And we're back!

 It's been a while.  So, let's catch up with what's been going on with me for the last 3 years.

1) After 25 years of part time work, I went back to work full time.  The resulting adjustment to full time work let me wiped out at the end of the work day and for most weekends. I never expected this adjustment to be so difficult! 

2) I am still working full time.  I am so very glad I had a full time job last year when the pandemic hit, and that I was able to keep working from home for a majority of the year.

3) Kids - 

Oldest is almost done with his PhD.  Due to the pandemic, he has been living at home for 10 of the last 12 months.  We are holding our breath for an August Graduation.  I asked him today how his dissertation was coming along, and he told me "I have downloaded the template.  I've put my name in the appropriate spot".  August graduation?  We'll see.  I've had standing reservations at the hotel next to the campus for every graduation for a year now, and I've cancelled the reservations a month out.

Middle is living in Kansas, still.  He spent three months alone in his apartment last year, not going anywhere and not seeing anyone.  He is now starting to talk about looking for a job on the East Coast.  I would love to have him home, but I am not counting on it until it happens.

Youngest got a job in Washington DC in the fall of 2019.  We moved her into an apartment at the end of January 2020.  She wanted to be closer to her work. (2 hours one way from here)  4 weeks after she moved, her commute went from an hour on Metro to walking down the stairs to the kitchen table. 

4) Parents

Mom turned 90 last month.  She never got COVID, which is a blessing.  We had to move her into an Assisted Living Facility - which is a post unto itself.  It's a 9 story high rise close to Washington, DC.  Their facility was hit hard in the early days of COVID, and they lost two entire floors of residents.  Thankfully, they were all vaccinated in early January.  She has not weathered the pandemic nor the isolation well.  

Mother in Law went blind last year.  Talk about another post.  I can't even begin to put this all into words. She's well, but she can't see. 

Like everyone, we have lost loved ones to COVID.  I personally know 20 people who have died of COVID since December.  I know so many, many more who have had it and survived, and I know many who are struggling with the long haul symptoms.

We've had more than our fair share of family drama over the last three years.  Maybe I will be able to write about it at some point.  Who knows?  It's been a drama filled time, and writing will help me process everything.  Wow, will you all be in for a treat filled batch of dirty laundry if I do post the stories!

And so, after 3 years of silence on the blog, and a year where I shut it down completely to get my head organized, I am back.  Thanks for joining me on this crazy journey!

 

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together today to get through this thing called Life."

Prince, Let's Go Crazy.