Back to Work

December 29, 2020 by Adam in Family

We had a pretty low-key Christmas weekend, slowly going through the tasty leftovers and playing with our assorted gifts.  Emma played way too much Ooblets, a cute game with little creatures you grow and engage in dance battles to build your menagerie.  The other big outing was going to visit Seraph and Robbie at my mom's farm.  Ben and Emma had a great time collecting things, returning with various water, plant, and mushroom samples and testing for pH, potassium, and so on.  Joanna really wants to have a little writer's cabin in the woods, so we started talking about it more earnestly.

I'm back to work, slowly remembering how to write code and interact with teammates.  It's another short week, so we'll see how much we actually get done in the next few days.

Merry Christmas

December 25, 2020 by Adam in Family

It's the end of a fine Christmas. Everyone was up early and presents were opened by eight. We had lots of good loot, food, and playing games all day. There's a sadness in not being able to see everyone, but we're hanging in there.

Drunk Santa Monday

December 21, 2020 by Adam in Family

Mom gave us an inflatable Santa a few years back, which we setup outside the window.  When it rains, he starts to lean forward, getting more rain on him and ends up at the bottom of the stairs.  We've started calling him Drunk Santa, though with Joanna having tied him up with Christmas lights, I suspect he'll get a new nickname soon.

Friday night we finally watched Galaxy Quest, eating Pirate's Booty and treating it like a special movie night.  Ben and Emma loved it, as we were all Star Trek fans, and it felt like an homage more than a parody.

Saturday was full of counseling sessions for Duncan, which made for a busy morning, though they were all positive.  It was nice to talk with Duncan for awhile in the afternoon - he likes the staff and his roommates and I'm hoping his stay is productive and relatively short.  

We finished up most of our Christmas presents and projects, though a few stray presents are coming in.  The evening was full of science videos and Deep Space Nine.  Sunday we had more work on the garden beds, going for a walk with Emma at Hendrick's Park, cleaning out the rain gutter near the driveway, and watching way too much DS9 again after dinner.

Birthday Kitty Mocha Friday

December 18, 2020 by Adam in Family

We're having a Christmas party at work, playing Jackbox games over Zoom, dressing up, and bringing a picture of something we appreciate.  I'm ignoring Joanna and the kids in favor of a picture of data, especially as it happens to be his one year birthday today.  I was pretty hesitant about getting another cat, but he's clawed his way into my heart with his mischief and cuteness.

We talked to Duncan yesterday over Zoom yesterday, which was reassuring to us all.  He seems to be in a pretty good place and understands why he's there.  I'm hopeful this is a good and positive experience for him and he returns with a new set of skills and understanding to help deal with the stresses of life.

Last night Ben and I made dinner together, followed up by video games and the three of us watching The Good Place.  I'll get Emma sometime today for a weekend of hopefully low-key hanging out and some final Christmas preparations.

I hear news of vaccines and start to let myself ache a little for the normalcy of going to a play, dinner and music, taking trips, or just going somewhere to people watch.  Just gotta hold on a few more months.

Family Update

December 16, 2020 by Adam in Family

Things have moved pretty quickly the last few days.  A bed opened up at the Newport Academy, so we sat down with Duncan and told him we were sending him there.  It didn't go well, but he eventually calmed down and Joanna took him up yesterday morning.  The hope is that he learns better coping skills and finds ways to better manage stress and anxiety.  It's been a terrible year and Duncan has gone from an easy-going happy kid last year to seriously depressed this one.  I'm holding out hope that vaccinations and returning to school will help immensely, though I fear we still have to wait until late spring or summer before things start feeling more normal.

Joanna's going to drive halfway back from northern Washington and stay the night, as yesterday's long drive was somewhat grueling.  It's just Ben and I hanging out in the house with the kitties today.  Last night we ate weird food and binged watched The Good Place.  Tonight I'll probably do takeout sushi and we'll watch more of the same.

It's been a hard, weird year and I predict a hard, weird winter to come.  Hopefully we all survive until spring.

One Good Day

December 13, 2020 by Adam in Family

We all had a good day today.  Duncan hung out with his friend Connor and they played the Untitled Goose Game together after a walk and bubble tea.  It was good to see him hanging out and laughing with a friend.

Ben, Emma, and I worked on secret art presents, doing mysterious things in the basement and keeping entertained.  We listened to lo-fi Christmas songs and played with the cats.

Joanna got some gardening done and I helped move concrete blocks for the new garden beds.  Emma and Joanna played Christmas songs on the ukelele.

Data kept us all well entertained, which was much appreciated.

Mocha Friday

December 11, 2020 by Adam in Family

We're moving into the longest nights of winter, though the longer days are just around the corner.  It's a little too obvious as a metaphor for the current state of things, but here we are.

Joanna's working on getting the younger kids more care.  We've been in a relatively calm spot the last 24 hours, which is a welcome break.  We rebranded date night as "bro night" where Duncan and Ben watch anime and YouTube and eat whatever takeout we ordered.  Our usual Wednesday was spent taking care of Ben issues, so we delayed it a night and snuck downstairs to puzzle away for awhile.

As for me, we're working on a release at work, with the usual last-minute scrambling.  I'm also trying to get Christmas happening as best I can.  We may have disruptions as to the timing of things, but maybe the power of Christmas can help with something.

Still Alive

December 08, 2020 by Adam in Family

Duncan had another bad day yesterday and we called CAHOOTS out again.  We're still not sure how to get Duncan what he needs, but it feels clear we need to do more.  It's all very sad and hard and we're trying to figure out next steps.

On the up side, Ben and I sat down and we got him through his math quiz, so he'll at least pass math.  He also made a Bûche de Noël on a whim.  Other than a brief catastrophe with folding the roll part, the end result was extremely tasty.

Finally, my COVID-19 PCR test result came back negative.  So just a winter cold.

Christmas, Cats, and waiting for COVID Tests

December 07, 2020 by Adam in Family

I'm still waiting for the PCR test, which is more reliable than the rapid test I had last Friday.  I'm still not feeling super, though I'm far better than that first day.  I woke up with a headache at four this morning and I'm a little short of breath.  No headaches, my blood oxygen level is fine, and I can still smell things.

I stayed at home this weekend, other than a brief interaction in a parking lot, fully masked, to pick up a Christmas tree.  Mostly I worry about other people - Emma's been over for the weekend and Ben had a friend over.  I still think I probably don't have COVID, but it's hard to know for sure.  Hopefully I'll get the test results by the end of the day, but it could be awhile.  Peace of mind would be nice.

Data has been having some grooming issues, so he got to have a bath, which he wasn't enthusiastic about.  Everyone still had a good time with the kitties, with Joanna dressing Data up in a little kitty hat - another thing he wasn't thrilled about.

I also tried very hard to break out all the Christmas cheer as we move into a hard winter.  Sunday morning was St. Nick's Day, where we put shoes out and presents appeared in the middle of the night.  We put up the lights and decorated a tree.  Christmas shopping began, though there's more to be done.  Hopefully between all the things we'll manage to celebrate our way through winter.

Possible COVID Mocha Friday

December 04, 2020 by Adam in Family

I was completely down for the count yesterday, sick in bed all day and all last night, occasionally emerging to eat some food.  The headache was the worst, though with some added nausea and stomach issues just to add to the zest.  No fever and my blood oxygen levels look okay.  This morning I woke up feeling much better, though I've got a cough and my lower back hurts.

Yesterday Joanna started the process for getting me tested yesterday, but nothing really happened until this morning.  Theoretically I'll get a text today to do an in-person screening which hopefully will result in a test later today.  Ideally it's a rapid test, as theoretically Emma's coming over today, Duncan has counseling, and Joanna has an MRI.  I guess if I test positive that'll all need to change.

I'm thankful I'm feeling pretty good so far.  It'll be good to find out whether or not I actually have COVID.  Even if I do have it, it's likely I'll be fine.  Not sure what else to say other than I love you all.

Standing Down to Yellow Alert

December 03, 2020 by Adam in Family

It's always exciting in Star Trek shows when they go to different alerts.  I'm never quite sure what the rules are, other than for dramatic tension as sirens go off and lights flash.

Duncan was evaluated yesterday and talked to counselors.  He's been given the okay to be at home, had some positive conversations with counselors, and we're mostly keeping an eye on him for now.  Seraph was amazing and hung out watching anime with Duncan all afternoon as the rest of us went to appointments and work and such.  It was much appreciated.

Of course, I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather - mild headache and cough.  Nothing bad so far, but in the middle of a pandemic every sniffle makes me wonder if I should get my affairs in order.

Hard Days Again

December 02, 2020 by Adam in Family

We're all weary this morning after a long night.  CAHOOTS was here until after midnight with Duncan, trying to evaluate whether or not he'd be safe for the night.  The kids are both still asleep and Joanna is making phone calls while we evaluate next steps.

This is been such a hard year.