A funny

A get a daily newsletter at work, full of industry-related items, that usually includes a humorous anecdote at the end. 

I thought this one was great. Fortunately, I don't find myself having to identify streetlights, crosswalks or some other such nonsense in order to enter comments on your blogs these days. But I remember when I did, and how frustrating it was. 

Couldn't have said it better myself: 

"Just spent 30 minutes trying to prove to a computer that I'm not a computer because apparently I don't know what street lights look like." 

COVID update

 I seem to have made it through COVID no worse for the wear, except for some lingering congestion (which is not uncommon for me, as I have chronic sinus stuff) and I still can't smell anything. 

The smell thing is interesting, and I realize how significant it is. I am pretty sensitive to odors and it's really weird how that has left me. A friend suggested smelling herbs. I took a big whiff of fresh basil last night. Nothing.

But things could be much worse. I think the sense of smell will eventually return and I occasionally catch a whiff of something, as if it's trying to break through. 

I feel pretty armed against COVID now, having been fully vaccinated, having the antibodies that come from having had COVID and having had the monoclonal antibody infusion. I think I have a lot of fight in me now! 

But Wife and I are still being careful. We've stopped going to church again, have cut way back on going out to eat and we are wearing masks when we go to the grocery store. If nothing else, I don't want to make others uncomfortable. 

Here where I live, there are battles in the surrounding school districts about masking. I don't get it. I think if I had a child in school who was unvaccinated, I would be all about it. 

But there are still these folks supposedly concerned about their rights. And I'm tired of hearing about it. 

In sickness and in health

To summarize the past week, I'll start with one week ago tonight (it is Thursday, August 12th as I write this). Wife and I had our "Simple Suppers" group at our house. This is a dinner club we have been in for a few years and we recently resumed meeting after a hiatus during the pandemic. 

There were ten of us last Thursday night. We had a great time and Wife outdid herself with a delicious meal. 

On Saturday morning the 7th, Wife's birthday, we drove to Huntsville to have brunch with Daughter and her family at their house. Younger Son drove the short 90-minuet drive from Birmingham. We had a delightful time and another wonder meal prepared by Daughter and SIL. 

In the early afternoon we drove to Atlanta. Older Son, Wife and I went to an Atlanta Braves game that night and had a great time. Sunday morning, our granddaughter, Older Son and DIL's youngest, was baptized at their church and it was a special time for all. DIL's parents were also there and we had lunch at Older Son and DIL's house before we headed back home in the early afternoon. 

Sparing you all the details that led to this, DIL ended up coming to Nashville Monday morning with her two. Older Son would be traveling and her plan was to let her parents, and Wife and me, take turns with the little ones while she worked remotely as much as she could. 

Any daytime care we would have given would have fallen to Wife, of course, since I still have my day job. 

We had dinner with some friends Monday night and as we got up to leave the restaurant, I felt the slightest little tickle in my throat, the kind of thing I have felt in the past as I felt a cold coming on. There are times it disappears as fast as it comes, and times it stays around. I didn't mention it to Wife and hoped it would be the former rather than the latter. No such luck. 

Tuesday morning, Wife notified me DIL would be bringing our almost four-year-old grandson for the day. I thought about it for five minutes before confessing to Wife that I felt a fair amount of congestion and given the circumstances . . . . 

Her next call was to DIL to notify her. DIL said she would not be bringing our grandson. 

Being what I thought was overly cautious, I went and got tested for COVID. Of course I don't have it, I thought. I'm fully vaccinated and I'm still very careful, still wearing a mask in most public places. 

As Tuesday wore on, I felt tired and achy. I was also cold. When I woke Wednesday, I felt as if I had not slept, even though I had slept eight hours. I knew I had something but still didn't believe it was COVID. 

At 8 a.m. I got an email with my test results. Positive. You could have knocked me over with a feather. I have what's called a breakthrough case. 

Yesterday I felt lousy. I had a nasty cough, was fatigued and cold and had a terrible headache. I laid around most of the day. I let folks at work know I would be largely off the screen. 

Today I was some better. My cough has subsided a bit and congestion is confined mostly to my head now. And apparently my case is typical for a breakthrough. If I understand correctly, the vaccine is designed not necessarily to prevent COVID but to mitigate the symptoms and keep me out of the hospital. I have felt crummy, especially yesterday, but it could have been much worse. 

Where did I pick it up? From someone at our house last week (everyone was vaccinated, so nobody wore masks)? From the baseball game? From church? Who knows? 

Wife and I are isolated from each other and of course we're both in quarantine. I'm mostly upstairs and she is down, but I get to come downstairs and stay in one room during the evening. 

She, of course, is being a real trooper and making sure I have everything I need. 

I've not lost my sense of taste and/or smell, but food definitely tastes different. It's hard to describe. 

Vanderbilt Hospital, with which my doctor's office is affiliated, sent an email offering an antibody infusion. I talked to them today and described my symptoms. It was suggested I make an appointment for their next available time, next Tuesday at 8 a.m., and cancel if I am significantly better by then. 

So here we are. Oh, and yesterday was our wedding anniversary. 

In sickness and in health . . .