Hoppy Newt Oar!

This was a trump bastard of a year, yep, it was, but I can't complain because I am not dead and my children are not dead and most of my friends are not dead though some of them are.

My ex mother in law died in August. We were still in touch and I loved her. She was 96. She was a fourth grade teacher for years and worked on art quilts in her retirement, as well as being a fabulous cook. She loved her three sons, their spouses and the grandchildren.

My ex stepfather in law died a week ago. He was 95. A retired Los Alamos Nuclear Physicist who loved democracy and computers and attended life drawing classes for fifty years. I do not know if he ever drew a male nude. I loved him too, and have a few of his drawings. My son and future daughter in law have two framed and hanging in the dining room of their house.

Predictions for 2022. Well, the wave of Omicron with hit and crest, probably in early February. Hopefully it won't be followed by Pi and others. Try not to require an ECMO machine for the next two months, well, actually, eight months. I am hearing that once on an ECMO machine, five months is average. Ugh.

If Covid-19 starts to subside, we will start our roaring twenties. Historically, I've read that pandemics tend to happen about every 50 years, not 100 years. We were a bit overdue. And that's average. Influenza usually reaches an epidemic level in the US, but I am talking about strains of covid or influenza that kill or maim a significant number of people. I think masks on airplanes will now be normal. Hopefully influenza won't be too horrific this winter. Influenza or reinfection is a terrible thing for the Covid-19 Long Haul people. It would suck to come off eight months on an ECMO machine, spend your couple of months in rehab learning how to walk again, and then get reinfected, wouldn't it? Yet the two gas stations in Virginia that we made stops at were quite full of high risk people not wearing masks. I tried very hard not to hate them.

I still think the US may get single payer healthcare out of this pandemic. It would be nice to have something positive. Medical people are dying, quitting, retiring early, writing novels instead. While people move to small towns as safer, the small town people who work for public health and have gotten death threats are moving to bigger places. Heh. Rich enough to buy a bunker, huh. Does it come with a surgeon to take out your appendix? Here is my local version: https://www.ptleader.com/stories/complaint-over-proof-of-vax-mandate-accuses-officials-of-treason,78589. Yep, treason. I might be starting to be glad that pneumonia took me out of medicine. Everyone can buy that book that is advertised: make your own medicines at home. Sure. Go ahead. Make sure you track your kidney function at home too.

Anyhow, blessings on everyone and Happy New Year.

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My housesitter reports that my kittens quite liked being walked in the snow.
Torpor refers to the overnight hibernation that hummingbirds go in to when it freezes. Mine is probably grumpy about the frozen syrup in the feeder.
Why is this ok: https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/THREATS/mopanwmlkva/index.html. What is the matter with people?
We will see if the IT's plane goes tomorrow. Also, Colorado appears to be on fire, prayers for everyone.

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