Specifically, December 26, 2021, after almost two full years of knowledge that a certain Covid virus was discovered in China, and then speculating and predicting outcomes through the new year into 2020, discussions with family, friends, students, whether this thing can be contained, and then after seeing my international travel plans for March 2020, a trip to Palestine and Israel with my big bro, who famously said he wouldn't let this virus disrupt his plans to travel overseas (trip was cancelled! - along with life in general on many levels, during that uncertain tumultuous time), finally, well, I skipped many sections, but I can get to them, finally I update the front page of www.kandah.org.
I suppose I felt after the world changed mightily and my professional responsibilities pivoted enormously, I could reasonably abandon the site for a while. Students had asked about it, and said they missed it. I still use the page as my personal homepages on many a machine. Kandah.org still gives me quick access to internet destinations I use regularly, although it probably needs an update.
In any case, here are some mileposts since that fateful March, 2020, when the world became dark:
- March 2020, lockdowns begin, Online school begins.
- Summer 2020, nationwide protests against police brutality.
- Trump still in office as President, completely mismanaging a raging pandemic for personal reasons.
- Academic year 2020-2021 begins online and stays online until further notice.
- November, 2020, free and fair election pulled off in America, and predictably, Biden beats Trump and even more predictably, Trump refuses to concede and launches a vigorous campaign to discredit the results with interminable lawsuits, lies, and madness.
- Also November 2020, another Supreme Court Justice appointed and confirmed by the senate in rapid fire motion, further solidifying Republicans as a party of hypocrites.
- Jan 2021 - first vaccines being shipped and jabbed into people's arms.
- Jan 6, 2021 - a violent mob storms the Capitol Building while the Vice-President Mike Pence fulfilled his constitutional duties of counting the elector votes. A fateful day, horrible in its unleashing, horrible in the roles that elected Republican officials played in fomenting this grotesque spectacle against our Democracy.
- Jan 20, 2021 - Biden takes office; Trump doesn't show up. He begins his role as Republican kingmaker, of sorts. Terrible.
- Online school shift to a hybrid model at Enloe High School.
- Feb / March 2021 - got vaccinated against this damn virus.
- Summer 2021 - took a road trip to Michigan to visit mom and brothers and their families.
- August 2021 - in-person school commences, with mask-wearing and all the stressors that that can bring to the instructional table. Wearing masks while teaching German stinks.
- September 2021 - got boosted.
- Music-making remained a strong feature of my lockdown time. Neptune Down still active in a way, began rehearsing again with Real-Time Dreaming.
- October 2021, started playing bass guitar with a new outfit, cover band
- December 26, 2021 - maintaining a semblance of normalcy......
A terse overview, and the pandemic continues to disrupt major elements of our lives. Hadn't gotten Covid-19, I feel strong and healthy enough, still take mitigating steps to prevent infection - these steps aren't too disruptive. There was a time in the Spring of 2021 I wore no mask in the stores, because case numbers were lower than ever. Masks........."why do we gotta wear a diaper on our faces?"
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
