2021 is here

 

And not a minute too soon.  

2020 was a year for the books. It showed how good humans can really be. Unfortunately, it showed how bad and stupid humans can be also. So many people made wearing a darn mask political - it's not, it's common human decency. So many people believed in the crazy ass conspiracy theories floating around. That's what really killed me. People that I thought were intelligent, well-read, and clear thinkers, bought into this nonsense. There were so many, and some were so freaking complicated, but here are a few: 

• Covid-19 itself: 
• 5G spread the Corona virus (people who don't understand viruses) 
• It was created in a lab (people who don't understand evolution)
• Bill Gates created the virus so he could make money off a vaccine
• and that vaccine was going to put a microchip in us all so the government could track us (hello!! Do you know what that phone in your hand does? )
• Then there was the pedophile stuff: 
• Covid-19 was a cover so that 250,000 pedophiles could be arrested without incident (still waiting on that)
• Wayfair was trafficking children in their furniture
• If a famous person said they had Covid-19 it was code for having been arrested for child trafficking 
• Then the election came around: 
• Trump lost so it was rigged
• Dead people were voting (that comes up every election)
• Peoples votes weren't being counted 
• Counting machines were changing votes to Biden

And the scary thing is that people I know and used to trust believed these things. Whole-heartedly. It made me realize how gullible people can be and how easy it is to manipulate some people into believing whatever you want the too. 

But it wasn't all doom and gloom. I actually had a really good year. I did spend a lot of time teaching from home and while I wasn't thrilled with it, I did learn that I don't want to do that. I had it in the back of my mind that I might like to do that. Nope. 2020 taught me that I am not cut out for that. And that's okay. 

Because I was home so much, I did pick up an online job with Johns Hopkins University "teaching" AP Chemistry. Turns out it's really just a grading position with a little tutoring thrown in here and there. But it's fine and it brings in a little extra money. 

The dogs have loved it. Mavy and I have walked the canal almost every day this year. There were some days that we didn't for various reasons (see below) but mostly we walked. We ended up covering 1,066 miles in 2020. We are going for it again next year, but aiming higher. 

I did get Covid-19. In mid-November I came down with it and it was miserable. I was sick for 2 weeks straight. I lost my taste, I went almost a week without eating. I have never been that tired in my life. A bone crushing fatigue that kept me in bed or on the couch for hours and hours. Yeah, it was rough but I am lucky and came through it unscathed. Other were not so lucky. Thankfully the vaccine is out and I am just waiting until it's my turn to get it. Sure don't want to get that again, and a lot of people are getting it a second time. 

I did take 2 chemistry courses over the summer, I did that so that I would be qualified to teach dual enrollment at my school. That was actually kind of fun. I thought because I worked in chemistry for 10 years and have taught it for 10 years, that I would actually be good at this. Haha!! I was wrong. I had to work to figure things out. But it was good, I really enjoyed it. 

That kind of sums up 2020. While it was a crazy year, I hope it taught people to appreciate the small things, not take anything for granted, and to slow down and enjoy this life. We only get one and we should make the most of it. 

Happy New Year.