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.

Be wary. I have been getting text messages from strangers wanting to buy the house I haven't lived in since 2007.

Some people - much less ethical than you - would jump on that and sell. It's happened.

We wouldn’t do anything without a real estate agent.