I’m not upset to see 2020 ending. It’s been quite the year and I hope we never see another year like it. I started the year with cancer, going to the hospital for daily chemo. Because of my weakened immune system, I had to wear a mask all the time. I had every kind of complication there was on my chemo cocktail mix including the presentation pseudo-tumors (the most excruciating headaches I’ve ever experienced) that caused a hearing and equilibrium problem. Covid hit the USA and by April the country was on a semi shelter in place. For people like me, seen as high risk, it meant even more isolation. I lost my job, stopped going to my local comic book store (see previous blog post) and struggled to pay COBRA on a monthly basis so that I could continue cancer treatment. I won’t even get into the social and political unrest we as a country experienced during this year.

I was out of work for 4 months, which I admit felt like eternity and short period all at once. Fortunately, I found a job that was a higher level and pays more than the position I was fired from. I’m not complaining. It’s been such an interesting experience, job hunting, interviewing and on-boarding in the time of covid. I am enjoying my work days, so happy to not have a daily commute. I can’t imagine going back to the grind of driving into the office each day. The only drawback I see it the lack of an official workday. My organization is global which means I have conference calls at 6:30am and 8:00pm on a regular basis. I miss having resources like supply cabinets and printers at my fingertips but I’m super happy to not have to share air with people I know don’t wash their hands after using the toilet.

I’ve transitioned from buying comics weekly on #NewComicBookDay to buying limited editions and variant cover comics online. I’ve yet to find an online subscription service that works as well at the weekly trip to a brick and mortar. It’s frustrating but I’m hoping to find the right fit at some point. Still I have some gorgeous new variant covers that thrill me to still be in this wonderful hobby. And, if I’m not too fatigued at the end of the day, I still play a couple of games of Magic the Gathering. Here are some recently won screenshots.

Please wear a mask, please. If covid isn’t motivation enough for you, look at mask wearing as a way to stick it to the government’s facial recognition software.