It's been ages since I posted in this thread, partly because I got so frustrated over the way things went I didn't even want to look at it. I'm sure everyone knows that towards the end of summer, the cases started creeping up again and then skyrocketed. We were so close, and then we got the rug pulled out from under us.
So far, there's no talk of any lockdowns or mask mandates, other than masks being required in schools. Some businesses have started requiring them again, some simply "recommend" them, and some are staying with the policy of not requiring them if you're vaccinated. And some places don't have any signs mentioning masks at all. Surprisingly, the place where I get my hair cut doesn't require them or even mention them. I would have thought that practically being face to face with your customers would be an issue, but apparently not. Some restaurants are requiring them again, but so far it's just a few of the fast food places. I've been going back out to karaoke shows, and no bar I've been to has brought back mask requirements, not even the one I went to that strictly enforced the rule that basically said if your ass wasn't in a seat, you had to have a mask on. I actually saw them call people out over it, and almost kicked someone out the one time.
The pet store where my wife and I volunteer with the cats is one of those places where masks are "recommended", but employees are required to wear them. While we don't actually work for the store, when we're there volunteering, we technically fall under that category.
My wife's job ended up extending remote work indefinitely, at least until the start of the new year. Apparently they actually give a shit about their employees. I wonder what that's like sometimes. Mine, on the other hand, decided that we're coming back to the office come hell or high water, and worse yet, they brought back masking requirements. It's not quite as strict as it was before -- you don't have to have it on if you're sitting alone at your desk, but I still hate it. Apparently things are so dangerous that we have to mask up, but somehow not too dangerous for us to come back into the building. And in another shit-for-brains move from upper management, they're reopening the onsite daycare center the beginning of next month.
We were also notified the other day that everyone has to be vaccinated by December, unless they have a medical or religious reason why they can't. I've been fully vaccinated since mid-March, so that one doesn't bother me. They should have done that before they started making us come back in, but that would have been the smart thing to do, and therefore not allowed. They're also holding onsite vaccination clinics for anyone who needs it, which would have been nice back when the shot was hard to get. Now you can pretty much just walk into any pharmacy and get it.
And now for the sad part of my post. I recently got back in touch with a friend who I had kind of drifted apart from, and we started hanging out again last month. A few weeks ago, I was on Facebook and she announced that she had COVID. Naturally, I was concerned, but I know several people who had it, and while it was rough for them, they all recovered. I texted her a few days later to see how she was holding up, and I didn't get a reply back. I figured she was recovering at home and feeling too wiped out to reply back. A week ago Sunday, someone messaged me on Facebook to let me know she was in rough shape. Apparently the day after she posted about having it, she had to be rushed to the hospital. At this point, she was on a respirator and in a medically-induced coma. I held onto the hope that by some miracle she'd recover, but I was worried sick and did not sleep well for the next few nights. And every time someone messaged me on Facebook, I tensed up, thinking the worst. Then this past Thursday, I was looking on Facebook and a mutual friend had posted that she had passed. I still can't wrap my head around it. She was as tough as they come, and she got taken out by something one billionth her size. She was my age -- she would have turned 52 in December. I ended up going to karaoke that night, figuring that it wasn't going to do me any good to sit at home and be sad, but I was a wreck. I didn't even try to go into work the next day. Luckily, my immediate supervisor is understanding (most of them are, it's just the upper management that sucks), and told me that taking a day off was not a problem. So keep your loved ones close, and don't let any kind of petty bullshit estrange you from each other. You never know how much time you have left with someone.
Rest in peace, my friend. Until my time comes and we meet again.
So far, there's no talk of any lockdowns or mask mandates, other than masks being required in schools. Some businesses have started requiring them again, some simply "recommend" them, and some are staying with the policy of not requiring them if you're vaccinated. And some places don't have any signs mentioning masks at all. Surprisingly, the place where I get my hair cut doesn't require them or even mention them. I would have thought that practically being face to face with your customers would be an issue, but apparently not. Some restaurants are requiring them again, but so far it's just a few of the fast food places. I've been going back out to karaoke shows, and no bar I've been to has brought back mask requirements, not even the one I went to that strictly enforced the rule that basically said if your ass wasn't in a seat, you had to have a mask on. I actually saw them call people out over it, and almost kicked someone out the one time.
The pet store where my wife and I volunteer with the cats is one of those places where masks are "recommended", but employees are required to wear them. While we don't actually work for the store, when we're there volunteering, we technically fall under that category.
My wife's job ended up extending remote work indefinitely, at least until the start of the new year. Apparently they actually give a shit about their employees. I wonder what that's like sometimes. Mine, on the other hand, decided that we're coming back to the office come hell or high water, and worse yet, they brought back masking requirements. It's not quite as strict as it was before -- you don't have to have it on if you're sitting alone at your desk, but I still hate it. Apparently things are so dangerous that we have to mask up, but somehow not too dangerous for us to come back into the building. And in another shit-for-brains move from upper management, they're reopening the onsite daycare center the beginning of next month.
We were also notified the other day that everyone has to be vaccinated by December, unless they have a medical or religious reason why they can't. I've been fully vaccinated since mid-March, so that one doesn't bother me. They should have done that before they started making us come back in, but that would have been the smart thing to do, and therefore not allowed. They're also holding onsite vaccination clinics for anyone who needs it, which would have been nice back when the shot was hard to get. Now you can pretty much just walk into any pharmacy and get it.
And now for the sad part of my post. I recently got back in touch with a friend who I had kind of drifted apart from, and we started hanging out again last month. A few weeks ago, I was on Facebook and she announced that she had COVID. Naturally, I was concerned, but I know several people who had it, and while it was rough for them, they all recovered. I texted her a few days later to see how she was holding up, and I didn't get a reply back. I figured she was recovering at home and feeling too wiped out to reply back. A week ago Sunday, someone messaged me on Facebook to let me know she was in rough shape. Apparently the day after she posted about having it, she had to be rushed to the hospital. At this point, she was on a respirator and in a medically-induced coma. I held onto the hope that by some miracle she'd recover, but I was worried sick and did not sleep well for the next few nights. And every time someone messaged me on Facebook, I tensed up, thinking the worst. Then this past Thursday, I was looking on Facebook and a mutual friend had posted that she had passed. I still can't wrap my head around it. She was as tough as they come, and she got taken out by something one billionth her size. She was my age -- she would have turned 52 in December. I ended up going to karaoke that night, figuring that it wasn't going to do me any good to sit at home and be sad, but I was a wreck. I didn't even try to go into work the next day. Luckily, my immediate supervisor is understanding (most of them are, it's just the upper management that sucks), and told me that taking a day off was not a problem. So keep your loved ones close, and don't let any kind of petty bullshit estrange you from each other. You never know how much time you have left with someone.
Rest in peace, my friend. Until my time comes and we meet again.
Comment