I have a little time to write something and zero motivation to do so, so might as well check in here instead. How are you all coping? While I concede that the last year of not leaving town, of being forced to stay in one place and deal with some things, has not been all bad, I also really miss travelling. My parents are coming to visit in early summer, unless something goes terribly wrong, because we'll all be vaccinated by then and we're all pretty twitchy. California decided when including educators in the tier whatever that community college teachers actually DO count, so I've had my first jab a week ago. Sister gets her second tomorrow.
In the meantime, we have reached the point of the pandemic where we will be throwing an epic birthday party for Kumagoro, my stuffed rabbit who joined me once upon a time for YaoiCon. He's turning 20! There will be homemade cake and cocktails. It will be attended by all the Who's Who of stuffed animals and headlined by Queen Funkopop figures.
Honestly I always kind of figured we'd be in pandemic lockdown mode this long, but I didn't really have a concept of how long it would actually feel like.
Yesterday, despite not having planned to, I ventured out for more supplies. A neighbour posted on a local group that one of the nearby Target stores had received a shipment containing loo roll, hand sanitiser, cleansers and so on, so I downed my coffee, threw on clothes, and headed out. We are actually reasonably stocked up on many things, but there remained a few gaps in what we could find.
As most shops around here, they're letting people in a few at a time, and have marked off little Xs on the pavement outside for where to stand. A lot of people were in masks (I don't have one, but instead have a scarf wrapped around my face) - I don't know where they got them, since there's a shortage in L.A., but whatever. Once you get into the store, an employee will give you a trolley once they've finished wiping it down. Unfortunately at this point the customers are no longer being shepherded, and some are pretty stupid about how close they get to people. Still, I acquired most of the things I needed, including Lysol and yeast (who knew that was going to be a thing there was a shortage of?) and various paper products and now, hopefully, I don't have to go out again.
There is a one-per-customer limit on the most in-demand things, which is both good and bad. It's better, I suppose, to make sure everyone can get at least a little of what they need. On the other hand, if one has a large family, or is trying to pick up something for an immunocompromised or elderly neighbour, there's not really a way to facilitate that besides going in again. Still, they are doing their best.
I have still just been writing, doing yoga, practicing the flute and the harp, and missing the outdoors. I did get back to playing Fallout 4 for a bit, even though I mostly just build extensive settlements and forget to do the quests.
How's everyone else holding up?
I also noticed that the employees were mostly pretty cheerful and people were being extra nice to them, so that's at least a good thing.
Oh look, we're all still here. ;) I work from home most of the time anyway (though there's a very high likelihood that my summer teaching will be cancelled, so that's a thing); I just can't be bothered to write posts.
Since I haven't said anything here in ages I should mention I'm now living near Los Angeles; my sister took a job here and since, as mentioned, I write from home anyway, I tagged along. Our parents have been here visiting us for about a month, and just left yesterday. Since my mother had cancer in 2017 and it returned last year, I'd like everyone to stay inside at least long enough for them to make it home to Outbreak Ground Zero. (They are driving, at least, and not flying; as they are careful types they're avoiding crowds, hotel breakfasts, and so on. When they get home, despite Washington being full of infected people, they live in the country and don't have to go out much.)
Sister's job is rubbish and still sending people all over the country - the official policy is 'only travel if it's business-critical' but they operate in such a state of panic all the time that everything is considered critical. She's working from home anyway, for now.
Various colleagues are talking about how much they are going to get done while staying home. It's adorably optimistic. I'm letting them carry on thinking that for now, and not explaining that soon they will be getting stuck in Youtube vortices and refreshing instagram constantly like all the rest of us.
I realise I haven't written anything here since new year, so....well, I am here reading other people's posts all the time, so I forget that I haven't updated my own! I spent five months living out of a suitcase: moved to California with my sister, whose new job put us up in a hotel; got a flat in Redondo Beach and was in it for a week before heading back to Wales for a month; stayed with my parents in Washington for another couple of months while teaching classes in Folklore and the Arthurian Legend; then had a long road trip down south with my parents as they moved the rest of me back to California. I'm just starting to settle in, but am going back to the UK tomorrow. I managed to get a grant to do some research at the National Library of Wales, which through a bit of manipulation I managed to time for a brief spell in between 1) the International Celtic Congress in Bangor, north Wales, and 2) an old friend's wedding. So I fly out of LAX tomorrow night, land in London Friday afternoon, and stay in the airport fighting jet lag before heading to Oxford for an afternoon. Then it's on to Bangor for the conference for a week, and on to Aberystwyth to see friends, boyfriend, and Porridge's tiny newborn brother. He was born a couple of weeks after I left the last time. Being bi-continental continues to be weird.
I've forgotten what it feels like to be settled, but I suppose I did choose this, to an extent.
Sister and I took a flat a 3-minute walk from the local gay bar, and a few weeks ago went to check it out. We ended up meeting our across-the-street neighbours, who are just lovely, so we have also managed to make local friends and are very pleased with this development.
If any LJ/DW friends live near me, fancy getting together at all? I know a few old fandom friends are around, but it's also a pain in the ass to go further than about five miles away before traffic hits. I do live by a super nice beach though! In fact I live near 5 of them.
I did watch Good Omens and it was tremendous fun. It's been a long time since I read the book, so I might not have caught everything I should catch, but I enjoyed it and that's what counts. Otherwise, we are having a long re-watch of Blackadder, which is never a bad idea.
'Pooh,' said Christopher Robin earnestly, 'if I--if I'm not quite--' he stopped and tried again--'Pooh, whatever happens, you will understand, won't you?'
Christopher Robin is not surprising, but it is very sweet. Those few who know my long association with the Hundred Acre Wood will also be the sort who understand why that is. Sometimes a new story is precisely not the thing you want, but rather, a visit back to a familiar and enchanted place.
Not a real post, but so far I'm liking the new series of Doctor Who! I am always quite easy to please at the beginning as we settle in to new bodies, but Jodie Whittaker is delightful. Also, Doctor/TARDIS is obviously one of the truest love stories in the universe.
I know, I never post anymore. I also never correspond properly with anyone, because I'm lazy or useless or something, whatever.
I'm in Aberystwyth for Easter. Got hassled at immigration more than usual (dodgy foreigner, having friends to visit!) so it wasn't a great start, but I spent a couple of days in Oxford decompressing and then came to Aber, which...just feels like home. So there's that. It will suck to leave agaiin. I'm staying in my old flat, only another friend lives in my room now, so that feels a little bit weird. But I picked right up with our D&D game (usually I play via Skype), and Porridge was all 'Hi you are here let's play!' as if I had barely been away, and nothing else about being here feels weird at all.
It's Holy Week so I went to church tonight, and one of the local vicars saw me and the first thing he asked was 'How's your mum?' so that was very thoughtful. Got to catch up with other people, both there and in general around town. Time flies, though, and this trip will be over before I know it. (I fly back on the 11th.) I'll be back in May at one point, with my family, but for less than a week.
I'm not really sure how to end this. I feel more like myself than I have in ages, even if my sister and I do have opera tickets for when I get back.
This year was so awful that I don't really want to revisit it enough to be reflective. Fingers crossed for the next one, though, even though I've had most of the optimism beaten out of me by the last two.
Oh well. Happy new year, and I hope you all had a nice NYE! From what I've seen, a lot of people seem to have stayed in and just waited for it to go away, so I guess we're all feeling a bit battered.
