From the category archives:

mixing medications

Tightrope walker

December 29, 2011

in If I was a dog I'd be dead by now,mixing medications,more than meets the eye,Random crap

Today I turn 38.

Marc Davis' concept painting for Disney

37 was a hard year, but a good year. It was a year of hospital beds and wheelchairs, of worry and mental illness, of fear and more fear. It was also a year of being ridiculous and silly, of finding drugs that helped more than hurt, of laughter and finding my tribe, and of being furiously happy and stepping out onto shaky limbs I never dreamed I’d reach.

I got this print last week. It’s the concept art from The Haunted Mansion. The girl in the final version they used looks very different – wan and bereft and abandoned. But this one was peculiarly contrary. It was perfect. When I saw it in the shop I knew I had to have it because it was the first time I saw a painting that seemed so perfectly “me.”

Victor stared at me, baffled, and pointed out how wrong that seemed. ”It’s a girl on a frayed tightrope about to fall into the mouth of an alligator. That’s pretty fucking bleak even for you.”

But that’s not what I see.

I see a girl intent on enjoying the sun while it still shines, smiling vehemently, indignantly, and entirely celebrating a shining perfect moment even as alligators swim underneath. Victor said she seemed oblivious, but she’s not. She knows the alligator is there.

The alligators are always there.

They remind her to smile and enjoy those perfect moments whenever they arise, because life without fear is not a life fully appreciated. She smiles – not because she’s unaware of the alligators – but because she’s aware of them and because she knows how wonderful it feels when they release their jaws from your ankles.

If you look online you’ll find a lot of critics who claim that the original tight-rope walker’s too-open eyes suggest that she’s just bat-shit crazy…too numb with fear to even understand the danger. Her mind has snapped, and now teeters slowly, detached from reality. I can’t argue with that, because that fits with my personality a bit too comfortably as well, but I still prefer to see what I see…a girl who has won a battle. A girl who appreciates those moments between maulings. A girl who knows all too well the dangers and pain around her but who has made a conscious and complete decision to be furiously happy in spite of it all.

A girl who knows how to wield a parasol like a fucking ninja.

I see me. Proudly.

Happy birthday, me.

Look out, below.

{ 639 comments }

This isn’t necessarily a real post

December 7, 2011

in mixing medications,no one thinks this is funny but me,Posts that will get me hate mail,sickness

Yesterday I went to the doctor to check on the ovary that tried to kill me because it’s still being an asshole. I asked the doctor (who was very sweet and quite awesome) if she thought it was cancer, and she smiled and calmly reassured me that “it’s not necessarily cancer.” Which seemed very comforting until I was out the door and started analyzing exactly what the hell that meant.

For my own mental health, I’m telling myself that “It’s not necessarily cancer” is the same thing as “It’s not cancer,” but I don’t really believe me because I have anxiety disorder and I suspect I’m just lying to myself to protect me. From myself. I don’t know if that sentence even makes sense, but if it doesn’t I blame the cancer which I may or may not have.

Honestly, I’m not even sure why I paid for that diagnosis. I already knew that I didn’t necessarily have cancer. Who gets a necessary cancer?

“So you have cancer?” “Yes, but it was necessary.” “Oh, good. There’s nothing worse than a frivolous cancer.”

I have to go back this week for more scans. Scans which probably cause cancer. And then the doctor will be like, “Well, the bad news is that all of these x-rays caused you to get cancer, but the good news is that we found the cancer by doing all these x-rays. Yay for us! And it’s a darn good thing that we did all these scans because they were totally necessary to find the cancer that was caused by them.” And I think I just accidentally defined necessary cancer.

Touche, medical science.

You win this round.

PS. Don’t worry. I don’t necessarily have cancer.

PPS. This post is more depressing than I would like it to be so I’m ending it with a picture of myself photo-bombing a picture my friend Chookooloonks took. For those of you who are new here, I’m the one inside the wolf.

Stop yelling at me. The wolf died naturally of old age and kidney failure. And probably necessary cancer. I hear there's a lot of that going around.

{ 371 comments }

No one makes cards for this. But they should.

October 6, 2011

in important stuff,mixing medications,more than meets the eye,Posts that will get me hate mail,Random crap

Conversation I just had with Victor:

Victor: What the hell are you doing?

me: I’m watching Scandinavian horror movies.

Victor: I see that. Don’t you have work to do?

me: Um…this is awkward. It’s National Mental Illness Week? I’m guessing this means you forgot to get me a card.

Victor: What the hell is wrong with you?

me: Um…I have mental illness. Remember? And this is National Mental Illness Week, so I’m taking the week off since it’s a recognized holiday. It’s like Rosh Hashana, but for crazy people.

Victor: Mental Illness Week is no holiday.

me: Well the other 51 weeks are no picnic either. And that’s why you have to really force yourself to celebrate the one week when people give you gifts and cards for being kinda fucked-up. Or, at least, they should. But then everyone forgets, and that’s depressing, and then you have to watch Scandinavian horror films to distract yourself from the lack of “YOU ARE THE BEST KIND OF FUCKED UP” cards in your mailbox.

Victor: Wow. It’s like this holiday was made for you.

me: IT IS MADE FOR ME. THAT’S WHAT MAKES IT SO AWESOME.

Victor: I was going to say “baffling.”

me: It’s both. Which is what makes it even more amazing. Even the holiday is bipolar.

Victor: I’m going to go hide in my office now.

me: Don’t stay in there too long. I got a pinata to hang from the ceiling fan.

Victor: Is it filled with prozac?

me: No. Because that would be illegal. Plus, we’d end up with drugs knocked under the couch and then all the cats would all from drug allergies and overdoses. Also, you can’t really make those jokes. Those are our jokes. It’s in our charter.

Then Victor left. Probably to buy me an apology cake.

PS. Happy Mental Illness Awareness Week from me. To celebrate, take the rest of the week off. Also, you can take a free, online screening here. I just did all of the tests and it told me I have depression and anxiety disorder. Which I do. It’s like a Magic 8 Ball that actually works.

PPS. They don’t actually make cards that say “Happy Mental Illness Awareness Week!” but they should. I just made one for my store, but you might not get it before the end of the week, so I’m putting it here if you want to print it out for free. Because awareness is half the battle. The other half of the battle is getting people to help you hang up pinatas for holidays that no one recognizes.

{ 247 comments }

It’s been a very long two weeks. Get prepared.

August 17, 2011

in mixing medications,Nathan Fillion: It's complicated,no one thinks this is funny but me,Random crap

I’ve been traveling a lot for the last two weeks and so I’m tempted to do what I usually do and just forget to post any of it, but instead I’m going to hit the major points of the last few weeks as copied directly from my journals, twitter and shit I wrote on the back of napkins. It’s going to be confusing as hell and you can totally skip it.

Where I’ve been the last few weeks, part 1: THE NATHAN FILLION SAGA

Remember six months ago when I asked everyone on twitter to send me 11 cents and I ended up with $402, which I was going to use to buy a taxidermied pig dressed as Scarlett O’Hara? Me either. But it happened. Then the pig deal went pear-shaped, so instead I decided to offer the money to Nathan Fillion for a picture of himself holding twine, because I thought it would go well with the picture Wil Wheaton sent me of himself collating paper. Nathan Fillion ignored numerous requests, so instead I did the next logical thing and used the money to take a Cuban, amputee alligator named Jean-Pierre (who was dressed as a pirate) on a plane trip.

Still, the people demanded photos of Nathan Fillion holding twine and still, Nathan Fillion tossed his manly hair and ignored us in the most handsomely rugged way he possibly could. Yes, it was disappointing for all of us, but the masses came to the rescue and sent me tens of pictures of Nathan Fillion holding twine. They were all were photoshopped. This one was my favorite.

This one was nice too:

But even now, half a year later, people still ask me “Did Nathan Fillion ever send you a picture of himself holding twine?” and I answer (with a touch of melancholy and stoic braveness), “No. But I still have hope.”

So that’s why (when I went to California two weeks ago to visit my sister) I decided to once again extend an olive branch to Nathan Fillion the only way I knew how…by annoyingly harrassing him on twitter.

A series of one-sided tweets I sent to Nathan Fillion over a 12 hour period:

“@nathanfillion ~ I just realized that we’re BOTH in California today. How many other people can say that? It’s probably a sign we should meet.”

“@nathanfillion - I can come to you. Or we can meet at Shakey’s. I’m totally craving pizza. I’ll bring the twine.”

“@nathanfillion : I am totally not dangerous. Just ask half of my 140k followers. (The other half are liars.)”

“@nathanfillion - I just realized that I wasn’t even following you. WTF, me? No wonder you haven’t dmed me. I look like an idiot.”

“@nathanfillion - I cannot find any twine in Hollywood. It’s no wonder you’ve had such a hard time. I apologize. Let’s switch to dental floss.”

“@nathanfillion - I’ll be at Shakey’s Pizza in about 30 mins. If I don’t hear from you I’ll assume you’re on your way.”

“@nathanfillion - Great! I’ll see you there. First round’s on me.”

“Surprising all nay-Sayers, @nathanfillion came to Shakeys. He was disguised as an elderly Asian woman & refused to break character.”

“Say what you want about @nathanfillion, but the man knows how to commit to a role.”

*****

PS. My sister and I tried to convince Shakey’s to change the sign outside to say “WELCOME, NATHAN FILLION” but it already said “Happy 6th birthday, Kevin” and they said they didn’t want to change it because they suspected that Nathan Fillion wasn’t really coming to meet me there. Apparently Nathan Fillion has gained quite a reputation around town.

I’m happy to say though that that reputation was unfounded:

Me and Nathan Fillion in Hollywood.

PPS. That’s not a real picture of me and Nathan Fillion in Hollywood. I apologize. It’s one of those pictures you get on Hollywood Boulevard where some guy in a street kiosk digitally makes you look like you’re standing next to someone famous for $15. I asked for Nathan Fillion and the vender was like “Who? I have no idea who that is.” The girl behind me asked for “Little Weezy” and vender guy was all “Him again? Everyone wants their picture taken with this Weezy!” Then I was like, “Isn’t she dead?” and the girl screamed “LITTLE WAYNE DIED?” and I was like “Oh, no. I thought you were talking about the lady from The Jeffersons. Little Wayne is fine.” It was an emotional day for everyone concerned.

PPS. I still believe in you, Nathan Fillion.

{ 229 comments }

Would you like to buy a monkey?

July 27, 2011

in mixing medications,no one thinks this is funny but me,Random crap

Last weekend at a thrift shop I found a small, stuffed monkey, which seemed to have some sort of snout leprosy and would probably murder us in our sleep.

I named him “Copernicus”.

Copernicus.

I immediately picked the monkey up and turned to Victor with wide eyes, as I struggled to keep my voice down to a whisper so that the shop-girl wouldn’t realize how much I was interested.

me: Victor. Oh. Em. Gee.

Victor: Oh, holy shit. Put that thing down.

me: Are you fucking crazy? HE NEEDS US. Plus, he is made of awesome. And nightmares.

Copernicus: MISTER, CAN YOU SPARE A HUG?

Victor: Did you just make that monkey talk?

Copernicus: A HUG IS LIKE A STRANGLE YOU HAVEN’T FINISHED YET.

Victor: What is wrong with you?

me: OH MY GOD, HE’S FANTASTIC. Plus, he just used “strangle” as a noun. Who does that? Copernicus the homicidal monkey, that’s who.

Copernicus: YOUR FACE LOOKS DELICIOUS. I WILL CHEW ON IT WHILE YOU SLEEP.

me: See. He just gave you a compliment.

Then I followed Victor around the store, speaking in a squeaky monkey voice and trying to convince him that Copernicus would save us money because I could use him to make home-made Valentines for our kid to hand out at school. But he was $15 and that’s a lot of money to spend on a haunted monkey, so I set it on the counter and prepared to haggle with the girl running the shop.

me: I realize you’re probably very attached to this monkey as you can see his potential, but I was wondering if $15 was really the best you could do. Because he’s missing a lot of his face.

shop-girl: I just work here. I’m not really allowed to made deals.

me: He smells like what I would imagine syphilis smells like.

shop-girl: What did you have in mind?

me: Um…$10?

shop-girl: How about $7?

me: I think you don’t know how negotiations work.

shop-girl: Honestly, I don’t want to have to touch it to put it back on the shelf.

me: SOLD. No bag necessary. I’ll carry him out.

Victor: LIKE HELL YOU WILL. That thing is not touching my car.

me: He doesn’t mean that, Copernicus.

Shop-girl: Paper? Plastic?

Victor: How about something burlap? On fire.