I’m so sorry about your Zack. I don’t know what we’d do if we lost any of ours. We have a 10 yr old tomcat, Orion, a 1.5 yr old female cat, Bliss, and an 11 month old female kitten, Sara. The tomcat we rescued – he was a stray in the neighborhood and the teenagers liked to pee on him (what is it with guys and peeing on things? I’ve never understood it), put Vick’s vapor rub on his nose, and throw him in the dumpster. Charming children, they were. The girls came to us via the rescue clinic – Bliss was found in a dumpster when she was 5 wks old and Sara was abandoned in the clinic lobby when she was 5 wks old. We adopted Bliss because she acts feral around strangers (read as: rushes them and attacks, and for some reason PetSmart would not take her). We adopted Sara because Bliss needed a playmate — Orion was not amused at Bliss’s attempts to play with him. He’s far too dignified, y’know — except that he plays with both of them now when he thinks no one is looking : P.

I have been thinking about this, and I think it’s not about biology, it’s about actual gendering. Boy biology is certainly different to girl biology, and biological men will respond in some ways differently to the world based on brain chemistry and hormones and exposed testicles and whatnot. But I don’t think mansplaining is a biological function. I think it’s socialization and gender, and, like whitesplaining, a particular expression of privilege. Which is why I don’t think it works in reverse.

PS — I do love cats so much. Ours died about 18 months ago and I am still devastated. Thanks for the link. I must say that our Zack (his name) had a great life and was very rarely able to complain of no treats (*sends love to kitty Zack through the spirit internet*).

Sly.

I sleep better in the daytime when the world is about making noise so it’s not always sleep I get. I’ve learned to live without a lot of sleep, though when I do sleep for several hours in a row I wake feeling as though I missed a bus or a trains departure that I was supposed to be on.

Maybe it’s the lack of other living things where I live that I don’t live a normal routine shrug isn’t it all what we’re used to or if you’re not used to these forays into the night maybe it’s aging, your body changes as it ages. The needs change, you may find yourself saying things like I wish I could have been like this when I was younger and could enjoy it more.

Napping comes later, much later. I was never a good napper, no wait I couldn’t nap at all, too busy, busy, busy. Now napping is essential made easy by the nodding out thing. But then I’m no one to go by, I keep very irregular hours.

Meant to tickle not offend…I do truly hope you find a way to something that works for you.

Sly

said Oscar Wilde. Not to feed the Special Snowflakeness in everyone, but perhaps as an alternative to the Desert Hearts line.

@Zack, hah. I know about the singing, but that does not make you a mansplainer (grin). For whatever reason, I am remarkably unsuccessful at napping.

@ Mary, no, you are right. It’s a different feeling, but the thing is, I’m tired of feeling that I am helpless at 3 AM, and this post is part of my way of finding the path to… well, maybe to a good night’s sleep. I will remember the Desert Hearts line.

@ Mark, it’s okay, we are all just pixels here and you can tell us whatever you like (grin). That’s part of the deal.

@ Alexa, thank you, and hugs to you too.

@ Jennifer, Thai food is easier to share when you’re in the same zip code (grin). Drive safely.

I am now (grinning) because I am tired of all the smiley faces screwing up my formatting. Good lord, the details…

“Everything’s falling apart!”

“It’s the middle of the night, it’ll be together by morning.”