Seeking Asylum in Faerun

11/7 Update: I formally welcome Pennsylvania back into New JersMaPennsRicutaware. Thank you. That is all! (For now!) My husband's first cousin - one of the ones we just don't speak to - got covid recently. He's younger than us, and he worked in a physically demanding job and was proud of the physical condition he …

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The Third of November

Last year, I wrote a poem for our local U.S. election day. It is here. Local elections remain very important, so don't forget to vote for down-ballot races, as well, as you vote for U.S. President. But, for all in the U.S., please don't forget to #MakeAPlanToVote. Election day is November 3rd. Vote. Democracy is …

Where’s Whoopsie #26: If Everything isn’t On Fire, I Must Be Missing Something…

I haven't posted a Where's Whoopsie in awhile. Apparently without live improv to afford me extensive time on public transit and in coffee shops, I don't draw much. My Partner noticed this and suggested I should prioritize doing something "creative" to ward off seasonal - and election and "in the house too often without other …

Never Let a Good Crisis Go to Write

Many things have been said about last night's U.S. presidential debate. The Times in the UK said of it: "The clearest loser from the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was America." The Guardian described it as a "national humiliation." Dan Rather at News and Guts wrote: "Who won and lost tonight …

Compassion is Not a Zero-Sum Game

CW: Descriptions of multiple types of systemic abuse and personal crises. Be safe while reading! The Poor People's Mass Assembly and Moral March on Washington is happening today. It has been planned for two years to draw attention to the plight of the poor and of systemic racism in the U.S. I wish I had …

Messages in a Bottle #17: How to Dilettante with Dysautonomia

CW: Mentions of consuming alcohol in a safe and responsible way. So, uh, how about what is going on in the U.S. right now? Which part? Well, uh, all of it. Plus whichever thing has most recently happened as of the time you read this post. The U.S. was a pretty systemically horrible place in …

Do We Really Need to Put a Label on Things?

Useful Background Knowledge: As of the time of this writing, our county has more confirmed covid-19 cases than over two-thirds of all U.S. states.*We don't own a car. This makes "avoiding public transportation or ride-share services" challenging. Our "primary medical provider" is one of those commuter rail trips we are supposed to avoid if we …

Brevity is the Soul of Apathetically #6: Blame Canada!

Specifically, blame one particular Canadian, Ashley from Mental Health @ Home, for this. She wrote a lovely post about how we might expect the pandemic to change our lives. And, I tried to comment thoughtfully on the spirit of the topic. I really did, I swear! Except that our President melted down even more than …

Brevity is the Soul of Apathetically #5/Meteorological Misanthropy #7: The Ailment is Blowin’ in the Wind?

What do you think is a better Zoom story? A fire during a work meeting, or losing a window during one? One of my coworkers had that happen today during high winds in the area, and it was, well, the biggest change of pace I'd had in many, many Zoom meetings since that time my …

Brevity is the Soul of Apathetically #4: American Covidiot

CW: covid-19 and politics in song form The first line of this got stuck in my head earlier this week. I ended up writing out a whole political rant in the hopes my infection with the dreaded "earworm" would cease. Spoiler alert: it didn't. But, maybe someone else will get a kick out of this. …