This has to have been one of the worst years that I could have imagined.

This is not news – the Corona Virus Pandemic, the collapse of the restaurant, bar and barber industry, the US election where we got to chose between a narcissistic reality show TV star and a corrupt career politician, race riots and looting (Oh, excuse me, peaceful protests) and government bailouts that enrich the billionaires and throw crumbs for everyone else.

My employer tried to cut my hourly pay, but since there are minimum wage laws, they just cut my hours.

And, I only went SCUBA diving three times this year, for various reasons a sad, all time record.

Aside from the Pandemic and the stay at home order, I am also on-call every other week for work; so, every other weekend is shot for me and I’ve had to do other things on my “free” weekends.

Not that every year is a reboot of events, but 2021 is the beginning of a new decade, also; I’m hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

I went to a brief convention for work in February – that was my last taste of our previous “normal.”

Now, onto the new normal…

With bars and restaurants closed earlier in the year and later, social distancing parties became normal.

I rented a dog so I could go on a walk and get some exercise…

During Summer, restaurants and bars that served food, opened briefly for outdoor dining; imagine a virus that is so smart, it can tell the difference between a bar that serves food and doesn’t.

Working from home became the new normal…

Even though I took a 20% pay cut, some that took a 100% pay cut started working for themselves.

Twenty million households are facing eviction in 2021…

I know this blog “Jumped the shark” a couple of years ago, and I think I’m down to two readers, including me, but I’m hoping next decade will be better for diving, and more postings.

Until then, Happy New Year, stay safe and don’t take anyone’s shit!

On September 2nd, it will be the one year anniversary of the Conception dive boat tragedy.

I found an interesting article from the Los Angeles Times that states the NTSB will be announcing their findings soon…

By Richard Winton Staff Writer  Aug. 31, 20204:30 PM

As the anniversary of California’s deadliest maritime disaster in modern history nears, the National Transportation Safety Board announced it will hold a hearing in October to reveal the results of its investigation into the Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people off Santa Cruz Island.

A preliminary NTSB investigation concluded that five members of the crew were asleep in the wheelhouse and that there was no roving watch on the vessel operated by Santa Barbara-based Truth Aquatics as required by the U.S. Coast Guard during the hours when passengers were asleep below deck.

But the more extensive examination of the origins, cause and events leading up to the Conception being burned to the waterline has taken months of investigation led by NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy. The board will vote on findings, probable cause and recommendations for changes to small passenger vessels to avoid a repeat of what its chairman called a “horrible, horrible tragedy.”

“We have substantially completed our investigation,” said Eric Weiss, an NTSB spokesman. Weiss said that in the coming weeks NTSB staff will make public interviews, research and other investigative materials before the public hearing.

The entire article can be found here: Conception dive boat disaster: Feds to reveal cause of blaze that killed 34