Thursday, January whatever 2022

 BLAH.

Ok, it's not that bad.  We had our first direct Covid exposure the first week back to school after the holiday break.  School was closed the 4th, for bad roads.  They needed a day to plow parking lots.  The following day just our school was closed because there was no water.  No water, no toilets, no hand washing - big problems.  

The peanut mentioned that a friend's family had tested positive, but the friend had not using a home test so was going to school Wednesday.  hmmm....ok.  Naturally, we were not at all surprised to find that the friend tested positive when the test was conducted by professionals.  As a "close contact" Lucy was required to "Test to Stay" at school.   This involves meeting Lucy at the school's Covid Center (a portable on campus) and the schools "Covid Coordinator" also known as the Vice Principal.  He did all the paperwork and prepped the test, but a parent had to do the nasal swab.  Four times around the left and then a reverse swish around the right.  NEGATIVE.

We cancelled all weekend plans and decided to wait out the 10 day period.  10 days or 5 days with no symptoms and a negative test...the CDC changed their recommendation during our isolation but go to school window.  Anyway, to be safe we closed ranks and limited our time with others.  Lucy tested again on Monday - NEGATIVE and then we waited to hear about when the third test would be required.   The answer is never, but we were not informed until we arrived at the school to conduct test #3.   I love our school, but information like "she doesn't need the third test we talked about last week" could have been conveyed to us on the day we were there for the second test.  Yes, we live close to the school, but we also have these things called jobs. Grrr

Setting aside my complaints about efficiency, we were thankful that not only did Lucy never test positive but the pal has since returned to school and seems pretty healthy.  I'm sure it was a scary time for their family and we hoped for the best.

The news reports that Omicron is everywhere and is scary, but it also peaking in the northwest but still be diligent... wear masks, get vaccinated, stay distant, but go spend money in shops, don't breathe on anyone, wash your hands, but don't go anywhere.  I jest - it's still a pretty gloomy spread of information.  

The delay of services at the hospitals is the most worrisome.  Our friend had a much needed surgery scheduled for the 31st of December but due to the spikes in positive cases all non-emergent surgeries were postponed.  He is hopeful to get it done next week, but we will see.   

On the 🐀front - we may have won the war.  It has been days and days and days since we've heard any scratches.  It's raining at the moment and the sound on the window behind me makes me nervous, but I'm 98.44% sure it's just a water sound.  But, once you have the threat of pests your mind goes to the crazy place with each little tip tap....

Happy New Year 2022 - more of the same

It's a new year, we're headed into year three of this pandemic - which is possibly here to stay.  A new normal is the hope.  It seems like every time we relax and think we've got it managed but not eradicated, but have learned to navigate the ins and outs things change again.

Our May 2020 Mexican cruise has been rescheduled twice and we put a final payment on the May 2022 Miami-Grand Cayman-Disney Private Island cruise.  But now, the Center for Disease control is once again saying "don't cruise".  We are in a holding pattern, but with few options - we can reschedule again, but haven't talked about that.  We can't cancel outright and get our money back.  We just have to see what the spring brings.  My hope is that things calm down and we can go.

The COVID-Omicron variant is spreading very easily and we thus far we haven't been infected. We are told that with the vaccines that if we get it the likelihood of needing hospitalization is reduced by 81%.  Ok...but I still don't want it.  Masks and distancing it is - and what will be.

Schools in some areas are back online, but the politicians in Washington made some requirements that came with the funding to schools that they would offer in person education to every student.  Um... you shouldn't politic with our kids lives but here we are.

On the other topic - vermin.  We were confident that we had the upper hand, but we found evidence (mouse pooh) in the pantry and under the kitchen sink.   

Yesterday, Jason and I removed all open food items (half eaten bags of chips, munchies, crackers) from the pantry, washed all the surfaces and gave it a good cleaning.   It feels pretty good in there now, but I will not be confident that we don't have a friend until the rodent people come back.

Mom is still in Arizona and while it's not the warm oasis she thought it was going to be she's having a good time.   I wonder how long she'll last; I think the joy of doing nothing is starting to wane.  She updated all of her passwords this week and put them in the password safe.   That's a tedious task which to me indicates a bit of boredom.  She has a new man friend at home, and they are talking everyday - my guess is when he comes to visit in February that that will be the end of this "wintering in Arizona" business.  However, I get the impression that her co-traveler won't be on the same timeline and Nancy needs mom to help navigate the trip back home.  So...time will tell.

It snowed here on Christmas day and we've had 10 days of cold weather.  It's been beautiful and a perfect time to have the roads challenging.  But, school was supposed to start back up yesterday, but the kids got an extra day off, and this morning was a two hour delay to allow the roads to thaw out a bit.  So far, it's still cold outside and I'm not confident that the two hours will do anything to improve the situation.

It's back to work for me today, so I'd better get to it.  I'm here at my desk ready to engage, but maybe I should actually do it.