First, my condolences for both sj's and David's losses. I'm so sorry. This year is just so brutal. Secondly, {{{Amy}}}.

Yes, I got here safely last Sunday. The plane was half empty and the terminal deserted, which was good — I've been staying in an Airbnb since so I'm not taking any chances being around my dad. I've met him (heavily masked) at the bank twice to deal with some of the financial stuff and took a rapid Covid test yesterday (negative), but I've otherwise just been trying to deal with school stuff and isolating. Today's my last day of classes, at least. I'll take another rapid test on Sunday, and if that also comes back negative, I'll pack up and move to my dad's place after that. Stuff with him is...complicated. I'm glad I came (I really needed to), but yeah.

I'm supposed to fly back on Christmas, but now ND and I are trying to figure out if that's still a good idea — I mean, none of this is a good idea, but I don't have all of my second-semester school stuff, so I can't stay here indefinitely. I'd decided to fly Christmas day because I figured that was the least busy travel day, and I'm worried if I postpone it will be even worse. Argh. Just a lot of bad choices. I had to come out and I need to go back at some point, but SoCal is a freaking disaster.

Not looking for advice or even hairpats; I just wanted to give an update.

I usually love Christmas, and this year I would just like to sleep right through it.

I don't give a single damn about Christmas, but I'm still doing some holiday stuff because Tim likes it, and relationships are about compromise, and honestly, baking Christmas cookies is a pretty decent compromise because, hey, cookies.

I had a physical this morning, and Awesome Doctor asked me how I was, and I said, "Honestly, by 2020 standards, pretty good. I just ignore all the stress." And he said, "Oh, stress? What's that?" I told him I can't imagine being a health care professional right now, and he sighed and said "Already 6 positive Covid tests just this morning. I've stopped asking them if they're following precautions, because they always say shit like 'Oh, I went to a poker game with my buddies, that's all,' or 'There weren't THAT many people at Thanksgiving dinner'." I would be a terrible doctor, because I would just want to punch those people in the neck.

I would be a terrible doctor, because I would just want to punch those people in the neck.

Did y'all see that article about being a wedding photographer in Texas these days? I would for sure be punching people.

Sending you strength, Pix. Dealing with a beloved parent who is beginning to show the signs of age is so hard. And with COVID on top of it... I'm sorry.

If it wasn't for the kids, Steph (well, relatively speaking, 17 and 23), I wouldn't bother with the tree or anything this year. Which would make it all worse, but I'm out of energy.

And the bakery owner just announced when we'll be closed (for almost a week after Christmas, but then again NYE), and I'm panicking about money now.

This has been a total whine, so a few happy things: my neighbor was listening to Latino music with lots of tuba and accordion while shoveling the other night, and it was delightful. Plus, getting holiday cards always cheers me up.

I hope everything goes as smoothly as possible, Pix. I don't envy your situation.

Amy, I'm sorry about the new med, that sucks. Is the nausea supposed to wear off?

meara, I'm sorry this is so hard for you. We just need it to be over.

Oh, man, that is a hard situation to be in without the extra pandemic fun, Pix. My sympathies.

I don't give a single damn about Christmas.

This made me laugh. Christmas Day means nothing this year (and likely years to come), just a day off, but I do love the decorations and I hope to do some baking this weekend.

In decorating in the new house and figuring where things can go and whatnot, I am likely getting rid of some things and looking to get some others. I am slowly moving to the idea of having rotational decorative stuff out all year round so there is less out at any one time. I am packing things away now as I put out the Christmas things and am liking it much better.

We have a department meeting every Friday at 12:30 which seems like something I would be able to remember because it's an extremely irritating time to to have a recurring meeting, but I do not. I probably miss around half of them. I finally thought to put an alert on the calendar last week, got it at 12:20, thought to myself "right, just finish this one thing and switch to Zoom" and next thing I know it's 1:45 and I have missed another one.

I am saying all this in the hopes that it will be one more thumbtack in my very unreliable mental bulletin board of Stuff To Not Miss, No Really, Do This

I don't give a single damn about Christmas.

I don’t care about Christmas qua Christmas, but I do like meeting up with family every year and having an excuse to buy them things and catch up on their interests. Nephew wants an $800 camera lens? Well, he ain’t getting it from me, but it’s cool that he’s really gotten into photography, ya know?

Pix, I hope the stuff with your dad, and attendant travels, go as smoothly as possible.

I am not handling Christmas well this year. It’s not like I have any particular desire to see my family, but I’m still bitter about being alone. I haven’t sent my family any cards, I haven’t bought my nieces and nephew anything, and I know I’m just being spiteful about it. I keep trying to psych myself up to get the energy to put something in the mail, but it isn’t happening.