A. Jinnie McManus

You can’t hurt me, I trained a cat recovering from dual rupture-knee surgery on her hind legs to use BED STAIRS

Local Colorado (Denver metro) friends: anyone have a need for a walker? I have 2, one has a seat and one doesn’t. They are in thrifted condition, used but but still have a lot of life. I got them for a song and I’m happy to pass them on. I can even deliver whichever one you’d like.

Spent a few hours in the hospital today for a short outpatient procedure due to my minor but annoying abdominal surgery setback. Everything is fine, I’m just impatient. At least there’s a giraffe!

Life update

Because sometimes, like tonight when I’m dealing with a likely very minor and just annoying abdominal surgery setback, I wonder if it was worth it. And you know what? Sometimes I think it wasn’t.

I’ve lost 170 pounds and my body has done nothing but be difficult ever since.

My hot take is that sometimes I think I was happier before I did all this work and lost all that weight.

What is WRONG with the other reporters in the room? How do they not SAY SOMETHING?

I would smile SO MUCH if he resigned. I’d even consider smiling AT HIM. That’s how much I’d smile.

Also, if a man ever berated me about smiling like the President did today to a longtime reporter, I’d be hitting him with my very tiny fists before I even realized I was doing so.

The IMLS Propaganda Machine Is In Full Swing The agency overseeing U.S. libraries and museums is now full-on regime propaganda.

ICYMI amidst all of the other dumpster fires, $14 million was stolen from libraries and funneled to Hillsdale College and PragerU to fund white supremacist revisionist history and pro-regime propaganda. Cuts to IMLS funding will impact small public libraries the hardest.

The Kennedy Center was going to host Hamilton. Then Trump put his name on it and lost that and countless other performances.

Everything that man touches dies.

Life is short, friends. When you’re in pain, eat the dang dessert first.

I’ve been off Mounjaro now for nearly 3 weeks. I stopped Phentermine about a week and a half ago. And I’ve laid around like a lump now for over a week and shamelessly eaten cake whenever I wanted to.

Weighed myself today for the first time since pre-surgery and I’ve gained exactly 1 pound. 🤡

Oh, it’s fine. I had an abdominoplasty, panniculectomy and mons lift done 9 days ago. This is my weight loss finish line :)

I know I’ll get there. I suppose this is why no one has ever accused me of patience.

The interesting thing about recovering from abdominal-located surgery is that I do see a progression in healing after a little over a week, but it still hurts just as badly as day 1 did whenever I move. I’m still not standing fully upright.

Mom made me my childhood on a (delicious) plate! Look at this magnificent Midwest masterpiece casserole ❤️

I live in a blue state also currently subject to punishments from Trump, I know this is coming our way. I can only hope that if it comes to me personally, I meet the moment in the same way Stella and Alex did.

It also fills me with a bone-deep rage—and grief—I don’t even know how to define, both to and for myself. As a citizen. As an immigrant. As a human with a conscience.

Look, CNN and Anderson Cooper have not been perfect covering the corrupt Trump administration and their deliberate incitement of violence to punish MN for not being loyal to the president. Even this week. But his interview with “pink jacket lady” (Stella Carlson) is a master class of journalism.

1/27/2026 - Minneapolis

ICE just attempted an illegal entry into the ECUADORIAN CONSULATE to abduct someone

They did not have a warrant

Granted, up and down the stairs. Still counts!!!

I was feeling pretty good today. But then I sneezed and I’m pretty sure my vision went white. I don’t think I’ve ever felt that level of physical pain before. It’s been half an hour and it still feels like I’m on fire. Ouuuuuuch

Also, I normally sneeze in 2s…

If you can be killed in America for simply having and not even brandishing a firearm by law enforcement, gun rights don’t exist.

The claims by the Trump administration and the ICE murderers for this and the Good shooting are the most anti-gun rights statements I’ve seen for a generation.

I’m a gun owner. Former member of the NRA. Lifelong Republican. Evangelical Christian, my grandfather was a pastor in the Lutheran Missouri synod.

Alex Pretti was murdered. There is no ambiguity here.

Took my next dose of painkillers and I feel so weird just lying around. I want to work out! But that is a very hard not-allowed thing for 6 weeks. Imma eat cake instead.

I think I’m finding that painkillers make me loopy for the first 40 minutes or so and then I’m normal and a hair sleepy. Great.

But I’m not too proud to say that if you wanna shoot some Walmart/Uber Eats/GrubHub/DoorDash cards my way, they’d be highly appreciated. Certainly not a requirement! Well wishes are just as highly valued. :)

I’ve had a few friends ask how they can be supportive. And I confess, between these bills and Sydney’s surprise surgeries, I had to dip into my savings more than I’d like. I’m very fortunate I was able to do so. I’m not desperate by any means.

I’m struggling a little. The opioid isn’t doing much. I can’t take NSAIDs. I can’t use ice. Painkillers mostly just take the edge off for me. But I knew going in that I was going to have more bad days than good, just like with my knee. I’m eating as much cake as I want. 🤡

We took off the bandages today and I saw my new body for the first time. Now, I’m really puffed up still. It’s only day 4. Plus, all the swelling is headed down to my hips and I look like a Kardashian.

Still though, I looked in the mirror and couldn’t believe it was me.