how about drinking?
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Will check in tomorrow. I have to go to Phoenix and I have no hot water.
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Lori, drive safe. Sorry about no hot water 🙁
Positivity rate is 25% which is really an underestimate as it doesn’t count home resting or those asymptomatic. More children are being hospitalized. They are testing all children upon admission and numbers are higher than expected as kids admitted for another reason are showing up positive. Maybe Omicron will start being treated as the flu. Doesn’t diminish that people can become sick and need to be hospitalized but maybe life can resume a little bit more like pre-March 2020, albeit with masks.
Snow coming in just in time to drive home after school 🙁 happy to have the snow but not lousy dr
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Confounding things here is that while the infections are mostly Omicron (not the 95% that's nationwide), the hospitalizations are mostly for Delta, 90% of those in the ICU (or even a regular bed for longer than 2 days) un-or-under-vaccinated. What Bob is saying he's been seeing tracks with what the NYTimes, WaPo, Boston Globe and NEJM are reporting: a lot of those in regular beds were admitted for non-COVID stuff like heart attacks, CHF, major trauma, burst appendices, etc. but their rapid tests routinely administered in Admitting triage turned out to be positive--what they're terming "incidental" cases. And all were able to be discharged when what brought them to the hospital was resolved. The cases he's been seeing (in mostly octogenarians) are mild, and some even asymptomatic.
Last night I called Chez Joel for takeout--but they're closed 1/1-1/11 while the UIC is still on winter break. (Most of their patrons are connected in some way to the U.). So, knowing tonight will be brutically arctic come dinnertime, we walked to Regalia...because we could. (John the owner said to say Judy--our keywestfan--says hi). DOTD was 2019 Surrau Vermentino, from Sardinia. (Yeah, we killed off the bottle).
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Amazed Sandy that John remembered. Told him to say “hi” when he next saw you early on NYE. After our delightful dinner is when I went home to a phone call that I’d been exposed to Covid by the 2 days before manicurist who tested positive. My stupidity for going to her though she said her daughter, a pharmacist, had vaccinated her. Many breakthroughs I’m learning.
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Glad you tested negative and made it to Key West, Judy. Airports must have been a nightmare--the Literary Festival is such a respite. Enjoy!
My own manicurist, who owns her salon, also tested positive on 12/22 despite having been vaccinated and boostered. She re-tested negative on the 28th and returned to work on 12/30. I'm seeing her tomorrow for a mani (missed my 12/23 pedi of course). My last pedi was the day before Thanksgiving, and it's amazing my big toenails aren't infected (and, in fact, unless squeezed into socks with some compression and/or shoes with narrow shallow toe boxes, not painful). Will have to come in another day for the pedi (unless she can fit in just the toenail work tomorrow), as my next appointment in 2 weeks is for a mani-pedi. Just as well, as tomorrow morning is definitely not flip-flop weather. And my face will be unfashionably clad in an either an N95 or a surgical-over-a-KN95. She, like I previously, had been a fan of chic cloth masks--but she's switched to double-surgicals until the KN95s she ordered arrive.
DOTD, with last night's leftover chicken from Regalia, was flat Perrier-Jouet cut with fresh seltzer.
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Sandy - I've been wearing my cloth masks over my surgical masks. The surgical masks are a little loose on me, so the cloth mask over it makes it a little closer of a fit.
After dinner I went out and shoveled, but there was only about 2" - it is still snowing lighting but we are supposed to get up to 6". Currently its 3F and getting colder. We didn't walk after dinner as we were worried about ice under the snow. Shoveling the driveway was a chance to be outside and get a little air and exercise. Thankfully, I got a 20 -25 minute walk at lunch.
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We weren't supposed to get any more snow, but here we are--about 1/2" to have sweep off the sidewalk, cars, & deck. At least the gale force winds have died down but the "real- feel" temps are subzero and will remain so most of tomorrow. Meanwhile, Cleveland Clinic warned that people >55 should not be shoveling snow. So if I can't take care of it with a broom and a sprinkling of ice-melt, I'll wait for our landscaper's crew (or some kid with a snowblower willing to be Venmoed or Zelled because I don't keep cash around). If the city fines me? Well, my heart and my back are worth more than $100.
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Thirsty Thursday! One of my school's pools came back positive yesterday, right at the end of the day. The principal held all the kiddos in until I could get them all swabbed, then got the staff. Of course, the person testing positive is a teacher who works in one room with students from all the classrooms. So, a bunch of students now in quarantine, but still able to attend school. Now waiting on the results from the sister school, I suspect I will be going there to swab and test for at least one positive pool there. Other schools in the district are getting multiple positive pools, one school has only one negative pool. Thus the explosion begins.
Goldie--safe travels, prayers the hot water gets fixed quickly.
Karen--same phenomenon happening here in Maine. Just the reported numbers are frightening.
Chi--It really amuses me how hospitalizations and such have been reported as "with COVID" since the beginning, but only now, 3 years later, we start talking about the difference between "with COVID" meaning incidental finding and "for COVID" meaning primary diagnosis.
Keywestfan--what a phone call to comehome to! Vaccination status seems to be making less and less difference as time goes on.
Looks like some winter weather coming in tomorrow. We're anticipating a remote day. Going to be interesting to see how that works out with the pool testing results still trickling in and the requirement to re-test within 48 hours of getting a positive pool.
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Leeward Negroni
Ingredients
- 1 ounce coconut oil-washed Campari*
- 1/2 ounce Sipsmith VJOP gin
- 3/4 ounce pandan cordial**
- Rinse: Bittermens Tiki bitters
- Garnish: pandan leaf
Steps
- Rinse a rocks glass with the Tiki bitters, then discard excess and set glass aside.
- Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
- Strain into the prepared rocks glass over one large cube.
- Garnish with a pandan leaf.
From <https://www.liquor.com/leeward-negroni-cocktail-recipe-5076006>
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SNOW DAY!❄️❄️❄️❄️ Totally unexpected Reason given: severe weather, absences (student), staff shortages (especially bus drivers) I had 3 meetings scheduled for today, all once/month meetings - wonder if they'll get rescheduled Plus an IEP meeting which will have to be rescheduled If they hold it tomorrow I won't be attending as I don't work Fridays!
At 10:30 last night no indication of a snow day. It feels like -3F and we got about 4 or 5" by my house. I shoveled last night since it was a chance to be outside and get a little exercise. When it's light out, I'll shovel again. I actually enjoy shoveling when it's light fluffy snow and only a couple inches.
Been up since 3am but finally got out of bed at 4:30. Early for a work day but was tired of looking at the clock. Normally I get up 5:00-5:15.Even though a snow day, decided not to go back to sleep I enjoy the quiet
My son made chili last night. I was going to make salmon tonight but may change to big pot of split pea and barley soup with onion, carrots and celery. I still have some in the freezer but it has beyond burger sausage in it and my son doesn't like that. So nothing like a big pot of soup on a cold day. A little bit of chicken vegetable barley soup left from the weekend. It will get finished at lunch.
Stay safe, healthy and warm.
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Sounds like everyone is getting their share of weather, whether it be cold, snow or both. We've been pleasantly warm here, in the 50's and hitting close to 60 today and tomorrow.
On demand hot water heater had the the valve for the cold water coming in, broke in the closed position. Nothing you could see from the outside. Plumber bypassed something, so the water could come in. If the water can't come in, it can't flow through the hot to be heated and used. Plumber ordered the part needed and charged $400! I was shocked. He also told my husband he had a friend that had ALS, and he only lasted a year. I told my DH that people don't stop and think of what they are saying and that we had a thread here about that!
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Lori - people are stupid. We all know the bad outcomes we don't need to be told them. We want to hear the positive outcomes - give hope. As my late mother always told me, if you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything. People need to learn to keep their mouths shut!!!
It's warmed up to 23F. DH and I walked before lunch. We were amazed how many sidewalks were shoveled. Some idiot shoveled his driveway clean, clean but didn't do the sidewalk. We will walk later this afternoon then hopefully after dinner.
It's been nice having the extra day off. I haven't been the most productive other than shovel the driveway and sidewalk, clean my cook top and go for a walk. Just eating lunch at 2pm. Think I'll finish the kitchen so I don't have to do it tomorrow and a little baking.
Stay warm and stay safe
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It's warmed all the way up to 15F with a wind chill of 0F. Going down overnight to air temp of 2 and chill of -10, again tomorrow night too, followed by rain or sleet on Sat. (And then Sun. night, Mon. into Tues. too). Not looking forward to my next water bill, due to faucets trickling to prevent frozen pipes; just a tiny drip at the hose-timer connection this summer caused a $400 2-month bill. Gonna make a steak tonight, but it'll have to be on the stove in cast iron--not on the grill. No matter how high I turn on the grill's gas flames, the air temp won't get the grates hot enough unless I close the lid, which can lead to a grease fire that could spread to the deck itself.
Had my mani today--double masked (surgical over a KN95, not as uncomfortable as I expected). Wearing long johns ("32 Below" brand) for the first time in nearly a year--and keeping them on (along with my heating pad at my back) in the front room, which is about 66 degrees due to leaky windows (rest of the house is 72-74).
With the steak, I'll Coravin a FitVine Pinot Noir I bought at Whole Foods. It's 3.3gm net carb per 5-oz. glass. I'll give Bob some Barbera (or whatever red he prefers).
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Hello gals a storm is coming in again here as I write so DH is already off work for tomorrow. Tonight I made a sausage lasagna with salad for dinner so of course I had to have some of that delicious burgundy wine we are almost finished with alongside the lasagna and salad. A tactical error -- I had a zoom meeting in the evening and seriously thought I'd fall asleep. Wine + carbs is bad for meetings 😂🍷
Goldie I'm sorry about that negative comment. People seem to find endless ways to be insensitive. Last year when speaking to my own brother about a health issue of his I said outloud "that's bad!" To this day I wonder what possessed me. Thankfully he took it in stride but I try to remember how it feels to be on the receiving end of that kind of comment.
Keep warm and safe, all those in a stormy path.
NM I hope things start settling down for you.
Chi I'm glad you finally were able to get your pedicure. They make all the difference.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy TGIF day! Remote day for us, as anticipated. The snow has just started here, but parts of the state are under a Blizzard Warning. Schools and businesses started posting closings yesterday evening, including my school. The sister school got an "indeterminate" report on one pool, what that means is anybody's guess, but has to be treated as a positive pool, and, of course, that result came available at 2 peeyem. They managed to get everyone swabbed before dismissal and, didn't find a positive. So we start over again next week. But it's downright frightening knowing that so many exposed kiddos are still coming to school. A few parents are opting to keep their children home as per the old quidelines as they don't trust the new ones, can't say as I blame them at all.
The funeral for my uncle who died just before Christmas is tomorrow. "Masks not required" is being mentioned with the funeral info. I don't think many of the family that live locally to the funeral venue are vaccinated. I do know most of them tested positive right after uncle died. I don't know if uncle died of COVID or complications of dementia (or both), but he died at home with all the family members in and out of the house helping take care of him so that's the most likely transmission location. I want to go, but I don't feel comfortable not wearing a mask, and I don't want to wind up creating a family argument over the issue, either, so I'm still trying to decide.
Karen--shoveling light fluffy snow is not a big chore, but the heavier wet stuff is a royal pain in the anatomy! Those soups sound really yummy! There is nothing like a nice hot bowl of soup on cold, snowy days.
Goldie--glad you have hot water again, but that bill is rather remarkable! I hope that includes the new part, at least. And the ALS comment, so thoughtless. I had a similar thing happen at work, after saying my brother was scheduled for open heart surgery just before Christmas a co-worker told me about a family member that died in his sleep just days before he was scheduled for open heart surgery! I almost fell off my chair. People just do not think.
Teka--at least that story struck you as funny!
Karen--sounds like great walking weather! And I agree, say something nice or say nothing at all!
Chi--sounds like you are keeping toasty even in the chilly room!
Reader--I can see how wine plus carbs can be bad for meetings! Things are settling down for me, a tiny bit better every day.
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OH WHAT A DAY! It was shower day for DH, got him in the shower, washed him, got out of the shower, dried him off and we head to the bed so I can dress him, we get to the bed and his legs won't move. All he has to do is a quarter turn to sit on the bed. He can't do it, and down he goes. Now he can't breathe! So I get him hooked up to the ventilator first. Thank goodness the guy that bought our business was here, and happens to also be an EMT. So we get him up into bed, stark naked. He doesn't want to get dressed. He goes to sleep for awhile. When he wakes, he said he woke up earlier and had to pee, couldn't reach his urinal in time, so he just pees on the rug!
THEN...the plumber shows up. He did call and text, but I had been outside most of the day, and I'm not attached to my phone like some people. Anyways he got the part, and finished the water heater. I told him he upset my DH with his comment, and he says "I was just being truthful". I'm thinking to myself, you're an asshole. Then he comes in the living room and proceeds to tell us, that due to our health situations, he's not going to charge us the $90 for the part, so it will just be another $420. So big F*CKING deal. I'm supposed to be so grateful you saved me $90, after you just made $840 off me, and you weren't here for 2 hours total in 2 days! Then it was brought up by my husband that he can't breathe when laying down and plumber says he can't either and he's had this cough, (as he turns his head and coughs w/o covering his mouth), and says his wife wants him to get tested. I'm protected, he says, I've got the shots. WTF? And what was I thinking, not making them wear a mask? I WASN'T. Never crossed my mind!
Karen yes, the a$hole should have not said anything. Go you, for getting out in those temps to walk.
That's some chilly weather Sandy. I won't even cook steak on the grill anymore, cast iron ALWAYS. The first time I tried a steak on the stove, whatever I saw, it didn't say cast iron. So I cooked it in a regular pan, it was horrible and ruined the steak.
Reader, sorry about the forgotten Zoom session, but it did make me chuckle!
NM, glad you are safe at home. I won't go anywhere w/o a mask. I don't wear one when I pump gas, but I do wear a glove on one hand for touching the pump, the other hand for my vehicle. Are you saying you don't want to cause a rucus by going to the funeral and wearing a mask? Use the kiddos as an excuse, that you don't want to possibly bring something back to school, or that you don't want to risk bringing something from school to the funeral.
On a sweeter note! You know who, 8 mo's.
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Lori, Nora’s smile lights up a room😃
Hope your weekend is better. Stay healthy.
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I just saw that Teka. He's a legend. RIP 🙏
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Resident roadrunner warming in the early morning winter sun
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Reader, I didn't get the pedi, just a mani. Will try to hold out till the 20th, which is my next scheduled mani-pedi.
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Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Saturday! Our remote leanring/snow day went pretty well, I spent a good part of the day on zoom meetings, but one of them was really, really good--the IT people set up the electronic record system to send all our close contact notifications/instructions through the robocall feature!Which is fantastic and going to save so much time. Imagine, instead of a couple hours of making 20 or 30 phone calls (more for the bigger schools) it will take about 3 minutes put in the names of the students whose families need notification and then about 30 seconds to send the texts and emails. We nurses all think this is AWESOME!!!!!And going to be so helpful now that we are moving into needing to notify of close contacts 2 or 3 times a week now that no one has to quarantine after exposure anymore. I can foresee a future starting in February where a someone tests positive every day and notices will need to go out every day. The only drawback is that notices only go out once a day, so we need to wait until the end of the day to send messages so when students have a second or third exposure in the same day they get them all at once.
I decided not to go to my uncles funeral today. Another cousin, wife and baby all tested positive a couple days ago, so it's still circulating in the family. And the Omicron variant is hitting people who have already had COVID once, making them sick and testing positive a second time, which is really worrisome to me since the rapid tests aren't picking up the omicron variant reliably. I'm going to keep limiting my exposures to school, home and the grocery store, with a very occasional other social event. The Wednesday, Women, and Wine group decided to skip meeting this month since so many of the ladies have a positive case in the home or are positive themselves, and don't trust the 5 day isolation, no one needs to quarantine rules, particularly since they are all vaccinated and boosted, just like me.
Goldie--oh my goodness, what a day you and DH had! And that plumber is a major A$hole! Both delta and omicron are ignoring vaccination status, vaccinated people can and are catching and passing them around. I don't wear a mask at the gas station, or verymuch when outdoors, unless there are a lot of people around. I probably don't pay as much attention to the hand sanitizing as I should, especially given that it's flu season and the latest weekly report show a number of flu outbreaks in Maine. Funny, haven't heard a single work about those outbreaks. I am going to use working in the school as my excuse, I know I'm exposed regularly, don't want to spread it around the family. SO CUTE at 8 months!!
Morning, Karen,
Teka--strangely funny is still funny!Better than feeling horrified or frightened to death. I saw that about Sidney Poitier earlier today. So sad.
Jazzy--does resident road runner have a name?
Morning, Chi!
Roadrunner
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
- Shake the vodka, coconut rum and amaretto vigorously over ice cubes until well frosted.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. (I used a martini glass).
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Karen thanks, yesterday was a better day!
NM, glad the IT folks are making it easier for you nurses. I'm the same with hand sanitizer and have it sitting right there in my car next to me! Good idea, I think, to skip the funeral. Sorry about the WWW meet, but it's for the best, and all the family members dealing with Covid. If I only had some Amaretto, I could make a RoadRunner!
Up at 5 and DH is back in bed at 8. He says his back is hurting more, I guess from the "fall" the other day. But he also seems depressed, sits and looks out the window, or down, lots of crying. It's really hard to deal with.
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Good morning- quick message before I head out to yoga and then to meet a friend who is in town (and her mother just passed). We are going to go out for breakfast, I won't be able to attend the funeral as its a work day next week. Her mom has been suffering with dementia for a long time so I think it's a blessing but also will be hard for them too. I met up with an old friend yesterday who called me about the death of an old friends 30 something daughter last year that shocked him (and me). That friend died over 10 years ago from BC and the two adult children are now gone too. Every direction you go, someone is gone and sometimes gone to soon. The 30 something daughter appeared to be a victim of Covid too. Stupid virus.
NM- I saw in a post you shared earlier this week you were on the fence about going to the funeral. I think you are wise to stay away, given you know there are people who are unvaxed and that there are people testing positive in your family community. Omicron is everywhere right now, we had our highest case numbers here ever yesterday (4000) and if you know something is a big risk, best to stay away. Let family be mad at you. Better to deal with grudges than a serious illness like this right?
I did give this bird the nickname this week. Rocky the roadrunner. He/she is usually sitting on the fence in the morning when I drive up to the work site, and Rocky seems to like getting warm in the morning sun. The bird is not afraid of me, I talk to Rocky. I have seen Rocky busy in the summer months capturing lizards for a meal, but wonder what they eat this time of the year as the reptiles are hibernating. They eat snakes too. They are ground dwellers but do have the ability to fly.
Goldie-I hate those unsolicited comments people make when someone is ill or for any other difficult reason. I have lists of things people have said in my head after my brother died, when I was diagnosed with cancer, etc. I try to be careful when someone shares something that may be potentially life altering news not to say anything that may make their struggle worse. I know the plumber is not a friend (and probably not for a $400 service visit), but think it still stings.
Teka- I was watching a video clip from To Sir with Love and always loved that movie, his acting, the song, etc. I have never seen that other film, maybe someone will put it on the tube so we can all watch it. They have had some Golden Girls runs on some channels since Betty left us.
I will write more tomorrow and wishing everyone a good start to the day!
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Morning back atcha, Kim! (Wanted to sleep in, but the cats had other ideas--including fighting over who got to sleep on us).
Feeling quite a bit better today--still no fever (occasionally flirting with 98F but mostly in the 96s), a bit less postnasal drip, and any semi-headache disappeared halfway through my morning coffee. So I'm not gonna waste a rapid test. It's not that the rapid tests don't detect Omicron so much as they don't detect it early--especially in vaxed & boosted people who may not develop a sufficiently large viral load to test positive until 3 days in...and by then, it's begun to wane to the point that at 5-6 days in there's not enough to transmit and will usually test negative--this second test reliably so. If you want to test early, the one to get first is a PCR (easier said than done, requiring an appointment and/or hours of wait time to get swabbed). Because the sample goes through several cycles, it's much more sensitive and therefore more accurate at the beginning of an infection--but it is so sensitive it will also detect even vestigial viral particles that are no longer viable, for several weeks long past recovery. But if you have a high viral load, the sample will come up positive after a very few cycles (though laboratory backlogs may delay reporting the result).
So if you test positive (with either type of test) and feel well 5 days in (no symptoms, no fever 72 hrs. after stopping an antipyretic like Tylenol or NSAID), re-test with a rapid, not a PCR test. If you come up negative, you can leave isolation but wear a mask indoors around anyone but immediate family living with you for another 5 days. False-positive rapid tests are so rare that if you re-test positive, you're still infectious and should isolate for another 5 days.
In my household, true isolation isn't possible--Bob has to work around patients, some of whom are COVID+, so he probably has had exposure a few times but never tested himself because hospitals here are ordering asymptomatic doctors, nurses, and resp. techs not to self-test, due to personnel shortages. The cats won't feed themselves nor scoop their own litter, so if I'm having my HK stay away, I can't avoid contact with them.
No DOTD yesterday (unless you count the wee dram o' Drambuie in the Kirkland booze bonbon I had at bedtime). Today, a good strong cup of Metropolis Red Line. (It's an espresso blend which I get shipped to me biweekly; it has to rest 3-4 days post-roast to "outgas" CO2, so once the new bag is usable for espresso I use whatever's left in the previous bag for drip or press). Beans a month or so post-roast will still make a good cup of brewed coffee, but at only 2 weeks out will be "over the hill" for espresso (thinner, unstable crema).
Oh, and my decision to stay home regardless of how I feel is about to prove a wise one. Freezing drizzle is forecast to begin within the hour. Even if the temps rise above freezing, the ground is too cold and any moisture that lands will freeze on contact. Sidewalks will be especially hazardous. So if I leave the house at all, it'll be only to spread ice-melt in case our landscaper feels it's too hazardous to venture out in his truck. We will be stuck with this icy stuff (up to a tenth of an inch accumulating) till at least Tues. because it'll start to get cold again tomorrow and ultra-brutal on Monday. Only hope the ice doesn't accumulate on power lines and bring them down.
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Who likes my breakfast ?
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NOT ME....LOL! Only because it looks spicy, and where's the eggs and toast?
I'm sure you enjoyed it! I'll have some of the beans with cheese and taters if you wanna share? Is that some chorizo?
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Fajitas are cooking but I don’t mind the wait 😁
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Mae - Beautiful. Just as well you're there. Grey, dark, ugly day here with intermittent rain showers. And up to 74 degrees so sweaty & humid.
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went sledding today with family. It was so fun I ordered a new sled when I got back home because I liked the one my grandson had. Had dinner with my brother and sisters tonight and am feeling no pain. But I will in the am when I wake up hungover.
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DH ended up staying in bed all day. But he is up this morning. Back still hurts, so I put a Salonpas on it.
Jazzy, I have seen a few roadrunners here or in the valley, but not very many, or very often. As for that service call, it was 2 of them, $420 each!
Sandy, did you test negative? Ice storms are so pretty, but also can cause lots of trouble!
BabyGirl, both look yummy! What's in your salsa? No tomato?
Minus, 74 sounds perfect, but with sunshine!
KID, what kind of sled did you get? We used to have an inflatable one, but it was 2 pieces, so it was easy to maneuver. So much fun! Gosh, remember the old wooden ones we had as kids? Surprised we didn't kill ourselves. Oh, and as a kid, we also had a toboggan and would go to a toboggan track. That was fun! Very much like the one in the picture.
DOTD: Salty Sled Dog
4 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
2 oz. gin
1 tsp. birch syrup (you can replace with simple syrup)
sea salt for rim
Cut a wedge from your recently squeezed grapefruit and run it along the edge of a martini glass. Dip glass in sea salt. Fill a cocktail shaker half way with ice and add grapefruit juice, gin, and birch syrup. Shake well. Strain into prepared martini glass. Cheers!
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Goldie, there was quacamole on the chip. DH made a pico but I don’t like whole tomato’s (only sauce, soup or ketchup).
Kid, I haven’t been sledding in 20 years. You reminded me of how fun it is. Not sure if I can get myself up though, I’ve always had knee troubles.
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