I’d like to tell you what the current active cases are in my county. Unfortunately, the idea as of late seems to be to keep changing the information people have access to. I can tell you right now we show 260 total cases which seems to be a little stable since I last posted on the 11th. I think that’s an increase of 10. However, I know there was a case in the Middle School that has sent one pod of students and staff to remote learning for 10 days. Fortunately, the Thanksgiving holiday falls over this time with 3 days off from school so it’s not too bad.

For 25 years, I’ve met a group of friends who are Disney enthusiasts every year in DIsney World in Orlando. I didn’t go every year. I think the first year I went was 1999. From 2005-2008 I didn’t go because we had moved up here and things were a little crazy. When my oldest decided to attend college in Orlando, it was a good excuse for me to reconnect with my friends and visit my daughter.

RADP stands for the usenet newsgroup rec.arts.disney.parks At the time we started meet-ups, that was pretty much the only place on the internet to find information about Disney World. A lot has changed over the years, and many of the people we used to meet up with in December now have websites of their own with their own fan meet-ups. There’s still a small, core group that’s been meeting in December.

With COVID-19, everything was up in the air. A friend had used DVC points to make a reservation and asked if I wanted to stay with her. I said yes, since otherwise I was probably going to skip it. Everything looked good until COVID reared its ugly head again. She decided, for reasons I completely understand, not to go this year. With all of the expenses I had this year, I just couldn’t justify going by myself if I had to lay out another $900 on a room for those days. Besides which, I am tentatively planning to be there in January for my birthday with my husband and son. We discussed it and she said I could have the reservation since she didn’t want to leave me without a room. Good friends there! We have another in our circle who lives close to the parks and I asked her if she wanted to stay with me now, and she will.

I really need time with my friends. Since I work from home, other than my interaction on social media, I don’t talk to many people. I get out in the morning to drive my grand-daughter to school and my son to work, and my “social activity” is going to the supermarket. Last month when I went to Florida on business, I positively loved all of the interactions I had, and I am, by nature, a bit of a homebody. There’s such thing as too much solitude, even for me. I really just can’t wait to have some intelligent conversations, or at least what for passes for that with my friends.

Disney World feels pretty safe to me. Everyone there is masked up. Staying on property, there’s nowhere other than inside of my room where people won’t be wearing a mask. I’m flying down. If I knew then what I know now, I would have flown on Delta. I’m kind of ticked that Southwest is now selling the center seats. That’s the only hesitation I really have about going. Other than that, I think it’ll be safe in the bubble.

I also always issue a general invitation to anyone who’s alone on Thanksgiving is free to join us. This year, that won’t be the case. We’re keeping it to just the five of us. I like my leftovers anyway.