In order to tell the story I want to, I have to tell a different one first.

A long time ago there was a TV show, called "Love, American Style".

The show was an anthology, each week presenting a different story about the perils and joys of being in love.

And on this show there was an episode where a singer known for his sad songs about heartbreak and loneliness found a girl, and then discovered he couldn't write sad songs, or indeed any songs.

So, I got my first, real, professional pedicure a few nights ago. I honestly do not know why I never had this done before because my feet felt *amazing* when it was over. I even got them polished with a nice sea foam green color. My wife was with me when I had this done (she actually suggested that we go together) and thought the color looked nice.

Since I can't afford therapy, today I went swimming instead.

2 hours in a pool probably did as much good to my state of mind, and much more good to my body, than rehashing the endless cycle that is my mental health with someone would have.

Maybe even more . . .

Hey everyone,

Today is going to be the start of what will hopefully become my new posting schedule on BCTS. Starting today I'm going to try to get into a set schedule where I would be posting Freedom of Naethari and The Faerie Blade one weekend, followed by Apocalypse Dawn on Tuesdays every second week. On the alternating weeks it would be Snow Angel and later something else on the weekend as well, followed by I Wish on Tuesdays until I Wish is completed.

So we had Sam today, and were able to go over to my aunt's and let Sam play with her new dog.

A top 10 day, for all of us.

or what i did this week.

So we were doing a little running around with Sharon and Sam, and several times Sam actually spoke.

It had been months since we had heard her voice.

She is clearly still not 100 %, but its a big step in my opinion.

So tomorrow morning, my mom is going out for breakfast with one of my uncles.

I've made the choice to not come with, because he apparently has a problem with trans people.

And as he is almost 90, and dying of cancer, I think I'll skip making a scene.

Sometimes, you got to know when to pick your battles - and when its best to withdraw

for which i apologise.

Had a strange dream last night, perhaps inspired by Svengoolie showing the Claude Rains version of _The Invisible Man_ last week.

Okay so last night at about 2 AM, the building's fire alarm went off, and while this has happened several times since we move in, most of the time it turns out to be nothing.

Not this time.

We could actually smell smoke, and as the elevators were out of service mom and I carefully made our way down the stairs to the lobby.

By the time we got there, the firefighters had gotten out the fire, and were taking someone to the hospital, possibly due to smoke inhalation.

So I'm seeing an endocrinologist for the first time Monday I am hoping to start hrt monday if all goes well

So we went out to help Sharon and Sam get some stuff done, and Sam was clearly doing better.

She took my mom's arm when they went into the grocery store, she laughed and smiled at one of my dad jokes, and she waved and used a kind of sign language to communicate.

I hope this improvement continues.

and other esoteric stuff!

You've probably all heard that it is raining A LOT in California. Fortunately, I'm not in an area hit by critical flooding and while there are mudslides in the local mountains, I haven't been affected by them either.

But last night, a leak in the bathroom ceiling caused a collapse of the ceiling tiles, with more damage this morning extending out into the hall. It's not that bad, and this has happened before, but that was caused by a leaky cooler on the roof.

It was the 13th on Friday!

No not a tyre but the weather.

Well not really its just that impacts life here on the edge of the continent hugely.

"The time has come the walrus said" - OK it was the doctor who told me.

Looks like the expiration date on the bottom of my left foot is becoming visible.

I am diagnosed with kidney failure- singular.

The "fun" part of being a mutant is missing parts- and not knowing about it until you are getting in bad shape. I found I was born without a kidney and other internals are not connected where they should have been, or a few internal skeletal structure defects.

aye, its a been a bit wild, wet and woolly the last few days!

So this morning, I felt the need to start the new year off right, and so I showered, shaved, and brushed my teeth - all activities that I have struggled with.

And then I looked at my calendar and realized the new year starts tomorrow . . .

So going into yesterday I was looking at having a ton of "to do" things on my schedule until the end of the year, and I was getting kind of stressed about it.

Then life added another item to the list.

One of the tires on my car started losing air.

After frantically phoning around, I was getting to the point where I was wondering how I would get anything done if I couldn't get the tire fixed.

So I have submitted "the girl with the scars in her eyes", and "Gibraltar falls" to a Canadian magazine.

I will know if they accept it sometime in the next 6-8 weeks.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?