Peace

So…………………. I’ve been away from this blog for so long I don’t know what to do with it.  Okay, maybe not that long.  But long enough to see this new code-blocks rollout thing on my screen as I began to create this post.  And it looks like the WordPress gods are trying to simplify the layout to the point that almost nothing’s on the screen.  Copy from other websites like tumblr?  Styles popup?  Why not?  It’s not what WordPress is supposed to be, that’s why not.  It’s distracting in a different way: those popups are showing up over text I need to click on sometimes.  But hey, the Classic Editor is still available, so here I am repairing finishing this post with that.

(Sep 7 3:33 p.m.)

Why so many months away?  The main cause of the delay: I’ve not had the focus and peace of mind to write.  I mean, the other guy in this group household can make it difficult to rest or concentrate with his deeply spoiled nature.  Anything worse than not knowing what to do with my life is being distracted by pointless noise.  His willingness to have his way has gotten to the point he stole my old phone, treated it like his own (installed games et al), and then asked if he could have it.  I got it back, but everything on it prior was erased.  Years of history, gone.  It confirmed my instincts were right to lock the door months ago.  Getting the fuck away from him is a goal, pardon my language.

Carousel-no-more. (Sep 7 2:36 p.m.)

The second reason for the delay: I’ve been busy with the IT training.  I’ve finished with online classes, and only final exams remain; the exams are scheduled at my choosing so, here I am dipping my foot into writing waters again.

I need to get those brain juices flowing.

(Oct 12 7:27 p.m.)

Okay, so “brain juices flowing” sounds a bit weird, maybe like something out of a horror movie.

“You’re… mocking me, aren’t you?” (Oct 20 17:17)

The pandemic changed what masks are featured on Halloween.  It also added paper bags as the method of transport for candy.

More tyred? (Sep 11 5:18 p.m.)

Time flies when you never feel like you know what you’re doing.

Easily enough, posting photos gets things moving, so here I am posting photos.

Does your street have apple trees? (Sep 22 4:45 p.m.)

In terms of fall, a lot of things fell in 2020.

(Sep 26 3:08 p.m.)

Pine cones, leaves, apples… the presidency.  Mr I-Take-No-Responsibility-At-All lost the election.  Okay, so people without credibility are disputing that.  And then, just as you’d thought there would be peace, the frivolous lawsuits are filed.  More recently, certain members in Congress decided to entertain trashing the Constitution by suing Pence so he could decide the election?  Yeah, some people need to be disciplined and disbarred.  Entertain that.  But I digress.

(Sep 27 6:18 p.m.)

It’s been a pretty mild year in terms of events at home.  Aunt J and her fiancé visited in September, and they brought their little dog too.  She looks a lot like Toto.

(Sep 29 4:18 p.m.)

Their visit was full of …

(Sep 27 6:19 p.m.)

…food.  Good BBQ chicken, pulled pork, and many more items to count.  Things sort of fell into place that a local restaurant I wanted to try out for some time was the first place we tried, and I don’t think I ever told them about the place.

Something to note was the fact that 2020 has been so rough that spicy hot food just doesn’t “kick.”  Seriously, I thought the hottest sauce at the restaurant was the mild variant before I tried the others.

(Sep 29 3:11 p.m.)

We drove around and saw the coast at night; we made the most of our visit.  The exploration of coastal Portland’s streets continued with a bit of getting lost looking for that Cabot shop of years ago.  It occurred to me later on that the Cabot cheese shop is no more.  Apparently, that little store expanded into two apartments, and now sell t-shirts and post cards.

(Sep 29 1:53 p.m.)

Dark Side of the Moose shirt, anyone?

(Sep 29 1:57 p.m.)

I got an assortment of worldly cheeses from a high class shop instead.

(Sep 29 3:52 p.m.)

They were interesting, and the Gouda was good.  But they also made me realize why Cabot would sell mostly variants of cheddar; cheddar really is one of the best.

And one of the worldly cheeses was pretty exotic, in the sense kind of runny and not appetizing at all to me.

Nickelodeon theater in operation during a pandemic?  Oh, right, the focus is on the statue. (Sep 29 3:16 p.m.)

In short, the whole thing was… short.  There were moments, sights seen, and a bit of love, but there was no driving to the L.L.Bean store with the giant shoe, nor seeing any exhibits this time.  The Science Exhibit shut its doors a while ago, after all.  Aunt J and fiancé couldn’t afford more than a week over here in Maine.  And that’s okay.

(Sep 29 3:00 p.m.)

If 2020 was about anything, it’s about appreciating what you have rather than wanting more.

Unidentified people holding hands. (Sep 29 2:54 p.m.)

Memories were made.

(Sep 28 3:09 p.m.)

The numerous days with fog this year added to the lack of visible people on top of the pandemic.

(Sep 28 3:12 p.m.)

Plenty of days with strong wind too.

(Sep 30 2:45 p.m.)

(Sep 29 1:49 p.m.)

Maybe there’s hope for 2021 given changes in the winds.

(Sep 29 1:36 p.m.)

The days spent out with people are always better than being at home… especially when the noise at home gets to be too much.

(Sep 29 3:06 p.m.)

(Sep 30 2:21 p.m.)

Sometimes life is nice.  Other times, I know our days are numbered.

Some days, you get rain.  Some days…

(Dec 16 3:20 p.m.)

(Dec 20 4:23 p.m.)

You get snow.

(Dec 20 4:23 p.m.)

Sometimes, a lot of it.  For Maine, a foot just doesn’t… you know, “kick.”  We’re used to it.  Get yer shovels ready! 😁  Another thing of note: the white stuff is already gone apart from residuals of snow banks — for the most part, melted and washed away.

Gratitude Tree. (Dec 20 4:27 p.m.)

Well, this post is getting long, so I’ll stop here.  I’ll try to get another up before the year ends.  Travel restrictions won’t stop me from posting more photos!  WordPress’s storage limits will.  At some point.

Feel free to tell me about your year, dear reader. 🙂 What are you grateful for?  Are you looking to get the covid shot?  Either way, may you have peace.

Until next time…

Them balls are lit for the season. (Dec 9 4:07 p.m.)