Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
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MCBaker - hope you enjoy your garden bench and gardening. Will be awhile here before gardening begins.
Puffin - You are quite good at those puzzles and they are lovely ones. I do not now, nor have I ever, had the patience to do them even though I know they are good for the mind.
Sandy - I say, go for it! Echoing the thought that it is the holidays and we should enjoy what we like.
For NY Eve, once I am done Silver Sneakers (via Zoom) exercising - hubs and I will enjoy a curbside carryout from Carrabba's at around 1:30pm (he prefers his largest meal earlier in the day). Fireworks will be going off in our neighborhood also (they randomly occur throughout the year). Kate and Liv in NYC are feeling better after becoming ill w/breakthrough COVID last Tuesday. So sad I had to cancel my plans to visit them and my sister over the holidays, but not worth the risk.
Onward to 2022!
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Another inch of snow last night and no newspaper. DS and GS3 & 4 cleaned our walks, dug out our car, moved some heavy things and are adding another handrail to the stairs. Nice to have young healthy people to do these things. They're going to have Indian Food tomorrow with DD and have offered to bring us takeout. It will be our 62nd anniversary. We're no longer up for partying late.
It's nice to be able to go somewhere. DS's car has snow tires and he lives in Hood River, OR where it snows every year and people know how to drive in it.
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Wren, nice that you have blessings in your grandsons. They do make our lives work much better when it is hard on us or maybe impossible. Glad you can get out a bit as well, but also getting food brought in your anniversary. God bless young people.
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Wren - happy 62nd anniversary!
Colorado is on fire!!! Over 500 homes have been lost in Boulder County. Whole neighborhoods have been lost. Strong, strong winds so nothing fire fighters could do. The Sheriff in Boulder County said it won't be over till the winds die down. So, so very tragic. I'm at least 30 - 45 minutes from where the fires are. Feel so helpless. Snow is due tomorrow and into Saturday - hopefully the fires will be out before then. We are so very dry - these fires started as grass fires.
NYE is just another day of the week!
Everyone stay healthy and safe.
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Just talked to my SIL in Bloomfield, CO. Said she can see the flames. She has been told to be prepared to evacuate. She will do badly if that happens. Not a good driver even under the best conditions and she has no idea where she could go. I assume they will direct people to a shelter but she hasn't gotten any instructions. Her son lives on the other side of the fire in Bolder and can't get to her.
I fear 2022 will be more of the same plus extra election noise. Governor's race here is already getting ugly.
Our turn to host BFFs. In the past we have gone to our country club for a lovely meal but they aren't doing that - only a party with limited menu and everyone eating at 5:30. I know we are old but it's a long time to even the NY ball drop. Too much drinking for me.
Karen - stay safe.
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Taco - I'm about 45 minutes south and east of the fires. I hope your SIL will be fine. It is so scary. The fires keep expanding. They are calling this the most destructive fire in Colorado history. Over 600 homes lost. The news is telling people if they are on pre-evacuation to go ahead and leave. I can't even imagine.
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I can only imagine how awful it would be to evacuate just after Christmas. Awful anytime, but especially over the holidays. I hope everyone is able to get out and find a safe place to be.
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Mary, N95s & KN95s can be reused till they get soiled or wet. Buy 3 and rotate them day-to-day. (Hanging them in a sunny window helps disinfect any particles on the surface). N95s get disposed of in hospitals now--but that's because personnel are around COVID patients all shift long. (At the start of the pandemic, they were in such short supply that healthcare personnel had to save and use them for at least a week)! You can also double-mask with the much cheaper disposable surgical masks.
Carole, we have a name for that guy at Sam's Club: "maskhole." Probably unvaxed too.
A KN95 or KF94 can fit as well as an N95--put it on chin-first, mold the nosepiece tightly with the upper edge just below the "bags" of your eyes (anchored by glasses is even better), and knot or twist the earloops to get a snug fit at the sides (or run a ribbon or shoelace behind them to anchor behind your head for a super-snug fit). . They'va always fitted me better than surgicals because I have a narrow face and a small chin (I can wear the kids' size sometimes).
My godson retested 3 times today, at 3 different sites...all negative, as are his wife & baby staying with friends across town. But as soon as he tested positive last night she kicked him out to his parents' couch. Never mind that the latter 3 of 4 tests are all negative, as are his parents (my BFFs), She won't even let him come over to pick up a change of clothes--her crunchy-granola pediatrician in Seattle insists (contrary to CDC guidelines) they isolate from each other for 10 days! So much for going back to Seattle any time soon.
Why are so many people testing all of a sudden? At first, travel and gatherings, to make sure they were safe. But then as cases began to rise, it became a self-fulfilling prophecy--tests are up because cases are up and people are scared. Here's the kicker, though (per the NEJM): although PCR tests are more sensitive, they're not more accurate. By the time a PCR sample goes through the testing cycle and the report comes back, the infection has already begun to subside--and depending how late after exposure the test was done, the viral load is too low to spread and the infectious period is over, The NEJM argues that rapid testing "just because" is preferable--and should be done by asymptomatic people no earlier than 2 days (but no later than 3).post-exposure--and repeated twice a week. Omicron replicates so fast that symptoms may appear and tests come back positive after only 2 days. And a negative rapid-re-test is a more accurate indicator of whether the person is still infectious. (That's why test kits have two tests per box). The CDC & NEJM's guidance is largely behind the shortage of Abbott Binax NOW home test kits--though QuickVue & FlexFlow are good too, and more plentiful. Many schools--Chicago's included--are insituting a "test-to-stay" policy to avoid having to quarantine exposed contacts or go back to remote learning,
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Sandy, I also wonder why so many people are testing. It seems to be happening everywhere. I like "maskhole."
All natural disasters are terrible but fires seem to be especially destructive because they can last so long, depending on the weather circumstances like strong wind. At least hurricanes and tornadoes come to an end more quickly after wreaking destruction of people and their lives.
Our governor would undoubtedly like to declare another mask mandate but he doesn't dare in this red state full of maskholes. The Republican legislators have tried their best to strip him of powers but so far the courts haven't supported them.
DH is off to play golf today. My "job" is to venture out and try to find a corned beef to cook with cabbage and carrots on New Year's Day, along with the required black-eyed peas. Cabbage and black-eyed peas are traditional in south Louisiana, for prosperity in the coming year. All the supermarkets have big displays of cabbages and packages of dry peas, also cans of black-eyed peas for the lazy among us. The corned beef is not required but dh has decided he requires it! I love corned beef but will try not to eat much of it because it affects me like ham, causing water retention weight gain.
We have another three days of summer before the temperatures plunge to freezing. The camellias are full of beautiful blooms. I will cover two smaller ones with old sheets but two others are small tree size and will be on their own.
Puffin, I love the puzzle. It's time for me to get out a puzzle. I enjoy putting them together.
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We texted with SIL again this morning and she is safe. Also said she and son had figured out a way she around the fire so she could get to his house if needed. Not a good year for that family either. Nephew and wife split. Four year old seems to doing OK for now but I'm certain it's been hard on all 4 of them.
I'm afraid that too many people are using a negative test to say "I'm fine and can do what I want." Tests are VERY hard to get here. We grabbed two a piece when the library was giving them out. Hope we never have to use them. Ken is high risk with his heart conditions. And if he has a heart attack, who knows if they could find him a hospital bed.
Trying to do more deep breathing and walking to alleviate the stress I feel about his health. I am one of those women who has never lived alone other than short TDY's when he was in the military. I don't have a good feeling that we will celebrate New Year's together next year.
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Sorry about your feeling Taco and for 2022 try to enjoy every minute you have together. None of us can predict what 2022 will bring for us or our loved ones but we always entertain that hope that each year will be better.
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Regalia tonight, risotto primavera for Gil, buratta and artichokes for me, salmon for Lauren, Gil’s daughter, risotto mer for Barry with lobster and crab. Four desserts, including the wonderful flamed almond semifredo. The restaurant was not crowded at our insanely early 5:30 hour and felt safe. So all good there.
But home to a message that manicurist who I saw Tuesday at noon tested positive on Thursday. She was vaccinated, and had told me she was going to be boosted on Thursday. We were both masked, she in a surgical, me in a k94. But she waxed my chin and upper lip so my mask was off for about 7 minutes.
We have 8 Abbot rapid Binax now tests which Northwestern put in Gil’s office last week and I ordered 5 boxes of flowflex tests 8 days ago with priority shipping. Still haven’t received them. Do not know when to test- feel fine, but nervous. Supposed to go to Key West Tuesday. When I was contacted was told to test Sunday- 5 days- since exposure. Scared..
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Happy New Year, everyone. May 2022 be the year the nation comes to its senses, in more ways than one.
CDC's flow chart states that a fully-vaccinated asymptomatic person who gets exposed need neither test nor quarantine, just wear a mask. (I presume that means everywhere, except when home alone).
Judy, we couldn't have done Regalia tonight because Bob got off work too late and we did have a very small gathering for which I had to prepare a spread. When Gordy & Leslie came over, we stood out on the deck, huddled around our de facto patio heater (aka our gas grill). Not much of a heater, unless you're standing over it, cooking. (A fire pit is looking better & better, even if we have to put it on the pavement--a torch heater would be a pain, as I don't want to deal with propane tanks).We had early champagne, caviar (sturgeon and Whole Foods' salmon & whitefish roes, the latter two on special for $7), and various cheeses. When it got too ice-foggy, the kids called it a night (they were too nervous about coming inside, even though they tested negative and everyone was fully boostered. My BFFs came over--their son (my godson) is fine but his wife, though negative, was running a slight fever and feeling tired (the friction over the past couple of days was a likely culprit--so it made sense to stay behind and help his wife take care of the baby, who is teething. Our other friend came over too. We exchanged gifts, ate the snacks (the cheeses with Raincoast crisps, caviars on blini, salmon pinwheels, a crudité platter I had to replenish twice, and hummus & babaghannouj from Middle East Grocery in Andersonville). Never did get to put out the charcuterie. Killed off. bottle & a half of bubbly, toasted the New Year (the fireworks broadcast was a bit of a bust because the fog & drizzle blurred the images) and talked for another hour, capping off the night with baklava.
If the snowstorm is walkable, we might do Regalia tomorrow night. (We slogged through 18" one year to go to B'way Cellars' Super Bowl party, amd Regalia is only half the distance). Glad we backed out of that ill-advised mega-open house tomorrow--getting there would have been brutsl. We're in for as much as 9" by the time the lake-effect snow machine heads Hoosier-ward. Good thing I waterproofed all my boots. If we stay in, we have all that leftover party food.
Heidi did give us a scare since yesterday--saw blood drops on the floor atop the landing--then on our blankets and the radiator cover where she likes to sleep. Was having flashbacks to the kidney stone surgery she had five years ago. But then I remembered she was constantly getting her claws stuck in various fabrics, and she would first panic and then cry out in pain when I'd try to extricate her. Took her to the vet today, prepared to have to board her at MedVet emergency hospital because our vet closed at 4 today. Showed the vet the pix I snapped of the blood spots--and when I zoomed in on the radiator cover, the spots were definitely paw prints. Sure enough, it turned out to be two severely ingrown toenails--as with humans, age makes toenails thicken and curl under. Heidi got her mani-pedi and is fine now--we'd assumed her difficulty with stairs was due to arthritis; instead, her paws were extremely painful.
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Happy New Year. We did not stay up late.
karen & taco, Stay safe. Cyber hugs.
Sandy, my 23 year old calico get ingrown nails, too. When she starts sounding like a little dog walking on the floor, I know it is time for a mani pedi.
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Happy New Year to all my "oldie" friends.
DH and I usually read in bed for up to an hour before we turn off our lights and go to sleep. I was asleep a little past 10:00 last night and slept through all the fireworks in the neighborhood. So did dh. He pointed out this morning that normally at the end of December it's cool enough to have the bedroom window open. With this summer weather, the windows were all closed and the a/c cycling on and off.
We agree that 2021 was a pretty good year for us. No serious illnesses or hospitalizations. Both physically able to play golf and do necessary chores. No money problems. No deaths in the family.
DH acted on my suggestion and bought an Apple phone watch. Because of Keywestfan's experience with falling and her phone reporting her situation, I came to think that I would feel somewhat reassured if dh wore a similar watch. He has heart disease and uses tools that can be dangerous in his workshop. Originally I intended for both of us to get watches but they're pricey and I'm more worried about him than about myself. Maybe I will get one later on.
I enjoy checking in and reading your posts most days. Wishing the best for all of us in the coming year.
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This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best.
- William Arthur Ward0 -
Went to bed about 11:15 p.m. I was propping my eyes open to finish a movie we put on or I'd have been to sleep sooner. I was unaware when it became the New Yr. It rained thru the night and still going this morning. This could turn to having some ice here and there on the road. Hoping none of us really have to go out. DD hasn't had to drive on ice or snow and will be learning this yr. I just hope she learns as quick as I did. I had a job at the time and just had too.Hoping everyone remains in good health and can come and go as needed.
Relaxing today and getting ready for a yummy meatloaf sandwich and low-salt chips. Enjoy NY'sD.
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Went to bed at 9pm and vaguely heard a roman candle presumably at midnight. Never woke completely up - which is fine with me. SIL work up with a sore throat so we won't see the grandsons and family today. Kind of sad. They're planning to go home tomorrow. It was sure nice getting their help with heavy things and snowy sidewalks. It's supposed to get into the 40's by Mon and everything will return to rain.
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Tippy woke me up at some time during the night, asking me to pet him. Doesn't happen very often, so it must have been fireworks.
I am busy sewing. She bought Butterick 6559, Simplicity 9323, and McCall's 7750, and I already had Simplicity 4236. Saris are generally 24 inches wide and 5 yards long. I think with what is left of each sari I can make knee length wrap layers, or longer is my preference, for either of us, and make wrap skirts, either with a lining fabric under, or a complementary layer.
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We went downtown but came home before the new year. It wasn’t as crowded as it was for 2019, which felt sad but also nice. We got home to our neighbors party, where an adult was driving the kids around in a golf car to see the various fireworks. Long story short, the “adult” took the cart off road, backed up and into one of our fake lakes and sunk the cart. So thankful all the kids were ok. My 12 yr old nieces daughter was holding a 5 year old who couldn’t swim, the 12 yr old is a great swimmer on the swim team at school and got them both out.
Today we spent at the beach, while half dozen neighbors worked hard to get the golf cart out of the lake. We had a great day, came home to shower before going out to dinner for my nieces 1/1 birthday. On our way to getting in my car, the 12 yr old asked what happened to your car? We all look at the front end where apparently I had been hit last night while parked downtown. Scrapes on the front end bumper with the quarter panel popped out. Doesn’t look real bad but I believe it will be expensive. So as crazy as 2020 & 2021 were, I’m not sure my 2022 is starting out on the right foot. (Who am I kidding, it’s not!)
We get up early tomorrow to take my niece & her daughter to the airport. Oh, and the cold my nieces daughter has, I now have. I’ll have to weigh out being tested for covid just in case. We keep our masks on wherever we go, unless fully outside.
Wishing us all a better 2022
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ChiSandy - Thanks for the info about the N95 masks because I have been reusing them because they look fine. Just found out last Sunday I was exposed to my nephew on Xmas Eve who tested positive on Monday but was contagious when I saw him based on the CDC criteria. He had a sore throat when I saw him but was vaccinated so didn’t think anything of it. He actually got pretty sick but no hospitalization. I’m 6 weeks out from my booster but did rapid test on Tuesday and Wednesday with negative results and PCR tested on Wednesday but I have don’t have the results back from that yet. I have had 2 out of my 4 children have breakthrough cases and they were vaccinated but not boosted. I feel for our BC sisters having to go through treatment throughout this pandemic. It’s difficult enough in the best of times
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We're starting off at 71 degrees, cloudy, this morning and it's supposed to be getting colder throughout the day with freezing temperatures during the night and early morning. I have some old sheets handy to wrap a couple of camellia bushes and clip the sheets with clothes pins since it's supposed to be windy. DH will be responsible for protecting outside faucets. When we have a hard freeze with temperatures down in the teens, we run a dribble of water in the kitchen sink. I don't expect the temperatures to go that low tonight.
Cindy, what a fiasco with the golf cart. Sorry about the damage to your car. Definitely not the best way to begin the new year.
I am the designated Make the Tee Times in January person for a group of women golfers. I was up early and got the tee times for Tuesday and sent out a group email. It was easy since we can make tee times online. I dreamed about making tee times since it was on my mind not to forget.
A lazy day today with nothing planned. Not a rare occurrence. Watching the Saints game definitely won't be a pleasure. The team barely has enough players to put out on the field.
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Carole, I am west of you and the cold is coming your way! Temps starting dropping last night, wind blew all night and is still blowing. Temp is 26, who knows what the wind chill factor is! Quite a contrast with the high 70s, low 80s we have been having.
DGD1 who is living with us left Monday to visit her parents who are working in South America, and DGS1, her cousin, and his financee have been here the last two nights so she can visit with her family who live nearby but do not have sleeping accommodations for them. I jokingly told my husband that it looks like we are running a b&b!
Off to snuggle with our doxie, keeping each other warm.
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Taco - Glad your SIL is safe. Sorry to hear about your worry about your DH's health.
Cindy - sorry about your car.
Sandy - glad to hear nothing serious with your fur baby.
We got about 6" snow Friday night into Saturday but it was bitter cold - only about 12 for the high. It's supposed to get to the low 40s today - it's already 30. Thursday is supposed to be bitter cold again.
Winter break is over - back to work tomorrow. It's been a relaxing 2 weeks, accomplished a fair amount in the house.
Have a great Sunday.
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If we could but recognize our common humanity, that we do belong together, that our destinies are bound up in one another's, that we can be free only together, that we can be human only together, then a glorious world would come into being where all of us lived harmoniously together as members of one family, the human family. -Desmond Tutu
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Feeling for all who may be starting out 2022 with quite early issues -- may the sun find you and immediately turn thigs around for you. For all who have cold temps I'm also commiserating with you. We had rain and more rain, and it has now brought on the cold air here as well. It seems it will go a bit back and forth and at some point result in our first snow possibly of the yr. So strange ( it has done it before ) to have a wet, warm Christmas/New Year.
Hoping that you all stay well and no more covid in your lives.
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It's 37 here right now and we're starting to thaw a little. The street looks like a sheet of ice so I'll walk to the store if we need anything. The closest one is pricey but not as much as auto repair.
Cyndy, Bummer about the car.
Taco, I have the same sort of wondering about DH in the next year. He was trying to ask me about something and it was hard for him to make a sentence and describe what he was asking about. There's a lot of Alzheimer's on his father's side. His sister is having some problems also.
I can't remember her name, but someone on here used to wish us moments of beauty and peace. It seems appropriate now as well.
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Cindy, sorry your car was a NYE casualty--thank goodness it was parked & empty. My mom lived in Kings Point (Delray), with many fake lakes. Every year there was either a cart gone awry, a gator, or both.
Bob just got a call from his office mgr--though boosted, she has COVID but is already on the mend. So the office will have to be canceled tomorrow. Because he is a doctor, he is not supposed to test unless he has symptoms (he claims he doesn't), but thinks I might want to. I'm on the fence about that--when he gets back from brunch (with my quiche) in a few minutes we'll discuss it. It's not like we don't have any tests on hand. If I test positive, he probably is too. But I probably owe it to my three indoor NYE guests and my HK. Will keep you posted.
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Happy Extended Anniversary, Wren! (It sounds so much better than "Belated").
It's been nearly a week since Bob or anyone else in the office was exposed to the ofc. Mgr., so the office will be open tomorrow night. Bob says no need for me to test. Meanwhile, the friends who backed out of our NYE party tested negative—his doctor says his symptoms definitely appear to be his mold-spore allergy, exacerbated by his years as a firefighter (they were recently in Tampa, and the outdoor spores were likely on his clothing—they will do laundry today, obviously).
Going to dig into that quiche & salad right now—ending my intermittent fast of 14+ hrs
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Turns out that the last time Bob or his nurse saw the ofc. mgr. was Wed. (and she was likely past the point of transmissibility), so he & his nurse will keep the ofc. open for whichever patients don't cancel on him.
If we do go out tonight (iffy, because I just finished my brunch and am stuffed), I can proudly wear my Bears jersey: they just beat the Giants 29-3. Now to try and get Bob an IDPH portal account so he can use VaxVerify to get an IL "SMART card" QR code that is universally recognized because it can't be faked. I had to get mine in a roundabout way: I tried to log into my portal from Safari on my computer but kept getting the message "unable to sign in." Switched to Chrome and it worked. I printed out my SMART card and photographed the QR code on the printout (posting a copy to my Notes app), but like an idiot didn't also save it as a .pdf. So when I tried to follow the directions from iDrop.com as to how to put it into both my Health and Wallet apps, I tried to log in again and...the same stupid error message--on both browsers on both my computer and phone. So we will have to try to get Bob a portal account using only his phone--and first download Chrome for iOS just in case Safari on his phone won't work. Ah, technology. He hasn't set up his Apple Wallet--he uses his phone only for text, talk and logging his steps in the Health app because he doesn't have an AppleWatch--it's one more thing he'd have to charge overnight and remember to put on in the morning. He doesn't have any music on the phone either, because he never downloaded anything to iTunes before it transitioned to AppleMusic and discontinued downloads. He wanted a set of over-the-ear headphones with a built-in radio, but I'd have to time-travel to 1990 for that (somewhere, he has an old pair from his Bears season-ticket-holder days). So I'd have to get him some wireless ones and Bluetooth them to his phone, so he can at least ask Siri to pick him a random streaming playlist. (He doesn't have Pandora or Spotify either).
Once I get his headphones set up, I think we will look for patio heaters--either electric or gas, preferably natural. We'd have to have either one professionally installed. A firepit would be too dangerous on the deck, and our latest snowfall makes it obvious that putting it on the lawn or the path to the garage would be wildly impractical.
Meanwhile, with all the breakthrough cases of Omicron among even the boosted, I'm wondering how useful the city's new proof-of-vax mandate for indoor dining, entertainment venues & gyms would be. As test kits become more plentiful and (one hopes) cheaper, showing a negative rapid-test result taken w/in the hour--plus proof-of-vax--might make more sense. The proof-of-vax requirement for the city and most of the county goes into effect tomorrow; for Evanston, Skokie, Stickney Township and Oak Park have their own health depts. and their mandates go into effect 1/10. Some Chicago restaurants have jumped the gun and begun mandating showing vax proof--one owner has said he's gotten twice as many "Thank you"s as "F*** you"s. A spokesman for the Independent Restaurants Assn. said today it's vastly preferable to capacity limits.
Meanwhile, the state reported 57,000 new case on Fri. (IDPH doesn't issue reports on weekends or holidays), but NYC alone reported 85,000 new cases yesterday, With so many people not only traveling but also milling around inside airport terminals attempting to travel, it's only going to get way worse for at least the rest of the month. Gov. Pritzker has advised hospitals (stopping just short of ordering, because the downstate right-wingers in the legislature would surely sue) to suspend all non-emergency surgeries, not just those that would require using ventilators. The biggest problem, bigger than dwindling availability of ICU beds & ventilators, is a shortage of hospital personnel--due more to their actually having COVID than protesting vax mandates. So I'm hoping not to fall down, get into a vehicular accident, nor cut myself while cooking. The last place I wanna be is in an ER or Urgent Care waiting room full of patients trying to get tested.
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