Timelies all!

~no-cancer-vibes~

We did dinner and live-streamed services at my MIL's this evening. Because she is who she is, it was all outside in her backyard. I have bug bites all over my hands.

Ugh. Trying to come down from the adrenaline after confronting my neighbors for leaving their dog alone in the backyard for 7 hours while he howled in distress.

This was somebody visiting the apartment owner and left their dog out there, while I (and the entire neighborhood) listened to him howling for his people. An old dog, with poor sight. One bowl of kibble. One bowl of water. Left in the noonday sun and then the cold as dark fell. For 7 hours. I was going over to put a note on their door, and there they were. And I fucking laid into them.

Responses from them were: "I'm sorry." And "That language is not appropriate."

To which I replied, "It absolutely is fucking appropriate because you are shitty fucking humans beings who don't deserve a dog."

I'm glad I just went over with the note because Plan B was to sit on their steps with a hammer in my hand.

(I'm turning into my dad who I once saw come within a millimeter of smashing a guy into the ground for beating his dog with a leash.)

I hope you got through to them on some level, David. How horrible for the poor pup.

Oy, Tuesday after a three day weekend. yawnnnn

Here's a good NYT explainer on new data on breakthrough infections: [link]

In short, if you're vaccinated and wearing a mask indoors a breakthrough is still very unlikely even with Delta (1 in 5,000). Also, the emphasis on the higher viral load in Delta was somewhat misleading in that while it does make it more transmissible to unvaccinated people, if you are vaccinated you are still very protected.

We're getting into the place where people have to do their own risk assessments which includes: underlying conditions, living with somebody with underlying conditions, the vax rate in your community and your risk tolerance.

For example, in San Francisco the high vax rate means that my chances of getting a breakthrough is more like 1 in 10,000.

We're getting into the place where people have to do their own risk assessments which includes: underlying conditions, living with somebody with underlying conditions, the vax rate in our community and your risk tolerance.

Yes. As an example, we went to the local big annual fundraiser for the fire department, which has a couple of hundred people on Sunday. There were maybe 4-5 people wearing masks, including DH. It was in the firehouse where the 4 large garage doors were fully open, and people milled in and out. Brendon spends a lot of time in medical offices, which of course have vulnerable people around, and he will be traveling again today or tomorrow back to Florida. He felt he should wear his mask. I didn't feel uncomfortable given the open air and general spacing. No one thought twice about the few people wearing masks, and Brendon of course talked with lots of people, friends and strangers without any discomfort. Including a redneck nearly his size who talked college football with him for quite a while in the queue for food. I noticed the food prep people had gloves on and the ticket selling crew were sanitizing their hands as they handled cash and tickets.

For example, in San Francisco the high vax rate means that my chances of getting a breakthrough is more like 1 in 10,000.

We're still going to Vermont in 2 weeks, because they have a very high vax rate and very low infection rate (comparatively). And also, even though there's not a ton of data on whether people who already had Covid can get it again, what we know so far is basically a nonzero chance, but vanishingly low.

If it were a different state, we might not go, since we don't know what's Tim's antibody level is (given his autoimmune disease and immunosuppressant drugs). But I feel pretty damn okay with Vermont.

I made my inaugural trip to Dunkin' Donuts this morning for Pumpkin Cold Brew and apple Cider Donut, an Apple Fritter and assorted other impulse buys to get me through the day. Yum. There is also a Baskin Robbins in the same building but that does not appear to be available via drive thru. n order to get an affogato it appears I will have to go in the building to get ice cream and then drive thru for my espresso. I think that is manageable, although I did not try it today.

That sounds tasty, t! I bought a breakfast burrito when I dropped the dog at daycare. I feel very behind on things. Even though I’m not really sure I am behind on anything. Frantic Tuesday mornings are dumb and I am rebelling by….posting here instead of catching up.

That is my kind of rebellion

I just tried a white pumpkin mocha. It was a lot. Tasty, but a lot.

While I was in Michigan, I wore my mask inside in public spaces and went maskless inside with vaccinated family. It’s the same protocol I’m following in NC, as infection rates are pretty similar.