This year was weird. For all of us. I’m not going to be so brazen to say that 2021 has to be better, because no, no it doesn’t. All we can do is hope that maybe science and sensibility win out in the end.
The last thing I have a vivid memory of pre-Covid was a fun trip Rob and I took to Vancouver and Seattle in February. We got a chance to visit (!) in person (!!!) with a bunch of people we don’t get to see super often and found some neat stuff to do in both cities. We went to restaurants (!) and bars (!!!) and generally had a great time even though Seattle was more expensive than it used to be. I didn’t badmouth Trump in front of any Republicans this time. I hold the Pacific Northwest near and dear to my heart (secretly hoping that Cascadia becomes its own country) and love to visit whenever I can. But that trip pretty much marked the end of normalcy.
Things weren’t all bad. I’m a bit of a recluse so the quarantine lifestyle suits me okay, but I do really miss just being able to head to the pub for a pint or two. I miss Blakbar. I miss The Dog. I miss Situation. I miss nights out in the ‘hood and visiting with friends. I miss my crew. Our neighborhood is one of the few in Edmonton that is genuinely walkable, but there’s nowhere to walk to. (Bear in mind that Rob and I are still only going out for essentials – Alberta is the wild west butthole of Canada politics- and common sense-wise and people tend to play pretty fast and loose with their self-preservation and the safety of others. There are maybe 10 people I actually want within my personal space even after all this is over.)
We got Perogy, who is awesome even though she has the stature of a foot-tall cement truck and snores with a repertoire of the same noises. She burps and farts like an old man and is genuinely kinda gross, but she’s adorable and full of love so we let it slide. I love my little trash gremlin.
I got a job that I love! The team is excellent and we have such a great rapport. The job itself is easier than what I used to do (and I took a pay cut to go along with it) but the additional sanity is nothing to be balked at. If anything, it serves to highlight how dreadful my last management and place of employment were.
A lot of crap has happened this year too, but frankly, I’d rather not dwell on it for excessively long. Rob and I were pretty money tight for a while when I was unemployed. We’ve had the odd health thing. I lost a friend to a long battle with cancer. Also, of course, everything about lockdown and quarantine that has added to this year’s particular brand of ennui.
So yeah, whassup, 2021? Bring it.
r3dbar0n3ss 