New Year’s Eve, 2021

Covid is rampant, far beyond what anyone expected. My son’s family all came down with it Tuesday morning, from a small Christmas gathering. They are improving daily, and I’m hoping soon they’ll be fine.

But Covid is only one terrible story on this New Year’s Eve. Fires destroying hundreds of homes in Colorado. Winds packing gusts sometimes up to 100 mph. My son took his dog for a walk yesterday and a small kitten, he said about 6-8 months old, followed him home, thankfully with a collar and contact info with the phone number of the owner of the car. He said it was sitting under a tree (small tree) and shaking, because the wind was so wild. He kept it in the house with his family. The owner told him the cat was an outdoor cat, and she’d be home that afternoon. I don’t understand why someone would have a kitten, and leave it outside all the time. Cats are not safe by themselves outside (I’ve had a bunch of them over my lifetime), let alone a small kitten.

Then, again, Putin and Biden are posturing for problems. Sick of that shit.

Now that we have enough vaccines for everyone who wants one, we don’t have enough tests. The company my son works for sent his store about 25 rapid tests to keep there, for anyone on staff who felt symptoms coming on. I’m very grateful that he works for a forward thinking company. He’s been afraid they won’t be able to open for a few days, there are so many people out with Covid. He drove in on Tuesday just to take the test which was overwhelmingly positive, and went home, along with another employee who was exhibiting symptoms. So he’s home til he tests negative, which he thinks will be Monday.

I am just trying to avoid everyone, so I don’t sabotage my trip out to CO. I am supposed to host my book club and go to a writer’s group meeting next week, but I am bowing out of both. Too afraid. When I am safely to CO, I won’t be so paranoid. Florida is once again the hottest spot in the country this morning, with over 77,000 cases yesterday. And Omicron is so contagious, I feel if there’s one person out of 5 or 6 that was exposed, almost everyone in that group will get it. They went to the girlfriend’s best friends parents home, where they go every Christmas. It was him, his girlfriend and their daughter, then the friend, her parents, her sister and brother-in-law. One of them had the virus, not yet symptomatic, and by Sunday night they began falling one by one. The OBGYN told my daughter-in-law not to worry, that the baby is pretty much fully developed by now (she’s 36 weeks). And she is vaccinated, so she feels pretty safe.

So, I am wary, even of my friends, all of whom are vaccinated and boosted. We have lost a number of people who were fully vaccinated. No one knows who might have bumped into someone who was infected. So….I’ll stay home until it’s time to go.

My friends don’t seem to be very worried. Some have encouraged me to attend, but I am just apologizing and saying sorry, I just can’t.

We have a nice quiet evening planned. Good food, watch some movies, talk, then watch the Lightning play the Rangers. I came to Dan’s last night so I could watch the Lightning, who are in first place in the NHL, get creamed by the Florida Panthers, who are in Third place. But I can’t blame the Bolts. They have 6 players out on Covid protocols, including both goalies. So we had 2 goalies who were playing in their first NHL game. It wasn’t pretty. They also have 3 players out with injuries.

So I guess my biggest worry is the damn virus. I mean, we are all so sick of it. I just want to get to CO in time to see my grandson born. But I think I will. And I am sure my son and family will be healthy again sometime next week.

So, what started out with me being so depressed by bad news has turned into a reminder that I have much to be grateful for. I do have worries, but I have more blessings. So, I go into 2022 hopeful. I mean, what’s more hopeful than a brand new life being born? I can’t wait to meet him.

Love and light to all. And Happy New Year to everyone. May 2022 be a year of less trauma and worry.