2020 is coming to a close and it's a major one for the history books!
Most of us entered 2020 thinking it's going to be another normal year with challenges to face and goals to accomplish.
However, the coronavirus crisis took over the world bringing a lot of our lives to a halt.
At first, I thought the coronavirus crisis was blown out of proportion. That was until late March when everything in Hawaii was shutdown (except essentials). Around that time, I was reading about how Italy was dealing with the coronavirus and it made me realize this coronavirus crisis is much worse than the other epidemics (ie SARS, ebola, H1N1) whose predicted path of doom didn't get as widespread as predicted. This is a whole new world.
After that, I was always wearing a mask and (since late August), always wearing a face shield too! I'm not taking any chances!
For more on my thoughts on the coronavirus crisis
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/03/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/04/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-2.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/04/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-3.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/05/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-4.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/05/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-5.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/05/thoughts-on-coronavirus-crisis-part-6.html
At the start of the year, I was still employed as a Library Assistant at Kalākaua Middle School. The schools were shut down when Spring Break came around and it was like a paid vacation for me. However, I did leave at the end of the Spring semester, as I noted in this blog post. https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/restrain-this.html
Though my future seemed uncertain, I was blessed with some opportunities. I did a temp job inspecting ballots being printed for the Primary & General Election. I did similar temp jobs in the past for the primaries in 2016 & 2018. This time, I did both primary & general. Also, this time, even though there were more younger co-workers, they seemed more mature than past co-workers who had their own maturity issues.
I actually applied to do more election work, to help at the voter service center for the general election, but by then it was too late.
But I did have another opportunity to do another job that I've done before. I got hired to do seasonal work at Macy's, this time doing hi-touch point cleaning (basically wiping doors, elevators, escalators, and fixtures) and re-organizing items on the selling floor. I expressed interest in continuing work there past the holiday season.
With both the ballot inspection and the Macy's jobs, I have been blessed to work around people with basic people skills and who give clear instructions. Sad to say, it wasn't the case for the school library job that I left. Oh well, can't win them all.
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This year, I did some face some health challenges.
For one, I did get ill at the start of the year with the flu. I was absent from work the first week the students arrived back to school for the Spring 2020 semester.
Then in August, I sprained my ankle
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/sprained-ankle.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/08/recovery-from-ankle-sprain.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/09/update-on-my-ankle.html
And with the decrease in active movements since the ankle sprain, I gained weight. Also, in December, I took a blood test, and the results showed my cholesterol is higher than normal. Based on my age, the doctor wrote in the email that nothing will be prescribed for now, but if my cholesterol level doesn't improve, I might need medication.
And talking about my age, this was the year I turned 40. No longer a young man, but not yet at retirement age. It's the mid-life crisis.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/10/im-4-decades-old.html
I'm now 40 years old - YouTube
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As for other world events going on this year, we are blessed to see America's experiment with Donald Trump as president to be over!
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/11/brief-statement-on-presidential.html
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/11/us-national-election-analysis.html
And in Hawaii, most of the 98.5 Wake Up Crew was finally fired from their radio show.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/11/fire-985-wake-up-crew.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRNFAXocmHc
This along with the George Floyd protests (blog post here) and the #metoo movement put the world on notice that the old ways of bullying just aren't going to be tolerated anymore.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/12/bullies-get-dunked-on.html
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In years past, I used to do a year-end blog post listing all the songs I liked. I stopped doing so for a while due to the amount of time it took.
I do have a short list of some classic songs from this year. This by no means a list of every song I liked, just some that stood out from the rest.
Weeknd "Blinding Lights"
Doja Cat "Say So"
Doja Cat (w/Gucci Mane) "Like This"
Justin Bieber (w/Quavo) "Intentions"
Thundercat (w/Ty Dollar $ign and Lil B) "Fair Chance"
21 Pilots "Level of Concern"
Dua Lipa "Don't Start Now"
Dua Lipa (w/DaBaby) "Levitating"
DJ Regard "Ride It"
Benee (w/Gus Dapperton) "Lonely"
24K Goldn (w/Ian Dior) "Mood"
Arizona Zervas "Roxanne"
Lady Gaga (w/Arianna Grade) "Rain on Me"
Jodin Sparks "Red Sangria"
Monica (w/ Lil Baby) "Trenches"
Ava Max "Kings & Queens"
Saweetie (w/Jhene Aiko) "Back to the Streets"
Harry Styles "Adore You"
StJhn "Roses (Imanbek Remix)"
Ariana Grande "34+35"
And speaking of music, Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior released 1 album (Naptime Music) and 1 single (Spooky Abandoned House)
The "Naptime Music" album was scheduled for release in March 2020 before knowing that would be when the coronavirus crisis would shut nearly everything down.
It was also when my distributor CD Baby shut down its online store while still distributing to other online outlets.
https://pablowegesend.blogspot.com/2020/03/cd-baby-closes-online-store-still-doing.html
Since then, all of Pablo the Mad Tiger Warrior albums are available on CD via Amazon and can be downloaded via iTunes.
As for my new music, at the start of 2021, my new instrumental album "Science Fiction Music" will be available online.
A great way to start the new year.
Good luck with 2021!
