2020 was a terrible year for most people but it was one of the best years of my life.

I was working 300 miles from home in a completely different state and only got to visit my family on weekends until the pandemic forced the company to move to a work from home model. It didn't take them long to make working from home permanent for our entire project team, which meant I could spend actual time with my family. It was fantastic!

That continued into 2021 and remained a bright spot but, beginning in May, life became chaotic.

It began with the first of two system go-lives, which meant a month of long shifts and little sleep.

That was followed by the hospitalization and subsequent death of my mother followed only a month or so later by the unexpected news of the death of my wayward 26 year old son.

Then came a second go-live followed by the selling of our house and a 2400ish miles (3900ish km) move across the country, complete with living in a hotel for a month.

All this to say that it's been a hell of a year but the worst seems to be over and I should be able to get back to writing soon. I can't wait to find out where the stories of Sian, Trendil, Sloan, and Aithne go.