Anastasia Chipelski

A baby goat wearing a sweater

SWEATER WEATHER

Perhaps the answer I really want to give to that question is: “Do you actually want to understand the nuances of this disabled experience, or are you just curious about a stranger’s body?”

If they want to understand, I could go on. I suppose I’ll never know until I ask back.

There are so many ways to experience having a body. There are so many different stories behind why someone’s body does better with a cane.

Some of these are about a leg. Not all of them are about leg. For me, leg is usually pretty good. Cane is not for leg. But to really answer the question …

And I have learned — both through experience and through reading of others’ lived experiences — of the vast galaxy of ways the human body can diverge from a medically-defined so-called normal, over time or over night, and then the way you move through the world changes.

What I want to say in response is “can you think of 5 non-leg reasons why someone would use a cane?”

And this isn’t to take away from any leg-based reasons to use a cane. It’s just that there are so many parts of the body, so many other systems that affect walking, being upright.

I was out in the world for a moment using a cane, and a stranger asked “what’s wrong with your leg?”

This question is intrusive, yes, but what I want to actually say in response is “leg? Why do you think leg? Where is your imagination?”

“I really like the vest”: Mr. Burns after his See My Vest song.

YOU DON’T SAY.

We are Still Here
Blake Angeconeb ~ Anishinaabe
2021

Clouds swirling in a circular shape above a bright orange sunset and the silhouette of leafy trees.

No Nuit Blanche for me but I was rewarded with the pure art of this sunset.

Anyway. The pin has been removed from the coat and I will sew up the hole and the coat will exist for purposes of warmth, not purposes of stabbing, once again.

I have a vintage coat, wool with little animal designs sewn on, that I thrifted about 20 years ago. Wore it for years upon years.

While tidying it up I took it out of a box, then folded it to put in another box, and IT ATTACKED ME.

Turns out there had been a pin sewn INTO the trim. For decades.

A tree on the left of a wide grassy area. Next to the tree is a sign that says KEEP OFF GRASS with an icon of a foot atop grass crossed out. Behind the sign are geese lounging on the grass.

Geese ignoring rules for humans.

TropiClean Hypoallergenic Wipes for Pets - Fragrance Free Gently lifts dirt, dander, and odours from sensitive skin Perfect for everyday use on paws, face, and body Fragrance-free and safe for pets with allergies Mild, residue-free formula with no paraben...

I, too, have loved a stinky boi. With this one Hot Tip, we were able to avoid having separate beds.

The hot tip:

www.homesalive.ca/tropiclean-h...

We're all just one moment away from a different life. One diagnosis, one crisis, or one accident away from a completely different life. Life doesn’t ask before it changes, so this is just a reminder to not take your health or physical abilities for granted.

A small grey cat is curled up on a cat tree platform.

I Will Only Be Peaceful When You Do Not Require It Of Me
-Lucinda

Had to step aside from a Zoom meeting tonight because my cat was plucking ukelele strings with her claw.

She also tried to steal my potato salad and eat a lampshade, and after being removed from these items, stood next to me yelling MEH MEH MEH!

As soon as the meeting ended she went to sleep.

How easy is it to fudge your scientific rank? Meet Larry, the world’s most cited cat “Exercise in absurdity” reveals flaws in Google Scholar’s productivity metrics

Larry Richardson appeared to be an early-career mathematician with potential, racking up more than 130 citations in 4 years.

It would all be rather remarkable—if the studies weren’t complete gibberish. And if Larry wasn’t a cat. #InternationalCatDay scim.ag/4lg3wTp

Folks, someone not naming/specifying a medication or an illness when talking about their health in broad terms is not an invitation to play detective and publicly guess what it is.

You do not need to use your outside voice for everything, omg.

There are MANY illnesses- both from pathogens and from environmental situations or biological chance- that can SUDDENLY strip a lot of your health, ESPECIALLY immune health. Even overwork or trauma and the insomnia that can come from them can shred your immune health.

I haven’t done migration but am building a Ghost site at the moment. Happy to share info if you have questions.

🫂

Orange tabby cat curled in a ball with his back paw half covering his face.

Paw cuddles for a rough day.

RBC tells customer she's responsible for $14K stolen from account in bank investigator scam | CBC News When Melissa Plett got a fraud alert call from a number at the Royal Bank of Canada last month, she didn't suspect she'd lose $14,510 as part of a scam where fraudsters pose as bank investigators. Tho...

The message they left was 95% believable, except for some mixed-up pronouns (leave it to an editor to notice that.)

But after reading this story — and getting previous spoofing calls from a bank I don’t even use — my baseline levels of suspicion are already high.

www.cbc.ca/news/busines...

Screencap listing four 1-800 and 1-877 phone numbers with missed calls claiming to be “CIBC.” Phone numbers for reference: 1-877-275-3961 1-877-395-2383 1-800-463-3459 1-800-256-8580

I set my phone to silence unknown numbers due to getting so many spam calls. That setting silenced FOUR spoofing calls from different numbers claiming to be “CIBC” just today.

On the phone with real CIBC now, but sharing as a PSA: if you can silence unknown numbers, it seems a good first defence.

Post by suzuki_takaya 衝撃の事実。ネコは１日12−16時間寝るけれども、この丸まったポジションの左巻き・右巻きのどちらが多いか。YouTubeで何匹もの眠るネコを観察し、266匹（65％）のネコが左巻き、142匹のネコが右巻きに寝ていたことを発見。有意な差が見られたとのこと。人類史上に残る幸せな研究といえる。

Not Japan-related, but since we all need a distraction from The Horrors, Takaya Suzuki points out a study that examined 408 sleeping cats and found the majority (65%) curl leftwards.

I'm not sure how useful this information is, but...it's yours now.

A grey and beige tabby cat lies on her back next to a human’s legs. She is lying on top of a crochet afghan with her head tilted back and off to the side, her front paws are bent at the cat-wrist, and her back paws are tucked up neatly together.

Typical scene from what’s looking to be a “hiding from wildfire smoke” summer.

This little cat (puppy at heart) is going to get 5 million belly rubs.

At no point in the history of language has the phrase "feel better" had the desired effect. Bring back wizards.

Mr. Pickles is wrapped in the WRONG BLANKET for his nightly blood sugar check.

GRIEVANCE!

Blue canarye yn the outlette by the lighte swicche
Who waccheth ovir thee
Make a litel dovecote yn thy soul