Queen Mediocretia of Suburbia

Putting the TMI in absentminded

Month: June 2025

  • Weekly summer health roundup: 6/20

    Gary, colonoscopy: Gary has had colonoscopies in 2013 (2 polyps) and 2018 (3 polyps). It has been seven years since his last one, and in that time it seems he has grown nine (9!) polyps. All were wee, except one. The big one looked benign, per the doctor. If true, this is great news. However,…

  • Weekly Paint Progress: 6/19/2025

    This week the iris went from this: … to this:

  • Opera Review: Midsummer Night’s Dream (with Twelfth Night)

    A few months ago I went to see a high school production of Twelfth Night: the Musical with Friend #4. I have reserved all judgement until now, because I wanted to be able to compare it to the Opera Theater of St. Louis production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Below I give you a Throwdown…

  • Pre-Opera: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

    Impudence Part the First. I arrived in Friend Anne’s affluent neighborhood about fifteen minutes early, so I pulled into a nearby subdivision lane and parked on a circle. Five minutes later a black SUV turned into the circle and drove slowly past me. Then they did it again. I was being surveilled. I didn’t look…

  • The Cologuard people heard me complaining …

    … and it would seem they did not appreciate it. My result came back positive. The numbers for a positive result break down favorably: 4% cancer, 45% just-kidding-it’s-not-cancer, and the rest polyps of varying concern. But seriously, a week after I said that I might rather get a colonoscopy, I’m now getting a colonoscopy. Just…

  • TWIL: Gary’s favorite bird

    All this month I have been awakened by birdsong from the bush outside my window. It sounds like the Bird United Nations. The representative from Species A will trill, then Species B responds with a chirp, then there’s a warble, then a cackly rat-a-tat barrage. “That’s so weird,” I thought, “It sounds like they’re conversing.…

  • Forty Years

    Yesterday, on the eve of our fortieth wedding anniversary, we had what would have been a fight in previous years. The conflict came up because Gary’s colonoscopy is coming up, and he’s nervous. I expected him to back out, so when he came to me bellowing about how he couldn’t do this because of the…

  • Weekly summer health roundup: 6/13

    On to week two of the recurring series of doctor’s appointments. Speciality: Last week was the allergist, this week was the dermatologist. Why God why: Because the neurologist said to. Evidently the oral MS medications have dermotological side effects if you take them long enough. The assistant told me to disrobe, and I did. I…

  • Weekly Paint Progress: 6/12/2025

    This week the iris went from this: … to this.

  • Sad sad news

    I saw a dark spot on the basement floor. It made me curse. I cursed as I have not cursed since 2022, when the basement became dry. Now, evidently, it is not. I could check the sump, check the sprinkler system, check for hail damage, or I could ignore it. The basement has smelled damp…