Sam calls me the old man because (among other things) I like to check the mailbox daily at home just like old men do. But when you're a nomad, you don't have a physical mailbox anymore, and that's taken away one of my mundane daily pleasures during our travels. Getting mail to our virtual mailbox doesn't have the same buzz. We're grounded in limbo-land like the rest of the world, hence, now we do have a physical mailbox and I've gotten back that very small joy at least. Friends and family have sent us lots of thoughtful treats and 2020 necessities. Tina and Tom sent us a pulse oximeter (is there a more 2020 gift than that?!), Debbi sent us a care package of many California goodies, Sam's mom Serena regularly sends us thoughtful clippings from print media, Cate (and Dave) sent us two gorgeous hand-loomed (!!) pouches, Irene sent fancy hand soap, Gabe enjoyed receiving three actual paper birthday cards, and the list goes on. Yesterday was another lucky mailbox day. Our friend Irene sent us a couple of masks (pictured) that have a positive message about what the federal government can do. Imagine a world where science and the federal government work together to help society! It's cool to get to wear the same mask as Anthony Fauci!
It's been an intense few weeks what with election stress and rising contagion. But there are some glimmers of hope for next year on the health and governance front. Here's a good Saturday Night Live skit that demonstrates how weird our 2020 experience would have sounded way back in 2019 (which seems like a lifetime ago).
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| NIH research keeps us safe! |