Out with a Whimper

True Inauguration Day was yesterday, the 4th of March, as enshrined in the Constitution. Donald Trump, who’s been secretly in charge all along, would be officially sworn in by a triumvirate of elected county sheriffs, the only legal authorities sovereign patriots are bound to respect. The usurpers in the White House would be frog-marched off the grounds and renditioned to Guantanamo. Three million indictments would be unsealed and martial law declared. The Storm, at last, would be upon us, the Great Cleansing begun.

So hoped these four, anyway.

Those who would have forced Trump down our throats regardless of election results shot their wad with the Capitol riots in January. Can we take the security fencing down now?

Also yesterday: our daughter Polly moved furniture out of the room she used to live in, then cleaned and spackled the walls. She said she’d be over first thing this morning to start painting. It’s afternoon now, demonstrating once again the relativity of time as a concept. Hey, though, she’s still working and living in her own place, and that’s what matters.

We’re starting to see news stories about CDC guidelines for people who’ve been vaccinated. Not that the CDC have actually issued any guidelines … they’re still formulating them. Until they do, those who’ve had their shots are left to work things out by themselves. We’ll join their ranks soon. Until told otherwise, we’ve decided it’ll be safe to be unmasked around others who’ve been vaccinated, like the friends coming to visit in early April. What we’re losing sleep over is what to do about visits with family and friends who haven’t been vaccinated.

I don’t know what we’re going to do if Donna’s sister and her husband aren’t able to get their shots before visiting us (they arrive the day our vaccinated friends leave). Well, I know what Donna’s going to do. It’s family, after all, and she’ll share air with them. Will I be an asshole if I mask up around them? Truth or dare: how many of you have gone along with things you know you shouldn’t have just so no one would think you’re an asshole? I sure as hell have.

What about our own kids? We shared our home, unmasked, with our daughter during the first few months of the pandemic. We still see one another, unmasked, at least once a week. Do we, at this late date, start wearing masks when we’re with her? We’re planning to visit our son and his family in Las Vegas later in April, and it’s unlikely they’ll all have been vaccinated by then. Do we put the visit off or suck it up and breathe through masks the entire time we’re with them? I’m pretty sure I know how the CDC will answer these questions.

As for the rest of our DIY guidelines, I feel we’re on firmer ground. Once fully vaccinated we’ll continue masking up in stores and around strangers. Groceries and gas aside, we were doing our shopping online long before the pandemic hit, and that won’t change. We won’t be in any hurry to start eating in restaurants again, or going to the movies. Flying? Going to parties? No way, at least until the government tells us the number of vaccinations necessary to reach herd immunity have been administered, whatever that number happens to be. Meanwhile, as more and more people get vaccinated, the circle of family and friends we can share air with will keep expanding. It’ll be almost like old times.

Mister B would very much like to go somewhere in the truck with me. It just so happens I have a book to pick up at the library, so we’re off.