Looking back on this crazy-ass year, here are the things big and small that make my end-of-year list for 2020. Rants COVID-19, duh. Just a total, complete clusterfuck. drumpf, the orange racist misogynistic shitgibbon. He can't GTFOOH soon enough. my state's inept governor. Turns out a global pandemic reveals just how much we are at the mercy of ~local~ and ~state~ leaders and policies, not just federal ones. the collapse of school in spring 2020. It was like our (and everyone … [Read more...] about Rants & Raves, 2020 edition
And Just Like That: No Training Wheels
I kept thinking we'd be able to knock out a bunch of childhood milestones during the pandemic. But it turns out that parenting while working full-time without access to any of the usual supports is a wee bit exhausting? Anyhoo. A few months ago, when one kiddo finally expressed some interest in ditching the training wheels, I declined to take any action and the moment passed. So we've been going far, far too long with training wheels. Long after either needed them. So one afternoon a … [Read more...] about And Just Like That: No Training Wheels
A Near-Perfect Orange Cake for Christmas
I read something a few weeks ago where people were talking about their experiences with work during the pandemic, and one person they profiled had been laid off and never happier. I can relate to that. The two times in my adult life I've been unemployed...I had time and energy to do something I enjoy: bake. Baking takes planning and patience, and the energy to summon the ingredients and be home, ready to rotate the cookie pans or put the bread in the oven only once it has proofed. In other … [Read more...] about A Near-Perfect Orange Cake for Christmas
Remote school is fine, just fine
Like most kids this year, mine are in the ether, attending elementary school online only. At first it was a shitshow. Then it was slightly less of a shitshow, then it was going okay, then actually good. Cue record scratch. Today I learned from browser history that younger kid has ditched school the past 3 days to attend Minecraft videos on YouTube, while pretending for my mom to be in school. You see, we moved my mom across the country (2500 miles or so) to move in with us to be in charge … [Read more...] about Remote school is fine, just fine
Full-on mid-life GenX crisis
I'm a full-on walking cliche of a mid-life crisis. Shouldn't come as any surprise. Mid-40s: check! Low thyroid / depleted / exhausted: check! Relentless parenting of small children: check! Stuck in my career with no upward path: check! But just the normalcy of the mid-life-edness of it all has hit me like a flaming garbage truck. I can't seem to get up from the wreckage. It feels like every time I try, I just fall over again, stunned by some other completely obvious detail I … [Read more...] about Full-on mid-life GenX crisis