You probably already knew this, but...

...social media is the Dumpster Fire of the Gods.

I am coming to the conclusion that the cacophony at Facebook and Twitter are bad for the heart and soul. At best, you'll get information overload. And we really aren't built, intellectually or spiritually, to sort and assimilate reams of information in digital format.

I bowed out a couple days before my somethingth birthday, and I have to say I don't miss it much. I like being in contact with friends and family. 

Being in contact with dozens of newly-minted pundits, epidemiologists and legal experts....not so much.

The last time I last touched base with this blog, long before this dumpster fire of a year, 
 

I had a good family life and career. And those have remained the same, natural potholes along the way notwithstanding. Hobbies have remained the same, with two exceptions.

First, the pandemic has put the kibosh on theatre. Particularly heartbreaking for my children, who miss seeing their friends in person. But also a disappointment for me, as my evolution as a community theatre performer saw me play Polonius in "Hamlet" (for realz, as the yutes say) last fall and get a nice role as a Russian mobster in "Matilda The Musical" (based on Roald Dahl's classic book) this spring. The latter is on indefinite hold. Maybe this year? Large indoor gatherings are not happy places for this scourge, as we have learned.

Secondly, I have taken to a cheap new hobby involving the collection, assembly and painting of Tiny Plastic Spacemen. It's part of a game called "Warhammer 40,000", and it is easily thought of as a toy soldier warfare game for nerds set in a dystopian future. Some nerds are more equal than others, but I'm no Superman.  And when I say it's a "cheap new hobby," I'm lying out my arse, as the English creators and suppliers of the game might say.

Holy smokes, it's not. But it has been a fun outlet for myself and my youngest three--yes, even 10 year old Elizabeth is proud of her Ultramarines Primaris Reivers. If you aren't interested in the outlay for the game, the company has a publishing arm called "Black Library" where you can immerse yourself in the "lore" of the game. Some authors are better than others, but I am happy to give you tips if you are interested.

And there are worse ways to spend a pandemic/riot summer and increasingly-discordant and feverish election year.

Hope you and yours have been and remain well and safe during these historic times.