You heard me: my students are doing a free write on a topic and I am on mute for the Zoom. I have 4 classes at the community college and each one meets at a specific time and we zoom. It’s annoying and not quite as organic as I’d like but it’s working ok. The kids seem motivated at least. It mostly makes me feel like I’m talking to myself a lot. Which can be super unnerving.

In my non-class time, I have been feeling like most everything is normal now. I mean, my county’s covid numbers are dropping and we still only have 33 deaths – in SIX MONTHS. You wonder why people aren’t taking it very seriously in some places? That is why. They don’t need to. The new CDC info helps, I can tell you that. 94% of deaths were people with, what, 5 comorbidities? That’s huge news that is barely getting any airplay. Not that that is surprising. I mean, the news is disgusting these days and those peoples’ moral compasses are, well, broken.

But so, life seems ok. Kids went back to school and they are enjoying it so far. They don’t care for all day mask wearing but they gets breaks. They get to eat, obviously, and get playground time without it. My seven year old says, with air quotes, that she can take it off whenever she can “social distance.” So funny to see her say that.

We went to the beach this past weekend to celebrate my son’s 13th and my friend’s 40th. It was really fun and the vacation we all needed. It felt like work was a million miles away, when my two friends and I walked down to the shore with our children at night while they hunted crabs. The moon shone out over the waves and no amount of my stress weighed on me at all. Leading up to vacation, I was feeling pretty taxed. Every time a kid said how excited they were for the beach, then would ask me if I was, I realized that no, I wasn’t because so many things had to get done first. I had to teach my first week of classes and then pack, etc. And since there were 18 of us there, we all divvied up food for each main meal. It was organized but also a thing I knew I had to prepare for. But you know what? It totally worked out. On Friday we had burgers and chicken quarters, along with baked beans and mac and cheese. Saturday evening we had a taco bar. Super good and a lot of food! Everyone had planned for the birthday stuff and both Elliot and Courtney got cards and cake and all that jazz. It was really nice and I think unexpected for my son. His birthday sometimes gets overshadowed by our friend’s, since they are on the same day. If she does a big thing, we’ll obviously go so his thing usually gets rearranged.

We came home Sunday morning and that day was nice to relax and do normal things like laundry. My sister and her long-time boyfriend came through town on their way to moving to Pensacola. I am really proud of them for finally committing to leaving their place. It was going downhill fast and the price was going up. My sister’s store (Victoria’s Secret) in the mall closed and they couldn’t move her to another so she was out a job anyway. Luckily she found another management position in Pensacola at a Sally Beauty. So that will be nice to see them more often since my parents are there too.

So I am just trying to hold it all together and get into the normal life mentality. I see it coming together more and more each day and I like it. I appreciate stability and I want more of it!