Honey Bear is gone. We returned him today. My mother tap danced on July 2nd and sang, at age 81 years and 361 days, and now must speak only of death and what a bullshit concept it is. I let the cleaning lady go. I got a new job (almost) and began a full-on charm… Continue reading Goodbye, guy.

This last Thursday, June 2, we had a vet come to the house and euthanize Nemesis, our 12-year-old cat. The night before I had seen that she could not walk straight anymore and was frighteningly frail. The next morning she could not hold her head up. Still, deciding it is time for someone to die… Continue reading Farewell to Nemesis, our family cat

Cat update: Semi-feral Honeybear gave Nemesis an intestinal disease because he uses her litterbox whenever he can, because that is who he is. Nemesis was very sick and then unbeknownst to us, Honeybear bit Nemesis and while we were on vacation, her injury became infected. She had lost weight with her first illness and she… Continue reading Every night Nemesis sits on my chest breathing my air

I’ve hit my limit on this kind of chantage, and make no mistake, teenage sullenness is a mutation of chantage. Shall we review chantage? My step mother-in-law was the first person I ever heard say chantage when she described 18-month old Daisy sobbing with the babysitter when we left for dinner, although I didn’t really… Continue reading I will not be held hostage by a teenager

Wyatt and Calvin told me that it might be better if I didn’t talk about Maggie anymore. I do see their point. I see it clearly and yet I am deeply hurt and a little insulted. I did retain the right to post about it here, on la blog, where the masses gather and gawk.… Continue reading I feel a little censored

I believe this is a widely-held sentiment, yet even knowing that doesn’t make the world feel less prickly and scary. Was it always like this but we didn’t notice? Or did I just go completely, gently mad? Yesterday Daisy and I went shopping for clothes to wear at my mother’s award ceremony this coming weekend… Continue reading We are doing weekend-y things in the world now and it feels strange

My mind is just buzzing along lately, thinking about everything. I’m dying to see people all the time but when I do, it’s exhausting. I try to nap whenever I can. It feels like things are bubbling and there is hope in the air. Nearly all the trees are budding. It’s the time of year… Continue reading So many ideas, so many naps

Oh yes, Maggie is back. It’s a slow-motion crash and I have no idea how it will play out but she is on the move and a total nutball, mean as ever. On March 14, a boring grey morning, five cops showed up outside my office, let in by the terrified cleaning person and escorted… Continue reading March Madness

He’s just not that pleasant. We’ve adopted him so he’s ours but he has a proclivity for low-level bullying. I just don’t like that kind of behavior at all. For example, today he sat on the couch and for a moment I was overjoyed. I have fantasies about sitting on the couch and then Honeybear… Continue reading Honeybear is problematic, remains somewhat compelling