Blogging has always been a way for me to express myself creatively as I hide away in my home office for "me time". Unfortunately, the COVID-19 Pandemic changed all that with my day job requiring maximum telework which in turn transformed my creative personal space into a remote office that work owned eight hours a day. For my mental and physical health, once those work hours are up I have made the conscious decision to walk away from the computer. I now find it more necessary to find something else to do that doesn't involve screen time. This shift in priorities unfortunately reduced my writing time.

But what I might have lacked in blog posts this past year, I replaced with an abundance of activities and other hobbies. If you follow me in social media, you know that I haven't let this pandemic stop me from being present in the real world. I just love the outdoors. I spent much of my free-time camping, fishing, motorcycling, bicycling, doing yard work, going to outdoor concerts, and simply enjoying our newly built deck and back patio. With a somewhat more cautious approach due to the pandemic, I also managed plenty of indoor activities whether that be visiting local wineries with my wife, being part of small get togethers with family and friends, working on family genealogy, or rediscovering the joys of music and good hi-fi audio equipment. 

Admittedly, not every activity I've pursued during this pandemic have all been 100% healthy. I've grown a fondness for "cocktail hour" and can now appreciate a good whiskey, bourbon, or single-malt scotch. When community spread of the virus was on the decline and restrictions were lifted, I took advantage of watching my son in show choir and plays, family vacation time in the Florida keys and and the Grand Teton National Park, campus visits with my college-bound son, attending friends weddings, and possibly controversial, attended a couple motorcycle rallies. There are some risks for all these activities but living a great life never comes risk-free.

What's my point in summarizing all of my activities this year? I now have a lot of new material and topics of interests that should give me plenty to write about in the coming winter months. Despite the ongoing pandemic, blogging has returned in the Ruby household. At a minimum, I'm prepared and eager for my self-imposed 31-Day Blogging Challenge. Let the blogging begin!