Pride Along

 

That’s right, it’s time for a new entry!  I can’t even remember the last time I completed two entries in one month, but writing this blog gives me a sort of control over my life, no matter how chaotic things can get.  As such, it feels good to be writing something that isn’t a motion or work email for once.

June has been a mixed month for me.  The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wind down, which means more restrictions are being lifted.  As such, I’ve been able to restore more elements of my pre-quarantine life.  I’ve been hitting the gym every week, I’ve been able to eat out more, and I’ve even been talking to my parents about arranging a long-awaited visit—either here or in Hawaii.  Normally, all this news would mean that life is on the up-and-up.  Unfortunately, every yin has a yang; for each thing going right, there seems to be something going wrong.  Be it computer troubles, phone troubles, car troubles, insomnia, civic duties, workplace difficulties, or trials coming up, there always seems to be something going wrong or breaking down.  So far, I’ve been able to endure it all with relative grace under pressure.  While things can sometimes get extremely difficult, I keep up to the best of my ability, adapting as necessary and seeking relevant help whenever pertinent.  With a smile on my face and my eyes on a stable future, I’ll continue to conquer every challenge.  Having faced a global pandemic in the near past, I have no doubt I’ll be able to straighten things out in the coming weeks.

Still, no matter how rough things get, some things continue to brighten my days.  I’ve been able to see Cthulhu on a semi-regular basis.  We’ve hit up restaurants new and old, tried to revive our social lives, and generally have been there for each other through life’s trials and tribulations.  During one such visit, we attended a Pride event in Keizer together.  As an ally of the LGBTQ community, it’s a little weird that I’ve never been to a Pride event; it was time to rectify that!  The event was a low-key and casual affair, so there wasn’t a major parade or display.  Nonetheless, it was a pleasant and welcoming experience.  In some ways, it felt like a harbinger of things to come; with a dwindling pandemic, new and wonderful events are on the horizon, and I’m ready to embrace them.

 

The event had rock painting; I took part by painting a rock with some of my favorite colors.

Chalk art at pride.

Denny's shortbread pancakes drizzled with caramel: my go-to dinner for rough days at work.

Switcheroo

 

I’m back, everyone!  I’ve been out of the blog game for most of the year, but I finally found the time to take a breather and take stock in what the f*** has been happening recently.  To be honest, a whole lot has happened since my last post (where, if you might recall, I observed that not much had changed from last year), personally and publicly.  A full list of everything could be a little time-consuming/Russian novel-length/TMI, so I’ll stick to the big picture.

One major shift (which provided me inspiration for the post title) is that after months of hesitation and Wii U gaming, I caved and bought a Nintendo Switch during President’s Day sales, purchasing half a dozen games to go with it.

 

I expect quarantine (or what’s left of it) should be at least a little more entertaining.  I’ve already put some of these games to good use (while still experimenting with computer modding and mobile gaming at various intervals), and I plan to get back into gaming as I try to restructure my schedule going forward.  In a way, this whole experience is getting me to get back to my gaming roots; most of the games I got are remakes from my youth, including one special virtual download: Star Wars: Episode I: Racer, the very first video game I ever played (which I downloaded onto my Switch on Star Wars Day).  The circle is now complete, and I am now born again as a gamer.  Once more, I shall collect stars, hunt bounties, catch them all, and become King of Mario Kart!

 

Whether it's the Tillamook County Jail or the Oovo IV Detention Center, I frequently find myself conducting business behind bars

(For those that don’t know, I once won a Mario Kart 8 tournament in college.  Wins can sometimes go to my head).

However, the biggest switch to my life by far in recent months is one for the books: I am now fully vaccinated from COVID-19!  It took a while for me to find the opportunity, but thanks to my constant working at the county jail, I was able to get on the list of people prioritized to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  After 2 shots and 2 weeks, I’m fully vaccinated and able to move around more than I have in months.  Case in point: I’ve been hitting up my favorite local restaurants and I even made it down to Salem to see Cthulhu a few times!  After over a year de facto confined to Tillamook (specifically, home and workplace-centered), being able to travel, even for a little, feels like a massive relief.

Shot 1

Shot 2

Denny's, I missed you

                                                  

Tora Sushi Lounge, it's good to be back

                                                                                   

The familiar Golden Man greets me in Salem

 

With the ability to go outside, and a strong incentive to stay inside, 2021 is shaping up to be better than last year.  I’m still ironing out a fair amount of kinks: I’ve got to clean my room, I’ve got various appointments to catch up on, and I’m still working remotely on most days.  With any luck, life will return to normal (or some semblance of normal) soon enough, I’ll be able to enjoy my hobbies in peace, I’ll be able to continue my journey as a growing attorney, and I won’t wait 5 months to post my next blog entry.  Fingers crossed!