(i.e., since before March 2020)
- Seen a movie at the theatre/cineplex (something we both loved to do, pre-pandemic).
- Eaten out, at a restaurant (inside or on a patio in the summer) or in a food court. (Ditto above.)
- On the plus side, vaccine passports are now in effect for these locations -- but on the minus side, capacity restrictions were recently lifted... (plus there are reports that many places have not been diligent about checking for vaccine status).
- We have ordered takeout just about every week.
- Had a manicure or pedicure. (Love them, but they're not absolutely necessary to my sense of well-being in the same way that a regular haircut is...!)
- Had my eyebrows tinted &/or waxed.
- Seen my family doctor in person (he was not taking most in-person appointments until just recently). (But I will be seeing him later this week, about my gallstone issues.)
- I did see the office's medical assistant back in August when I had gout in my big toe.
- Taken public transit.
- Been back to downtown Toronto.
- Visited the nearby art gallery where I have a membership. (But I'm hoping to remedy that soon.)
- Been to the local library.
- The library book club I belonged to has resumed meeting, but it's it's virtual, and includes all the book clubs from all the other library outlets in the region. I've found a couple of other online book clubs to fill that gap in my life during the pandemic, and so far, I've passed on joining this one.
- Seen any of dh's aunts, uncles or cousins, aside from the cousins we spent the cottage weekend with in September.
- BIL has invited dh & a couple of the guy cousins on their mom's side to get together at their house on Friday night. Pre-COVID, they were making an effort to go out for dinner together a couple of times a year, after years of being absorbed in work and raising their families. Depending on what SIL is going to do -- hang around or hide out in the basement, lol -- I may tag along. (Or not. I'm still a little hesitant about group gatherings, even when everyone's fully vaccinated.) They're all great guys, and I miss them too.
- Seen any friends (other than through Zoom calls).
- My former boss, office bestie and & I have had an annual pre-Christmas lunch in late November/December ever since the first one of us retired in 2006... except for last year. We have a Zoom call scheduled for later this week, and we'll discuss whether lunch is in the cards this year. I suspect not.
Things I've only done on a very limited basis since this past summer:
- Been to the mall (briefly, twice).
- Visited with stepMIL & her family (once, in August, before her grandson went back to school).
- Seen my parents & sister (once, in October -- we would normally have been there in summer 2020, Christmas 2020 and summer 2021 -- hoping to return this Christmas!).
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
Wow. I really feel for you. I know we've been lucky. The only thing I've given up is international travel. But everything here is about to change once Auckland is released from lockdown (in a few weeks).
ReplyDeleteI *could* do a lot of these things -- most of those things, actually. Just about everything is open to you, if you're fully vaccinated and wearing a mask. But even so, there are risks involved, and I don't feel entirely safe taking them, not yet anyway. Lots of other people obviously feel differently.
DeleteI do understand that. I suspect I'll start feeling more hesitant in a week or two.
DeleteMy list is pretty similar to yours, although I have eaten twice on a patio with Q. since being double vaxxed, and I go to the library every week (only to pick up holds- not to browse).
ReplyDeleteloribeth, have you considered using rapid tests to help you feel more comfortable with inside gatherings with family members? We are planning on using them over the holiday season. The cheapest reputable site I've found is this one: https://www.canadianshieldppe.ca/ ($9.99 per test) Provided no one engaged in any risky behaviour in the five or six days before the gathering, the rapid tests should pick up anything from earlier.
Also, I wanted to send you the link to the company which makes the N-95 equivalent masks I now use whenever I go inside. Since the federal government has FINALLY acknowledged that Covid is airborne, it's a good time to upgrade your mask, especially if you are still using cloth ones. (https://canadastrongmasks.ca/)
Thanks for the links, Turia! The rapid tests don't seem to be widely available here (vs UK and Europe), and where to order them online?? -- you just helped there! ;) Our hair stylist told us her cousin brought them some from England and she thought they were great.
DeleteWe're still using cloth masks, although we double masked with a standard disposable mask when we flew at Thanksgiving. BIL brought us some N95s from his construction site, but they were not very comfortable.
Hi loribeth! If I can persuade you to give the masks that I recommended a try, I will be so happy! (I'm not affiliated, just a big fan). They are nothing like the masks I see people wearing on construction sites. I teach in mine for 3+ hours at a time and find it very comfortable and the kids wear theirs for the entire school day. My big kid prefers them to the cloth masks he used to wear because he finds them more comfortable and easier to breathe through. And they offer much better protection which is important as we head indoors for the winter and we're all waiting for our booster shots.
DeleteI can email you a selfie of me wearing one if you want to see how they look!
Turia, do you have my email address? I'm curious, which style do you like? I've been looking at their site... they do look more comfortable than the standard N95s... and we're supposed to be travelling again at Christmastime...!
DeleteThank you for sharing this. It makes me feel less alone. My co-workers and family seem to be living life like normal, but I still take precautions. It's isolating... Kind of like, well, you know--infertility.
ReplyDeleteSigh....the small things (and not-so-small thing) we once took for granted.
ReplyDeleteHi! I can see the email address you use when you comment on my blog, if that one will reach you. :)
ReplyDeleteI have been using their CA-N95s, but I just ordered a 10-pack of both the Layfield and the FN-95-510s to try them out. The CA-N95s are really comfortable, but they fit a touch on the large side (I have to twist the ear loops a couple of times to get a good fit). So I'm trying a couple of the smaller sizes to see if they're better. The Layfields are also supposed to be excellent for people who wear glasses, so I thought Q. might want to try them too.
Honestly, the CA-N95s feel very secure, and if I had ear adjusters from another mask that I could thread on, I probably wouldn't look for another kind. My mum bought the 510s and she really likes them.
Yep, that will do the trick! :) Thanks!
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