Home Alone – Day 145

working from home with cats

So today is already weird. Ledcat had to go into her office for an all-day training. She’s had to go in for bits and pieces before, but never before mimicking her before-pandemic schedule. Since March 17, she’s been home and in the kitchen doing her magic. I dropped her off at her usual spot. Traffic […]

Day 135 of the Quarantine

Pgh Lesbian Correspondents

There’s nothing particularly notable about 135 days or about 4.3 months. Four months made up a semester, give or take. It is longer than a season by one month. It is almost half a human pregnancy. The typical duration of Kennywood being open. It is the length of time it took for 4.59+ million Americans […]

When I Was Toxic

When I was Toxic

I’ve been chronicling my struggle mental illness symptoms this spring and summer. Ten days ago, I was telling myself that I was coming out of it. I wasn’t so deeply depressed. I didn’t feel hypomanic. But I didn’t feel great. I was incredibly bitchy and mean. I was super frustrated at my inability to find […]

#FeralCatFoodDrive: Barbara, 77, Feeding Ferals in Oakland

As part of our work to support local caretakers of feral cat colonies, we organize pet food drives. COVID-19 interfered with our plans, forcing us to move to virtual drives including wishlists. This is the wishlist for Barbara, a 77 year old caretaker in Oakland. Barbara is a 77 year old caretaker who has been […]

Saturday hypomania during pandemic

Content note: bipolar disorder, hypomania, alcohol, pandemic Saturday, I woke up very early again, struggling to breathe. Lots of fire pits roaring these nights so the air is heavy near our homes. I grab my inhaler and sore throat spray to quiet the coughing. I fall back asleep after lots of breathing exercises to keep […]

More pandemic, more hypomania

Content Note: bipolar disorder, trauma I woke up this morning around 9 AM with a start, as if I had been ripped from another time and place. I felt the blood coursing through my veins. It was almost thumping. My chest hurt, a fusion of despair and desperation to get going on some unspecified goal. […]

Bipolar hypomania during a pandemic

I’ve been hypomanic for nearly two weeks. My therapist knows, my psychiatrist knows, my partner knows. Most importantly of all, I know. I know why I feel this bad, I’m not in denial. I’m not enjoying the creative edge. I’m not resisting treatment. But I’m already in treatment and on medication. They may be able […]

Can you lend me a laptop?

I’ve been without laptop for 24 days and it wasn’t working great for a month or so before that. My friend’s son kindly agreed to repair it because he loves cats and appreciates our work, but he’s stuck waiting on a part. For unknown period because it’s coming from overseas. He’s a lovely young man […]

Look for the helpers. Then help them.

One thing I’ve typically done well is filling gaps in services, looking for unmet needs. Right now, I have a lot of balls in the air because the needs are seemingly endless. These are projects where modest donations can have a big impact. Here are some ways to help your neighbors. Help animals. Help veterans. […]

Day 32

KDKA kittens

It is clear from this series of diary posts that my ability to county is not on-point. We started our quarantine/self-isolating on March 17, 2020. That’s when Laura was told to work from home and when the City and County orders were in effect. So today is day 32. Our fifth week of hunkering down […]