At what point would you lock down again?

[73349]

18 hours ago, ktgrok said:

The gym seems like the biggest issue and a trainwreck waiting to happen. Unmasked people and heavy breathing? Can you get an online subscription to a workout program for a while? There are so many options now!

It's weight machines, not aerobic activity, that we really need. And there's nowhere in our house to put anything (no garage or basement).

[Faith-manor]

Stopping in to say that we are pretty well locked down again. I did three curbside pickups in the last seven days and stocked up on a number of items. We ordered a half beef to split with our mothers. It comes from a Mennonite  wild game and meat market. They will load it into the back of my equinox, no direct contact. We paid over the phone and while the hatch is open, I will be masked. I also have ten whole roasting chickens and two young turkeys coming.  We ordered 20 lbs of cod loins, 20 lbs perch fillets, and 20 lbs of salmon from the fish market, and it will be the same load and go deal. I will continue to frequent the farmer's market for produce and am in the process of making salsa and pasta sauce, freezing green beans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, making grape jelly from our bumper crop of grapes, canning a half bushel of peaches, and freezing the other half in peach slices to fruit salads. I will also use my melon baller to scoop out three or four cantaloupe. The dehydrator has a ton of cherry tomatoes in it as well as diced carrots and celery, and green onion. That will get stored in a quart jar with lid and used for soups or stews. I will be making applesauce and dehydrating apples when honey crisps become abundant. I might make some banana chips as well.

Since we have realized we will not likely take on much socialization in the future because most of the IRL people we once considered friends have posted the kind of vile stuff online about covid conspiracy stuff - many now wanting to get in on stock piling over left in but some take an "experimental" vaccine 😳, we decided to invest in a few extra nice van camp items and a used, Compac sailboat. It is going to be just us and our kids plus the mothers for a long time (well maybe not Mark's mom because she is getting increasingly more fragile so we probably won't have her long term), and Mark and I used to sail during the early years of our marriage but haven't owned a boat since our first was born. We have a nice drive to the west side of the state to pick it up Saturday, will be masked and asked the owner if he would consider wearing a mask as well. He turned out to be vaxed, planning on masking anyway, and just an all around super nice person. I wish we didn't live four ours apart because I think he and Mark could become friends. Sigh. At any rate, she is sea worthy, no repairs needed, so we will be hoisting sails on Sunday for an evening cruise on Lake Huron.

Ds is busy, busy, busy outing up harvest at the Alabama house, stocking up, hunkering down. We will be spending Oct. 21-31 with them. 

Many has taken up bread making, and according to his guinea pigs (the grad school student at home and the two grandmas), he is having excellent results. He also has produced for me the most fantastic gourmet, GF pizza dough! It has been so many years since I have had anything like it. He is making I again tonight.

So van camping and sailing. No restaurants and we aren't fans of drive through fast food so Los of picnics.

Our points of risk are: his mom's medical appointments. She and her driver (she won't let me take her anywhere - new dementia symptom it seems) where KN95 which I have provided and her driver is fully vaxed with Pfizer, moving in day for our youngest, a rising college senior. We again wore KN95's, he and his college mates are masking champs, the college required vaccines to live in campus housing and zealously policed masking on move in day, had out door tables set up for students to pick up their textbooks, has 73% of the student body vaxed and nearly 84% of faculty/staff. All non vaxed individuals have to test twice per week. Currently only one case, a part time, off campus student. Zero tolerance for being indoors on campus unmasked. So we have decided that we will attend a few of the parent weekend outdoor events, the hike, the beach walk, the outdoor chamber choir concert where we bring a blanket and sit out on the football field socially distanced to listen, and the outdoor art gallery show. We won't do a quarantine when we get back, just mask around the elders to a few days.

The another point of risk is that three gig performances I wanted to cancel were petty ironclad about cancellations, something I didn't read in the fine print when I agreed to them. Grrr....dumb on my part. The organizer can cancel them though, and I suspect might if cases keep rising here. But, I perform from a stage 30 feet from the nearest row of seats, and the hall seats 500 but they are only allowing 100 and no entrance without a mask. So I am counting on my Moderna to pull me through! The string trio I am accompanying won't be sitting close to the piano, and they will be masked for performance.

The last issue is ds who is taking two, in person graduate courses. Thankfully these only have about twelve students each in large spaces with masks required. So counting on his KN95 plus Pfizer. He is living at home and applying to grad schools for fall 2022. But he takes his lunch and eats in the car which helps reduce exposure so fingers crossed.

Mark is still working remote and that is a permanent arrangement now.

I am very thankful we have the mountain house to escape to at times this winter. Being active in the Michigan, great outdoors is what keeps us going, keeps us busy. But the frigid winters and maintenance of three driveways and porches, even with a snowblower, is a nightmare on top of being shut in so much when the temps and winds are so bad. At least we can run south for a couple of weeks at a time and can be outdoors there. We might take the boat and sail the Tennessee River if ds doesn't mind entertaining the grandmas since they don't have the balance and mobility for getting in and off the boat.

Our grandson has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition. Stable for now for which we are grateful, but if he got covid it doesn't bear thinking about! We worry. Right now his only activity with others are his swim lessons in an outdoor pool. He will have an outdoor Halloween party with a pod of home schooled and publicly online schooled kids whose parents are all vaxed, and will also do a corn maze, pumpkin field hay ride thing with that same pod. Other than that, he is very locked down. His daddy is being extra cautious. Zoom meetings from his office alone, masked, and a HEPA filter. He can't work from home due to the nature of the project, but his boss offered him a fairly locked down in office option with only one co-worker allowed to enter, masked. He takes his lunch to the car so he doesn't take his mask off inside. Hopefully this will keep our little N safe.

Long covid scares me more than anything. So who knows. Maybe between Delta and Mu it is inevitable. I don't know. But we sure as hell are trying not to get it much less bring it home to N!

Back to the kitchen. There are roma tomatoes calling to me. My feet would like a longer break from standing at the stove and sink, but these things will start going bad soon.

 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

Welp, DH is positive. My results aren’t in yet, but I’m pretty sure I am as well. Figured it was only a matter of time, between his career & our area’s complete lack of preventative measures. We’ve both had only flu-like symptoms thus far. Fatigued, congested, achy. DH has a cough. I’ve had headaches. DS8 is asymptomatic. 

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

Welp, DH is positive. My results aren’t in yet, but I’m pretty sure I am as well. Figured it was only a matter of time, between his career & our area’s complete lack of preventative measures. We’ve both had only flu-like symptoms thus far. Fatigued, congested, achy. DH has a cough. I’ve had headaches. DS8 is asymptomatic. 

Ugh. I’m sorry! 😞 I hope you have mild cases… keep us updated.

[mommyoffive]

5 minutes ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

Welp, DH is positive. My results aren’t in yet, but I’m pretty sure I am as well. Figured it was only a matter of time, between his career & our area’s complete lack of preventative measures. We’ve both had only flu-like symptoms thus far. Fatigued, congested, achy. DH has a cough. I’ve had headaches. DS8 is asymptomatic. 

Oh man I am so sorry.  I hope you have mild cases.  

[mommyoffive]

Inside a Florida Hospital Full of Dying, Unvaxxed Thirtysomethings (msn.com)

 

Oregon school district fires superintendent without reason, after he upheld state's mask mandate (msn.com)

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

Welp, DH is positive. My results aren’t in yet, but I’m pretty sure I am as well. Figured it was only a matter of time, between his career & our area’s complete lack of preventative measures. We’ve both had only flu-like symptoms thus far. Fatigued, congested, achy. DH has a cough. I’ve had headaches. DS8 is asymptomatic. 

Oh no! Hoping it’s truly mild for all of you and that you heal quickly. Sending you positive thoughts…

[MEmama]

21 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Stopping in to say that we are pretty well locked down again. I did three curbside pickups in the last seven days and stocked up on a number of items. We ordered a half beef to split with our mothers. It comes from a Mennonite  wild game and meat market. They will load it into the back of my equinox, no direct contact. We paid over the phone and while the hatch is open, I will be masked. I also have ten whole roasting chickens and two young turkeys coming.  We ordered 20 lbs of cod loins, 20 lbs perch fillets, and 20 lbs of salmon from the fish market, and it will be the same load and go deal. I will continue to frequent the farmer's market for produce and am in the process of making salsa and pasta sauce, freezing green beans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, making grape jelly from our bumper crop of grapes, canning a half bushel of peaches, and freezing the other half in peach slices to fruit salads. I will also use my melon baller to scoop out three or four cantaloupe. The dehydrator has a ton of cherry tomatoes in it as well as diced carrots and celery, and green onion. That will get stored in a quart jar with lid and used for soups or stews. I will be making applesauce and dehydrating apples when honey crisps become abundant. I might make some banana chips as well.

Since we have realized we will not likely take on much socialization in the future because most of the IRL people we once considered friends have posted the kind of vile stuff online about covid conspiracy stuff - many now wanting to get in on stock piling over left in but some take an "experimental" vaccine 😳, we decided to invest in a few extra nice van camp items and a used, Compac sailboat. It is going to be just us and our kids plus the mothers for a long time (well maybe not Mark's mom because she is getting increasingly more fragile so we probably won't have her long term), and Mark and I used to sail during the early years of our marriage but haven't owned a boat since our first was born. We have a nice drive to the west side of the state to pick it up Saturday, will be masked and asked the owner if he would consider wearing a mask as well. He turned out to be vaxed, planning on masking anyway, and just an all around super nice person. I wish we didn't live four ours apart because I think he and Mark could become friends. Sigh. At any rate, she is sea worthy, no repairs needed, so we will be hoisting sails on Sunday for an evening cruise on Lake Huron.

Ds is busy, busy, busy outing up harvest at the Alabama house, stocking up, hunkering down. We will be spending Oct. 21-31 with them. 

Many has taken up bread making, and according to his guinea pigs (the grad school student at home and the two grandmas), he is having excellent results. He also has produced for me the most fantastic gourmet, GF pizza dough! It has been so many years since I have had anything like it. He is making I again tonight.

So van camping and sailing. No restaurants and we aren't fans of drive through fast food so Los of picnics.

Our points of risk are: his mom's medical appointments. She and her driver (she won't let me take her anywhere - new dementia symptom it seems) where KN95 which I have provided and her driver is fully vaxed with Pfizer, moving in day for our youngest, a rising college senior. We again wore KN95's, he and his college mates are masking champs, the college required vaccines to live in campus housing and zealously policed masking on move in day, had out door tables set up for students to pick up their textbooks, has 73% of the student body vaxed and nearly 84% of faculty/staff. All non vaxed individuals have to test twice per week. Currently only one case, a part time, off campus student. Zero tolerance for being indoors on campus unmasked. So we have decided that we will attend a few of the parent weekend outdoor events, the hike, the beach walk, the outdoor chamber choir concert where we bring a blanket and sit out on the football field socially distanced to listen, and the outdoor art gallery show. We won't do a quarantine when we get back, just mask around the elders to a few days.

The another point of risk is that three gig performances I wanted to cancel were petty ironclad about cancellations, something I didn't read in the fine print when I agreed to them. Grrr....dumb on my part. The organizer can cancel them though, and I suspect might if cases keep rising here. But, I perform from a stage 30 feet from the nearest row of seats, and the hall seats 500 but they are only allowing 100 and no entrance without a mask. So I am counting on my Moderna to pull me through! The string trio I am accompanying won't be sitting close to the piano, and they will be masked for performance.

The last issue is ds who is taking two, in person graduate courses. Thankfully these only have about twelve students each in large spaces with masks required. So counting on his KN95 plus Pfizer. He is living at home and applying to grad schools for fall 2022. But he takes his lunch and eats in the car which helps reduce exposure so fingers crossed.

Mark is still working remote and that is a permanent arrangement now.

I am very thankful we have the mountain house to escape to at times this winter. Being active in the Michigan, great outdoors is what keeps us going, keeps us busy. But the frigid winters and maintenance of three driveways and porches, even with a snowblower, is a nightmare on top of being shut in so much when the temps and winds are so bad. At least we can run south for a couple of weeks at a time and can be outdoors there. We might take the boat and sail the Tennessee River if ds doesn't mind entertaining the grandmas since they don't have the balance and mobility for getting in and off the boat.

Our grandson has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition. Stable for now for which we are grateful, but if he got covid it doesn't bear thinking about! We worry. Right now his only activity with others are his swim lessons in an outdoor pool. He will have an outdoor Halloween party with a pod of home schooled and publicly online schooled kids whose parents are all vaxed, and will also do a corn maze, pumpkin field hay ride thing with that same pod. Other than that, he is very locked down. His daddy is being extra cautious. Zoom meetings from his office alone, masked, and a HEPA filter. He can't work from home due to the nature of the project, but his boss offered him a fairly locked down in office option with only one co-worker allowed to enter, masked. He takes his lunch to the car so he doesn't take his mask off inside. Hopefully this will keep our little N safe.

Long covid scares me more than anything. So who knows. Maybe between Delta and Mu it is inevitable. I don't know. But we sure as hell are trying not to get it much less bring it home to N!

Back to the kitchen. There are roma tomatoes calling to me. My feet would like a longer break from standing at the stove and sink, but these things will start going bad soon.

 

Faith, you are a homemaking and life goals queen! Seriously, I am so impressed with your vision and your ability to carry it through. I hope your family knows how fortunate they are! 

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Carolina Wren said:

It's weight machines, not aerobic activity, that we really need. And there's nowhere in our house to put anything (no garage or basement).

Ugh. I know I've seen some creative body weight stuff, and using jugs of water, bags of dog food, etc. But I know it isn't the same. Still...maybe a few months of yoga and bodyweight stuff to cross train? I don't know how bad your area is...mine is so bad...I can't imagine being indoors with heavy breathing at this point if I could avoid it. But our hospitals are overwhelmed, positivity around 20%, etc. 

[Pen]

37 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Stopping in to say that we are pretty well locked down again. I did three curbside pickups in the last seven days and stocked up on a number of items. We ordered a half beef to split with our mothers. It comes from a Mennonite  wild game and meat market. They will load it into the back of my equinox, no direct contact. We paid over the phone and while the hatch is open, I will be masked. I also have ten whole roasting chickens and two young turkeys coming.  We ordered 20 lbs of cod loins, 20 lbs perch fillets, and 20 lbs of salmon from the fish market, and it will be the same load and go deal. I will continue to frequent the farmer's market for produce and am in the process of making salsa and pasta sauce, freezing green beans, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, making grape jelly from our bumper crop of grapes, canning a half bushel of peaches, and freezing the other half in peach slices to fruit salads. I will also use my melon baller to scoop out three or four cantaloupe. The dehydrator has a ton of cherry tomatoes in it as well as diced carrots and celery, and green onion. That will get stored in a quart jar with lid and used for soups or stews. I will be making applesauce and dehydrating apples when honey crisps become abundant. I might make some banana chips as well.

Since we have realized we will not likely take on much socialization in the future because most of the IRL people we once considered friends have posted the kind of vile stuff online about covid conspiracy stuff - many now wanting to get in on stock piling over left in but some take an "experimental" vaccine 😳, we decided to invest in a few extra nice van camp items and a used, Compac sailboat. It is going to be just us and our kids plus the mothers for a long time (well maybe not Mark's mom because she is getting increasingly more fragile so we probably won't have her long term), and Mark and I used to sail during the early years of our marriage but haven't owned a boat since our first was born. We have a nice drive to the west side of the state to pick it up Saturday, will be masked and asked the owner if he would consider wearing a mask as well. He turned out to be vaxed, planning on masking anyway, and just an all around super nice person. I wish we didn't live four ours apart because I think he and Mark could become friends. Sigh. At any rate, she is sea worthy, no repairs needed, so we will be hoisting sails on Sunday for an evening cruise on Lake Huron.

Ds is busy, busy, busy outing up harvest at the Alabama house, stocking up, hunkering down. We will be spending Oct. 21-31 with them. 

Many has taken up bread making, and according to his guinea pigs (the grad school student at home and the two grandmas), he is having excellent results. He also has produced for me the most fantastic gourmet, GF pizza dough! It has been so many years since I have had anything like it. He is making I again tonight.

So van camping and sailing. No restaurants and we aren't fans of drive through fast food so Los of picnics.

Our points of risk are: his mom's medical appointments. She and her driver (she won't let me take her anywhere - new dementia symptom it seems) where KN95 which I have provided and her driver is fully vaxed with Pfizer, moving in day for our youngest, a rising college senior. We again wore KN95's, he and his college mates are masking champs, the college required vaccines to live in campus housing and zealously policed masking on move in day, had out door tables set up for students to pick up their textbooks, has 73% of the student body vaxed and nearly 84% of faculty/staff. All non vaxed individuals have to test twice per week. Currently only one case, a part time, off campus student. Zero tolerance for being indoors on campus unmasked. So we have decided that we will attend a few of the parent weekend outdoor events, the hike, the beach walk, the outdoor chamber choir concert where we bring a blanket and sit out on the football field socially distanced to listen, and the outdoor art gallery show. We won't do a quarantine when we get back, just mask around the elders to a few days.

The another point of risk is that three gig performances I wanted to cancel were petty ironclad about cancellations, something I didn't read in the fine print when I agreed to them. Grrr....dumb on my part. The organizer can cancel them though, and I suspect might if cases keep rising here. But, I perform from a stage 30 feet from the nearest row of seats, and the hall seats 500 but they are only allowing 100 and no entrance without a mask. So I am counting on my Moderna to pull me through! The string trio I am accompanying won't be sitting close to the piano, and they will be masked for performance.

The last issue is ds who is taking two, in person graduate courses. Thankfully these only have about twelve students each in large spaces with masks required. So counting on his KN95 plus Pfizer. He is living at home and applying to grad schools for fall 2022. But he takes his lunch and eats in the car which helps reduce exposure so fingers crossed.

Mark is still working remote and that is a permanent arrangement now.

I am very thankful we have the mountain house to escape to at times this winter. Being active in the Michigan, great outdoors is what keeps us going, keeps us busy. But the frigid winters and maintenance of three driveways and porches, even with a snowblower, is a nightmare on top of being shut in so much when the temps and winds are so bad. At least we can run south for a couple of weeks at a time and can be outdoors there. We might take the boat and sail the Tennessee River if ds doesn't mind entertaining the grandmas since they don't have the balance and mobility for getting in and off the boat.

Our grandson has been diagnosed with a cardiac condition. Stable for now for which we are grateful, but if he got covid it doesn't bear thinking about! We worry. Right now his only activity with others are his swim lessons in an outdoor pool. He will have an outdoor Halloween party with a pod of home schooled and publicly online schooled kids whose parents are all vaxed, and will also do a corn maze, pumpkin field hay ride thing with that same pod. Other than that, he is very locked down. His daddy is being extra cautious. Zoom meetings from his office alone, masked, and a HEPA filter. He can't work from home due to the nature of the project, but his boss offered him a fairly locked down in office option with only one co-worker allowed to enter, masked. He takes his lunch to the car so he doesn't take his mask off inside. Hopefully this will keep our little N safe.

Long covid scares me more than anything. So who knows. Maybe between Delta and Mu it is inevitable. I don't know. But we sure as hell are trying not to get it much less bring it home to N!

Back to the kitchen. There are roma tomatoes calling to me. My feet would like a longer break from standing at the stove and sink, but these things will start going bad soon.

 

Wow!!! I am so impressed by all you are doing!!! Inspired to so far as my circumstances permit! 

[bibiche]

1 hour ago, Carolina Wren said:

It's weight machines, not aerobic activity, that we really need. And there's nowhere in our house to put anything (no garage or basement).

I have the same issue. One option that I’ve seen is something called Tonal. It’s very compact. Also seriously spendy. I think it’s designed for city dwellers with more money than space. But maybe there will be a budget version sooner than later for city dwellers with not much of either…? That would make me happy. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/1/23/21077238/tonal-review-strength-training-connected-weight-fitness-machine-price

[BeachGal]

2 hours ago, Carolina Wren said:

It's weight machines, not aerobic activity, that we really need. And there's nowhere in our house to put anything (no garage or basement).

We live in a small co-op and use weights that break down and fit in a case. I usually keep them ready to go under or behind living room furniture. They were around $50, iirc. We also have ankle weights that strap on. Everything takes up very little space and isn’t too pricey.

[mommyoffive]

UA researchers find link between COVID deaths and snake venom (abc15.com)

[Matryoshka]

24 minutes ago, BeachGal said:

We live in a small co-op and use weights that break down and fit in a case. I usually keep them ready to go under or behind living room furniture. They were around $50, iirc. We also have ankle weights that strap on. Everything takes up very little space and isn’t too pricey.

I have 5-25lb adjustable free weights - they don't take up any room at all - just the same as space as two regular dumbbells.  I kind of want adjustable kettlebells too, but man are those spendy!

[mommyoffive]

Largest study of masks yet details their importance in fighting Covid-19 (msn.com)

[mommyoffive]

Flu Season and the Delta Variant Are About to Meet — Here's How to Protect Yourself (msn.com)

 

Florida businesses, schools, agencies to be fined for asking for vaccine proof (msn.com)

[cintinative]

8 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

I have 5-25lb adjustable free weights - they don't take up any room at all - just the same as space as two regular dumbbells.  I kind of want adjustable kettlebells too, but man are those spendy!

Okay, so slight detour from the thread, but: What kind do you have?  We eyed the powerblock ones for years, but by that time I already owned so many sets of lower weights. My husband ended up buying weights with removable plates, which I don't love. The powerblocks are $$$ though. I didn't like my brother in law's set of adjustable weights--I can't remember the brand, but they were too big (long) and I couldn't do hammer curls and such with them properly.

 

[Matryoshka]

2 hours ago, cintinative said:

Okay, so slight detour from the thread, but: What kind do you have?  We eyed the powerblock ones for years, but by that time I already owned so many sets of lower weights. My husband ended up buying weights with removable plates, which I don't love. The powerblocks are $$$ though. I didn't like my brother in law's set of adjustable weights--I can't remember the brand, but they were too big (long) and I couldn't do hammer curls and such with them properly.

 

Just went and looked - they are apparently Weider Speed Weights.  I bought them years and years and years ago with good intentions, then they sat there gathering dust for oh, a decade.  But then a few years ago I started going regularly to classes that incorporated weights, and since the pandemic sent me home I have been using them regularly, so glad I never decluttered them!!

Here, I'll attach a pic...

 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Matryoshka

[kbutton]

On 9/1/2021 at 12:28 PM, kbutton said:

And aren't we seeing kids being vectors with Delta, whereas in previous waves, it's been more community spread creeping into schools? That's a big difference. (ETA: a negative one)

I have been hoping that people will reluctantly start to mask again when it gets bad enough. Previous surges here have looked like that--people stopped just short of overwhelming the hospitals. I think a lot of the middle of the road people became more cautious. 

I think it's possible; I am not sure how likely it is. 

Schools here are one by one closing for a few days and going back with mask mandates in place. It seems to be how our state does stuff--watch enough people touch the hot stove, and then touch a slightly less hot stove sort of gingerly, lol! 

Forget my iffy optimism. All the school superintendents in an entire county in SW Ohio is trying to modify the school quarantine rules to be less robust. You can read the letter to the governor here that includes the proposed guidelines: https://www.fox19.com/2021/09/01/warren-county-schools-send-proposal-gov-dewine-change-quarantine-guidelines-students/

I am super concerned about the options for using a rapid test, which has a high false negative rate, to clear students before their ten days are up, but all of it is ridiculous IMO. No child that is masked OR vaccinated is required to quarantine when they are a close contact. This is already policy. Parents who have chosen to not vaccinate and not mask their students have already chosen the consequence of a ten day quarantine. Masking after they were exposed is illogical, especially since the health department and even the school district have encouraged parents to mask and vaccinate their kids! 

If my emojis worked on here, I'd be putting ten angry ones in a line, lol!  

[Terabith]

Since I've discovered our hospital is full and only accepting people with trauma, heart attacks, and strokes (and we're the only trauma center for several hours), I'm seriously considering locking down and not letting anyone use knives, drive, play outside, shower, cook, or eat grapes or hot dogs.  Maybe not use the stairs either.  

This is scary, since my teen is doing in person driver's ed this week.

[mommyoffive]

Missouri Children's Hospital Hits Capacity, Other ICUs Report Kids With COVID (msn.com)

[Melissa Louise]

12 minutes ago, Terabith said:

Since I've discovered our hospital is full and only accepting people with trauma, heart attacks, and strokes (and we're the only trauma center for several hours), I'm seriously considering locking down and not letting anyone use knives, drive, play outside, shower, cook, or eat grapes or hot dogs.  Maybe not use the stairs either.  

This is scary, since my teen is doing in person driver's ed this week.

This is the scariest part of our state opening up - hospital overwhelm and inability to get treatment for non-Covid issues, as well as for Covid. 

[Corraleno]

4 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

UA researchers find link between COVID deaths and snake venom (abc15.com)

This is a really interesting study, and there's more detail here:
 https://news.arizona.edu/story/venom-coursing-through-body-researchers-identify-mechanism-driving-covid-19-mortality

Note: the headline about "venom coursing through the body" is bogus, it's a normal human enzyme called sPLA2-IIA that is "similar" to an enzyme in snake venom. At normal levels it helps the body fight bacterial infections, but when it gets out of control it can severely damage organs. The researchers found that 63% of covid patients with levels of sPLA2-IIA above a certain threshold died, and they believe this could also be a factor in long covid.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Corraleno

[73349]

6 hours ago, bibiche said:

I have the same issue. One option that I’ve seen is something called Tonal. It’s very compact. Also seriously spendy. I think it’s designed for city dwellers with more money than space. But maybe there will be a budget version sooner than later for city dwellers with not much of either…? That would make me happy. 
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2020/1/23/21077238/tonal-review-strength-training-connected-weight-fitness-machine-price

That it requires connectivity and an ongoing cost instead of being a one-time purchase are deal-breakers for us, but I'd be interested in seeing other things that are compact like this.

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

My test result just came back negative. Fingers crossed we can keep it that way! DH is isolating. I’ll test again this weekend to make sure I’m still negative & all three of us will rapid-test before DH returns to work / DS returns to sports. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

My test result just came back negative. Fingers crossed we can keep it that way! DH is isolating. I’ll test again this weekend to make sure I’m still negative & all three of us will rapid-test before DH returns to work / DS returns to sports. 

You are symptomatic though, right? I'd definitely retest again. Hugs. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

52 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

You are symptomatic though, right? I'd definitely retest again. Hugs. 

Neither of us feel great, but our symptoms are totally different. I am also beginning to feel better, whereas he is getting worse. Not severe, but definitely feeling crappier rather than better. So, either: 

A. We both have COVID, I got a false negative. 

B. He has COVID, I have something(s) else. 

C. He has COVID + something(s) else, but only passed something else on.

Crappiest multiple-choice test EVER. DS is totally asymptomatic, so we are hopeful (but not banking on it). I have another test already scheduled for as soon as I could get one to confirm the negative result & in the meantime DH is isolating from us. I am masking when near DS. All of us are quarantined at home, of course. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by Shoes+Ships+SealingWax

[prairiewindmomma]

4 hours ago, Terabith said:

Since I've discovered our hospital is full and only accepting people with trauma, heart attacks, and strokes (and we're the only trauma center for several hours), I'm seriously considering locking down and not letting anyone use knives, drive, play outside, shower, cook, or eat grapes or hot dogs.  Maybe not use the stairs either.  

This is scary, since my teen is doing in person driver's ed this week.

Don’t want to add anxiety, but we are taking no unnecessary car trips, Ds is not driving (student permit) and we have temporarily canceled our hiking trips for this reason. I have a list of urgent cares and my dr and I are working on managing a lot of things outside of the hospital system. 
 

Ds has outpatient surgery scheduled and we are looking at a non-hospital setting option for it. 

[mommyoffive]

Does anyone see saw on this back and forth everyday?  Sigh.   When I see the local people living like is 2019, hear of mild cases, and see people doing the things we wish we want to I start feeling like we should just do go on with life.  Then when I read about severe cases, hospitals filling up, and long term problems I go back to the other side.  

It was so much easier last year when things just were not open.  

[mommyoffive]

Police on-scene at Vail elementary school after group threatens to zip-tie principal over COVID-19 protocols (kvoa.com)

 

[Sneezyone]

32 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Police on-scene at Vail elementary school after group threatens to zip-tie principal over COVID-19 protocols (kvoa.com)

 

This stuff just makes me angry at this point. If you feel that strongly, educate your own damn kids and leave the rest alone.

[ktgrok]

36 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Police on-scene at Vail elementary school after group threatens to zip-tie principal over COVID-19 protocols (kvoa.com)

 

My sister is a principal and this terrifies me. 

[Shoes+Ships+SealingWax]

14 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

This stuff just makes me angry at this point. If you feel that strongly, educate your own damn kids and leave the rest alone.

On the one hand - yes, please, leave the educators alone! They’ve dealt with enough. 

On the other… for the sake of all things please do not place yourself in the position of being your children’s sole educator. If your behavior is this extreme I have no doubt your schooling would be as well. Those kids need some barometer to judge that this is in no way normal, reasonable, or acceptable. Yikes 😬

[Faith-manor]

12 minutes ago, Shoes+Ships+SealingWax said:

On the one hand - yes, please, leave the educators alone! They’ve dealt with enough. 

On the other… for the sake of all things please do not place yourself in the position of being your children’s sole educator. If your behavior is this extreme I have no doubt your schooling would be as well. Those kids need some barometer to judge that this is in no way normal, reasonable, or acceptable. Yikes 😬

Agreed! These people are unhinged and their children should be taken away. If they are so angry they threaten to zip tie the principal, heaven only knows what they do to their kids behind closed doors when they are angry. 

These folks are a long way outside the bell curve called normal!

[mommyoffive]

9 minutes ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

Yes, I feel like this. I try shutting things down and then I feel like I'm the one who's overreacting because everything turns out fine. I know that's silly because just because nothing bad happened doesn't mean it was a good idea. 

But I've got a kid who wants to get back to normal life. She doesn't care about masks just most kids. Tell her that she has to wear a mask to do something and she's fine with it. But she wants to do activities and see her friends. I just agreed to a sleepover for tomorrow. I'm sure some of you would refuse. I said no a couple of weeks ago and it was bad. 

And I think, "whatever!" DD's in school all day with a bunch of non-mask wearing kids so what difference does anything make? And I know that's stupid too because small things add to significant reductions in risk. 

Basically it's hard because one of the few people taking it seriously. No matter what we do, someone will disagree which makes me doubt myself. 

I relate to this so much.  

[TexasProud]

7 hours ago, Ordinary Shoes said:

Yes, I feel like this. I try shutting things down and then I feel like I'm the one who's overreacting because everything turns out fine. I know that's silly because just because nothing bad happened doesn't mean it was a good idea. 

But I've got a kid who wants to get back to normal life. She doesn't care about masks just most kids. Tell her that she has to wear a mask to do something and she's fine with it. But she wants to do activities and see her friends. I just agreed to a sleepover for tomorrow. I'm sure some of you would refuse. I said no a couple of weeks ago and it was bad. 

And I think, "whatever!" DD's in school all day with a bunch of non-mask wearing kids so what difference does anything make? And I know that's stupid too because small things add to significant reductions in risk. 

Basically it's hard because one of the few people taking it seriously. No matter what we do, someone will disagree which makes me doubt myself. 

 

7 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I relate to this so much.  

I feel so much for those of you with kids at home right now.  It is hard enough for just me. I told my choir director this summer that I was coming back this fall. But now I don't think it is safe. We are planning the Christmas stuff together for my internship. (Only a small part of my internship,but still.) He is one of my evaluators, so now I think... ugh...  I have been singing in the praise team since Covid, but not the choir. Normally, you don't get to sing in the praise team if you are not in the choir. I feel a little guilty, but I sang in this choir for the past 25 years ( been singing in choirs for 40). He hasn't said anything. 

I digress. I feel so conflicted and I don't even have kids. ( in school) My children are adults that can decide for themselves, especially youngest who is in her 2nd year of college in musical theater. She is vaccinated. About 50 percent of her fellow students are vaccinated. It is what it is. She has to live her life.

[regentrude]

4 minutes ago, TexasProud said:

I told my choir director this summer that I was coming back this fall. But now I don't think it is safe. We are planning the Christmas stuff together for my internship. (Only a small part of my internship,but still.) He is one of my evaluators, so now I think... ugh...  I have been singing in the praise team since Covid, but not the choir. Normally, you don't get to sing in the praise team if you are not in the choir. I feel a little guilty, but I sang in this choir for the past 25 years ( been singing in choirs for 40). 

I, too, have been singing in choirs for 40 years, and in my current one for close to 20. But I am sitting this season out, too - they're trying to make it as safe as possible,  using two rehearsal spaces and mandating singing masks, but it's a hard No for me right now.

I don't have a choice about my job exposure,  but I am cutting down on everything else that I can control.

Edited September 3, 2021 by regentrude

[TexasProud]

1 minute ago, regentrude said:

I, too, have been singing in choirs for 40 years, and in my current one for close to 20. But I am sitting this season out, too - they're trying to make it as safe as possible,  using two rehearsal spaces and mandating singing masks, but it's a hard No for me right now.

Yeah, ours isn't. No masks and no skipping spaces. I think because everyone is vaccinated. I am one of the youngest in the choir in my mid-fifties.

Edited September 3, 2021 by TexasProud

[mommyoffive]

Oklahoma's ERs are so backed up with people overdosing on ivermectin, gunshot victims are having to wait to be treated (msn.com)

[Carrie12345]

12 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone see saw on this back and forth everyday?  Sigh.   When I see the local people living like is 2019, hear of mild cases, and see people doing the things we wish we want to I start feeling like we should just do go on with life.  Then when I read about severe cases, hospitals filling up, and long term problems I go back to the other side.  

It was so much easier last year when things just were not open.  

Absolutely.

The only thing holding me back is having 1 unvaccinated kid. I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back once he has whatever degree of protection that will provide. I will continue to be terrified of spreading it to people without that protection (especially kids who have no choices), but I can’t continue to shoulder the burden for those who can’t be bothered. They’ve robbed me of too much already.

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Carrie12345 said:

Absolutely.

The only thing holding me back is having 1 unvaccinated kid. I don’t think I’ll be able to hold back once he has whatever degree of protection that will provide. I will continue to be terrified of spreading it to people without that protection (especially kids who have no choices), but I can’t continue to shoulder the burden for those who can’t be bothered. They’ve robbed me of too much already.

Same.  Once my 3 youngers get shots we will go back to life.  I mean maybe in a surge with hospitals filled we will dial back to be safe.  But my kids have been robbed so much already that they need to get back some of their childhoods.  We will be careful and follow whatever advice there is, but we have to live more. 

[Ausmumof3]

21 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

UA researchers find link between COVID deaths and snake venom (abc15.com)

This is kind of fascinating.  Does rattle snake venom work as a coagulant or anticoagulant?  I’m not even sure if I’ve got a clear grasp of how it works but I know some venoms do and I’m wondering if that relates to the blood clotting aspects of Covid?

[Ausmumof3]

12 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Does anyone see saw on this back and forth everyday?  Sigh.   When I see the local people living like is 2019, hear of mild cases, and see people doing the things we wish we want to I start feeling like we should just do go on with life.  Then when I read about severe cases, hospitals filling up, and long term problems I go back to the other side.  

It was so much easier last year when things just were not open.  

Yep. Plus we have that whole it’s not here but it might be here and we haven’t realised it yet thing going on.  I am very much up and down about it.  If I could just get the kids vaxed I’d be so much happier.

[ktgrok]

36 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Oklahoma's ERs are so backed up with people overdosing on ivermectin, gunshot victims are having to wait to be treated (msn.com)

As someone who took her cat's antihistamine last night, I have little room to judge on using animal meds. But for crying out loud, I took the right dosage!!!! (and it is exactly the same thing, same pills, as the human one, I was just out of human antihistamines, lol)

32 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

Absolutely.

The only thing holding me back is having 1 unvaccinated kid. I

That and boosters.  I want my kids vaccinated, and I want boosters for my mom and dad. I will also want them for DH and I, but the big deal is my mom and dad for that. 

I'm praying daily that we can do a regular Christmas with the whole extended family. By that point, God willing, all the cousins will be vaccinated, and mom and dad at least will be boostered, if not all the adults. At that point, I'm not worried about the damn virus. I'll mask in areas indoors if hospitals are overwhelmed, but that's it. 

15 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

This is kind of fascinating.  Does rattle snake venom work as a coagulant or anticoagulant?  I’m not even sure if I’ve got a clear grasp of how it works but I know some venoms do and I’m wondering if that relates to the blood clotting aspects of Covid?

I used to know this..off to google. 

[Faith-manor]

6 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

As someone who took her cat's antihistamine last night, I have little room to judge on using animal meds. But for crying out loud, I took the right dosage!!!! (and it is exactly the same thing, same pills, as the human one, I was just out of human antihistamines, lol)

That and boosters.  I want my kids vaccinated, and I want boosters for my mom and dad. I will also want them for DH and I, but the big deal is my mom and dad for that. 

I'm praying daily that we can do a regular Christmas with the whole extended family. By that point, God willing, all the cousins will be vaccinated, and mom and dad at least will be boostered, if not all the adults. At that point, I'm not worried about the damn virus. I'll mask in areas indoors if hospitals are overwhelmed, but that's it. 

I used to know this..off to google. 

We will let life go back to a new version of normal when boosters are available, and there is a vaccine for infants/toddlers/prescoolers plus the 5-11 cohort. Our grandson was recently diagnosed with a stable, but worrisome heart condition. So we need to stay cautious until he and his brother can be vaxed. Then they will still only socialize with their pod, and hopefully, we won't be bringing anything to him. But, much depends on his 19 month old brother being able to be vaxed since he won't keep a mask on his little face. N, at 5.5, masks better than adults. It is amazing how well kids can be trained to do this, yet adults are ridiculously bad at it!

New normal will be still not attending crowded indoor things like concerts for a while, and continuing to avoid peak shopping times, masking when shopping, curbside pick up when possible, and he won't attend schools. Eventually I will assist with his homeschooling. But, he will continue with his swimming lessons. His cardiologist is very happy he is swimming because it such a heart healthy exercise, yet individual so his training can be flexible.

[SKL]

I too am probably seen as inconsistent by some.

We are having a rooftop gathering to which I invited families of my kids' 8th grade (2019-20) class.  Some people would probably have an issue with that, but everyone attending is able to be vaccinated, and it's outdoors in the sun and wind.  On the other hand, one of the parents asked if his daughter could spend the night at our house the night before.  I'm unsure of the vax status of her family members.  She's had sleepovers here before, but not during Delta.  My kids think I am nuts because I hesitated.  Well, she has a grandma with serious health issues.  But ultimately, we are all vaxed and I have to assume her family has thought this through.  So I said yes to the sleepover.

Yes, my kids are in school and sports and pretty much doing everything normal teens do.  But no, I'm not mentally where I was in 2019.

I'm mentally debating whether or not I'm going to use the theater tickets I bought for the first Saturday in October.  I booked them before this Delta crap, when things were really looking good here.  And maybe it will be fine.  But ... if they offer a refund, I think I will take it.

[catz]

3 minutes ago, SKL said:

 

I'm mentally debating whether or not I'm going to use the theater tickets I bought for the first Saturday in October.  I booked them before this Delta crap, when things were really looking good here.  And maybe it will be fine.  But ... if they offer a refund, I think I will take it.

Oh, I was just doing the same!  We have tickets for traveling broadway the first Sunday in October.  Well the theater just announced a vax or negative test (and masking) requirement and now I'm considering going again.  It would be me and my vaccinated teen.  Gah!  This is hard.  Our numbers are really not awful but I am sure once school starts things will change.  

[happi duck]

This all makes me feel crazy.  I am being very careful.  I give careful consideration to any outside contact.

On the covid act now site my county is clinging to orange while our state turns red.  I just saw on Facebook that people I know are taking a road trip (for fun not emergency or family).  They are heading south to deep red (covid) states.

I don't understand!  Why would you go somewhere worse off?  Why would you risk bringing illness back with you?

Rhetorical questions, jawm!

[Matryoshka]

5 minutes ago, happi duck said:

This all makes me feel crazy.  I am being very careful.  I give careful consideration to any outside contact.

On the covid act now site my county is clinging to orange while our state turns red.  I just saw on Facebook that people I know are taking a road trip (for fun not emergency or family).  They are heading south to deep red (covid) states.

I don't understand!  Why would you go somewhere worse off?  Why would you risk bringing illness back with you?

Rhetorical questions, jawm!

This. We're also in the orange turning red place.  My dd20 called me last night at 5am sobbing because apparently her boyfriend was headed off to Florida to go to Disney with friends.  She was so upset.  Now, she just went to California to Disney herself, but that was months ago before the Delta wave hit, and California (so, masks required in the park), not the Florida dumpster-fire that is currently going on.  And I still thought it was dumb.

Fortunately, after actually getting all the way to the airport, he decided not to go and called her to come pick him up.

[SKL]

Yeah ... this may surprise some people here, but I don't understand "careful people" doing fun travel right now.  I mean how do you do that without sharing germs?  Unless you are driving a camper van, you're not only sharing but potentially spreading.  Is it worth it?  Why not just wait?

I am an avid traveler, and I haven't been on a plane since April 2019, nor do I have any plans.  I hate this.  My kids hate it.  But I can't justify that kind of activity in my mind.