The big news is I took the job offer in Cape Cod so in three weeks Casper and I are moving there. Mr. Flea and Dillo will probably follow in June. It’s a big change and a lot if work and I alternate between joy and asking myself what the hell I’m thinking. We’ll see!

Congratulations! Let me know where you settle in. We'll likely be in Cape Cod at least once this summer if not twice and we'd love to see you.

Yeah, gotta say, this year kind of blew.

February: Texas froze. We had one burst pipe and never lost power, so we were very lucky, in the long run. It was also the month I managed to get vaccine appointments for me and Husband, so that was good. The second dose in March knocked me down hard, but only for about a day. Oh, I was also in the middle of chatting with a friend when her cat had some kind of seizure and died. (sad animal news)

May: Got some really upsetting family news that I don't feel safe posting about here, but it forever altered the way I look at a close relative. The fallout went on for about a month, and it was awful, and then saw the person in July and had to handle that.

July: In that time period where we thought things were safer, my parents went to Paris. My mother was horrendously sick while they were there (not covid), and my dad got a breakthrough infection a couple of days after they came back.

August: Hurricane Ida. The whole city lost power. My parents were evacuated for a week. I dropped out of my chorus when they resumed rehearsals with no precautions at all.

December: The day after we arrived for the Christmas visit, my parents had to put their 14-year-old dog down. We knew it was coming, but it was still heartbreaking. (moar sad animal news, fuck this year)

And, you know, politics. Democracy and whatnot. Especially in Texas. I would like to get out of here, but where to go. And I'm 90% sure my job would let me be fully remote, but it's still a worry.

On the good side, strangely, is my job. I haven't ever had a really terrible job, but this is just amazing. My manager had no problem with me continuing to work from home, even after the office came back in, because of my migraines. (Right, migraines go on the bad side.) And everyone, like, gets along? And is nice? And helps each other? So I am very fortunate in that respect.

And now, back to the bad, I'm sick with something. It may well be a cold. But I managed to find a testing appointment this afternoon, probably because someone canceled. Who knows when I'll get the results. I also have a psych appointment to look forward to, because my fucking meds need to be adjusted, so right now I'm just snarly and mopey.

Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, I'm still lucky and privileged. I'm just tired.

2021: ltc graduated from the preschool where she spent 4 years, and started kindergarten at a brand new school. She's absolutely thriving there, and it's just wonderful to watch her grow.

I finally got myself on a psych meds routine that seems to be working. Got myself a therapist, lost that therapist when she left the practice and found another therapist without having a complete meltdown in the process. The great uncluttering of our house has been a two steps forward, one step back kind of process, but it's moving along. I read more books this year than I have ever read in a year since I've been keeping track of such things, and I'm trying to watch a little less TV and spend a little less time on the internet.

We've been trying to find a balance in this new reality. We're seeing people more in person since we've been vaccinated, but many relatives seem to have aged more than two years in the same amount of time, and we don't see them all as much as we used to in the before times.

TCG is still working the same job that he has been doing the last few years, and it has been great for him to be so nearby that he can occasionally pick up ltc from school.

That's exciting news, flea! A huge change. You really put your own career on the backburner for a while there, and it must feel great to get those offers and interest in your skills and abilities. Deserved validation!

Aw Dana I remember you posting about that family stuff. So hard and sucky.

And flea, congrats!! Best of luck that this new job is even better!!

I spent the last day of 2021 driving like a maniac all the way up the coast for 16 hours. But I’m trying to think back on my 2021 and it mostly all feels like a blank or a holding pattern. I already had my dog. I got vaccinated. I went to Palm Springs for a weekend after that, but otherwise I don’t think I took a vacation this summer? We had a crazy heat wave and no Pride celebration. My birthday was very uneventful. I went back to dancing a few times before delta came along and basically ruined that. I flew to see family after getting my booster. Seem to have avoided covid. Work was fine but just ok. Spent the last six weeks of the year with friends, so that was good. But I’d really love more of a social life than I’ve had for the past two years and was really hoping vaccines were the answer. I hate online dating. I miss dancing. I miss meeting people in person. I miss traveling and having fun and not being scared the whole time that I’ll get sick somewhere. I feel old and out of shape and sick and I hate that (I’ve had lower back pain since June and PT didn’t do much but have been putting off seeing the doctor). I hope 2022 is better and not more of this same blah nothingness.

In 2021 we took the kids on three road trips across a total of 15 states (well, 14 states and DC). I'm grateful that we were able to travel some and see friends and family, even if it did mean that we ended the year with all of us getting covid, and I'm pleased that my kids (now 6 and 9) have become such good travelers. They're able to keep themselves entertained with books, music, drawing, and even knitting, which they just learned how to do.

In 2021 I also got back into fanfic and fandom, which was a source of joy and silliness when so much seemed heavy and awful. I even wrote a story, which I hadn't done in probably 15 years. It felt good to be creative again.

Last winter was pretty bad for my mental health. I thought a lot about getting into therapy but never did anything about it. I had to stop pretty much all social media use because it all just made me feel rotten: jealous or outraged or sad about not being in closer contact with friends I love. Amy's death hit me hard; I regret that I didn't see her more or keep in touch more over the last few years, and I really miss her.

Things got better for me when we were able to travel up to MA this summer, and I feel more strongly than ever the pull to move back up there. We've pretty much given up on trying to move for Mark's job, and he's feeling pretty burned out on academia anyway, so it's up to me now to find a job that will get us back to Massachusetts. So that is the big project for 2022.

As always, I'm more grateful than I can say for all you invisible friends in the little glowy box. You've been a constant in my life for more than 20 years now, and I don't think I'd be who I am without this place. I wish you all brighter days ahead.

As always, I'm more grateful than I can say for all you invisible friends in the little glowy box. You've been a constant in my life for more than 20 years now, and I don't think I'd be who I am without this place. I wish you all brighter days ahead.

Much love to you, and your beautiful family. You know, flea is fleeing to Cape Cod so I'm sensing a whole diaspora of families returning to the welcoming environs of Massachusetts. Sometimes the Geographical solution is the correct one.

Things got better for me when we were able to travel up to MA this summer, and I feel more strongly than ever the pull to move back up there. We've pretty much given up on trying to move for Mark's job, and he's feeling pretty burned out on academia anyway, so it's up to me now to find a job that will get us back to Massachusetts. So that is the big project for 2022.

I very much approve of this project. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help from here.

I'm sensing a whole diaspora of families returning to the welcoming environs of Massachusetts.

More MA buffistas would be awesome.

The problem with the welcoming environs of Massachusetts is the housing prices.

They have been going up and up lately. We’ve gotten so many letters from real estate people who want to buy our house, which is not for sale.