Bye to 2022

As we see out the year 2022, I reflect back on leaving one office for another, of whales and submarines, of opossums and raccoons and a beagle, of Belgium and Mexico, Luxembourg, Toronto, Austin...and that great moment at the start of the year when I spent time with old friends in Austin and was able to talk about Daniel Johnston and Jack Kirby.

The years have all blurred together and I no longer have a sense of the passage of time other than now, in the pandemic, and in another world we all kind of recall.

I once was a writer. Then I got a job. Possibly as a game warden. It all depends on your definition of wildlife.

Let's see what tomorrow brings. Probably more semi-wild animals in the convent yard, but maybe something more.

Purple Prose

Last night, I got a forty dollar rush ticket to see 1776 on Broadway. Or sort of on Broadway. On 42nd Street near Broadway if you must know.

I hadn't seen 1776 since watching it on a VHS tape in Latin class in high school. I realize that memory is incorrect, as there is no reason to watch 1776 in Latin class. Maybe it was history class.

Anyway, 1776 doesn't really hold up given the inevitable comparisons to the more electrifying and modern Hamilton, and watching Congress fight felt a bit like something I could just see in the news. The cast was distinctly not white male property owners, which elevated the theme that compromise in 1776 led to incremental change over time, and you want to yell "NOOO don't do it" at Adams and Jefferson, but you can see how cornered they are.

It was rough watching the rot at the core of the apple of democracy as entertainment .

lol, did I just write apple of democracy...

More Fun With Ferals

I read an article that recommended plugging in an oil-filled radiator next to a feral cat house, and I'm thinking of trying it.

It wasn't that long ago I didn't even like cats...

Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time

I had the brilliant idea to take the plane back to Newark from Virginia because I could use points and it was then only $5 for tax.

But the plane is still in Newark and I guess it’s gonna be a long night.

I wonder how Amtrak is doing.

Christmas Beagle

Charlie says happy holiday.

Share Nicely

The two backyard cats squabble constantly over who gets to go in the Kitty Tube (insulated barrel for cat lounging). Whoever goes in first tends to bar the door, tormenting the cat outside, until finally they relent and then both cats curl up together, warm, until they hear the back door open for breakfast.

But when an interloper shows up outside, they seem to be puzzled and unclear on what to do. The last photo shows both little cat faces staring out while an upstart black-and-white feral wanders across their territory.

Maybe Stay Home A Bit Longer

I'm improving in skips and hops, and I imagine most people are nodding and saying "Yes, that's how it was for me too." 

 The pandemic is still with us, but more as an irritant than the destructive killer it was in 2020. The little test strip says I'm fine, but I still fell asleep much too early last night and even now, I'm clearing my throat so often that going to the office seems a poor choice. Maybe tomorrow.

Day 9

The little T line on my covid test is FINALLY starting to lighten. It's maybe 50% of what it was a few days ago.

It's been pretty mild, overall, and if we didn't live in pandemic world, I'd just think I had a cold.

Mask up in group settings, y'all.

Really?

Among the TSA list of things that might require additional screening...

Keep Out

- Hello, friend! The yard is cold tonight. May I join you? 

- No. You seem like a nice opossum but this is a house for cats only. But feel free to have some leftover kibble.

So Can I Fly?

I'm continuing to read guidance on covid and when one is considered "safe" to go out in a mask, and it seems the CDC says 5 days after the first positive test, you can go out and do whatever IN A GOOD MASK. That obviously means you can't go out to eat, but it does mean you could pick up food. The intent is clearly "run in and pick up" and not "go for a long day at the mall."

Advice gets muddy after that—when exactly are you contagious?—and I'm pretty sure they think they know, mostly, but aren't completely sure. It's one thing to run into a deli, but it's an entirely different thing to spend 5 hours crammed into an airline seat next to a stranger.

Advice does agree that if you feel sick, you should stay home. Check, that makes perfect sense. But I don't feel particularly sick and it's now been six days since my first positive test.

I have a booking for a Monday night ticket from Newark to LAX. That's day 7 and Monday and Tuesday are two of the lowest-travel days. I'll keep an eye on the seating on the plane. I feel kind of paranoid. What if they're wrong about masking up and being basically okay after 5 days? But we'll see. It's all just stuff to think about—at what point do I feel like I'm channeling Typhoid Mary versus "masks are fine, shut up"? I guess we'll see.

Tasty Treat? Maybe.

I was watching videos on how to make hot chocolate and it looks like in Puerto Rico, one would melt Edam cheese into hot chocolate. 

What? I don't really understand, but I guess I have to visit Puerto Rico now. 

During the winter.

Adventures in Feral Cat Land

I put out a plug-in water bowl so the animal water doesn’t freeze, and Gigi has been sitting next to it now for at least an hour.

On Pause

Guess I’m moving my flight again.

I need to look up how the virus sheds, so I can get an idea of how long it’s going to be before I’m allowed on a plane. I get I can mask up and it’s probably fine, but I am unclear on when the point would be that I’m not a potential superspreader. A week? A day? It was always fine? I am being cautious, but what are the facts? (Does it even matter given I have to work from home for a while as I don’t want to worry my colleagues?)

Also, a friend of mine posted about a nasal spray, available from international pharmacies in Israel, Thailand, South Africa, Indonesia. Too late for me but I am checking it out—still in trials in the US and Canada, but the idea is it shortens the duration. Possibly prevents infection, too.

I Joined the Club

Today’s agenda:

I think today (day 3 of symptoms) is likely to be as bad as it gets. Feels like a medium-level cold, crappy but I’ve had worse. I don’t have to sleep sitting up yet.

I have had every vax as it was rolled out, and I am grateful for it as I basically just have to get through this instead of planning for potential medical intervention. Getting covid nearly 3 years after the first cases is such a different beast from what it was previously.

Reminder to mask up in crowds. I know it’s uncommon but stay vigilant if you don’t want to join this club. I’m sure I got it the day I forgot my mask on the PATH and A train.