A new year has begun

posted in: Life and things | 2

Hello and welcome to 2022!

I’m sure most of us are more than happy to watch 2021 receding in our rear vision mirrors.

So… what do Pete and I have to remember about 2021?

We have the advantage of living in a small town in Queensland where mask mandates have only just reappeared because of the Omicron strain. Our lives have hardly changed. We’ve watched from afar the endless lockdowns, new variants, anti-vaxxers complaining about violation of their rights, normal people who don’t object to vaccines but are sick right up to the back teeth of not being able to live normal lives. Etc. We had our double dose of AstraZeneca as early as possible and we have had our Pfizer booster.

But (first world problems) we haven’t been able to travel. Our trip to Europe was cancelled again and with Europe looking like a basket case, we’ve given up on that one. Our New Zealand trip was scheduled for January but the trans-Tasman bubble broke so it was shifted. Now we have our fingers crossed for next November.

We weren’t brave enough to venture interstate, fearing the trigger-happy premiers would declare a lockdown with quarantine arrangements and we’d be stuck. However, we did have an overnight stay in Brisbane (we went to pick up an office chair) and we spent a couple of lovely days with friends on Bribie Island.

More first world problems. Our three-week-old car was stolen from our locked garage. We ordered a new car but that won’t be available until well into 2022, so we bought a second-hand vehicle to tide us over. In a bit of unexpected travel excitement, we had to go down to the Sunshine Coast to pick it up. It has proved to be an excellent buy.

After much pfaffing about, the English cricketers decided to turn up for the highly-anticipated Ashes tour. I expect they’re feeling sorry they bothered. It’s very hard for overseas teams to win in Australia. Let’s face it, it’s very hard for any team to win away from home. But losing is one thing. Capitulating is another. So far, the Poms are 0-3 and the Ashes will be staying here. But the third test will go down in cricketing folklore. After an ordinary performance in their first innings, England fought back, bowling the Aussies out relatively cheaply. We thought maybe we were in for a real match. But England was bowled out for 68 in their second innings. What made that innings memorable was the performance of Scot Boland in his first test match for Australia. He took six wickets for seven runs. Anybody who was at the MCG that day witnessed a piece of history.

On the writing front, my novella, The Thunder Egg, was published in the Pets in Space anthology and I struggled through to finish a short novel, The Search for the Crimson Lady. It’s out for pre-order now.

What does 2022 have in store?

After two years, surely this god forsaken virus must be running out of steam. It looks like Omicron is very contagious but not as severe as other variants. Covid-19 is already endemic. Hopefully it will become just another ‘flu for which we receive an annual jab. Hopefully. Sadly, that’s not always how it works. This article from the Smithsonian Magazine explains how viruses evolve. It’s very readable.

For us, hopefully a trip to Aotearoa in November. Hobbiton is high up on the bucket list, as is the Marlborough wine-growing region. And I’ve never been to Rotorua. I’m looking forward to revisiting the South Island, too.

Hopefully before that trip we’ll be picking up our new car, a Rav4 hybrid.

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2022 will be the Year of the Tiger. And guess what? I was born in a Year of the Tiger! That makes this year highly auspicious for me. What’s in store?

China Highlights tells me that “This year, Tigers will encounter their birth sign year and they are expected to face many challenges. Their career luck will not be too bad if they keep working hard and they will nevertheless have a big chance to get promoted. Wearing red underwear and socks, wearing pig-related elements, getting married, or making a baby will help tigers ward off misfortune.”

Huh. Well, that’s less than wonderful. I suppose I’d better buy some red underwear.

Fortunately, Pete’s looks a bit more promising.

“Following an undulating 2021, people born in the year of the Dog, you will enjoy much improved luck in 2022: your career will flourish and your achievements will be recognized by your bosses. If you pursue areas of growth, travel, and maintain harmony and interact well with those around you, you will have good prospects in 2022.”

Pete and I want to wish all our friends all the very best for 2022. Cheers.

2 Responses

  1. Laurie A. Green

    Good wishes for 2022. I didn’t realize you had a new book coming out. You’ve been busy! The Search for the Crimson Lady sounds like a great read. I grabbed a pre-order.

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