The Adventures of Roberta X

     The paint has come off the window frames around the living room windows, especially the sills.  Those windows are original to the house...

     These have been a busy two days. Both cats had early-morning vet appointments, Holden on general principles and to schedule teeth-clean...

      Holden still can't grasp that his adoptive mommies are relatively fragile.  He sits on the typewriter shelf of my desk, and if he ...

     Anymore, I'm not all that sure what we mean by "labor," and to what extent a Federal holiday to celebrate it means anythi...

     It's not a metaphor.  A large Orb Weaver has set up shop in our side yard, between one wall of Roseholme Cottage and a skinny woode...

      The thing about "A.I." is that there's a lot of smoke over very little fire -- and every coat-tail riding grifter and ha...

     The White River peaked through Indianapolis last night, having set new records at several measuring stations -- but never quite overtop...

     Despite rising floodwaters, Tam and I are, so far, nearly untouched.  Roseholme Cottage is about a mile away from the White River to th...

     It wasn't worse for me, though it could have been.  I was on the standby list for physical therapy, and the called this morning wit...

     The rain missed us!  Storm warnings to the north but we dodged it.  But there's another chance tomorrow.

     I don't know how well I'm recovering from my back problems, or adjusting to them, or whatever I'm supposed to be doing.   ...

      It appears we've got a Golden Orb Weaver spider putting up her nets in various spots around the front porch!     I was delighted ...

     Today's title is beyond unlikely.  A few days ago, I exited the front door for my morning walk and discovered a large cicada had ru...

     I'm off for four more weeks.  Well, the doctor actually prescribed light duty, still not lifting any more than fifteen pounds, and ...

      Saw my regular doctor today for general follow-up on my back and some discussion of long-term prognosis.  It is, as I suspected, parti...

     The thing about a gerontocracy is that it crumbles away at the upper edge: with age comes power, but nobody lasts forever; the same ...

      Got my FMLA paperwork today,* which is good.  It's got me covered through my next ortho doctor's appointment.      Then I read...

      So, the Mayor of NYC asked New Yorkers to set their thermostats no lower than 78° through these hot days -- and the Federal Department...

     I woke up yesterday with a sharp increase in my back soreness.  It wasn't a surprise.  Thursday night is Trash Night and no matter ...

     While the rule of law (national and international) and long-established government functions come crashing down, I'm hearing a lot ...