New Year's 2020-21 - The good, the bad, the really, really ugly

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Mendalla

Mendalla

Happy headbanging ape!!
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Yeah, it's been that kind of year. But we made to New Year's Eve. So what will you take away from 2020? What will be your memories of the year? Is there anything good coming out of it.

Oh, and since one of our regulars is already there (hi, @PilgrimsProgress )...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

And I have put up a special New Year's Eve party banner for today and tomorrow (and maybe longer, depends when I decide what to put up there next).
 
Good things

son got a new dream job
son got married
son bought house

so he had a banner year despite Covid

Toronto opened up roads to pedestrians, need more of that

Bad things
cousin died of Covid, healthy 72 year old
no family visits
thousands dead.
people who won’t take minimal effort to try to protect others
no nursing home and hospital visits. People dying of loneliness and neglect
shutting down all the province when some areas have done really well.
governments dithering on what to do and not doing enough


lets hope at some point in 2021 Canada has enough vaccines for more than a fraction of us
 
And some 2020 music to help ring the year out.

Canadian singer-songwriter Faouzia had a banner year. Even with no touring and no album out (yet), she developed a huge global following and matched established Canadians like Walk Off the Earth for Spotify and Youtube listens. And her last single saw her teaming up with US singer John Legend for one of her own compositions.


And while she didn't get album out, she did release an EP of her "Stripped" versions, acoustic versions of her songs that usually just have her vocals with a piano or other simple instrumentation. And a few months ago, she recorded a socially-distanced (livestreamed from the Burton Cumming Theater in Winnipeg, with no audience) concert of the "Stripped" material, including this version of one of her best songs.


Just listen to that voice when she hits the chorus. It's rare to hear a female pop singer with that kind of raw power and in the low range to boot.
 
And Walk Off the Earth started off the year on tour supporting their last album, but had to retreat to their home base in Burlington, Ontario once pandemic lockdowns set in. However they did get some singles and covers out. This is the title track off their last album and was recorded on their last tour and released in April.


And their late 2019 single "I'll Be There" from that same album hit the US charts in February. This is their performance of it in Niagara Falls a year ago today. This came a year after their planned performance the previous NYE was cancelled when founding member Mike Taylor passed away on December 28, 2018.

 
And this ranks as one of my favorite releases of 2020, cover or original. Just before the pandemic shut things down, WOTE played Sydney, Australia and took the opportunity to cover a classic by one of that country's greatest bands. And damned if they didn't nail it.


(Yes, I have posted this a couple times before, but it is just soooooo good.)
 
2020 has just plain sucked. It's been a horrible year. 2015/16 was worse for me, but this is a close second worst. And it still has one more day. Yesterday sucked too - my living situation became insecure, felt like I was being pawned off - like they had a plan stewing on my behalf that would be disruptive to me but didn't bring it up until last minute - but then somebody's mind changed after I cited the legalities of why what they were proposing was objectionable. I'm always expendable, shufflable, it seems - instead of planning their own stuff better why not shuffle me off? Anyway, they might read this - I get a feeling - so, I'll say no more.

I watched a movie on Netflix called Death to 2020. It's a parody/ mocumentary. The first 20 minutes are funny but it gets repetitive. Because it's not far from reality or from recent memory. They tried to make it funny though.
 
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Good
Not expecting to die, Nov 2019 was my low point
Tumours shrank
Community garden was successful
Spent more good times with nephews - more than what I expected in March this year
Having Chemguy home a little more was nice
Some improved online access, For example, I was trying to get a library card online prior to the pandemic and they were insisting I needed to come in do to an issue with the system not identifying my credit info appropriately (saying I didn't live here), at that point any time I stepped out it was making my skin worse and it was already severely bad. As soon as the first set of restrictions were announced all of the sudden I had a library card. Being able to get a drink with takeout has been nice too.
We discovered we can save money on Chemguy's haircuts
I had healthy weight loss

Bad
Added stress due to pandemic
Reduced level of medical care, less testing, didn't connect with social worker this year, etc.
Seeing family and friends less than if there wasn't a pandemic
Chemguy's income was reduced
Lack of massages
I do miss in person shopping, garden stuff and dollar stores (which includes garden stuff too) espeically
Some of my symptoms have been worse, skin especially but there have been others

Not my personal bad, but feel bad for relatives, especially my maternal grandparents, they haven't seen each other for months. My grandma has been in the hospital after getting emergency surgery, the screw in her hip was damaging bone and a specialist dismissed her pain for far too long. Her lower leg got wounded while in one hospital, they claim she came in like that, she didn't and it's not healing. She gets opioid induced psychosis and considering how long she has needed them now her mind is probably not going to get back to where it was. It's assumed she will not being going home and the whole thing has been a mess. My parents actually travelled as the nurses wanted my mom there caring for her - she was spending almost 24 hours in the hospital while there. She's in a better hospital for her now at least and the psychosis is not as extreme as it was.

My other grandpa has complained about being 'in jail' although things haven't been horribly bad at the assisted living facility. There have been a few covid cases there so things were stricter at some points. HIs health isn't the greatest (is anyone's in their 90s?) and he's had some anxiety over that. Comparatively to many others his situation isn't too bad, he spent Christmas with his girlfriend (she lives there too) and that's the plan for today too. There is some tension in the family about that relationship though, but I think the issue there is with others. I do certainly understand at his age having to wait out the pandemic isn't the same as for many of us.
 
I posted another friggin thread because I missed this one. Feel free to ignore it!
new year kermit GIF
 
Happy 2021 All!
New Year Cartoon GIF by Fleischer Studios


Hoping for the vaccinations to be strongly effective and for them to occur quickly and smoothly!
While restrictions haven't had a huge negative impact on me, I know they have had so on many. Plus COVID itself is a nasty thing and would be great to have that threat gone (probably won't happen totally) so at least hoping for the good case of it being a rare thing that pops up on occasion.
 
Kimmio Laughterlove said:
2020 has just plain sucked. It's been a horrible year. 2015/16 was worse for me, but this is a close second worst. And it still has one more day. Yesterday sucked too - my living situation became insecure, felt like I was being pawned off - like they had a plan stewing on my behalf that would be disruptive to me but didn't bring it up until last minute - but then somebody's mind changed after I cited the legalities of why what they were proposing was objectionable. I'm always expendable, shufflable, it seems - instead of planning their own stuff better why not shuffle me off? Anyway, they might read this - I get a feeling - so, I'll say no more.

I watched a movie on Netflix called Death to 2020. It's a parody/ mocumentary. The first 20 minutes are funny but it gets repetitive. Because it's not far from reality or from recent memory. They tried to make it funny though.
Click to expand...


Imagine that things can get better in the future because of our intelligence ... unless you are classed with the folk that didn't wish to know anyhow!

As thoughts disperse ... I think not ...
 
I have just done a rather deliberate, loud, and physical ushering out of the new year, and welcoming in of the new year. At all four directions, loudly clearly at all three exterior doors. Wine in one hand, herb in the other!
 
well, 2020

Good
one son assisted the country in covid protection via the reserves
other son is engaged
lovely new granddaughter
learned to make bread & lots of other cooking fun and building of community
have had a fun contract this year with good people doing good work
got my 5-yr clear from Juravinski
the church has transitioned to online meetings, worship & studies in a great way, making more progress due to necessity than I anticipate that they would have made in 10 years without it
the church has provided outreach in times of struggle and provided access to many in various ways.
the country has figured out ways to transition to protect the other.
i have been able to participate in groups that i would not have without people's requirement to go online.
Trump didn't win the election
@Mendalla and @ChemGal are still admins, and we have a great moderator crew, and i am thankful for that upon reentry to wondercafe.

bad
lost a friend of 50 years to pancreatic cancer and was unable to support them as i would normally have. due to covid....nor could we gather
lost a friend to a tragic accident -- still can't believe it at times
a good friend lost her grandson unexpectedly
church lost other people as well, and community has been unable to gather
some people are unable to understand the concept of wearing a mask, and washing hands to protect self & others -- seriously, wtf?
so many dead
so many struggling with addiction
so many hurting,
 
Fireworks have been going off sporadically for over an hour. It's only 10! There's sometimes a few illegal ones going off NYE but nothing like this! I hope it's being done from a safe location I might step out after midnight to try to catch some.
 
I'm really frustrated with people I know not following covid guidelines for selfish reasons - even tonight. I don't want to get into it. I have to awkwardly try to physically avoid them but my living situation doesn't make that easy. The vaccine roll out to the general population can't come fast enough.

Yes, there are people who just don't get it, or they are so pandemic fatigued they start caring even less. And even if only half the population gets vaccinated, that's ok - I can accept that, with a 95% efficacy rate with a couple of vaccines. 2021 needs to be better than 2020!
 
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Kimmio Laughterlove said:
I'm really frustrated with people I know not following covid guidelines for selfish reasons - even tonight. I don't want to get into it. I have to awkwardly try to physically avoid them but my living situation doesn't make that easy. The vaccine roll out to the general population can't come fast enough. Yes, there are people who just don't get it, or are so pandemic fatigued they start caring less. And even if only half the population gets vaccinated, that's ok with a 95% efficacy rate with a couple of them. 2021 needs to be better than 2020!
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I get you on that. Saw it with family stuff over Christmas. If people are doing some stuff outdoors exclusively I don't care as that seems like such a low risk and when multiple households can exercise together I don't see any issue with family or friends hanging out in a backyard. Beyond that though is adding onto the risk of straining to hospitals - sticking to socializing here there are some good reasons at times people disobey.
 
ChemGal said:
I get you on that. Saw it with family stuff over Christmas. If people are doing some stuff outdoors exclusively I don't care as that seems like such a low risk and when multiple households can exercise together I don't see any issue with family or friends hanging out in a backyard. Beyond that though is adding onto the risk of straining to hospitals - sticking to socializing here there are some good reasons at times people disobey.
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"Because it's New Years" is not a good reason. I live with adult children though - "free spirits" who lack awareness of common reality, and how much they impinge on others because they don't think beyond themselves - and don't get that rules aren't always made just to be a downer, or "negative energy" for them. It's not like if we all think positive covid will go away by itself. Thinking positive won't keep peoples' results negative. To be fair, one of them hasn't watched the news or read the news in 9 years, since he found out the "truth about 9-11" (yep) -because he doesn't believe any news anymore and it's too negative. So telling him about covid seems about as interesting to him as reciting who's on the municipal council (hint: not that interesting). He just keeps on like nothing's changed except he wears a mask because it's required in the store.

They are quirky New Age people from Never Never Land and under normal, safe, circumstances quite likeable - but I am seriously frustrated by the lack of responsible awareness now. They will be hurt, upset, and it will bring more drama to my life if I start being more stern about my boundaries. I'm not sure what to do? How should I start the new year tomorrow? With a resolution to be more firm and take no s**t (but be prepared to deflect it), or be polite and apologetic about my concerns and they don't listen anyway? It's not just me - they are being careless about the safety of older people in the family. I got into it more than I wanted to but I'm hoping for the courage to address this and the wisdom to avoid conflict about it.

My criticisms sound mean and if they read them as written they would think it was mean and I don't love them - they are brilliantly gifted as artists and musicians and not too into everyday reality and that can be refreshing - just not in a pandemic when some serious considerations are required. I do love them and it's the truth.
 
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Artistically gifted new age libertarians. It's mind boggling at times - like we don't even live in the same universe. They're not conspiracy theorists except for the 9/11 thing because they don't follow much news at all - almost never unless somebody tells them about what's going on. They're apolitical and anti-news. Here, lots of people are so priveleged (but don't know it) they can get away with deliberately not knowing what's happening outside their own worlds. I'm not.

That said, I'm sure there's a way to approach this properly, and minimize drama or hurt feelings.


I hope 2021 is kinder to us all.
 
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With this I'm all for being stern with boundaries. I think my parents were a little annoyed I said no to the bathroom when they dropped off gifts but I was clear before they made the trip. I didn't think it was necessary for them to drive up with presents.
 
ChemGal said:
With this I'm all for being stern with boundaries. I think my parents were a little annoyed I said no to the bathroom when they dropped off gifts but I was clear before they made the trip. I didn't think it was necessary for them to drive up with presents.
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They're my upstairs landlords, and they're family. I work at my parents place and that makes all three of us vulnerable. Though, I stay in one corner of their house downstairs and have no close contact - it still puts us in a more precarious position of we don't all agree to the same behaviours. My step-dad talked to him about how this is really something to be concerned about, his daughter in her 20s, same. But he just says I respect your opinion but I don't feel the same way.

They don't care about people dropping by and they don't care about taking extra precautions - only when they have to in public. It's like they went along sort of but not really now they've gotten even worse, just as cases are also getting worse. Their opinion on it hasn't changed since the beginning.

Is it March yet? (I think that's when everyone can get a vaccine.)
 
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