Back on the Chain Gang

 Well, my winter rest is over. It was not much of a rest, to be truthful. It was too full of stress and anxiety and sadness. I had family turmoil, with the death of my aunt as well as the sickness of other family members, I had the extreme stress of seeing Trump try to stage a coup, and finally, the stress of my own medical problems. I have postponed a few medical procedures and I have changed a few medicines, notably, different ones for my diabetes. Still, it was very exhausting. I am nervous for the two classes I have to Zoom-teach tomorrow, but they will be over in a flash. From 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., then I am done. Plus, as they say, only two preps this semester! Last semester I had four! I can do this.

Tried to take my mom to see if she could receive the Covid vaccine today at a Sav-On in Riverside. I had no luck. She is on the waiting list, but they told us that they will call if they have a dose available. They are keeping tight tabs on the supply, I understand, but the problem is that I just can't find an appointment for her on the websites. Not on the Riverside University Health system, where we are supposed to register for the mega-dosing events, nor on the private provides, such as Albertsons, Ralphs and, yes, Sav-On. We have been trying over and over during the past week and a half, since they were made available, but nothing. So, the best bet for now is to wait for a cancellation. I feel like my students who wish fervently for someone to drop their place in my class so that they can move up on the waiting list, but I am the one dashing their hopes. Thus are they doing to us.

I will post a few photos next. For now, thinking of the Pretenders' song from way, way back, from the late 70s and early 80s, when things were so much more innocent. Now, I look at myself in the mirror and I don't recognize myself. I have aged way too much. I wish I could say I have aged gracefully, but who am I kidding.