Body! Part skin before exuding glass!

Dear Body,

As we've started a new year I thought it would be a good time to connect with you once again. I realize that we haven't always been very close, and in fact that usually I don't speak to you at all unless I need something from you. But the New Year brings new beginnings and I hoped that by extending this first olive branch of peace (with all associated trite imagery) that we might reach some uneasy accord.
I recognize that you may be somewhat resentful of incidents past. You certainly have every reason to be. I just hope that you keep in mind how many of those incidents were caused by others or the indirect consequence of your own actions. Still, I know that I have been the source of a great deal of pain for you and I take responsibility for my actions. I am sorry; mea culpa. Not least among them, looming large in your mind I'm sure is the incidental forced poisoning that I have - completely accidentally, I swear to you - been nonetheless perpetrating on you for the past 20-or-so years. You may also still be upset about the mono incident. And the sliding-glass-door thing. The point that I'm getting to is that we're stuck with each other, so we may as well make an effort to forgive and move on before this whole thing gets ridiculous.
This brings me to my point. Recently, when a pretty nasty turn of events found a shard of glass lodged in your heel, you handled it so well. You didn't make a big fuss, swell much, turn red or even give in to infection. I was actually thinking that you were beginning to mature. When the situation became worse and you were faced with the prospect of dealing with the glass and a change in walking style for the foreseeable future, you dutifully and expediently moved the intruder to the surface. Now, having almost expelled the interloper you've become petty. Why? All you need to do is slough the skin off and it'll be BAU. But instead you've seen fit to teach me a lesson by forcing the glass out through the healed wound. What are you hoping to accomplish? I don't doubt your capacity; I know sloughing is one of your favorite tricks. I can't help but think you begrudge me for putting it there in the first place. But you know as well as I do that I did nothing of the sort and I've taken every measurable step to prevent its recurrence. When are you going to cut me a break?
Please consider this a gesture of good faith on my part and make an effort to consider my words in earnest. This path that we're on is mutually destructive and I think you know that. Imagine what we could do for each other if we only tried to work together! My point is, stop being a pain and get it done already. This torture bullshit is childish, at best. I mean seriously. So in conclusion, stop being such a bitch.
Sincerely, your dear friend,

Cat

Snow

Last night I made the brownies I've been looking forward to all week and was glutened by...something. The vanilla? This is misery. But I did wake up to shouts of "snow!" and a snowball in the bed. Los Angeles hasn't had snow in 40 years. I wonder how long it's been since this valley noticed any. The last time I remember seeing it, it was ash from the fires three years ago. Academic schedule is getting ironed out. Meanwhile I'm slowly getting work done. It's 37 degrees. Time to bake something, I guess. It's strange to suddenly find myself alone for so much of each day.