Good Bye to 2020

 

And so, the weeks turned into months and the year drew to a close, and a vaccine arrived on the scene...

No, blogging has not been my top priority during the pandemic. It seemed like there was lots of time to get things done. I did some of the writing I had intended to do, but it is a slow process. I presented a good group of genealogy topics virtually to several societies. Another handful got cancelled and the impetus to finish the research went with them. There were a few small engineering projects, but when the opportunity to go back to Saipan with FEMA came around, it seemed like the right thing to do. 

Being on a remote island during a pandemic has brought back my sense of well-being. The government restrictions have made this a relatively comfortable place to be. Masks are universally worn. Restaurants and churches take temperatures, and names and phone numbers for contact tracing. Everyone quarantines for 5 days in a designated hotel upon arrival, and doesn't join the general population without a negative screening test. As a result, we passed the 100-case milestone only a few weeks ago, with the majority of those caught at the airport. Nearly as important as the safety is the social contact available working with other people every day. Sure, being alone for most of six months wasn't as hard on me as it was on some people, but it feels good to banter with co-workers. And living on the 8th floor of a beach-front apartment is pretty sweet. Now, Zoom is working in reverse as I keep in touch with friends on the mainland. 

Feeling grateful, and a little guilty. And hopeful.

May Day

What has happened in a month? We remain apart. There are more masks in use, in fact, the Governor of Massachusetts has required them in public places. School will not come back in session this spring. The deaths continue at an alarming pace, though slower in some of the cities like New York than they were a month ago. Deaths in nursing homes and Veterans' homes are shocking, and nearly 50% of the total locally. The Governors continue to show leadership that isn't coming from DC. The practice of the Feds. stealing (appropriating?) protective equipment from the states isn't making it easy for them.

I know of people who have recovered. I know of people who have died, primarily the elderly. There are protesters, even here in Northampton, who use their rage to put their own needs above others'. It is so wrong. We have to look out for each other.

Carolyn is able to sit on her beach in NC, as long as people do not crowd together. She continues to work from home and do virtual therapy. Brian converses with his students online as well. Jamie is at the end of his 2 week quarantine in a motel in Juneau, and will rotate to the island to the mine for the next two weeks. Alaska has fared pretty well so far, as have many less-populated areas.

The Senate is going back to DC, but the House, with four times the population, is not. It looks like the unemployment program for self-employed individuals applies to me. I have several projects on hold in Whately, Northampton, Greenfield, and Amherst.

This weekend the sun came back and the windows were open for 2 days. Cooler temps are predicted next week. Some days are more productive than others. I miss company, but we video conference, telephone, sit in our cars to eat together apart. I can't fathom what it is like for extroverts.