Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

People really shouldn’t expect the government to help after they watched the GOP drown it in a bathtub.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

You would normally have to try pretty hard to self-incriminate this badly.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

Be a wild strawberry.

Consistently wrong since 2002

No one could have predicted…

The revolution will be supervised.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

In my day, never was longer.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

Fight them, without becoming them!

Hey Washington Post, “Democracy Dies in Darkness” was supposed to be a warning, not a mission statement.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Republicans: slavery is when you own me. freedom is when I own you.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Readership Capture / Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Admission Against Interest

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Admission Against Interest

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I am writing this from a small local (somewhat disorganized) rehab facility, after almost a month in the hospital. Classic, embarrassing precipitant: I fell (on wet concrete steps} and could not get up.

The Trickster God and my greed for dairy preserved me from the classic bad outcome– no broken hip, but the scabs are still epic. A month on IV diuretics lost me 45 pounds, enough to get ‘promoted’ to rehab. Still bedbound, but I’m assured I have many years of agorophobic obsession left to share.

Will post when / as I can… but don’t get your hopes up.

Reader Interactions

161Comments

  4. 4.

    Barbara

    Wishing you a speedy recovery from hereon out!  I am so sorry to hear this.  My mother fell early one morning and broke her ankle on an icy sidewalk and lay in the snow for several hours before my sister arrived (thank goodness), but falls can be really scary.  So lucky you didn’t break your hip.

  6. 6.

    Joy in FL

    So sorry for your fall, and glad you are going to have lots of future time to practice your agoraphobia.

    I hope your are feeling better each day. You have been missed.

  8. 8.

    Soapdish

    *Insert Dave Chapelle crackhead image here*
    “Y’all got any of them Covid/H5N1 posts?”

    In all seriousness, I’m glad you’re on the mend.

  10. 10.

    NaijaGal

    We’ve missed you! Hope the physical therapy isn’t too painful and you feel much better soon.

  12. 12.

    narya

    Oh dear! Here’s to speedy and (relatively) pain free rehab! I’d bring you some cookies if you were nearby.

  13. 13.

    Scout211

    Oh my.  That sounds like an ordeal, Ann Laurie.  It must have been painful. Ouch!

    Thank you for checking in today to let us know how you are doing. We worry. 😊

    I hope your time in rehabilitation helps you gain back your health and your strength. Sending good thoughts for a quick recovery.

  14. 14.

    frosty

    I’m glad you survived the fall without anything breaking and I’m glad you expect to have many years of agoraphobic obsession to share with us. A month in a hospital! I’m glad you survived that, too. Two nights last Fall was plenty for me.

  15. 15.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Have really missed you, AL! Let’s hear it for calcium 🥛🧀

    Congrats on the promotion to rehab. Here’s hoping you’re soon back to full robust health!

  16. 16.

    something fabulous

    Oh my goodness Anne Laurie!!! Thanks for the update AND so sorry to hear it! But all the best in your rehab: they both suck and are places of miracle at the same time, often. Sending all the best thoughts!

  17. 17.

    Jay

    Thank you for letting us know, Anne Laurie, we were all worried. Best wishes for recovery.

  18. 18.

    Elizabelle

    Anne Laurie:  you haz been missed.  I hope your recovery is complete and as speedy as it can be.

    Do you have a private room, or a roommate?  If so, I hope that person is copacetic.

    Good luck with the PT.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    Holy shit, I’m so glad to see you!

    “I’m assured I have many years of agorophobic obsession left to share.”

    All I can say is, thank bloody God for that!

  23. 23.

    Josie

    So good to hear from you, Anne Laurie. I’m glad you didn’t break any bones, but I can imagine how painful the fall and recovery has been. Behave yourself and return to us, your loving readers, whenever you feel like it. We have missed you.

  24. 24.

    schrodingers_cat

    Wishing you a speedy recovery. Falls are the worst. I fell down the stairs on the 30th December of last year and sprained my ankle. I did a 3 mile loop today without pain so that’s progress.

  25. 25.

    CaseyL

    Thank you for checking in; we’ve been worried as hell about you.

    You must be bored out of your mind, stuck in hospital for a month and now in a rehab center.  Are you able to have a laptop with you? Not to stay connected (good lord, no) but to stream ALL the movies and TV shows.

    Hope rehab goes well, and you can soon go home and be agoraphobic in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

  27. 27.

    tobie

    I’ve been wondering where you’ve been. My gosh, you been through an ordeal. Take care of yourself and get well soon. We miss your posts!

  28. 28.

    schrodingers_cat

    OT BJ artists, Do I need a Bristol Smooth sketch book to practice drawing with a dip pen. I damaged a nib trying to use my dip pen on mixed media paper. And it was very scratchy. It works okay on Strathmore Drawing paper but not great. So I was wondering I need to get a Bristol Smooth sketch book

    VFX lurker would be the person to ask I guess.

  29. 29.

    Gin & Tonic

    Get well soon, AL.

    I’ve broken a hip; I don’t recommend it. Glad you avoided that outcome.

  34. 34.

    Jackie

    AL, you’ve been sorely missed, and I’m sorry it was for such a crappy reason. You didn’t break anything, but obviously you were injured enough for a long hospital stay and on to rehab. :-(

    Hopefully you’re on the mend, and may your inpatient rehab be short!

  35. 35.

    Doc Sardonic

    Glad you are out of the hospital and into the next step. The PT can do wonders to rebuild your strength.

  36. 36.

    Ohio Mom

    Anne Laurie, I was inches away from writing Cole and WaterGirl and demanding they tell us what happened to you. Having a morbid streak, I was worrying about all sorts of morbid possibilities.

    I am relieved beyond measure to see you posting again. Here’s to the potent combination of our bodies knowing how to heal and medical science. May your recovery proceed apace.

  37. 37.

    blindyone

    That sounds like a miserable experience. Glad you are progressing back to wellness. I’m one of many who have missed your contributions here.

  40. 40.

    Old School

    Goodness!  And here I was thinking a bad cold had sapped your strength.  You’ve been through a lot.

    Congrats on the promotion!

  43. 43.

    Professor Bigfoot

    You have been missed, AL, and I’m glad you’re on the path to recovery!

    I am home at last, sitting on the front porch… looking at the grass I can’t mow for another week. 😂

  44. 44.

    Ohio Mom

    Now I am wondering how Annie Laurie, the nocturnal creature she is, has been managing in the decidedly diurnal health care settings her fall forced her into.

  45. 45.

    Fair Economist

    Goodness, broken hip or no, that all sounds really bad. Wishing for a fast recovery.

  46. 46.

    tokyocali (formerly tokyo ex-pat)

    Falls are horrible and scary as we age. I’m so glad to hear that you did not break anything, but the recovery will take time, so do what they tell you to build your energy back. Honestly, as a mostly lurker, I was beginning to worry. Thanks for letting us know. We really do miss you.

  49. 49.

    RileysEnabler

    Good to hear from you and glad you are on the mend! Hope the rehab goes smoothly.

  50. 50.

    CarolPW

    I have been worrying and fretting with concern. The day does not start or end right without your posts, but I will patiently wait with patient hope. Tell us where to send flowers (or maybe we should bully Cole into letting us know where).

  53. 53.

    Geminid

    I am glad you are better, Ms. Laurie. That must have hurt. My friend Stephanie fell on some slick steps and had to spent six weeks in bed. Steph didn’t break anything, but she said she was “screaming like a banshee” when the rescue squad loaded her up.

  54. 54.

    WTFGhost

    I’m glad that there is progress, and that the horrors were more of the “OMG, let it be over!” sort. Good luck, rapid healing, and may gravity realize you’ve had plenty of lessons, no need for more.

  55. 55.

    MobiusKlein

    I broke my hip once, in a far too embarrassing and unique way.  I won’t share it here, because it would identify me to the wider world.

    Glad you are on the mend, and I would not wish a hip fracture on anybody.   Was a 9/10 on the pain scale.  Hope the weight loss is the healthy kind.

  56. 56.

    Lyrebird

    Oh Anne Laurie, all good healing wishes to you!

    Thank you for the update.  I haven’t been on BJ nearly as much, and I had been weighing options about whether someone could point me to the full story.  Keep on getting better, and I hope you are back with your dh and furry friends, no not that kind of furry if someone’s wondering, SOON.

  57. 57.

    lowtechcyclist

    Holy shit, AL, no wonder you haven’t been around!  Glad you didn’t break your hip, but you must’ve been really really bruised to need a month in the hospital.  Hope your rehab place is actually helpful to your recovery; not all of them are, as my FIL learned the hard way last winter.

  58. 58.

    sab

    Yikes. Falls are scary.

    You have been missed a lot, although the other front pagers have risen to the occassion. It has been especially hard on the insomniacs.

  59. 59.

    VFX Lurker

    @schrodingers_cat:

    OT BJ artists, Do I need a Bristol Smooth sketch book to practice drawing with a dip pen. I damaged a nib trying to use my dip pen on mixed media paper. And it was very scratchy. It works okay on Strathmore Drawing paper but not great. So I was wondering I need to get a Bristol Smooth sketch book

    VFX lurker would be the person to ask I guess.

    I left physical media for my beloved Clip Studio Paint EX ages ago, but I remember crow’s quill nibs wore out over time. I once had an old nib break on me (spraying ink over the page) because I used it well past the point I needed to replace it. I later switched to a brush, which would glide over cheap paper.

    The controversial comics creator Dave Sim wrote a useful nuts-and-bolts Cerebus Guide to Self-Publishing in the mid-90’s. He preferred crow’s-quill pen nibs, and he had this to say about paper in the guide:

    There are hundreds of different kinds of art paper and illustration board. Buy a variety of art boards and papers. Most art stores are happy to cut them to size for a small charge. Try a variety of sizes of page, proportional to 6 x 9, bearing in mind that the larger the page the more time it takes to draw but the more forgiving the reproduction, the smaller the page, the more the reproduction is going to show every wart and imperfection. For Cerebus we used a cold-press illustration board (S-172 Bainbridge) that is like a sheet of plate steel. Everything sits on the surface. Pencils do not penetrate the surface. A pen nib will (Hunt 102), but it takes a fair bit of pressure. (I remember Bernie Wrightson
    telling me in 1974 that he used to use DC’s paper to draw on until he realized he was blowing his nose on better quality paper. Having occasionally had to ink a piece of art on Big Two art paper, I know what he means.) The problem I have with Big Two art paper is that it is very fibrous. If you put any pressure on the pen nib to thicken the line, the point gets clogged with fibers and the ink has a tendency to bleed into the scar on either side of the line caused by the pressure. Once you throw on the solid blacks, the page rolls
    up like cheap wallpaper, and you have to be holding it down with both hands and one arm to keep it flat. Of course it isn’t flat, it’s all rippled, so after a certain point you’re half inking and half surfing. Crosshatching lines and keeping them parallel on Big Two art paper is like trying to Scotch-tape waves to a beach in a straight line.

  61. 61.

    Martin

    Goodness. Get well soon AL. 45lbs means you get permission to eat full octane ice cream at every meal.

  68. 68.

    Tenar Arha

    Wishing you the best in rehab, and also the best kind yet pushy PTs &/ OTs who are observant about not letting you overdo.

  69. 69.

    MazeDancer

    Anne Laurie, what a treat to hear from you! Your mighty fan club has been bereft.

    Not breaking something is wondrous. Even though the pain and agony you’ve been through probably feels a lot less than wonderful, really you are lucky not to have.

    Now, “all” you have to do is work hard and do everything they tell you. Not fun. But your future depends on it.

    And, selfishly, so does ours.

    Thanks for saying hi. Much appreciated.

  70. 70.

    MagdaInBlack

    Happy to see you pop in here, A.L.

    Wishing you a speedy rehab so you can get back to an agoraphobics favorite place: HOME!

  72. 72.

    West of the Rockies

    Very best wishes for rapid healing, Anne!  You are a true gift at BJ, and have been missed (though others have stepped up nicely).

  73. 73.

    Betty

    So sorry to hear about your disastrous fall. Nearly a month in the hospital followed by rehab sounds like a very trying time. Wishing you all the best as you recover and get back on your feet. We all miss you and look forward to having you back as soon as you are ready.

  75. 75.

    satby

    Anne Laurie, glad to hear from you, sorry about the cause and long duration at the hospital as a result. Rehab sucks, but not rehabbing is infinitely worse; as the tough Scotch-Irish cookie you are I trust you’ll make great progress. And losing that much weight will make it easier.🤞🤞for a rapid recovery and short time away from home.

    Strange coincidence in the illustration up top: today I said goodbye to my dear tuxedo boy Buddy, as his condition had worsened and there were no hopes of long term survival. And later this afternoon, Buddy’s near twin Sammy broke out of stir with two of the other cats, though I got the other two in quickly.  🤞my walkabout tuxie comes home to climb on tables and get into mischief like the kitty above.

  79. 79.

    stinger

    See, that’s what you get for going outside! But yay for strong bones! Get better quick!

  82. 82.

    TEL

    Glad to hear from you! I’ve missed your morning and late night posts, and was worried about you. Take all the time you need to get well. I hope to see you posting again when you can.

  83. 83.

    H.E.Wolf

    Very, very glad to hear you are on the mend! Best wishes for continued improvement, so that you can get sprung from rehab soon.

  86. 86.

    Nix Besser

    Oh my, what an ordeal! I certainly missed looking in on your overnight/gray dawn posts first thing in the morning. Be a good patient and stick to your exercises. Please get back on your feet soon.

  88. 88.

    WaterGirl

    So glad to see you, Anne Laurie.  A month is a really long time.  It must have felt like forever.

    Every time I asked Cole about you all he would say is that you were improving.  Unless you swore him to secrecy, he is in the doghouse.

  89. 89.

    The Audacity of Krope

    Glad to see you back, AL.  May you continue to heal well.

    Apropos of nothing, Black Mirror continues to be at its best when it does AI lesbians.

  90. 90.

    Gretchen

    @Ohio Mom: Good question! She probably made friends with the night shift but I am sure they insisted on delivering meals at unreasonable daytime hours

  94. 94.

    Gary Trauner

    So happy to hear you are ok and you have been conspicuously missed. Heal well and quickly!

  95. 95.

    Soprano2

    My first thought at seeing this post was thank goodness, I was starting to think the worst had happened. My second thought after reading it was “time for clothes shopping!” You might not be enthusiastic about that, but I would be. Thrift stores are great if you need a different size but don’t want to spend a lot of money.

  98. 98.

    JML

    welcome back AL! Hope they release you back in the wild soon; best wishes on a speedy recovery. Falls are rough, glad you didn’t break anything on top of it.

    (mom fell off a ladder and broke her hip picking cherries; that was when we all started worrying a lot about her staying in the house, especially trying to care for her husband with dementia. falls can get scary.)

  100. 100.

    Rusty

    Sending prayers your way and looking forward to when you feel well enough to be back to your blogging self.  Take care.

  101. 101.

    Gloria DryGarden

    AL, if nothing’s broken, and you were in hospital a month, I can’t imagine how many ligaments and tendons and joints got pulled, strained/sprained/dislocated. (As a former body worker, it’s where my thoughts go. I long to figure it out.) It sounds wildly intense. I hope the food was good at the hospital, and is good at your rehab place.
    it’s alarming, to suddenly be unable to get up or ambulate, yikes.
    Keep healing, be patient, get stronger.
    Rooting for you!

  103. 103.

    Gloria DryGarden

    @Professor Bigfoot: glad you’re back home again.
    if the grass gets too long while you recover, perhaps mrs B, or someone else, can mow for you. Just keep healing up.
    When Pollyanna went to the cath lab, they went through his arm. I forget if they used the same arm on day 2. He’s no complainer, but I imagine it was sore afterwards.
    The hard part seems to be telling the truth about how great one does or doesn’t feel. (Based on my observations of Pollyanna at the hospital.)

    just glad you’re ok, and gonna be more ok, now.

  104. 104.

    dww44

    So good to hear from you, AL.  You’ve been missed.  Looking for further updates and progress.

  107. 107.

    Denali5

    Healing thoughts to you! You have been missed. Hope you can get back to posting soon!

  109. 109.

    Layer8Problem

    So very glad to see your words light up my screen!  Take the time you need and may your recovery be swift.  We’ll be here.

  110. 110.

    TS

    You have been missed – every one of those almost 30 days. So pleased to hear you have made it to rehab. All best thoughts for getting home soon

  113. 113.

    Dagaetch

    Very glad to hear you’re on the mend AL. I was actually just thinking of you earlier today, hoping we would see a post soon. Delighted to get such a quick response!

  115. 115.

    Leto

    Good grief! Glad nothing is broken and you’re on the mend. Take your time and we’ll be here when you get back.

  117. 117.

    Shalimar

    great to hear from you and look forward to many of your compilations in the future.  This site is not the same without you providing the backbone.

  121. 121.

    HopefullyNotcassandra

    Get well soon and take care of yourself.  Sending you health and recovery across the spooky distance

  123. 123.

    Mai Naem mobile

    I’ve been worried about you. I kept on checking on your bluesky and not seeing anyt new activity  there really worried me.I am so glad you’ve been upgraded to rehab.  Keep moving in rehab even if you think it’s little, every little bit helps recovery.

  124. 124.

    RevRick

    Let me add my good wishes and thanks to all the others, Annie Laurie. And also a word of thanks for all those who cared for you: the doctors, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, orderlies, cooks.
    Whenever I used to visit parishioners in the hospital, I, of course, prayed for their healing, both physically and emotionally, but I always included prayers for their caregivers.

  126. 126.

    Elizabelle

    Anne Laurie, you will laugh, but I found myself exhaling about five minutes after I read your post.  Relief.  Of course, you still have all the hard work ahead of you.  But all seems survivable.

  127. 127.

    O. Felix Culpa

    Oh my, I’ve been worried and am delighted to hear that you’re on the mend. Take all the time necessary to heal. We miss you–a lot!!!–and want you back, but want you hale and hearty even more.

  128. 128.

    Elizabelle

    @RevRick: Pope Francis’s last communication was to his longtime caregiver/nurse, we are told.  And he thanked him earlier, before his health turned worse. Overnight.

    Francis seems like he was a grateful and graceful soul.

  132. 132.

    Currants

    I love you, Anne Laurie! If I can bring anything your way (I’m in MA) please PLEASE let me know!

  135. 135.

    mvr

    Best wishes for a speedy and relatively painless recovery. Glad the hip bones are unharmed, but it sounds pretty unpleasant nonetheless.

  136. 136.

    divF

    but the scabs are still epic

    That made me shudder. Much relieved to have you back. In these trying times, I often think back to the definition of Irish Alzheimer’s that we learned from you, which gives me something to look forward to in my declining years.

    Ruskin Spear had a son, Roger Ruskin Spear. He was one of the members of the Bonzo Dog Band, as well as having some original works. You might consider having Doctor Rock pay you a visit during rehab.

  137. 137.

    pieceofpeace

    Whew!  Relieved to know you’re okay and healing well.  I join the ‘We miss you!’ chorus.

  143. 143.

    Another Scott

    Yikes!  :-(

    Proof of life is always good.

    You have been missed – you’re a huge part of what makes this place a community.

    Recover quickly!

    Best wishes,
    Scott.

  144. 144.

    Tazj

    I’m glad you didn’t break your hip and you’re out of the hospital. I hope the rest of your recovery goes smoothly. You are missed here but take your time getting better.

  147. 147.

    Madeleine

    That must have been quite a fall! I’ve missed your presence very much. My best wishes for rapid and full recovery.

  148. 148.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    Yay for  bone density! Take care of yourself and OUCH!

    Don’t do that again!

  149. 149.

    JanieM

    Been missing you, AL. Sorry to hear about the fall and the aftermath — it sounds awful — but glad to know you’re on the mend.

  150. 150.

    moonbat

    Thanks for the update, AL. And good to know my worst case scenario brain was wrong again. But best of all to know that you are on the mend. Rest up. Heal up. We’ll be grateful whenever you can return.

  151. 151.

    Ramalama

    Wet concrete. Dammit. It’s not like wearing crampons 24×7 so one doesn’t slip and fall on snow and ice. Glad you’re on the mend, AL.

    Your post has evoked more emojis than I’ve ever seen here.

  153. 153.

    mark

    Falling seems to be a regular part of my life now. Just got out of the hospital. AFib! Flippy floppy heart beat. Oxygen not pumping so good.

  154. 154.

    LauraToo

    I’m grateful to hear good news from you! I’ve missed your insight, wit and skill.

  156. 156.

    AM in NC

    So good to see you here when I checked in this morning! So glad you are on the mend!!!!!!!!

  158. 158.

    Miss Bianca

    Very late to the party (per usual) – just wanted to  say, so glad to see you back here, AL, and hoping for a speedy recovery for you!

  159. 159.

    Miki

    Oh dear – sorry to read about your accident, glad to hear you’re on the mend. You’ve been missed.

  160. 160.

    wenchacha

    Holy moly, that all sounds painful! I hope rehab is not terrible, and gets you back to feeling healthy again, and soon.

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