Hell Is Freezing Over 🥶

Jack Frost must have rebranded himself as Jack Freeze. From Texas to Maine, much of the country is bracing for severe winter weather. Friends in Alabama are expecting over an inch of ice—never a good sign, since power lines tend to come down at just a quarter inch.

Here in Vermont, the temperature is dropping steadily all day. By the time I leave work, wind chills will already be in the negatives. Tomorrow, we’re looking at subzero temperatures all day, with wind chills plunging to somewhere between –25 and –45 degrees. By Sunday and Monday, forecasts are calling for 8–12 inches of snow, with southern Vermont likely seeing more than a foot.

Once I get home this evening, I have no intention of leaving my apartment.

Simply put, it feels like hell is freezing over—that is, the United States under Donald Trump.

Here’s a piece of medieval trivia for you: hell wasn’t always imagined as blazing hot. While the Bible gives us fire and brimstone, some medieval writers pictured the devil trapped in extreme cold—the furthest possible point from God’s light and warmth. In that tradition, hell freezing over isn’t a contradiction at all. It’s the final, most absolute form of separation.

Which feels… depressingly on theme right now.

Pic of the Day

Reporting to Sickbay

I got a little distracted this morning watching Starfleet Academy and completely forgot to write a post. It happens.

There’s not much exciting to report today, but I am seeing my new neurologist for the first time. I’ve been waiting nearly three years for the Headache Clinic to hire a new permanent neurologist, so this appointment has been a long time coming. I’m cautiously optimistic—and really hoping this one sticks around.

She seems fresh out of medical school—very Dr. Bashir energy—though I’m realistic enough to know she won’t be nearly as distractingly attractive.

And since I haven’t posted an Isabella Pic of the Week in a while, here’s one for this week. 🐾

She knows when she sees something pretty.

Now off to get ready. 🚿

Pic of the Day

The image is a photograph by Georgian photographer Butu Bilikhodze, titled "Nico". 

A Migraine’s Shadow

To see the uncensored pic, click “Read more” below.

While I’m feeling better today, I’m still not 100 percent. I seem to have entered the postdrome phase of my migraine—often called a “migraine hangover.” The symptoms usually include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, head tenderness, and mood changes.

For me, I think of it as a shadow headache. The headache is still there, just not as intense—like it’s hiding in the background. I also tend to get brain fog during this phase, when thoughts and movements feel slower than usual, as if everything is happening a half-step behind.

That being said, I’m going to skip a poetry post this week. I’m just not up to writing one right now. I have class preparations and meetings today, and while I wish I could stay home another day to recover, tomorrow I’m out for my first appointment with my new neurologist at the Headache Clinic. Then it’s right back into things with a class first thing Friday morning.

Sometimes listening to your body means easing up where you can—and this week, poetry will have to wait.

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Migraine

I’ve had a migraine that started yesterday and was still there when I woke up this morning. Between the pain and the fog, I just didn’t have it in me to write a poetry post today.

I’ll probably share one tomorrow, once my head is feeling a bit more cooperative.

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It’s Monday

It’s Monday.

And honestly? I hate Mondays.

I think Garfield may have been onto something.

Garfield was right about two things: his absolute hatred of Mondays and his undying love for lasagna. Mondays arrive far too early, demand far too much, and somehow expect us to be cheerful about it. They interrupt perfectly good weekends, drag us back into responsibility, and pretend that coffee alone will fix everything.

Lasagna, on the other hand, asks nothing of us except that we enjoy it. Comfort layered upon comfort. Warm, reliable, and deeply reassuring—everything Monday is not.

So if you’re dragging yourself into this week feeling a little grumpy, a little tired, and wholly unenthusiastic, you’re in excellent company. Even a cartoon cat knew that Mondays are best approached with sarcasm, snacks, and very low expectations.

Garfield was right.

About both things.

This is a stupid video and obviously staged, but it made me laugh and brought a smile to my face. That’s not an easy feat on a Monday morning.

Pic of the Day