The COVID Chronicle, March 16-31, 2021

 

March 19 [Friday]

California Governor Newsom expanded vaccination eligibility plans. [Wife Klem] and I will be eligible vaccine recipients effective April 1. Youngsters aged 16 and older ascend to eligibility as of April 15. The next challenge will be to secure a vaccination appointment once those openings go live with an increased subset of citizens vying for them. We’re getting closer.

 

March 20 [Saturday]

We had a Safehouse visit today, just the four of us from Team San Dimas. [My brother and his family] are absent because they’re in Pacific Grove winding down their recent trip. Masks and social distancing remain in effect. Uncle Joe and dad have vaccination appointments for Monday! Mom remains a hold out. This conundrum brews.

 

March 22 [Monday]

Dad and Uncle Joe got vaccinated! This is vaccine poke number one of two. Uncle Joe gets credit as the catalyst. Meanwhile, [Wife Klem’s people] have had both doses for over a week! Strong marks for good behavior.

 

March 25 [Thursday]

[Wife Klem] checked the ‘My Turn’ app for our vaccine eligibility. She and I are confirmed eligible as of April 1, both piglets trailing in at April 15. We’ll see how soon we can get our appointments, but this is neat news. I wonder if this’ll change anything about how we exist and interact with people outside our ‘pods’.

 

March 26 [Friday]

Sushi for Lenten Friday from the restaurant right down the street from us. [Wife Klem] called it in, I retrieved it. Restaurants have opened up for reduced indoor dining, 25% capacity, and surprise, people are actually doing it! We haven’t dined in a restaurant since pre-Covid and have no desire to reengage. As I stand in the lobby awaiting our order, people show up for indoor dining and are seated. I totally understand wanting to support local business. Heck, we want this too, but the actual dining in remains a ‘no thanks’ for us. We’re just not amongst those wanting to eat indoors. Not mocking, just documenting the Covid progression, or regression pending one’s perspective.

 

March 27 [Saturday]

Our second, and hopefully last ever, Covid-Spring Break. The Whitewater Preserve hiking trail in Palm Springs is our opening stay-at-home vacation salvo. Trail courtesy entails masking up when encountering others and distancing when possible. Trail was relatively lightly populated today. If it wasn’t for this and related family field forays the kids would be happily engaging their plastic pals and staying indoors. Big ups to [Wife Klem] for her initiative and sharing her desire to enjoy the outdoors. 

 

March 29 [Monday]

Spring Break continues with a day trip to beachside San Clemente. A lovely oceanside walkculminating on a pier with a seal 50-feet below in the ocean looking up at us awaiting treats that are not tossed forth. A fun, very nice day. Plus I had a hot chocolate.

 

March 30 [Tuesday] 

[The boy] got his wisdom teeth pulled! My chum’s mood turns glum as the medication wears off and his immediate future for the next few days takes a disgruntling shape of restricted movement, ice packs, limited food choices and gauze in the mouth to stanch bleeding. No Covid angle. Just a bent college-age monkey.

 

March 31 [Wednesday]

After the screed the other day about not wanting to dine at a restaurant, we do it today. Outdoors in a tent, but unforeseen as recent as yesterday. We accommodate [my daughter] and her boyfriend’s lunch date. [Wife Klem] and I dine at a neighboring table. In the coming months she won’t need us to drive her anymore. Plus with the vaccine on the approach the social distancing angle may possibly recede soon.