Saturday, December 24, 2022

COVID-19: Avoid a COVID Christmas | USPS Free COVID Tests | Senate & House Pass Omnibus Budget | Massive Arctic Blast Engulfs US |



I haven't posted in awhile and I could lie and say I've been super busy, but the truth is that I have been slowing down. I do my daily zoo trips, I binge bad television, I run errands, I sleep when I'm tired whether that's a normal night's sleep or just napping here and there, and we're still running down to Chula Vista a few times a week to help my parents. We did finally get a tree last week and it took a couple days for Nova and I to be home at the same time to decorate it, but I love it and I love how cozy the house feels when we have it. Darren took a few days off this week to be able to spend time with Nova before she left to St. Louis, and obviously from the storm it almost didn't happen, but Southwest assured us that her flight would be unaffected besides a slight delay. She arrived and is safe, though the "feels-like" temperature there is like -19 degrees Fahrenheit so hopefully the California wardrobe she has is adequate. 

Since Darren had taken the day off to get her to the airport, after he got caught up on sleep and I did my daily zoo trip, we actually went up to the Safari Park. It's really beautiful right now and they did an amazing job with lighting it up, though it's not really worth taking photos ---better to be seen in person. Today was his first full day on trams and he did seven tours, came home to eat and grab a nap, and then worked at the Casbah. He went to bed at 3:30 and will be getting up at 6:30 to do the same double shift for Christmas Eve, working a full Safari Park day and then a full Casbah night, so hopefully he can power through and get the rest he needs, because Exile is gonna be busy. I am just trying to give him the room to sleep peacefully, since I zonked out the entire time he was at Casbah and I really want to get next week's listings done. 

I feel like at the end of the year I want to recap everything, this site being my version of the family Christmas letter, but suffice to say that we made it and I'm content and comfortable with my little orbit and that feels good. We got the amazing news this week that my dad's doctors no longer consider him on hospice care -- maybe that's an insurance thing because they're tired of paying for his home care but he sounded hopeful, that his doctors don't think he's further deteriorating. He's not well, but he's stable. Compare that to last December when he was telling me all the things I needed to know before he died and I'll take the current prognosis anyday, even if it means we have to step up our game to help transfer him if he loses his nurse who was coming a few times a week.

It feels like my social feeds are just full of people being sick, so hopefully everyone can stay healthy through the holiday and new year. I ordered our free COVID tests the first day they were available and they arrived this week. Get yours if you haven't already. 

Stay safe out there. Merry Christmas.  
  

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