So, 2020. This is one year that I think we are all ready to put behind us.
Lulu
If there has been one beneficiary of the COVID year, it has been Lulu. She went from going reluctantly into her crate in the morning to being home with us all day long. After her morning walk, she takes her first nap with Natalie, then she moves to the basement couch where Ralph works and takes a nap there. Later, she moves upstairs again for her afternoon nap. Some days, she even has company for her nap. Lulu really is struggling to figure out why this is a problem.
Natalie
Natalie is a freshman at Gig Harbor High and doing her best with online school. She gets to see her friends occasionally but starting high school is difficult enough without also trying to navigate it through Zoom. Before the December shut-down, Natalie was at least able to practice with the basketball team and she is hopeful that it will start-up again soon and that there will be a high school basketball season. Natalie is very excited to turn 15 this year and to start driving lessons in the spring.
Noah
Despite COVID, Noah stuck it out on his exchange to Hungary and stayed almost to the end! Even though he missed out on some of the travel and the other benefits of being on exchange, he was able to play a lot of video games so it worked out for him. Upon returning from a totalitarian state to his home totalitarian state, Noah got a full-time job at Ace Hardware in Gig Harbor! That’s right, Noah is officially one of the “Helpful Hardware Folks” (that’s not exactly how we refer to him when he is at home). Other than working for a living, Noah is a senior and he is taking his classes from Tacoma Community College in the Running Start Program.
Wendy
Wendy is in charge of, among other things, compliance with workplace health and safety laws so she has been on the front-lines of managing the COVID crisis. Right from the start of the first wave in March, Wendy was pulling long hours in the home office. Dragon Boat racing and travel were almost completely eliminated so long walks with the dog was about the only option.
Ralph
Ralph is in his fifth year of teaching at PLU and will be up for tenure soon and still loves his job. Distance learning is not ideal but he has taken over the basement, set up a movie studio and has been working to make and edit his lecture videos (and, maybe, sometimes is on the other side of one of those Lulu naps). He has also been teaching himself how to write code and is working on a few projects to use in his classes. Thankfully sailing is a good, social distance activity so he was able to get out on the boat over the summer and is looking forward to the spring boating season.
See You Next Year!
It’s a bit difficult to have the normal cheer and good humor this year but we recognize how fortunate we are and how awful and tragic this time has been for so many. We wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year with hopes that things will get better in 2021!
Happy Holidays,
The Flicks