This entry is a catch-all for the handful of notable things that happened in our lives during the first few of months of 2022. Nothing headline-worthy, but the year exists and we live in it, so here goes:

Soccer:

B began winter soccer in January. I’m not sure why, but the Killeen league regressed, so B’s age group plays without referees, without scorekeeping (except of course the kids and parents and coaches keep score in our heads), and with tiny toddler-sized goals. (In both Killeen and Harker Heights he has previously played refereed games with larger goals and scorekeeping.) They don’t even do throw-ins or corner kicks — the coaches just toss another ball onto the field if one goes out of bounds. Another change is that he’s older and more experienced than the other players on his team for the first time. Games began in February, with the following results for B’s team (the Mustangs):

• Game 1: lost
• Game 2: WON
• Game 3: WON
• Game 4: WON (10-1, B made his first soccer goal ever)
• Game 5: lost (2-5)
• Game 6: WON (3-0, B scored the first goal)
• Game 7: lost (2-4)

I think there is one game left to go, just after Spring Break. I didn’t get many photos because most of the games were under poor lighting in the evenings and also it was cold (for us).

Covid-19:

So far, our household remains in the “Never Had Covid” Club, though who can say how much longer that will last? My longtime friend Richard Barron — despite vaccination and careful healthly living — came down with it in January, had a rough time, and recovered. Some of my daughter’s friends had it. Some of my spouse’s coworkers have had it. My daughter’s godmother and family tested positive and had to quarantine. We four are vaccinated, always mask in any location that’s not our home, inside our vehicles, or the spacious outdoors. But we still have to interact with the world. My spouse works five days a week. I occasionally have to enter a business establishment (like in late January when I had to get the minivan’s windshield repaired and then pass state inspection, for example, or when in March I had to take the other car in for a windshield replacement). And the children have to go to school, where masking is “recommended” (rather than required) and who knows what the vaccination rates are?

School

Speaking of the school, we had gone a while without receiving any of the emails about Covid-19 cases on campus. But right after the spring term began, we started getting those emails again:

• Jan. 18: five students
• Jan. 19: four students and two staff
• Jan. 20: two students
• Jan. 21: one student
• Jan. 24: one student
• Jan. 25: one student
• Jan. 26: two students and one staff
• Jan. 27: two students
• Jan. 28: one student
• Jan. 31: one student
• Feb. 18: two students

It was worrying for a few weeks, but then they tapered off again. So far, we haven’t been contacted by the school (as you might have heard on the news) asking us to become substitute teachers, but the district superintendent did send out a video message in January, happily denying any shortage of teachers or bus drivers. Why would they produce and send out such a video unless there was a doubt? The video did say that if they run out of bus drivers, we’ll be responsible for getting our kids to school. Hmm...

In February, without warning, R was switched to a new class — which caused a flow of tears — she had developed a real love for her previous teacher. The new one is her first male teacher. Just prior to that, R was selected (by the previous teacher) to participate in the NAACP Black History Month program on Feb. 11, which honored this area’s first Black educators, including the one for which our elementary school is named. It was quite an honor.

Chess

So far, my chess obsession hasn’t subsided much. (The older I get, it seems the longer each mini-obsession lasts.) I’m still making chess content for my Random Chess Person YouTube channel, still reading instructional books, and still playing at least one online game each day (usually more). As with any of my obsessions, I’m monitoring it to make sure it doesn’t dominate my life (not that my spouse would allow it, of course, but...) One good thing about the chess obsession is that it isn’t too expensive. (Compare it to photography, for example.) Once I have a couple of sets, a handful of books, and places to play online, there really aren’t any ongoing costs. (Unless I decide to actually join the U.S. Chess Federation or something, which I actually have considered. Even then, it’s far less expensive than buying a new speedlite or lens.)

In February, I did buy a physical digital chess clock, with the idea that I might try to join an actual chess club in the region (I assume in Austin, which would require a bit of a commute once a week).

Weather

After an unseasonably warm December (the warmest on record for this area, by far), we saw some cold days in January but very little precipitation and no days that stayed below freezing all day. A couple of times the lights flickered and all of us were triggered by the memory of last year’s trauma, but the power stayed on.

February came in a bit colder but still nothing like last year, and a little sleet and freezing rain was all that came of it. (The kids missed a day of school on Feb. 4 due to slick roads and the same again on Feb. 24.) And as sometimes happens, we experienced some “whiplash” temp changes — like Feb. 21 and 22 being in the 80s (°F) but the next day dropping below freezing.

First Wake

Both children attended their first wake, after a friend’s older relative died (or “passed” as people say around here). RnB were well-behaved and both absorbed quite a bit of life experience from the event. Still, neither has been to a funeral.

Holidays

For Valentine’s Day, M took us to Denny’s which is still inexplicably my favorite restaurant. It was nearly empty inside — only one other customer and only one server and one person in the kitchen. We were served quickly and correctly and the food was delicious.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I celebrated by reading hilarious quote-tweets of tone-deaf GOP statements in which conservatives pretend to stand for the one or two least-controversial things for which MLK Jr. advocated while also pretending their entire movement isn’t in direct opposition to his stated ideals. Sigh.

For President’s Day, we celebrated as Abraham Lincoln would have wanted: by taking advantage of furniture sales and purchasing a new sofa and loveseat. (M and I bought the old ones in 2009, right after moving to Killeen, and they were in dire need of replacement: cushions flattened, years of babies and children soiling them with who-knows-what, etc.) The new ones won’t arrive until the end of March, which is longer than we wanted to wait but thankfully U.S. capitalism allowed us to pay ahead of time so the corporation can enjoy the money during that five-week period. (Imagine how bad we would feel if companies couldn’t get paid until actually delivering the product/service!)