{{{Hil}}} This is beside the point but I think it's awful that you (the general you, meaning all of us, but also specifically you) have to jump through hoops to take a sick day when you are by definition not up to working so all those hoops are even harder

It has taken a week for me to find out that Verizon can't do one damn thing for my non-working phone except suggest that I pay off the balance I owe on it and upgrade. So that's swell. Not sure what I'm going to do about getting a new phone just yet but I don't think I will buy it through Verizon

Well, there's good news, which is, my first vax dose is scheduled for March 20th.

Then there's devastating news in that one of my closest friends lost her brother to a heart attack three days ago. He was maybe 56, father of two grown but still twenties kids. My friend had to deliver the news to her/their parents and their other sister. I cannot imagine any of this. Or, I don't want to. We, her friends, are circling the wagons, of course, but there's no actual defense against this kind of grief.

This is the family that took us all in as new college kids and have welcomed us every day since. Have spent countless occasions with them - weddings, holidays, vacations - and her brother was just a delightful human. Heartbroken for them.

ETA: I'm good. I just wanted to share it here, where it's safe.

Oh, Jen, that's so sad

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That is rough, Jen. I'm glad she has you.

My back door neighbors ripped out a the fence long line of palm trees a while back, which had provided complete privacy for my back yard. Their trees, the previous owner had planted them. It was horrifying. First, they were beautiful. Second, the back of their house is not. Ugh. Well, DH found a nursery which has like 12' or taller trees to put in a new hedge. Ha! Easier said than done. He and one of my basketball sons, who benches over 300 #s went this morning and picked up 6 of them since that was all they could fit in the trailer. Got home and it took them over 3 hours to just get them off the trailer. Like wow super heavy. They just went to get another load, but won't try and offload them until they have another couple men to help. Clearly it will take some serious muscle to actually get them planted. Yes, this is my husband who was supposed to have hernia surgery a couple years ago but still hasn't because he is too heavy and the surgeon won't do it. A little no emergency surgery~ma might be in order. BUT I will be able to skinny dip again without concern over upsetting anyone. Of course, my first plan was for us to sunbathe nude daily until the neighbors put the trees back, but it seems unlikely that the plan would work.

I'm so sorry, Jen. That's terrible.

Jen, that's awful. My condolences.

I'm back from my first of two Moderna shots. The second is scheduled for April 8th. Now just my daughter and older son need their vaccines. As healthy 20-somethings, they expect they'll have to wait.

Cindy, you're my vaccine twin! Both doses.

Jen, that's far too soon, and too close. I'm sorry.

Cindy, your news makes me very happy. (ETA brenda, yay!) My goddaughter received her first shot yesterday; she's a middle-school teacher whose school went back to hybrid in-person classes on the 8th, and I admit I cried a little when she showed me her card.

Thanks for the kind words, all.