Hello dearly beloved Pittsburgh people. I hope you are doing well today.

I’m in an interesting time with my health.

I’ve been having trouble speaking — making words and using my voice and having enough air for it. I’ve had multiple tests: CT scan, bloodwork and yesterday and MRI which all looks normal. This is a relief and a mystery. Today I’m meeting with a neurologist to see what next steps could be. This is new for me — and it has consumed a lot of my attention.

I don’t feel very together.

Oh my dear damn — at this moment I feel proud of myself if I remember to eat AND put the food away. Smile. So I am not inviting you into a very organized moment of my existence.

I’m moving this weekend.

Yes! I am moving up! I’m moving from my current four room apartment to the one above mine. So it’s an easy move up one flight of stairs. And yet… there are things to build and many things to move.

Could you please help me move?

*If* you have capacity and energy, please lend me a hand this week-end. I’ve made a spreadsheet where you can see the times I’ve marked up and the two types of requests — one to bring us food (or drinks) and another for your time. I’m practicing healthy dependance (thanks for that framing Michelle King!) which means that I trust you not to give if you can’t. And I will love you all the more if you come and if you don’t come. You know it!

Help me make it a moving party by arriving with joy and silliness if it’s accessible for you. Bring a hat, bring music, be with me in the joy of living and moving and all the muck that comes with it!

Love you people.

Note

This did indeed turn into a three-day moving party, involving more than a dozen people in different ways. Lovely, and thank you by the heaping heap-full to everyone.