Hello to the 5 of you still reading. As you noticed I took a leave of absence, and have not been here with snark, strong opinions, or rants in over a year. Truth be told, I almost made that leave of absence permanent. This blog is for me more than for anyone else, and the part of me that enjoys writing had stopped working. Let me continue to be truthful. The part of me that enjoys anything had stopped working.  Let me start at the beginning. I have been very open about the fact that a struggle with my mental health. Even so, except with a chosen few I am…

welcome, come in. It’s been a while since we last spoke. Despite my best efforts, my brain decided to betray me again, and kicked me into a rut deep enough to hang posters. If you know me in my true form you may not have noticed, but fake it til you make it, am I right? Forty has not been kind to me so far. I kicked it off by falling off my porch and breaking my foot. Followed by the return of my chronic back pain, which  pain management could not treat, or even find a reason for, so as always I was labeled a mystery and written off…

Welcome back, step into into my parlor. Have a seat. I’ve been so busy writing for other people, that I haven’t had time to write for myself ( I know! People pay me for this, I’m shocked too.) So much has happened since the last time we’ve spoken. For one thing I’ve turned 40. Which is. Well. Considering what a devil’s carnival this year has already been I shouldn’t be surprised it’s been like this. Yes, yes, “age is just a number, you’re only as old as you feel, blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum.” Until this point I’ve been extremely cavalier about turning 40. I don’t know if it’s the…

Welcome back, have a seat. I’d like to start today’s blog with a little anecdote. Before I start, some background on the area I live in. This subdivision is a hodge-podge of houses built between 1904 and around 1965 or so. It used to be a part of East St. Louis. If you are unfamiliar with the tragic past of East St. Louis, I highly recommend you go down that rabbit hole. One subdivision over is the first planned subdivision in my city (yes this makes me easy to find, if you are that invested, please seek help). There is a very interesting blog, written by one of the Durbins…

Welcome back! Step into my parlor. I know I’ve been away for quite some time. First life got a wee bit crazy, then the world got incredibly crazy, and here we are. I’ve been at a bit of a loss about what to write about. There are plenty of people expressing their feelings about current events, and it eventually all starts to blend together, and sound the same.  After being in lockdown for a few months, even laughing at the conspiracy theories surrounding the current pandemic starts to feel hollow. I’m certain most people are starting to feel emotional burnout. All this being said, I do feel like a few…

Welcome back! Step into my parlor.  I am a huge music fan. However there is no song which fills me with such inexplicable rage as Meatloaf’s “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad.” I’m not certain if we’re supposed to feel sorry for the narrator of this song, as he speaks about his partner being cold to him, and all the tears he’s shedding, because he clearly states in the song that he will never love her, but hey he wants and needs her, eh. I assure you young man, that your snivelling is nothing compared to the tears and the pain she’s experienced because of you.  There is nothing so…

Today, in the interest of not coming to the melancholy end of a character in a Bronte novel, I took a step for my mental health. By a step I mean I was pushed. I made the mistake of making a bargain with someone I didn’t think would uphold their end. I forgot the person I was dealing with is the most bullheaded individual in the galaxy. When they said “I’ll take care of my physical health, if you take care of your mental health and see a counselor” how was I to know they would take up martial arts, stop drinking soda, and listen to their doctor? Gentle reader,…

We all know those people who somehow have their lives completely together. The house, the second bathroom, the six-burner range with red knobs. What is their secret? Gentle reader, I hear some of you saying “hard work and determination”, and other thinking “well that’s only surface stuff.” Yes, it’s true obviously most of them got there through effort, we also all know that guy who we’re shocked has survived this long, who sleepwalks into success. As for things being on the surface, some of us can’t even get that part right.   Before you think I’m descending into negative territory, don’t. I don’t begrudge these people anything. I get invited…

Sometimes life likes to hand us a handful of, dare I say it, crap. It’s draining, it feels like it will never end, and you feel trapped in a Lovecraftian nightmare. Inevitably in the midst all this, some overly optimistic person, who most likely has a copy of “Girl Wash Your Face” on their nightstand, will tell you that “things could be worse, just put it in perspective.” Throat punching your friends is socially unacceptable, and will most likely add to your problems. A genteel slap with an elegant glove however, is an excellent way to get their attention and express your feelings about their “advice”. There is no quicker…