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?
Want to pretend COVID is gone? Come to Moscow!
Nobody masks here. NOBODY. It’s actually wild. It almost seems like COVID doesn’t exist here…
…Except it does. The lack of masking is quite distressing, honestly.
Anyway.
2020
I think it’s easy to forget how things were in that first year of COVID, even though it hasn’t been that long since 2020.
Or has it?
Time has no meaning anymore.
It’s also easy to forget all the non-COVID stuff that happened that year, too.
And god, that hope at the end that came with the vaccine, remember that? We should have known that would have devolved into ridiculousness with all the anti-vaxx garbage.
It’s the FIN-AL LEC-TURE (da-na-naaaa-na, da-na-na-na-naaaa)
WOO THIS SEMESTER IS OVER
Has it been an exceptionally stressful one? Yes and no. Yes because we switched from being online to in person IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEMESTER LIKE WHAT THE F and no because it wasn’t really any busier than most of my semesters.
Last semester, however, was brutal. And all the semesters since COVID have had their share of extra work. So I think I’m just really, really burnt out.
PLUS I haven’t been able to go back to Moscow since December 2019, and going down to Moscow is a very physical stress relieving activity.
So yeah. I’m glad I’m not teaching in the spring semester, ‘cause I need a few months to just chill back out and get ready for the summer and semesters beyond.
Edit: YAY A MIGRAINE WHAT A GREAT WAY TO END THE SEMESTER THANKS BRAIN OL’ BUDDY OL’ PAL
The Bridge to TeraTEETHia
(That’s a fucking horrible blog post title, sorry)
So when I had all that dental work done back in 2020 and they sawed off the outer part of that tooth and told me I needed to get the rest of it removed and a bridge put in its place, I asked them about the timeline of when that all should be done.
They said to do it within a year.
That was June (July?) 2020.
So clearly that didn’t happen, and that’s mainly because of all the COVID nonsense. Every time a wave died down, I wanted to wait a few weeks to make sure cases were SUPER LOW before going back into a place where I knew I couldn’t (for obvious reasons) wear a mask.
But each time I’d wait a little bit too long and another wave would start back up.
Now there’s omicron, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to the dentist during the omicron wave party that’s happening up here.
I don’t know what the point of mentioning that on here is, apart from maybe using it as a reminder to myself once I get these posted in, oh, late 2022 (optimistic date).
TEETH!
The buuuuuuurn
I totally have “COVID arm” from the booster shot, haha. Check it:
It looks a lot worse in person than in the picture. It’s also super hot to the touch.
But hey…beats a higher odds of getting COVID later.
Boosted!
In preparation for the upcoming semester, I got my COVID booster shot today!
After cancelling and re-booking my appointment like twenty times (just like I said I’d do), I got a good appointment time this morning at the pharmacy just across the street. Which is great, because it’s still too freaking cold to walk anywhere else.
I wonder what side effects I’ll have this time, haha. I guess we’ll see!
Eigenblogger 