Tests both here in Florida and in New York are free and easy to get. My sister got her negative results today. We thought that would be the case, but always good to know. She is still quite sick, but just normal ick.

The thing that pettily, I'm angriest about is, we are finally able to travel a bit, and thanks to...words fail me here, inaction on the part of government, Covid is going to be endemic, forever, on this planet. Vaccines are going to be the only way to mitigate that fact. And so H and I are effectively trapped for however many years until a vaccine is available, and affordable. And by that time I may be unable to travel, if indeed I still have an interest. Yeah, aside from the racism and the economic ruin and infrastructure decay and erosion of respect for the country in the rest of the world and the unending litany of destruction that follows our present incumbent, I am livid, on a personal scale, that I may never see beyond my city limits again.

Katie Bee, Shir, thank you both so much for your lovely condolence cards. I'm grateful for your thought and care.

I'm glad I was able to address your card properly at last, esse. I also sent a thank you card to my stepmother that was returned to me the same week, so it's good to know personal mail does get delivered. Eventually.

We voted! It is a lovely rainy day and I decided it was better to stand in a long line on a rainy day than to stand in a much longer line on a blistering hot sunny day. An hour and a quarter later I have a shiny I voted pen and sticker.

Also on the good news front. We will only be working 3 hour shifts on election day because they had so many new workers train this year. Awesomeness!

Laura, that is awesome news about the new poll workers! When I did it, it was a constant struggle to get enough people to cover all the polling places.

My ballot has been accepted, and it looks as if about 22% of my county has already voted.

Wow, that's great to read, Laura! And you got a pen! I never got an I voted pen.

Yes, it was either clean all the pens after each voter or give them the pen to keep. It was an unexpected treat. People in line under umbrellas were all sociable and good natured. Masked. One 22 year old was there as a candidate for the state senate. It was nice to talk to him although he isn't my district. Love seeing young people getting involved.

That's all fantastic news, Laura. Nice to read!

We dropped our ballots off at least three weeks ago, and Matt is tracking them. They've at least been accepted; I don't know if there's anything beyond that.

I'm currently waiting for a heretical tuna noodle casserole to come out of the oven. Heretical because we have A Family Recipe handed down from at least Grandma Prior... possibly Great Grandma Garver? In any case, I'm surprised my oven didn't spit it out for its noveau-noodle gall. We'll see how my gut reacts. (It has no condensed soup in it, which is what made me want to try this fancy version. No condensed soup? Madness.)

Getting pretty experimental there, JenP! Hope it comes out good