Sickness
Please watch this.
Dianna has been sick for so long; I’m glad it sounds like she’s slowly getting better. And I’m glad her inclusion of Tobias in this video has brought attention to his situation as well (here’s his GoFundMe, which is also linked in the video description).
It can be really hard to do so at times (and even in the best of times it’s easy to forget), but try to appreciate what you’ve got, especially if you’re in good health. It can all be taken away so quickly.
Masking: 2025 Edition
I am still very COVID cautious. Among other precautions I try to take, I wear an N95 in every indoor situation except for our condo (unless someone unmasked has been in it recently, like a plumber or furnace guy) and my office (where I have an air purifier and don’t let anyone else in there). When outside, I still try to stay as far away from others as possible and often hold my breath if I have to pass people closely or have to walk/run close behind them for a bit.
I am the only person in the Math Department still consistently masking. I am one of a very few professors on campus who is still consistently masking. I see students in masks more frequently than you’d think, which is nice, but the majority don’t mask.
I do it in part because I DON’T FREAKING WANT COVID, but I also do it because I come into contact with hundreds of people a day and don’t want to be responsible for getting someone sick and possibly ruining or ending their life.
Which is why I liked this article. Those of us still masking do not have irrational anxiety or are “stuck in 2020.” A lot of us do it for more than one of the reasons the article’s author listed. If you are someone who is critical of the 2025 maskers, please give this article a read. Maybe it will change your perspective.
Extra Masking Bonus Hour
A bonus to masking (in addition to, you know, protecting myself from Covid and all the other nonsense out there) is that no one can see how ugly I am.
Well, I mean, they can still see that I’m ugly, but the main portion of my ugly-ass face is covered up, and that’s better than nothing.
Honestly. I’ve got so much more confidence about my appearance with a mask on.
Computer Science Department, WHY?
In the Science A building on campus, there are these little showcase windows, one for each department in the Faculty of Science, that show off articles, objects, videos, etc. of interest from each department. Some of them are pretty boring (Chemistry just has a big periodic table in theirs), some haven’t been changed in a while (Math/Stats has had the same papers and crocheted patterns/figures for like a decade), and some get changed up quite frequently. Computer Science’s case is a good example of that last category. They change their content every few months it seems.
And what do they have in there right now?
I have a visceral reaction of dread and panic when I see these slides, man. Not because of teaching online (though that was pretty rough), but just because of all the early pandemic stuff in general.
Paranoia? Preparedness.
So since it seems like you can get Covid now just from looking at an infected person*, I decided to go get an air purifier for my office for an additional layer of protection.
I don’t let anyone in my office anymore because it’s my “Covid Safe Zone” (I hold office hours in a different room), but the cleaners come in there every few weeks and mop the floors and stuff, and I want a way to help clear the air faster and more efficiently after someone else has been in there.
And also just in general, because I don’t trust our ventilation system anymore, either.
Anyway, behold!
(Yes, I have Christmas lights in my office. They make me happy, fight me.)
*Obviously an exaggeration, but the newest strains seem super contagious
So I’m formatting my printed blog archives and…
…I’m currently in early- to mid-2020 and am having some pretty wild flashbacks to early Covid times. Remember how scared people were? Remember how much people cared?
Remember how we all agreed to shut down and stay home and try to eradicate this thing?
It’s weird re-living all that stuff via my blog posts. I’ve got one post in mid-March when I was sure that everything would be back to normal enough by the end of the summer so that I could still go down and visit my mom before fall semester started.
Ha.
Though as depressing as those first 1.5 years were, it’s even more depressing now because nobody takes it seriously anymore despite all the deaths, illnesses, and damage to everyone’s bodies.
Humans: the dumbest of the dumb.
Ugh. PEOPLE.
Regarding the water main break: the number of comments I’ve seen from people who are like “THIS IS ALL A GOVERNMENT CONSPIRACY, I’M GOING TO TAKE A FIVE HOUR SHOWER AND WATER MY LAWN FOR A DAY AND A HALF JUST OUT OF SPITE” is absolutely disgusting.
Like, even if this whole thing was a government conspiracy, that doesn’t change the fact that the city will run out of potable water if we don’t conserve it for the next week or so. And how angry will you “government conspiracy” idiots be when you turn on the tap and nothing comes out? Believe whatever dumbass theory you want, but don’t allow your belief to make this worse for the rest of us.
I don’t know if it’s my imagination or not, but it seems like people’s ability to have empathy and compassion for others (or even just making a small sacrifice to help out others) has greatly decreased as of late. It’s pretty distressing. Anyone else notice that?
Edit: somewhat related. Where is the responsibility? Where is the common sense? Y’all go to a concert where everyone is screaming their lungs out for three hours and then go all “surprised Pikachu face” when you get COVID? UGH.
Edit 2: people laughed at my “water hoarding” in my office, but WHO’S LAUGHING NOW????
Ew.
This is…this is disgusting.
“So while the rest of the world seems to have moved on from the pandemic, in our house, it is still 2020. We wear masks when we go into public indoor spaces. We don’t eat inside restaurants. We don’t go to movies. We have people take COVID tests before they enter our house. All this leaves me feeling torn between two emotions. I want to keep my husband safe and healthy. But I also want our old life back.”
Before that quote, she talks about how her husband is immunocompromised and how his first COVID infection left him very ill. And how she’s pregnant. And how there’s still so much more we don’t know about COVID yet.
Like…I want my old life back, too. But it’s gone. I don’t think we’ll get back to that for a long time (if ever).
This whole thing is also something I fear. I’ve never had COVID (as far as I know) and thus don’t suffer from long COVID, but I’m still cautious as hell because I don’t want to get COVID and risk the chance of long COVID. My family members put up with my cautiousness for now and still (to some extent at least) maintain a level of caution themselves, but what happens when they decide to stop? What happens when they decide that my caution is unwarranted and not worth keeping up masking in public spaces or being careful around others (even if they probably don’t have COVID)?
What happens when our levels of caution are no longer compatible? I feel like I’m going to be masking still for a long time, especially given my job. How much longer will my family want to put up with my caution?
I don’t know. And it’s not a fun thing to think about.
I’ve the Sadness
I am painfully nostalgic for pre-COVID times.
Anyone else?
BOOST the ROOST
Got the most recent COVID booster! I was actually able to get it on campus this time, which was super convenient. Just scheduled it for 15 minutes after teaching in the morning. I’m writing this around 3 PM and am not having any side effects yet; maybe I’ll finally have a side effect-free shot!
Edit from later: NOPE! Around 8 PM or so, all my muscles and joints started to really hurt (this seems to be my typical side effect), especially the muscles in my torso. Breathing was so freaking painful, haha. The only way I could stop the pain was to just curl up under my heavy blanket and breathe very slowly. Luckily, I fell asleep and was mostly fine when I woke up several hours later.
Woo?
Nope
We’re not going to the Coldplay concert.
Nate’s not feeling well, I’m super busy, and Covid.
And yes, I’m bitter about it.
That’s all I want to say.
Conflicted
What I want: to go to the Vancouver Coldplay concert in September
What I don’t want: Covid
What will probably be at the Vancouver Coldplay concert in September: Covid
Yes, I know I can wear a mask. And I definitely would if I end up going. But you need to understand something: I’m going to be at a Coldplay concert. All I’ll want to be doing is screaming and singing and crying, and none of those activities jive very well with wearing a mask.
Like…I REALLY want to go, but do I want to risk possible lifelong issues due to Covid for a two- or three-hour window of absolute bliss?
I don’t know.
Complacency? STUPIDITY
Why are people so okay with getting (AND SPREADING) COVID?
The comments are the worst. This is absolutely maddening. Mask, you fart-for-brains.
This makes me even more hesitant for the Coldplay concert, and I am already nervous about it (mostly because of COVID). I’ll be wearing an N-99 mask, at least.
It’s disappointing, really
Does anyone wear masks here anymore? I don’t think I’ve seen a single masked person except for myself and my mom.
That’s…that’s kind of sad.
OH GOD EVERYTHING HURTS
JESUS these booster shots mess me up. I’m not feverish this time, but every joint in my body hurts so badly that any sort of movement is very uncomfortable. My muscles are sore too (it hurts to breathe, haha), but my joints are definitely getting it the worst from this most recent shot.
The good: it only lasts for about a day or so, at least from past experience
The bad: it better only last a day, because tomorrow I have to run 23 miles. Right now I feel like I just fell down three flights of stairs.
Bugh.
VAXXED TO THE MAX
Nate and I finally got our COVID bivalent boosters today. Which is great, because it means better protection against COVID, but sucks because I’m SURE I’ll get some nasty side-effects for at least the next few days. I’m ready for it.
Edit: annnnnnd a migraine. Great. But it’s the first migraine I’ve had this year, which is actually pretty good. I was getting them weekly for a while there.
Y’know…
All this stuff coming out about long covid, increased risk of heart issues after infection, how your chances of long covid (and DEATH) increase with each infection…
…And people are still just wandering around in indoor crowded spaces without masks, pretending that everything is pre-2020 and that there’s not this airborne virus circulating around everywhere.
We are a dumb species.
I knew it!
I’m pretty sure my cycle was (is?) affected, and I don’t know if I’d call it “temporary.” I think it’s been different ever since I got the first vaccine.
This article talks about delayed cycle starts; mine is starting earlier it seems, though my time between periods has always been a little shorter than average. And I don’t think mine has gotten heavier – just…different.
Anyway.
Hey college students!
Y U no mask?
Covid isn’t gone, people. And Covid likes crowds.
I know it’s easy to think you’re invincible when you’re young, but I am SHOCKED at how few people are wearing masks now that it’s not mandatory. This includes professors – how can y’all feel safe going into a lecture hall of 200+ students without a mask? Or even worse – going into those crowded hallways as classes change?
I don’t get it.
Purify
Not sure how many people actually give a crap about COVID anymore, but if you’re one of the few who does, this is a handy little DYI air purifier. I’d love to make one of these for my office.
I GOT SHOT
BY A NEEDLE
IN THE ARM
Now I am COVID boosted. We’ll see what the side effects are for this one. Can’t be worse than the second shot, yo. That was rough.
A Friendly Reminder:
Just in case you’ve forgotten, we’re still in the midst of a pandemic. As much as some people/politicians/media want us to believe we can go back to normal without any consequences, we’re not there yet. Especially with these new variants.
The number of friends I’ve seen who are just out doing what the fuck ever – with no apparent safety precautions, including masking indoors – as if this whole thing is over – is utterly distressing.
I am disappoint.
And angry.
(Mostly angry.)
Some of Us Still Care
Or…
Or…
Maybe some of us are extremely careful and are vaccinated, distance from others (and, if we can’t, we wear an N95 whenever we’re around others), and are able to only be around people from our household (who also are never around others).
Does it mean we can’t go to restaurants? Sure. But is doing so really that important anyway? Ugh.
OOPS, ALL VARIANTS!
Are we really doing this again?
Look, I get that much of the variation of COVID has just come naturally as the virus has changed.
But JESUS don’t you think worldwide preventative measures would have helped a little?
I am in awe at this species’ inability to experience empathy. I really am. Everyone is so damn selfish and stupid.
Why are we still dealing with this virus in 2022? Stupid people. Stupid, selfish people.
That’s why.
I hate everyone.
Sigh.
I miss pre-Covid times.
I really, really, really miss them.
We took so much for granted, didn’t we?
Eigenblogger 