Out of Order. 7/31/21

Silly Photos in Pink Wigs from Valentine's Day

I find bits and pieces of things I start but haven’t finished. I think that was from back in June—or maybe even the end of May. I’m going to try and fill in a few notes at the end that weren’t complete.

What can I say that hasn’t been said about this year? Train wreck? I googled “COVID-19 AND train wreck,” and got over 2 million hits. How many times have you heard about the struggles of single parents of small children during the pandemic? I’m a living testament. I worked from home full-time, and Boop had online classes for the totality of the pandemic. Getting her to class at the right time was beyond me, but thankfully, she was able to keep up with most of this by herself. Mental note to myself: Even though she wasn’t always on the up and up about turning in her assignments, I need to give her more credit for her ability to try to keep up with classes.

Living near 2 local hospitals, the constant whir of the Medevac helicopters were a grim reminder of our failed pandemic response. Along with trying to sort out how to plan for Boop in case something happened to me, I’m not sure which health concern was the most fun. Was it the passenger that Boop brought home from school that had me washing sheets daily, meticulously combing through our hair, and applying all sort of chemicals for months? Was it the “corn” (not a corn) on my foot that my dermatologist diagnosed, which continued to spread for a year so that I couldn’t walk? So thankful for the podiatrist who is finally getting me sorted. Was it the ganglion cyst on my wrist that will require surgery as it is located below a major artery? Mercy, I’m still trying to get sorted with some other stuff. Thankfully, I was able to get the vax in late January, and it was such a relief. I’m so anxious for Boop to get hers.

We weren’t able to be as politically active this year, but I played ActBlue like a slot machine. I’m just relieved at the changing of the guard. I hope we can maintain some sanity in our leadership. In between all of the craziness and perhaps encouraged by the craziness, I had time to reflect on my life course, and the mistakes I’ve made and how much I have sacrificed. And whose birthday I may have missed? At least they didn’t have to listen to me sing, I guess. I’ve been obsessively monitoring my bank accounts, trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, trying to figure out when to pull the plug on my time hiding out in this place. What are my alternatives? What do I want? What is best for Boop?

At 9.5 years old, Boop is a force of nature. She’s obsessed with Roblox and YouTube videos. Much to my consternation, she has acquired a potty mouth, and she utilizes YouTube as a back-door method to watch TikTok videos. Miss Boop, nobody is fooled when you say ‘beesh.’ It’s hard to get her away from her Ipad now that the weather is nice. We managed a trip to Chincoteague with Gammy and the dog in May. Recommendation: Avoid taking a dog to Chincoteague. Assateague on the VA side does not allow doggos or puppers. 

Perhaps the biggest thing, Boop participated in a talent show through a local high school that was all done online. She got 2^nd place in the K-5 group for her Stayin’ Alive dance with hula hoop and hover board. We are so thankful for the support of family and friends. If memory serves me correctly, she raised about $500 for the local children’s hospital. So we drive by the building site every once in a while, and she enjoys seeing the progress that is being made on the building, knowing that she played a part.