I have no clue what to put here.
Perhaps some sort of rotating quote.
Dunno.

But those guys to the right...they're snorkeling off of Rum Point,
on Grand Cayman. You owe it to yourself to check that place out.



3.14.2021

It's Been a Year!

Yesterday marked exactly a year since Michigan first went on "lockdown/quarantine" to try to slow the spread of Covid-19. And we did. Governor Gretchen Whitmer has done an incredible job making tough decisions to keep the citizens of this state alive and as healthy as possible. She has faced pushback at every turn. A bunch of less-than-mediocre white men plotted to kidnap and kill her (as well as other state governors). Other members of this same population entered our state capitol with firearms...and then committed insurrection on our nation's capitol on the day that Biden's election was legally confirmed.

But yesterday...on the 1 year anniversary of our state's 365 days of a pandemic forcing us to isolate/social distance from friends and family and other public gatherings...yesterday my household of 3 adults received our first Moderna Covid-19 jabs, courtesy of the Allegan County Health Department and the MI National Guard (and so many selfless volunteers).

In 4 weeks we will receive our 2nd injections. In 6 weeks I will be safe to finally have my eyes examined and get new glasses. I can also plan to have my chemo infusion port on my chest removed. My oncologist gave me the go-ahead in December, but the risk of an additional excursion to a medical facility didn't seem worth it. I can make plans to see out-of-state family that I haven't seen since Oct. 2019 at a family wedding.

Today we are experiencing nothing more than sore shoulders. In 4 weeks I expect we will feel pretty rough for a day or two (seems to be a pretty common experience). But we will avoid hospitalizations, or worse, should we contract the real deal. Yesterday felt like the first glimpse of light at the end of a horrifyingly long and dark tunnel.

3.09.2021

Fingers & Toes Are CROSSED!!

As of 4 days ago my 3 person household all have Covid-19 vaccination appointments. Technically none of us qualify (we're all currently 1C)...BUT the state of MI continues to tweak their qualifications in ways that push us further down the list. At one time our essential retail working son was categorized as 1B. 

Initially, healthy 50 year olds were in the group 2/general population. In the past week the healthy 50 year olds have been moved ahead of us to start their shots on 3/22. Meanwhile high-risk cancer patients/survivors, those with high blood pressure, auto-immune disorders, asthmatics, disabled people, and organ transplant recipients <50 get shoved aside. Again.

My "essential worker" son who was bordering on sainthood a year ago not only does not qualify yet for a vaccine, but is surrounded by selfish and ignorant customers who remove their masks once within the store where he works, or they wear it incorrectly. So he wears 2 masks. And he still does not earn a livable wage, on top of it. He very briefly received a $2/hour bump in "combat" pay, but that expired after maybe a month. We've spent the last year living in fear that he will bring Covid home to us. We can stay home, for the most part, but he cannot.

A few days ago a younger friend with a transplanted kidney and lupus gave us a heads-up about a shot clinic happening this coming Saturday at a school in the next county. Apparently the event was set-up by their county health department for school staff...but scheduled appointments were so low that they opened it up to the public. My friend found out about the clinic from a co-worker (who I assume must live within the school district).

I immediately got the 3 of us scheduled and shared the scheduling link with my son's GF's parents, as they have older family members who have been struggling to find appointments AND they live in the county where the clinic is taking place. So our friends and 1 set of their parents now have appointments, too.

The incredible irony is that the school district offering the shot clinic is now closed to in-person classes for 2 weeks due to excessive Covid spread. Also, it's heavy Trump-supporter territory...but I'm sure those things aren't related. /sarcasm

So we're holding our breaths that we aren't turned-away at the door for not meeting the semi-arbitrary moving-target shot qualifications. Currently MI is jabbing anyone at high risk and >50. I'm 48 (cancer survivor, asthmatic, minus my upper right lung lobe), DH is 49 (high blood pressure). We're tired of seeing younger, low-risk people cutting the line while we anxiously twiddle our thumbs. I've been social distancing for >4 years, now. I'm so over it.

3.02.2021

In Like a Lion...

Only, not really. Aside from wind and cold temps, the sun has been shining the past 2 days. WIN! February was sorta brutal. After an otherwise mild Winter, Winter decided to make up for last time in the past month. After a few warmer days our mountains of snow are rapidly shrinking and our paved paths are mostly clear -- aside from some path-spanning, COLD puddles. Thank Cheesus for merino wool socks!

Yesterday the adult rugrat had all 4 wisdom teeth extracted. Surreal, since I had 0 wisdoms. Yay, primate evolution! No eating leaves or gnawing branches for this girl.

Still no word on when we might be eligible for our Covid vaccines. My MIL has had both of hers and my mom is scheduled for her first (after a 3 week delay) in 2 days. I'm so fed-up with "line-jumpers"...those who are younger and healthier than I, not in high-risk jobs, who have managed to be vaccinated. Several never really socially distanced, which just adds insult. Meanwhile I've been socially distanced for >4 years. I recently hit my 4 year "cancerversary." Here were are in Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, too.

I've spent the last couple of days playing with dream house floor plans. This would seem to be my Covid hobby. Some people learn to knit or bake sourdough bread...I fantasize about living in the desert SW and play with Affinity Photo (nice Photoshop knock-off for a fraction of the price and NO subscription) to tweak existing floor plans. I've done this for nearly 2 decades during Winter doldrums.