Me: Hmm, do I have handwashing OCD?
My partner: Remember how when we had a guinea pig I'd pet her and then touch the remote and then you touched the remote and then you touched your face, and you'd break out in hives and start wheezing? Anyway, you have ALLERGIES. Here's some hand cream.
2025 recapped
A tightly cropped screenshot from a phone that says “Set an early alarm. CAT PTO at 7 am found in calendar. Siri suggestion.”
That’s not how this works.
…prototype of what would eventually become the working minimum viable product ahead of the seed round for the very first atom and whatever. Hugs and kisses!
11) To: M, From: The time before time beyond the creation of the old gods and the echoes that preceded the formation of precursor to the concept of the distant cousin of the great godmother of the very first…
(Cntd one last last time I swear)
8) To: Le Marque de Doo, Au Revoir: La Santa Oui Oui
9) To: Mark, From: Santa
10) To: Buns, Love: Sir Mixalot
(Contd one last time)
3) To: SIR, FROM FORG THANK U 4 EYE NOT GET CHOMP BY DORG
4) To: The Admiral, From: Squirrel #732
5) To: The Admiral, From: Squirrel #6,743,689,262
6) To: TWO LEGS WITH FACE FUR, LOVE: Rocky Raccoon, PS Thanks for the Cat Chow
7) To: Mork, From: Mindy???
(Contd)
It’s the 16th and THE ELVES got everything wrapped early. THEY like to make sure my partner has a lot to open and go a little ham with the tags.
Examples:
1) To: Mark, Love: Cat
2) TO: SHINY GLASSES, FROM: SANTAS CROW
(Contd)
This is why I got a “when aren’t you sick?!” award in high school, and my ballet teacher would audibly sigh when I approached with yet another doctor note. I AM NOT DOING THIS ON PURPOSE, I TOO WANT TO NOT HURT FOR A DAY.
Even when I try and honor my body and its cues, this thing just confuses the heck out of me by moving the goalposts. A month ago my ankle arthritis flared so bad I couldn’t sleep. A week ago my traps froze up and my upper back was in agony.
There has been no change in my routine or activity level.
Meat suits are terrible.
Today my “good” knee hurts because 1) it hyperextended for no reason at all as I took a step with my other leg. 2) I was sitting still and suddenly a tendon on the inside of it twitched?! Anyway, it’s stiff and achy now and I’m working on the emotional energy needed to hobble to an ice pack.
I'm hoping to raise $100 to get bus fare, food, and a pair of pants that don't have a hole in the seat
Too many losses this year. I hope she’s reunited with Jennell.
Oh hey guess who had undiagnosed SLEEP APNEA.
Cat’s face edited multiple times onto a photo of the band, Twisted Sister. They are seated in a classroom at school desks, with 80s hair, lots of torn denim, cowboy boots, and some red delicious apples in hand. And an extra large helping of attitude.
It’s the 10 year anniversary of terrifying my friends with my rad photo editing skills. Might be time to plan another karaoke birthday, too.
*Huge crash from the direction of my partner’s office*
My partner: (quietly) “That was not ideal.”
My partner accidentally kind of sort of became my personal animes to-watch curator recently. Anyway, first it was Ascendance of a Bookworm, then Apothecary Diaries, now Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and... well... 3 for 3.
Without Ollie's prompting, I'm one of those people who doesn't realize they've been sitting & working for six hours straight without breaks. He's very good at his job.
A yellow dog with pointed ears lays in elegant repose in a sun dappled living room. A cream sofa, green patterned rug, and sliding glass door leading to a grassy yard are in the background. A glimpse of his fuzzy dog sibling is in the foreground.
Somewhere along the way, Ollie appointed himself our Chief Health Officer.
He:
- Enforces mental health breaks 1x/ hour.
- Paws at me to note when I’m working past 5 pm.
- Denotes bedtime with a pillow and a whimper.
- Notices every sigh and sniffle, and immediately races over to offer comfort.
*Tendonosis
Today it’s ankle arthritis in two joints and degenerative Achilles tendonsis.🥳
The hardest part of getting older is collecting diagnoses like Pokémon.
Alright everyone, one last push.
If you or anyone you know is:
- LGBTQ+
- 13-24 years old
- In the US
Trevor Project is recruiting responses for their survey on LGBTQ+ mental health.
It has HUGE impacts on policy, please take it and share widely if you can :)
trvr.org/survey2025
Took a useful screenshot
Somewhere where the original creator of the flag design also gets a cut or has otherwise actually licensed the design for use.
Where's the best place to get a Pride flag -- where proceeds go to an especially spectacular org?
A beautiful portrait of a truly lovely human under the worst possible circumstances. I’d had the pleasure of working with Leif the last few years and he was talented, invariably eager to help others, and incredibly kind.
Been a hell of a rough week. He’ll be missed.
A hand drawn card featuring Ollie and Teddy at attention while their departed siblings look on from the heavens (guinea pigs: Guinea, Little One, and Cissy, dog: Cheeto, cats: Buffy and Turtle). Little hearts float about. The messy text reads “DABA! Happiest of birthdays (heart emoji). Luff! (the letters of the name Cat drawn to actually look like a cat’s face).
Birthdaying hard for my partner today. 14 hours making French onion soup from scratch over a few days (including the beef stock). Homemade lasagna. Also made caprese bites. And there was an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. Not a bad dinner/day in an otherwise challenging week. 🥳
