Positive

I always knew it would happen. It was simply a matter of delaying it long enough for the damage to be minimal - to duck the worst of the initial waves, get vaccinated, get boosted, and then see what happened next.

But I am, indeed, now Covid positive.

I suspect I will be one of the lucky ones, as most fully vaccinated people are. That's why you get vaccinated, after all - to turn a life-threatening disease into a minor nuisance. I'm good with that trade.

I tested negative on Monday morning, which is why I figured my stuffy nose that afternoon was just allergies or a cold or something similar. This is, after all, an annual event for me. I've also had the same nagging cough since the Johnson Administration - I'm used to it and honestly I don't know what I'd sound like without it.

The last couple of days have felt much the same - like a mild cold, not enough to keep me from doing anything (though sleeping while congested is always a trick). I'm actually feeling better today, but Kim insisted that I get tested anyway.

This, it turned out, was easier said than done.

Most of the public testing places around here are full with long waits - I live in a place where even many Trump supporters wore masks through the worst of it last year (usually emblazoned with slogans, but so be it), which made me feel a bit better about the nation though it does mean that with the omicron variant raging through the world right now there are more responsible people getting tested than slots to get tested. I do have an appointment for Sunday at a local pharmacy, though I suppose I can cancel it now.

My health care provider has a telehealth option where you log in, answer about ten minutes' worth of questions and then wait for a response, so I did that this morning and they said, yeah - go to the clinic and get tested. So I did, but it turns out they're giving the "we'll get back to you in two days" kind of tests, which did not really address the question of what to do in the interim. I suppose they will confirm things, though. And if they contradict the next thing that happened, maybe I'll get sprung sooner!

But they do sell home tests as well, so Kim got one and I took it and wow - those were some clear lines. No doubt about those lines, really. Nope, none at all.

So I've moved into my bedroom. Kim took out all the stuff she needs for the next few days - she and Oliver tested negative again today so they can still roam the house freely. Lauren tested negative tonight as well, so she's allowed to escape from her isolation. I missed her by an hour. I may not see her much at all this break, but I'm glad that she's better and out and about.

But I've got books. I've got my tea kettle and mug. I've got some projects that I've been putting off. I have internet access. And - this cannot be stressed enough - I feel fine other than being slightly congested. I'm not too worried about the confinement. Kim once had to explain to me what cabin fever was and why it was bad, so I figure I can handle a week in my own room.

Someday we will all tell stories about this. I'm just getting a head start is all.