Just heard from Donna’s sister Georgie … she and her husband Don are scheduled for their second COVID shots a few days before they get on the train to come our way. They’ll arrive here the 2nd of April, a week before their 14-day waiting period is over, but by then Donna and I will be fully immunized (second shot plus 14 and then some), and I’m happy with those odds. Not to mention tremendously relieved that the vaccination logjam, at least for us older folks, has broken.
Georgie and Don made the decision to come by Amtrak a few weeks ago, when it wasn’t clear if they’d be able to get their first vaccinations, let alone their second. To minimize the risk of exposure, they booked a private compartment. It’s a three-day trip by rail, and I can’t wait to hear about it … if you’d asked me a month ago if there was train service between Detroit and Tucson I’d have said probably not (I did know Amtrak runs between Tucson and Los Angeles, and have always been tempted to try it).
The first week of their stay here, Georgie’s going to work on a quilt with Donna. Not sure what Don and I will do … probably cook for the ladies, maybe fix a few things around the house (he’s handy, which I’m not). During the second week, we’re driving to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Sedona. Donna’s putting the trip together as I write … at the moment, renting a huge Suburban so the four of us will be comfortable on the road. I keep wanting to jump in and help her with the planning, but she says she’s got it, and all I have to do is drive. Mister B, our good citizen dog, will be with a friend he’s stayed with before, in a house full of dachshunds he’s come to know well. Fun for the whole family!
Meanwhile, Polly has the guest bedroom painted. Something’s wrong with the track for the sliding closet doors, but she says she can fix it. The room will get broken in the night before Georgie and Don come: our friend Marlene from Oregon and her S.O. Mike are stopping over here on their way to a horse ranch west of here. I want to say dude ranch, but I’m not sure they call them that any more. Marlene and Mike are fully vaccinated … won’t it be nice when we no longer feel the need to cite everyone’s vaccination status when talking about visits with friends and family? Did we do that with AIDS? Like, “We’re going to see so-and-so, who doesn’t have AIDS?” “Your friend seems nice … does he have AIDS?” Jesus, this fucking pandemic.
I’m whipping up a Panang curry with chicken for dinner tonight. Donna’s been busy with trip planning and sewing projects all day, and while I may not be handy, I can cook and take some of the load off her.
Things are looking up, folks!
Please tell my old friend Marlene I said hi.
BTW, my wife’s daughter just came to visit from memphis where she is a teacher. She has been vaccinated a couple of weeks ago and so were we. I didn’t hug her or get too close but didn’t wear a mask in the same room either. She left a couple of days ago and so far so good. I’ll let you know if I come down with anything in the next week…
Nice. I’d love to do the Tucson/Detroit train trip! We took the overnight train from LA to Tucson one year, with a sleeper car& all – it was very fun & I definitely recommend it!