For your amusement; Passive Aggresive Note's choice of best (worst) notes for 2013: [link] (Via Boing Boing)

I hate that it has to exist but CaringBridge is such a great site. My most recently diagnosed fiend (fuck cancer with a rusty chainsaw) is set up there now. I had been trying to figure out how to ask for updates without adding to her other things that are a much higher priority and her health isn't all about me but if she needs someone or wants to vent or whatever, I'd like to be there for her. We aren't quite friends enough where I could drop over and just say I'm doing the laundry.

She is still having tests run but it is a very aggressive form of breast cancer that is likely not in the early stages. Grrrrrr. I want my magic wand and I want it now.

Oh, and insomnia can kiss my white ass.

Thanks, -t. After years of clumsiness I tend to have a wary detente with all things exercise, so "fun-ish" exceeds most of my expectations. I'm hoping the practice will help strengthen my knees and ankles so I can start running again. I don't really miss the running, per se, but I miss having just been running. If that makes any sense. But if the tai chi itself became an ongoing practice in its own right, that might be cool. I have three more Sunday sessions, and then I'll have to find a long term class if I want to continue. Which I might.

Sorry about the insomnia, SuziQ. And I'm sorry about your friend's cancer. Fuck cancer indeed. But thanks for mentioning CaringBridge. I'll have to check it out, since I'm sadly sure the issue will come up again among my friends and family.

I'm sure I've experienced 3° with gusty winds before. But I've forgotten it for a reason. Not sane.

4° and windy. Not leaving the house today. But by the end of the week, back to normal temperatures.

Suzi, best wishes for your friend.

My car helpfully informed me that the pressure in all four tires was low (it's THREE DEGREES) and the windows wouldn't roll down (it's THREE DEGREES) and while that wasn't black ice, it's THREE DEGREES so maybe the ABS did need to kick in on that really freaky smooth patch of asphalt.

There are puddles on my windowsill at work.

It is minus 3 here! I am working from home because I don't think I have the proper gear for my 40 minute wait for the bus transfer (which is outside). I hope someone has gathered all the homeless people, because otherwise I think they willdie.

My weather thingy says 4/ feels like -12.

I went yesterday to get Hot Hands (those things you put in your pockets that heat up) for the kids and every drug store I tried was sold out!

Bad news is that boss is sick. Good news is I don't have to go out now.

***

So sorry about your friend, SuziQ, and sending out all good thoughts for her.

Lots of cat news from yesterday.

Arthur is still in kidney failure, and U Penn (where Teddy got his kidney transplant) isn't willing to do a transplant because Arthur tests positive for the coronavirus. (Most cats have been exposed to coronavirus, and it's usually harmless. But it occasionally mutates into FIP, which is what Victor died of.) However, the University of Wisconsin is willing to do a transplant IF Arthur can handle the immune suppressant without going into FIP. Apparently, this sort of thing hasn't been tried before. So our plan is, once the current treatments stop managing his condition, we start the immune suppressant on the theory that, even if he does develop FIP, all he's really lost is a short time in late-stage kidney failure.

But once Arthur is on the immune suppressant, we have to stop volunteering at the cattery every weekend. We can't risk bringing anything home to an immune-suppressed cat.

Also, now Marie seems to be in early stage kidney failure. She's 15 and has several other health problems (irritable bowel, high blood pressure, heart problems) that we're going to support as long as we can, then let her go with dignity. She isn't a likely candidate for a transplant.