No!vember

Two weeks until Thanksgiving break. We’re all itching to hit the road. This will be an easy go compared to our usual epic road trip - we’re staying in hotels, a first, and only two of them. Unlike last year, we’re not adapting to a rented RV, nor relying on campsites that you can’t reserve in advance. And most importantly, this year I won’t be in constant agonizing pain due to my frozen shoulder. When I think about how utterly debilitated I was this time last year - I had pretty much given up trying to use my left arm at all, and had multiple episodes of intense pain per day plus dull throbbing pain all of the time anyway - oh, it was just hell. There are so many things that are better this year. In fact, fuck it - everyone else is doing gratitude stuff for November, I might as well join in right now. Here are things that are better this year than last year:

Trump is gone!!! I mean, not really, but at least for now he’s not in the White House. I live in constant terror of what’s going to happen in ‘22 when we no doubt lose the house and senate and in ‘24 when we probably lose the White House because of voter suppression and propaganda, but I’m determined to enjoy every minute of this brief moment of having sane Democrats in control.

Coronavirus is on the retreat - kinda. Lately the news hasn’t been so great with regards to what we’re facing this winter; after weeks of “we’re going to have this thing beat by January and no winter surge!” now all of a sudden parts of Europe are seeing their worst surges yet, with the US possibly to follow, in particular the western states. Still, though, way different from last year when we were all helplessly facing this giant wave heading right at us with no tools to fight it. At least now the F and I are vaccinated, and the kids will be fully protected in just five weeks. There’s a good chance coronavirus will be largely under control some time next year. 

Kids in school! I rarely think about the long months of home schooling now; I just want to put it behind me. But every once in a while I think about it and am just so happy the kids are back in school and having a somewhat normal childhood again. They really thrive there, and I delight in my quiet time at home alone. It keeps me sane.

I’m engaged! No more wondering when it’ll happen or if we’ll ever get married (it could have gone either way). The moment happened and we have a wedding planned and it’s happening. And then it’ll be over and we can just be a married couple until one of us dies. I never thought I would get married, so I’m glad to get to have that experience in common with so many other people in the world. I’m interested to see what it’s going to be like.

We’ve found a family passion which is doing outdoorsy stuff, in particular desert stuff. I’m glad this is something we can all share - in a time when monoculture is long gone (we all sort of do/watch/listen to our own things these days), it’s great to have one thing that still bonds us together. While building the cabin continues to be fraught, it will be done eventually, and then we can move on to really enjoy our lives out there. I’m excited for this.

Things are coming back. Our band is playing, we’re going to concerts, we’re starting to get on planes and travel. Last night I went to a dinner and then comedy show, and it was great. I can run errands and go to stores and movies. Life is really about 80% normal. 

The government has helped me survive two years of shutdowns. I am profoundly grateful for all the loans and grants. 

Everyone continues to be healthy. Yay for that. 

In other news, we finally saw the donor siblings yesterday at a climbing gym. Like our kids, the girls had gotten taller and thinner in the last two years. The donor was I believe 6’1” and 140 lbs, so tall and skinny is in all of their genes. I can’t say any of them really resemble each other; but then again Bobby and Theo look nothing like each other, either. Genes are weird. 

Here are some pomegranate seeds from our hyperactive tree. I’m down to the last few I can seed, the rest have been ravaged by squirrels. It’s been a good run, though.