Its not about me, complaining. Just trying to sort out where I am....78 next month.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. That sounds like a wonderful thing, that sort of commune.

I envy you in a way.

I'm a bit younger, just turned 72. In recent years I'd go to science fiction cons, four or five each year. It's a group of people, an affinity group so to speak, that are a fundamental part of my life. I have become pretty good friends with any number of well-known s-f authors, and even watched the 2017 solar eclipse with one of them. (When I brag and name that person to my s-f friends I get lots of envy and awe. You reading this probably won't have heard of this person, so no point in naming names.)

In March I took a cruise to Hawaii. It was a delayed 70th birthday present to myself, and I am so glad I took that cruise for several reasons. First off, it was giant fun. I loved the long days at sea. I loved the time in the Hawaiian Islands and the shore excursions I took. I loved the people I met on board, and I'm still in touch with a couple of them. We were nearly the last tourists to visit the islands.

I was supposed to get on Amtrak at the beginning of April to go to Seattle for one of my s-f things. That thing was cancelled before the cruise ended, so I cancelled trains, hotels, and airplanes. Alas. Maybe someday I will take that trip. I hope so.

At this point, in September, there are three other things I would have attended by now, all of which have been cancelled. One s-f thing that should have taken place in January, 2021, has already been put off to January, 2022. Smart move.

Like so many, I have not seen any family for a while. I live in Santa Fe, NM. My son lives in Fairfax, VA. He's a PhD student in astronomy at George Mason University. He did visit me last October. In normal times either I'd have flown out there to see him, or have bullied him into visiting me again. Neither one is going to happen any time soon. I also have family and lots of friends in the Kansas City area. In normal times I'd have seen them this past summer, and would probably visit for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I had a brief conversation with my sister there about the possibility of my visiting for one of those, and we really thought that I probably shouldn't. Sigh. Even though I probably shouldn't make the trip.

And I don't have it as bad as those who can't see elderly parents in nursing homes, or who haven't seen grandchildren in months. I'm lucky in that I don't have grandchildren.

Eventually, a lot longer than most of us realize, this will finally be over. I'll be able to visit my son, or he'll come visit me. I'll go to Kansas City again. I'll resume my s-f conventions.

We all need to hang in there. We really do.