Oh, no!

Crandall Libarary to hold conversation about new book

May 11, 2022

Morning Update

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

By Ken Tingley

Only briefly have my wife and I ventured outside our comfort zone during the pandemic.

We’ve been careful.

We’ve been cautious.

We’ve been twice vaccinated and now twice boosted.

Because of a medications we both take, we’re both immunocompromised which puts us more at risk.

In recent weeks as local infection rates climbed again, I’ve remained cautious as one of the few masked shoppers at the supermarket and other stores.

But last month we stepped outside our comfort zone with a trip to Boston to celebrate my 65th birthday. We once again experienced the joy of a crowded Irish bar and a packed Italian restaurant where being six feet apart would just be rude. I don’t think we donned a mask once all weekend.

After the drive back that Monday, I felt fatigued like I had a head cold. I went to bed early, but didn’t sleep well.

I was still off my game Tuesday and had a little bit of a cough. Surely, it wasn’t what I thought it might be.

Not after all this time.

Not after being so careful.

Not after getting all those shots.

That night, I had chills and a fever and didn’t sleep well again.

On Wednesday, I took the at-home test.

I had Covid. Thankfully, my wife was negative.

After all this time I thought we had the pandemic beat.

I spent Wednesday on the couch with little energy and less appetite. It was like having a bad case of the flu, except by Thursday, I was in my third day of symptoms. I kept returning to the CDC website where it said symptoms could last 2 to 14 days. It was discouraging to think I would be on the couch for two weeks.

But Thursday night, I finally got a good night sleep.

The fever broke and while I was still tired, I felt much better.

I did a few chores around the yard, but when my wife came outside, I warned her that I was not wearing my mask. She said it didn’t matter and showed me her positive test result.

She ended up with some of the same symptoms but not all.

By Friday, I was definitely on the mend.

This new world is complicated and if we’ve learned anything over the past two years it’s that we have to take care of ourselves. I feel fortunate to have been vaccinated and boosted, but this was as sick as I’ve been in a long time. I can’t imagine what it would be like without the vaccine.

I’m still masking up just to be safe.

The funny thing is that I had a fantastic time my birthday weekend.

My 65th birthday with my family was as good as any birthday I have ever had. I’m going to remember that dinner in the “Kennedy Booth” at the Union Oyster House for a long time.

So that’s the rub.

Being cautious and prudent are important, but you also have to live your life.

I suspect a year from now, I will be remembering that celebration and forgotten I ever had Covid.

I hope so.

Lee layoffs

Axios is reporting that Lee Enterprises, which owns three newspapers in New York including The Post-Star, expects to layoff 400 before the end of the year. That’s about 10 percent of their workforce.

Lee owns about 75 daily newspapers around the country. Because The Post-Star staff has been reduced so much already, I suspect it may be spared further cuts.

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