Bye to 2022

As we see out the year 2022, I reflect back on leaving one office for another, of whales and submarines, of opossums and raccoons and a beagle, of Belgium and Mexico, Luxembourg, Toronto, Austin...and that great moment at the start of the year when I spent time with old friends in Austin and was able to talk about Daniel Johnston and Jack Kirby.

The years have all blurred together and I no longer have a sense of the passage of time other than now, in the pandemic, and in another world we all kind of recall.

I once was a writer. Then I got a job. Possibly as a game warden. It all depends on your definition of wildlife.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. Probably more semi-wild animals in the convent yard, but maybe something more.

Maybe Stay Home A Bit Longer

I'm improving in skips and hops, and I imagine most people are nodding and saying "Yes, that's how it was for me too." 

 The pandemic is still with us, but more as an irritant than the destructive killer it was in 2020. The little test strip says I'm fine, but I still fell asleep much too early last night and even now, I'm clearing my throat so often that going to the office seems a poor choice. Maybe tomorrow.

Day 9

The little T line on my covid test is FINALLY starting to lighten. It's maybe 50% of what it was a few days ago.

It's been pretty mild, overall, and if we didn't live in pandemic world, I'd just think I had a cold.

Mask up in group settings, y'all.

So Can I Fly?

I'm continuing to read guidance on covid and when one is considered "safe" to go out in a mask, and it seems the CDC says 5 days after the first positive test, you can go out and do whatever IN A GOOD MASK. That obviously means you can't go out to eat, but it does mean you could pick up food. The intent is clearly "run in and pick up" and not "go for a long day at the mall."

Advice gets muddy after that—when exactly are you contagious?—and I'm pretty sure they think they know, mostly, but aren't completely sure. It's one thing to run into a deli, but it's an entirely different thing to spend 5 hours crammed into an airline seat next to a stranger.

Advice does agree that if you feel sick, you should stay home. Check, that makes perfect sense. But I don't feel particularly sick and it's now been six days since my first positive test.

I have a booking for a Monday night ticket from Newark to LAX. That's day 7 and Monday and Tuesday are two of the lowest-travel days. I'll keep an eye on the seating on the plane. I feel kind of paranoid. What if they're wrong about masking up and being basically okay after 5 days? But we'll see. It's all just stuff to think about—at what point do I feel like I'm channeling Typhoid Mary versus "masks are fine, shut up"? I guess we'll see.

On Pause

Guess I’m moving my flight again.

I need to look up how the virus sheds, so I can get an idea of how long it’s going to be before I’m allowed on a plane. I get I can mask up and it’s probably fine, but I am unclear on when the point would be that I’m not a potential superspreader. A week? A day? It was always fine? I am being cautious, but what are the facts? (Does it even matter given I have to work from home for a while as I don’t want to worry my colleagues?)

Also, a friend of mine posted about a nasal spray, available from international pharmacies in Israel, Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia. Too late for me but I am checking it out—still in trials in the US and Canada, but the idea is it shortens the duration. Possibly prevents infection, too.

I Joined the Club

Today’s agenda:

I think today (day 3 of symptoms) is likely to be as bad as it gets. Feels like a medium-level cold, crappy but I’ve had worse. I don’t have to sleep sitting up yet.

I have had every vax as it was rolled out, and I am grateful for it as I basically just have to get through this instead of planning for potential medical intervention. Getting covid nearly 3 years after the first cases is such a different beast from what it was previously.

Reminder to mask up in crowds. I know it’s uncommon but stay vigilant if you don’t want to join this club. I’m sure I got it the day I forgot my mask on the PATH and A train.

Ungrateful

A couple weeks ago on the patio in Jersey City.

He's obviously grateful for all the snacks and healthcare.

Wait for It

My office is relocating in June, and we've all been packing up for months now. I think I've brought home 40-50 boxes of comics and books over the last few months, and this weekend, I carried the last of them in a rented Toyota hatchback.

I don't live in an elevator building, and my condo has no street entrance. To get to my unit, I have to climb 12 or so stairs from either the street or the garage, then loop around the side of the complex, then go up more stairs to my apartment.

The office movers put all the boxes into the car for me, but they don't follow us home, so I had the joy of lugging 20+ boxes from the car to my apartment. I have a little wheeled cart, but the stairs are unavoidable. I just took it slow and moved boxes a few at a time.

The movers also took all my cow art down off the wall and packed it up for me.

I am tired and sore and worn out.

Or maybe it's the booster shot I got last night.

But at least the cows have come home.

NYC4Evah

I’m underground on the PATH train for the first time in three months, staring absentmindedly at the floor while contemplating the vast number of sneakers in a walking city. As we pull into 14th Street station, everyone’s phones screech simultaneously as an alert comes in with the identity of yesterday’s subway shooter.

They’re still buzzing as we disembark. One guy, a seemingly tired, middle-aged man with a beard and a look of despair howls back. “Get offa my phone, NYC dot gov!”

I scoot around him and head to the subway. On the platform, a maskless old man inhales deeply from a cigarette as the Brooklyn-bound L train pulls in.

The L takes me to First Ave. I’m heading to my PO Box near my old apartment. I’ve had the same address there for more than twenty years. Picking up mail gets me out of the house, gives me a shred of anonymity to the sometimes belligerent aficionados of fandom, and bonus, gives me the opportunity to pick up coffee beans at Porto Rico Imports.

Today is a perfect spring day, and emerging from the claustrophobic tunnels to the wide world of Manhattan feels achingly full of hope and nostalgia. It’s hard to think of Ukraine, of subway shooters, of the judiciary and the fear of fascism. Of aging. Of stress and decisions. Of the self-righteous ignorance of the clueless knights of social media, and the various applications of misplaced valor. Of having to start work at noon and needing to hurry home.

I’d stop to inhale and admire the morning, but the pedestrians around me are jaywalking en masse. If I want to pretend to still belong here, NY4life, I’d better keep up. Once a jaywalker on First Avenue, always a jaywalker on First Avenue.

Recently, But Not That Recently

 Here's a family portrait I drew a few years ago. 

The Devil Has Texas

Today I learned that Daniel Johnston writing about the Spirit World rising was rooted in Kirby, just like his ducks.

Doggies

 My mom reminded me of this photo from long ago...I miss that shirt!

Fancy Living

Last night, I found myself digging around in my closet trying to find something "cocktail festive" to wear to the GLAAD awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.

I'm a comic book editor and a travel writer. This wasn't part of the plan.

BUT...we won! It wasn't something where I had to go up and make a speech, but it was still awesome. Or maybe awesome because I didn't have to go up and make a speech. 

I threatened to take the bus home, but this thing was heavy! 

FOMO

Javins for Mayor

I was looking through old photos and found this one of me and my mom from the year 2000.

My mother here is the same age I am now.

I know I'm doing all right, but maybe I should've spent less time in sun. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Everyone Loves A Parade

The backyard is on a parade route.

There the Whole Time

We stumbled over the earthquake emergency supply cabinet at work yesterday.

That in and of itself isn’t as weird as it seemed at first glance. It’s Los Angeles County…makes sense businesses are prepared for emergencies.

What was weird was the boxes of N95 masks which were presumably in there the whole time we were desperate for them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Late Pandemic State

This isn't special.

Today, I got a late start and walked to work, taking a meeting from my phone as I headed in. I spent all day at my desk in the office except when I went to Coffee Commissary for a takeaway sandwich. I got a lot done but of course ended up with more in my in-box than I eliminated. An editor stopped by and we had a brief meeting with a boss-person via my laptop monitor.

I left work at 7:30 after becoming distracted by reviewing some covers and packing a few boxes.

And then I stopped by the supermarket on the way home, and I didn't feel like making dinner, so I picked up some samosas and a little salad.

So what, you might say. There is nothing worth talking about here on this update.

And that is what makes it so wonderful and not the least bit special.

I did put on my mask when I picked up lunch and when I walked into the office building. And there were only three others in all day. But ultimately, today felt perfectly, exquisitely average.

Basking in normalcy feels pretty good at the moment.

Editors Gotta Edit

JLA/Avengers reprint is out in the world now...and this is how it looked to me just a few months ago.

I found three mistakes!

Striped Black Cat

 Good morning, skunk.