I do not have Covid-19… that I know of. I may get a 2nd test in the next few days.
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The Presidential Election of 2020 is about as ‘over’ as possible, without there being an official result. Joe Biden is leading Donald Trump by large margins in both the Electoral College (which needs to be revamped!) and the Popular Vote. I’ll refrain from writing more about the election because I’ll end up being awake until 4 AM but I’ll say that it amazes me that over 70 million people voted for Trump… and not ‘amazed’ in a good way.
I am nearing both the end of the Fall semester at WKU and the end of the 2nd session of the ‘Code Louisville’ coding camp. The classes at WKU have gone pretty well; I’m sitting at a ‘B’ or higher in 3 of the 4. The Capstone project will have to run into January and February (possibly), meaning I won’t officially graduate until May 2021. Not a huge deal – I’ve waited so long just to get to this point, another semester won’t kill me. 😉 As for Code Louisville, I went with the C# programming language. The Treehouse videos for C# were much more difficult – and bad – than the HTML/CSS videos from May. The C# videos were supposed to be ‘Beginner’ and some ‘Intermediate’ topics; the people teaching the videos started at Intermediate, skipped or glossed over A LOT of necessary beginner topics (like, defining ‘classes’ and ‘namespaces’), and gave ‘coding challenges’ with the descriptions of ‘just try this – you’ll get it, eventually’. Made for a frustrating few months in that part of Code Louisville. However, I am making progress with the end-of-the-session project. I do only have 6 days left to finish it, test it, and turn it in, which is why I asked off from work on Friday and this Monday. I think I can get the project – a version of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” story – finished by Friday afternoon.
I have 8-10 masks that I wear. Yes, 8-10. I keep one in my backpack, always, just in case I run out of the house w/o one.
What to do about Holidays? For a High Risk person like me, this is a tough time. Do I stay home, adding another few missed opportunities to see the family, or do I go to their house(s), risking exposure to Covid-19? As of Sunday 11/15, my plans are:
Thanksgiving: 50/50
Christmas: yes, go to their place
New Year’s Eve/Day: no, don’t go to their place
The differences between Christmas and Thanksgiving, for me, are 2 things: Christmas is more of a tradition to meet with family and it would potentially be a smaller gathering (immediate family, as opposed to extended for Thanksgiving). These plans can and will likely change, depending on if I have to work, also.
I am seriously thinking about buying a camera again.
I had one when I was in the Marching and Pep Band in 2005 and 2006, chronicling my last seasons and earning the nickname “Camera Fiend” from a couple of Low Brass friends. I lost my last camera when my place – and much of Central and Southern Louisville – flooded in 2009. I never bothered to replace it because I was out of school (at the time), wasn’t traveling (at the time), and the Drum & Bugle Corps that I was in only had one performance: DCA Finals (and I had a phone with an OK camera in it).
Fast-forward to 2020. I need a break of the routine of going to work -> coming home from work -> doing homework and studying -> occasional trips to the grocery store -> sleep (and checkups and picking up medicine). I live within 10 minutes of the largest park in Louisville (Iroquois Park) and Old Louisville, and live in one of the most scenics areas of Louisville, the Southern Parkway corridor. A 1-2 punch of walking and picture-taking in different areas of town would be pretty nice! I’m not trying to buy $1,000 camera kits and lenses but I’m not opposed to spending a few hundred on a camera like the one pictured (which is $259 on Target’s website).
I am at a point where I’m not particularly interested in dating or a relationship (with an exception or 2). I’m 42 years old and don’t feel the need, or have the patience or energy, to fill out an application in hopes of maybe taking someone out for a dinner or movie; my status of owning a vehicle or having a degree should not DQ me. I’m much more in favor of just hanging out with a friend or friends, having a drink/lunch/dinner/breakfast/movie night, or going to a sports event of our choice, with no strings or expectations. However, I am also not opposed to looking to the other side of the spectrum, where ‘making out’ and ‘casual sex’ reside. It’s been many years since any kind of intimacy has happened; Covid hasn’t helped in 2020… but it actually hasn’t hurt, either. It’s an awkward position for me: I don’t do clubs; I’m not nearly bold enough to put feelers out about it, especially with single friends; and I’m not particularly interested in Tinder, although I briefly had a profile on it, off and on; these are just a few examples. Here’s hoping that “The Streak” doesn’t go over 10 years (which it’s not far away from).
DCA (Drum Corps Associates) has announced that there will be a 2021 season. They have not decided if events will be live or virtual. Cincinnati Tradition (“CT”) is keeping a close eye on both DCA’s announcements and the Covid-19 situation in Ohio. I am still ‘doubtful’ for the 2021 season (Covid-19 fears and lingering foot issues) but ‘likely’ for the 2022 season. These are, of course, subject to change.
And Finally….
One of the things that I wanted to do, once I got my own apartment again, was to host a ‘Friendsgiving’ dinner, the weekend before Thanksgiving and possibly a 2nd one on Thanksgiving. 2020 and Covid-19 once again derailed plans. However, in 2021, I will find a way to host it. There are too many people that I know that either don’t have a family to celebrate Thanksgiving with, have to work on Thanksgiving, or aren’t comfortable/welcomed in their family’s house, and the least I can do is have them over and let them enjoy themselves for a few hours. Come on, 2021!
The Nexus 