The TLDR version: So many things were broke around here and in bad shape due to a total lack of attention, that I had to start addressing them. The shop and some of the tools were in bad enough shape that I had trouble fixing stuff, so it was pretty a pretty involved process to get things back on track.

The TMI version: In august of ‘19 my military retirement started and we restarted a slow, but what I expected to be continuous progress on the home improvement and renovation thing. As 2020 got underway, it became difficult to do much due to COVID, but by later in the year things loosened up some. My grandson wanted to have his wedding rehearsal here in October of '20, and that was incentive to get some big things done.

The yard was looking really good, but we also needed the garage, so we unceremoniously moved all the garage stuff into the shop area making the shop look like a really badly kept storeroom. We finished the dividing wall between the shop and garage, and the garage was looking pretty good. The event went well. We then brought in building materials and placed them in the garage floor to prepare to finish out that side of the building. Then the election happened.

I didn’t look into any of it for about three days, but once I did, I kept finding things that indicated trouble. Serious trouble. I seemed to be able to find lots of basis for claims of fraud where the media could find none. This became the only thing that Brewster worked on. The garage has building materials in it to trip over, the shop is totally unworkable, and things are breaking - but I’m on a mission. Today we have lots of evidence and information, but really no progress in bringing fraudsters to justice, and that has been frustrating. Very frustrating - but you can't quit. If you quit they win. They are playing the long game.

My heat pump went out over the winter and because we were preparing for the legislative session and court cases, we ran on strip heat for at least a couple of months. Probably more like three. I had the parts and materials on hand, and when I finally could give it some time it got fixed with the help of Danny Goss.

At about that same time, I did one little project, on one drawer in my main toolbox and it looked good. I found myself going out to look at it often which seemed strange even to me. Then it hit me. I’d actually accomplished something. I used to accomplish a lot, but for two years, nothing. When we fixed the HP and this drawer was organized. I relearned how much I like visible progress.

This brought attention to just how much was broken and needing attention around here and how hard it was to accomplish anything in the mess we had created and not cleaned up. The yard suffered great set backs last year and looks like crap, my mower is broke and has been for months. I’m paying to have the lawn done, the refrigerator has leaked water for months and so we shut it off and are using ice trays. I had a dripping faucet and leaking drain that went without attention for weeks and the drain was clogged in the freezer and we were creating glaciers in it. I literally had to twist, turn, and squeeze my way around the shop. I can't tell you how much I hated that situation.

As the lawsuits concluded and the legislative season ended, these things have become my main focus. We’ve accomplished a lot, but I’m still not where I expected to be by the end of 2020. Some things are in better shape, and others have deteriorated from where they were then.

I hope to be able to reengage in the fight in a meaningful way over the next month or so, and then have some kind of balance going forward.