The COVID Chronicle, December 2021

December 7 [Tuesday]

As Christmas approaches all my siblings are planning a Safehouse visit. [A visit to our parents' house.] The visits will be staggered, not simultaneous, with some overlapping. Thoughts arise as to who's vaccinated including the booster shots? How worried do we need to be of exposure and transmission to our parents? Well, I'll be over there too, in and out over the coming weeks as some siblings arrive and others depart. I'm lucky enough to be only 30 miles away from my parents' home to make visits convenient, pending Los Angeles freeway traffic patterns.

December 8 [Wednesday]

The Pfizer booster shot was approved for 16 year olds. [My daughter] now qualifies! This is good. She works at a local cafe and the booster will enhance her safety.

December 9 [Thursday]

I was at a live-action off-site work meeting today in Burbank. It was an opportunity to meet a number of agents with whom I work. It was a good time, felt so novel and festive being amongst people. But it's going to take some getting used to, being up close and lunching with a big group of people. I anticipate more work-related engagements will be coming next year.

December 10 [Friday]

Another live-action off-site work meeting today, me and my direct teammates! Our first live team meeting since December 2019! Fun times seeing my colleagues. This is a good group of people. The message from my employer is clear. We have field jobs and the expectation is that 2022 will be a return to us conducting our field duties. This is perfectly reasonable, although I was selfishly hoping to imbibe further of the convenient luxury of virtual work. But so, my action plan for the new year will include field tasks. 

December 16 [Thursday]

I have two sore toes, one on each foot. [Wife Klem] says I have Covid toes, that fun bug. Then I find out it's an actual thing, so says the internet. She's just spoofing me, though, I haven't got Covid toes. Meanwhile, I temper the 'Covid toe' discomfort when wearing shoes by placing a small piece of tape across the front of each sore toe at the point of discomfort. This immediately alleviates the friction-induced discomfort.

December 17 [Friday]

Covid is wreaking some major havoc in the NFL. A Cleveland Browns football game was postponed 48 hours due to an outbreak of positive tests on the their team.

December 18 [Saturday]

I took a Covid Rapid test this morning. [Wife Klem] offered and I thought it'd be fun. Turns out it's not so fun what with the swabbing way up deep into my nostril cavities. Unpleasant, but I tested negative. Then I drove off to see a chum visiting from Singapore. Also, my Covid toes are feeling much better. Maybe they were just cold and letting me know they don't appreciate walking around the house in my bare feet amidst the winter chill.

My cousin Jenny and her family were scheduled to visit my parents. Stay a few days while taking their piglets to Disneyland. But she had a Covid exposure and so is delayed a few days. Her initial test proved negative and is awaiting a follow up test before visiting. She's a delightfully courteous one, my cousin.

December 21 [Tuesday]

One of [the boy's] roommates tested positive for Covid, he and his girlfriend. [The boy] and his two other roommates are negative so far. Meanwhile he is feeling fine and not overly concerned about the Covid close call.

December 22 [Wednesday]

Covid numbers with the Omicron variant are high and increasing. Meanwhile it's a busy Christmas season with airline travel across the U.S. It seems many people are trying to be courteous, as evidenced by the scarcity of Rapid tests at local pharmacies. But the draw of seeing family is too great, especially after many people cancelled Christmas visits last year. [Wife Klem] tried buying Rapid tests today but they're unavailable at most local retail sources.

December 23 [Thursday]

[Wife Klem] found a retail store with Covid Rapid tests in inventory. She and [the boy] went out and bought two. There was a limit, only one test per customer. Clutch acquisition for a few tests to be administered before the Safehouse Christmas.

December 25 [Saturday]

Rapid tests for all of us this morning! And we all test negative! Merry Christmas! Then we're off to the Safehouse for a whole Klem-family Christmas at my parents'. The fun reigned down in a deluge of pleasant chaos.

December 29 [Wednesday]

My employer has postponed the resuming of field tasks for me and my field colleagues. A minor delay of three weeks before getting back to field work due to Omicron concerns. The thinking seems to be, let's wait for the Christmas visit-contagion to take effect and run its course, then let's get back in the field. Is good thinking and I appreciate the consideration.

December 31 [Friday]

This concludes my Covid Chronicle. I started this as a place to vent my frustration with virus handling by the government, frustration with economic shut downs and businesses going under, then the riots. This was a place where I could document my concerns and sentiments for posterity. Or if at some future time I wanted to reflect back on what I was thinking 'back in Covid times,' what we were doing as a family, and then, eventually, what would it be like as it waned and we reverted back to life after Covid. As Covid and its related precautions became accepted in our daily lives this became more of a daily journal. I don't find this elongation of Covid safety precautions to be as compelling as what I was feeling during the full force and apex, or nadir, of the early days of Shelter In Place, cancellation of live-action school and Work From Home. Early on I was curious how this might one day end. A glorious bang with a cure or fix? But no, seems it's just going to be a lingering concern with a withering trail marked by occasional spikes and spooky variant names. So, I leave the documenting at this point. We have life to live, so let's be safe about it. 

Have a wonderful 2022!