ltc has been impossible with asking for things lately. And I’ve been sticking to no because it’s almost Christmas and she will be spoiled rotten.

Yes, thank you, dcp (butterfly), and smonster, and ND and Pix. They are totally a day brightener! I love having cards on the mantle representing this place. Makes me smile.

Mine are half done and going out tomorrow... pretty sure I missed the postal carrier today.

Recap of 2021 not quite ready yet. Also, technically, I'm on a call.

Here. And grateful to be so, and for you guys. Not doing a retro--leaving it in the dust. It's best that way.

dcp, I love my dragon fly! I had a brilliant mailday on Saturday: I received your card & a lovely surprise from hec.

My year: Cancer is definitely the surprise that nobody wants but I did realize that I have a community I can turn to for help & support - both my blinvisible internet friends & friends & family who are less remote.

I’m so glad that we have a sane president & I am trying not to listen too much to the “horse race” politics stuff this early on.

Went through a big pile of mail last night (as I'm starting to feel better, I'm trying to catch up on stuff I've been neglecting), and got lovely cards from Pix & ND, and dcp (I love the butterfly, dcp, so pretty!)

Doubt I will have a wrap-up this year. As stated above by the Lovely Bev, I'm just glad to still be here, and super-glad you guys are still here. (((You guys)))

I don't have much of a wrap-up, I don't think. For me, personally, 2021 was way better health wise than the previous two years, so I am grateful for that. We also moved to a new place that we love, and I'm gainfully employed again, part-time, rolling into full-time at some point next year, most likely. I'm seeing my friends and family again. It's good.

2021 was by no means a good year, but since 2020 was a whirling, swirling shit storm of death, house fires, depression, grief and isolation it was still a step up.

I did not feel more than a brief moment of relief after the 2020 election because I knew Trump and his fuckery enablers would pull some bullshit. I did not however expect the Jan. 6th insurrection. (That happened this year!) I have completely lost faith in a good chunk of my fellow Americans and I am getting that same queasy feeling as I see them lining up the theocratic autocracy they desire.

2021 - the ultimate equivocal year. Ambivalence reigns! Biden takes office! After QAnon fuckbags try to destroy the Republic! We got vaccinated! Except for idiotic vax resistance! The vaccines work brilliantly! The Pandemic isn't over and Omicron is surging! Biden has been a more progressive president than either Obama or Clinton! Those fuckers Sinema and Manchin! Pelosi pushes through the bill! Trump's SCOTUS picks dismantle Roe! Everything seems to be literally on fire except for the parts which are literally torn apart by tornadoes.

And so on. You read the news. I had hoped for a little more hope after Biden's win but now I'm wary.

Still. There were a lot of good things about 2021. The biggest plus for me was simply Matilda being able to return to in-person school and pull out of her isolation depression and form a new circle of friends. Another very good thing is that as JZ's father's estate has been distributed we're in better financial shape than we've ever been. We're house hunting in San Francisco which was beyond imagination two years ago. We have the means to help friends which is lovely.

We also have the means to travel for the first time in a long time and yet because 2021 insists on being itself, the pandemic thwarts plans to see friends and go abroad. For now anyway.

I turned 60 this year. My bout of sciatica two years ago turned out to be a useful wake-up call for me to attend to my health. So I lost weight, run the steps every weekday, have seen the dermatologist and am thinking about Pilates. I intend to do all the things that I can to maintain this frail mortal vessel so I'm upright and ambulatory.

I was in my thirties when I joined this community. Curious how a little niche corner of pop culture can blossom into one of the most enduring things in my life. I am grateful for you all.

I was in my thirties when I joined this community. Curious how a little niche corner of pop culture can blossom into one of the most enduring things in my life. I am grateful for you all.

Ditto to all of that.

I may update more later. I don't know.

This year has been...you know, a year. Most of it personally has been uneventful except I ended up depressed in the summer and made med adjustments that helped. Have been seeing my therapist via telehealth and I wish I could see him more often but after his attempt to try in person appointments his first vaccinated client found out he had covid (and had it during their appointment) and several others have tested positive and he noped out of in person appointments because his son is 3 yrs old and I don't blame him.

My grandmother died in October, she was 101 years old so it was expected and I was sad, especially sad to find out some really neat things about her I didn't know and would have loved to talk to her about. I was on vacation when that happened and ended up with an extended time in Florida because of that. Which I needed. but I got back to work on Nov 1

On the 19th of Nov I hit my head at work, have a concussion and it's been a not fun roller coaster of dealing with worker's comp and being told I'm cleared for work and then uncleared until I can see a neurologist and go back to the walk place for workers comp in 4 weeks.

So I've been out of work during the busiest time of year and I am limiting my screen time.

Oh! I've lost 25 lbs or so since Feb. However, being home and not walking so much at work I've gained a few back. I'm going to have to figure out some way to keep from gaining a lot of weight back (esp since I've gotten rid of most of my clothes that were too big) while I'm out of work. Not sure how to do that yet.

2021.

Well, I got a new great-nephew out of it. No one in my immediate family died, and my more conservative family members saw the actions of Republicans as a wakeup call instead of doubling down. While getting to them is a bit fraught due to physical distance, once there I can feel comfortable surrounded by vaxxed and boosted people who wear masks in public, and that's not nothing.

Work continues to go reasonably well. I got challenging projects and received good feedback for my work on them. They're good about not expecting people to come into the office needlessly, although they're not quite at "move out of state and we'll still let you keep your current job".

On the down side, we lost Amyth. It's still weird to walk by her apartment and know she's not there. And one of the neighbors has a frequent visitor who drives a car that's nearly identical to the one Amyth used to drive, so I keep looking out my window going, "Hey, she's home, oh, wait . . . no." That's a bit hard.

More broadly, there are lots of people who don't care whether or not other people die and aren't willing to so much as tie a bit of cloth across their face or get a free shot (that might save their own lives!) to help prevent it. I mean, I knew there were collections of pond sludge walking around in people suits before all this. I just didn't know there were so many of them.

It's getting to the darkest point of the year in the northern hemisphere. I'm hoping that time will bring more light in many ways.