Posted on by Anne · 2 Comments

Late to the (Covid) party

I started this blog to write about my new experiences living down here in southwest Virginia. Well, on Wednesday I had the new experience of testing positive for Covid.

I dodged that stuff for three years! I’ve gotten every shot and booster I could get my hands on. I even kind of wondered if I was possibly Covid-proof, like one of my friends at work (his story is actually kind of amazing).

But alas, no. I started feeling run down on Tuesday, with a scratchy throat that got worse as the day went on. I woke up a little stuffy on Wednesday, and chalked it up to a cold, until I heard the radio news saying that Covid cases were up in Roanoke. And surprise, surprise! I got those dreaded double lines.

I have a mild case, where it has just felt like a doozy of a cold for the last couple of days. And as I write this on Saturday, I’m feeling much better and very, very lucky. I’ve got a nice set-up in the basement to avoid infecting Jim, and the cats LOVE Camp Covid.

This is not so bad

And the benefit of having it this late is that everyone knows what I’m going through. It could be much, much worse.

Posted on by Anne · 2 Comments

Speeding to the Speedway on a Lucky Day

One evening in the first week in March, I got a surprise email from the Southern Virginia Regional Health Care System. Anne, it said, come on down to the Martinsville Speedway next week and we’ll give you a Covid shot. After Jim and decided that it was real – we had never heard of Sovah Health – I registered and got myself an appointment.

It seems my eligibility had come up, and because we live in a relatively-uncrowded part of Virginia, shots were available. Sovah Health was planning a mass vaccination event, drive-up style, at the race track in Martinsville.

Martinsville is a real part of the NASCAR circuit (they’ve got some races April 8-10 if that’s your thing) so it was a unique experience going down there.

Not going to lie, this is likely the closest I will get to a NASCAR race.

And it’s true, you don’t even get out of your car. You roll up, fill out a card, drive to a pop-up tent where they take your card and introduce you to an RN with a syringe. Put your car in park, open the door, and bam. Then you’re off, with an index card printed with the time you’re permitted to leave (15 minutes after the vaccination). You take a spot in another line where the staff helps you make your appointment online for the second shot. By the time you leave the racetrack, you’re set for your three-week return appointment.

I was good to go at 8:32 yesterday, half an hour after I got to the track.

That second shot, for me, was yesterday morning. I jumped in the car at 7:00 for the hour-long trip to Martinsville and the operation was as smooth as the first time around. This time I did not even need to open the door – the RN reached right in and took care of business. I told them they’re so efficient they should run the government.

A smooth operation, staffed by extremely nice medical folks, sheriff’s department personnel, and kind volunteers.

On the way home I drove by redbuds (they’re popping down south in Martinsville but I think we’ll have to wait a bit longer for ours) and beat the rain that was forecast for the day. And even though I am feeling some of those side effects you might have heard about, today I am beyond grateful for the whole thing.

Posted on by Anne · 3 Comments

2020 Graduations

It’s thick into college graduation season, and because of the work I do, it’s a busy time. With all of us trying to do our work remotely, there is a little bit of extra tension this week.

But the tension we’re going through is, of course, no big deal compared to what the students are dealing with. And their moms and dads, too. You want to assure them that their kids’ experience over the past four years was the real cause for celebration, not just one day.

On the other hand, I am mindful that I was lucky enough to enjoy (in person) our daughter’s graduation back in December and I’m truly sad that the class of 2020 is missing out on a very special time.

The creativity that I’ve seen this spring, with families’ celebrations of their kids’ graduations and the hard work I’ve seen my colleagues put in, has been so incredible; I know that they must feel very much the same way that I do.

I’ll leave you with this: these are some of the faculty members at the college where I work (we’re the liberal arts college within a large university). When our director of student outreach asked them to send in video congratulations messages, he got more than 60 responses! That makes me like these folks even more.

I know you don’t know them, but once you watch this video, I’ll bet you’ll like them, too.

Posted on by Anne

Just a List (Part 2)

The other day I contemplated a list of some of the things I’ve done to eat up the day while all of this Covid swirls around. It may also be a preview of some things I want to write about but here are some of the things that have kept me busy:

  • make up some stories
  • find a change of venue (around the house)
  • try not to snack (too much)
  • consider ordering new pants because all the snacking make the old ones obsolete
  • get on a video call or 7
  • enjoy having your college kid at home
  • go to the dump
  • there’s always laundry
  • make elaborate dinners
  • eat hummus for dinner
  • get take-out for dinner
  • wage war on squirrels at the bird feeder
  • read some good books (because every book is a good book)
  • Yoga with Adriene — aspire to be stretchy!
  • eat all the Reese’s
  • stay on social media way too long, even though you know better.

What are you doing with your Covid days?