Random, Unfair, Crazy Making and Done in Everyday Ramblings

  • April 3, 2021, 11:26 a.m.
  • |
  • Public

Happy almost Easter. The trees are coming on and the air is chock full of pollen. We have four trees out front blooming these delicate white blossoms and it is almost impossible to take pictures of them without getting power lines in the shot. I took this shot a few days back on a walk down to the river looking for a mother bald eagle and her fledgling. We didn’t find her, but we found this beautifully shaped tree.

Charity asked me what those trees out front were. It turns out they are ornamental pears and (to my surprise) are considered an invasive species here. First there are all those Tree of Heaven invaders and the wild clematis and now… oh and lesser celandine that I was digging up in the paths in the community garden on Thursday…

Yes, I did get my second vaccine shot yesterday. I got the Pfizer vaccine. It took us almost an hour to get down to the state fairgrounds but once I got out of the car the whole process took 27 minutes! No 2/12 hour wait as I was afraid of. That includes the 15-minute wait time. Mrs. Sherlock had been down the week before and scoped the place out. We got there when they opened and there was only a couple of people ahead of me in the second shot line.

The young army woman that gave me the shot was gorgeous. She has a classic heart shaped face and when I told her I had been nauseated after the first shot and that I understood that was kind of a rare side effect, she said, “Hey, I threw up on the way home from mine.” In a weird way I found that comforting.

Also, Kes had given me an anti-nausea medicine that melts on the tongue and once I got back to the car, I used that. The trip home was uneventful. We’ll see how I do later today but right now I am fine. I rested yesterday, just zoned out and ate a little ice cream and listened to podcasts.

In two weeks, I will make and appointment to get my hair trimmed and will be ready to start taking the bus back from the store with groceries. I cannot wait to pick my own groceries and go when I need or want things and not just when there is decent weather, and I am feeling up for a more than 3 mile round trip on foot.

Everybody in my close-knit world will continue wearing masks out, distancing, hand washing and so on. I do have a couple of students that are eating out again but mostly not. Charity has been going to the gym a couple of times a week and they just charged through my membership again, but it will be at least a month and hopefully there will be a significant drop in cases before I go back.

Our deaths are down, thank goodness. Mr. Sherlock has a Jesuit friend that he hasn’t spoken to in a while. He lives in a Catholic retirement home for priests, nuns and monks. He is now recovering from Covid. Luckily, he did not have to be on a ventilator and was able to stay in the infirmary, but 20 people in his residence died from the virus in the last 10 months. Oh gosh.

Now the focus needs to be on getting Most Honorable a vaccine. The system here is so random and unfair and crazy making. He is super stressed about school and all the random unfair and crazy making decisions being made there… and Kes, my sister, finally got her test results and does indeed have a genetic anomaly in her red blood cells that is an indication of a chronic condition that might include some interesting and possibly intense treatment. She sees a Hematologist, finally, in a couple of weeks.

The day after we get back from out 4-day getaway at the beach.

But first I need to get through the next couple of days. My calendar is clear, and it is dry if not sunny and tomorrow is Easter! The tulips are starting to open and there is a light mist of hope in the air that those of us who have made it through this crazy thing might just make it through to the next crazy thing.


Last updated April 03, 2021


IpsoFacto April 03, 2021

Getting that second vaccine dose it’s like getting off of house arrest or something. We haven’t been going out anymore than we did before but it’s just the idea of no longer having to even think about the vaccinations). As always your photo is lovely. Why is your brother-in-law having such trouble getting a vaccination? You’re in Florida now anyone over the age of 14 can get a vaccination. Things are really opening back up here and so far we’ve gone out to dinner and a movie. I felt like such freedom.

noko IpsoFacto ⋅ April 03, 2021

My brother-in-law is 64, will be 65 in August. Right now you have to be, a first responder, health care worker, or a child care or K-12 teacher, or 65 or older to be eligible here. Of course there have been lots of folks randomly getting shots at the end of the day. In New York, the college professors are eligible but not here.

mcbee April 04, 2021

That second shot is so liberating. I've never seen so many people happy about getting a shot. I'm glad life can return to semi-normal for you!

Deleted user mcbee ⋅ April 07, 2021

Ha, yes. When I got my first shot, people's eyes were positively beaming as they walked out of the facility. Some couples who came in together were high-fiving.

Zipster April 04, 2021

How sad that those trees are invasive, they are so pretty. I have been in your area in Spring and Summer and I feel like the plants there are so vibrant and intense in color.
Glad you've got the second shot done and hope you didn't have side effects, but then better side effects than the actual illness itself. How nice to have a bit of respite and renewal at the beach. I hope whatever Kes has that it is easily managed.

Deleted user April 07, 2021

Ah, yes, ornamental pear trees. Bradfords are huge around here. They look lovely, but they are not good for the environment and they are the first to fall over in a storm so I don't know why so many people spend the money on them.

Marg April 17, 2021

I bet it’s a lovely feeling to get that second shot done and dusted - increases the hope for a safer time coming! Worrying news for Kes though but maybe tinged with relief that she has a diagnosis? By the way I’ve just done a Facebook friend request to you - I wasn’t sure if you’d know the name and it’s highly likely you wouldn’t recognise my profile photo given that it was taken 11 years ago😁

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