My First Week Coming Home

Cats watching TV

One week since I returned home. Spent most of it balancing settling in against new routines. I still have a few boxes to unpack,  but I’m mostly done. During my cats visits, I intentionally sat in the spots tied to the police executing the 302 warrant. I sat on the floor where we talked. I […]

Watch Me Try to Stand on My Feet Again

Your heart, your will, your car-They’ve all been brokenYou let everybodyYou got beatAnd it’s not entertainingWatching you try to stand on your feet again Can’t stop the world The GoGo’s Monday was my first full day back in my home. I slept pretty late, both because I was exhausted and because there’s no window in […]

Just know you’re not alone. Cause they are going to make this place my home

Tomorrow, I am going home. It was more than six months ago since I was removed from my home of 18+ years with an invalid petition to involuntarily commit me. I was released in under five hours. But the locks to my home were changed. A good family lawyer righted that wrong, but it took […]

What is the Key to My Returning Home After Six Months? A House (re)Warming Party and I Need Your Help

House key

I’m going home. On Sunday, to be precise. It took more than six months, a lot of lawyers, and more to get myself home to my cats. This is the part where I once again ask for help. I will be moving into the spare bedroom and creating a little living/lounge area in a part […]

ISO Recommendations for Housecleaning Services on Northside

ISO Recommendations for Housecleaning Services on Northside

ISO recommendations for housecleaning services. Ideally: no dishes, no laundry, no pet duties, no putting away our stuff, no bedmaking, no heavy lifting We will pay $20-$30/hour with four hour minimum every other week. I am home, but I’ll stay out of your way and won’tinterrupt you with chit chat. We have lots of supplies […]

“Shame On You (Insert Lesbian Slur)” For Calling Out Local Labor Leader Over Affordable Housing

Phil Ameris lesbian bashing

I spent Saturday afternoon tabling for #ProtectTransKids projects at a local arts event. This meant I repeatedly described the anti-trans abusive behavior of the neighbor who targeted the young Black trans teen at the heart of the project. People shared their own stories – their personal experiences, their family members, grandkids, nieces. In the midst, […]

Phil Ameris, Pres of Construction Worker’s Union, Disparages Affordable Housing, Working Class Families

Philip Ameris

For your consideration from a PublicSource article about the hotly contested campaign for Allegheny County Chief Executive: Phil Ameris, president of the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania, added that Weinstein will “be a fair voice for both labor and development,” and in a dig at more progressive candidates, said he will represent more than […]

My Holiday Decoration Scheme

Or Jesus, Cats, and Trans Kids My neighborhood of Manchester on Pittsburgh’s Northside is having a holiday decorating contest. We have a lovely row house, built in 1872, but no outdoor electrical outlets so our decorating has always been limited. Putting things inside the windows is risky business with cats. And the windows are tall […]

Pip & Lola’s Hopes to Sell 100 Bars of Soap to Donate to Northside Common Ministries by Monday

Donate Soap

The residents of Pleasant Valley Shelter at Northside Common Ministries are sheltering in place, keeping safe and helping out as much as they can with the other life-sustaining operations like the food pantry. Their only real opportunity to get outside is to walk the shelter dog, Anne. NCM is a wonderful community resources and in […]

Day 21

Man, this is exhausting. I slept decently last night (thanks, psych medication) and struggled to get going today. The days start the same as usual – get washed, dressed, let the dog out, feed the cats, feed the other cats, feed the original cats again, feed the dog, make the coffee, eat something. Laura gets […]