableist machismo, separating "fear" and rational thinking, isn't helpful here. They aren't dichotomous. It is rational to mask in order to avoid covid, long covid, spreading covid, and causing others to have long covid.

It continues to amaze me that so many peers who would go to the mat for facts & science on virtually every other Trump-era issue—who rightly rail against the injustices & the empathy gap seen in this epoch—blithely reject public health & pandemic precautions as soon as it gets in the way of brunch.

Doing two difficult things that I hope will cancel each other out in terms of emotional impact. Phew!

This month is proving to be exhausting in a “giving it my all” kinda way. But then I have moments like this after a double family portrait session, and it’s so nice.

Here it is, my last piece for @eater.bsky.social: my treatise on the last 20 years of food culture, and how food turned into fandom. I really hope you read it. www.eater.com/food-culture...

Happy October! Allie's 31 Days of Halloween 2025 newsletter drops tonight. I can't believe I've done this project for so long. Link is in the usual place, all gals and ghouls are welcome to sign up!!! #horror #halloween

Celebration season continues. This go-round: @nosnafus.bsky.social’s birthday and the last few drops of summer ☀️ 🎂

AI is the logical evolution of a society that has decided not to value art and instead prioritize self-serving fantasies and immediate gratification. And its inability to imagine anything new, when paired with an imagination-starved society, creates nothing but addiction and compliance.

yes I DID just email the creators of my favorite sauce because I can’t find it in stores

Autumn mood board 🍁🍂

Exciting things today: I’m picking up a native beautyberry, nursery pots, and Pluslife tests to get us through next June!

Tarragon loves the packing materials that came with my repaired camera gear. Thanks, @canonusa.bsky.social for the bonus cat toys! #caturday #tortie

Ah, we’re in the part of NC false fall that requires an outfit change midday. This morning: cardigan, tank, high waist corduroy flares. This afternoon: bike shorts and a tank top.

Glorious weather also means cyclists are riding on roads that are not built for them. If you were commuting it would be one thing, but to ride 3 across and 4 rows deep on a road that is 45mph is nonsense. This doesn’t improve infrastructure, it just slows traffic.

Went to the pickle! 🥒🏢

👇🏼

Welcoming false fall with great joy. #tortie

Today is the 10th anniversary of the time my bestie and I won Pinhook trivia with a two person team because the theme of the bonus round was Saved by the Bell and I fucking crushed it. We won a case of Blenheims in lieu of a bar tab because neither of us was drinking alcohol at the time.

Picked up some gardening tools off Facebook marketplace. Got into a long conversation with the woman selling them, turns out her partner was a teacher from my high school. Made her cry while talking about how much Durham has changed, and how some of the magic still remains.

Oops joined another committee, but my primary responsibility-as outlined in the official doc-is making snacks. Dream life.

Last night’s dinner: steak, orzo pasta with sun-dried tomato pesto + olive + corn + shallot, cole slaw, and mashed potatoes. And a 2022 Merlot 🍷 🍽️ 👩🏽‍🍳 👨🏻‍🍳

I bought plants twice over vacation, it was glorious 🌱👩🏽‍🌾

Our government, regardless of party, abandoned public health a while ago. You’re just noticing now. 😞

Saying this as a horror loving gal, IT IS STILL SUMMER UNTIL MID SEPTEMBER! SLOW YOUR ROLL HALLOWEENIES.

Today’s film: Longlegs. Gorgeous composition, fun premise, subtle homages.

Staycation mood board 🧖🏽‍♀️ 🍽️ ☕️ 🧘🏽‍♀️

Celebrating E entering her fifth decade! 22 years of friendship and counting, aging quite well if I do say so myself 🥹

Photographed the great southeast pollinator census event at the extension, left with plants and some pastries! Love our generous group.

Roller skating at my childhood rink, hand in hand with my best friend, definitely healed something in me today. 🛼💕

More figs, this time from a neighbor! Made fig leaf sugar, a compote, and a shrub. Still have to process some from a friend’s, which will become jam. Figs from my MIL became a lovely fig mostarda.

Trimmed baby girl’s nails just as the tree service arrived. And she’s going to meet a dog later. Churu for everyone! 🫠

I hereby decree that Black Cat Appreciation Day extends to black and gold torties 🐈‍⬛ ✨

A local funeral home that does green burials just followed me on insta. Yesssss ⚰️ 💀 🖤

Got carded for NA beer. I should stop referring to myself as middle-aged, right?

If I play Virgo's Groove on repeat will that end Leo season early? I can only hope.

This is what the audience for a Long COVID conference looked like today. Notice anything? 😷

"PhD-level experts in your back pocket" is a completely nonsensical description of AI but a pretty good description of social media if you follow the right people

I have become the Cat Lady of Foxworth Lane just in time for International Cat Day. The tortie is ours, I catsit the voids when our neighbors are out of town. #tortie #cats

The word of the day is honorarium. ✨

Saw an incredible private collection on display in Salisbury and ate a bahn mi with one of my besties. A perfect day.

Free strategy tip: ask people what their superpower is and if they're willing to share it.

Did I recruit more than a dozen committee members AND two chairs for special projects? Hell yes I did.

Holy shit I needed that.

About to attend my first in-person yoga class since 2019! One of my teachers is requiring respirators, limiting class attendance, and using air purifiers.

I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas

That said, so far this week I've designed a great poster for an international conference, am stepping up more as a leader in my volunteer work, and am about to edit some lovely photographs I made.

Mantra for today: I will not let the joy of having done a good job get crushed by self-doubt.

DOWN with single double triple issue activism. UP with intersectional critiques of eugenics (ableisms, racisms, classisms, & cisheterosexisms) logics and practices that can hold and deconstruct both celebrity worshipping white supremacist advertisements AND wear fucking masks 😷

considering the lack of masks worn in day to day life. i completely agree with this.