Midweek odds & ends (and questions)

• Dh is still on jury duty, but there is light at the end of the tunnel...! Last night (Monday) when he came home, he told me that both the Crown (prosecution) & defense had finished calling witnesses and would be summarizing their cases the next day (i.e., today)... after which the judge will provide instructions and then the jury will begin its deliberations, likely by Wednesday (tomorrow) afternoon. So, depending on how long it takes the jury to reach its verdict, it *should* all be done before the weekend, as the judge had predicted. (Whew.)
• Once the jury begins deliberations, he has to hand over his cellphone, so we won't be able to contact each other. (Right now, he has to turn it off when he's in the courtroom, but he can use it during breaks.) And if they go into the evening, they will be sequestered in a hotel for the night. He has to pack an overnight bag tonight, just in case. 
• It's not often that we've spent time away from each other during our 36 years of marriage (and even less often that he's been away from me!). If he does have to stay overnight, I feel better knowing that BIL & SIL are nearby if I need anything. 
• "Anything" = the possibility of my gallstones acting up in a major way. :p  I had more discomfort on Sunday night. Not the worst I've felt, by a long shot, but not something I was able to ignore either... (Still felt a bit off yesterday, but much better so far today.) 
• Our family doctor's office called on Monday with my ultrasound results from last week. They confirmed the presence of gallstones. (Surprise!!)  He advises a lower-fat diet and smaller portions to reduce spasms. And if I want to consider surgery to remove the gallbladder, he can provide me with a referral. It's usually just a day surgery, although (like any surgery) it's not without risks & drawbacks. (And I would still have to modify my diet, at least for a while as my body adjusts.) 
• Of course, who wants to spend any time in a hospital right now if they can help it, with covid cases and a new variant on the rise??  I realize I should probably do it, sooner vs later (20 years of dealing with this -- and the past six weeks or so in particular -- is really quite enough... and I know there are risks of infection, etc.), but I'm scheduled to fly home for Christmas in less than two weeks. I can't think about it until the new year. Until then, I'm just going to try to be careful and muddle through as best as I can... 
• Have any of you had gallstones/gallbladder surgery?  Any advice? 
• Since dh's jury duty will likely be done by the end of this week, we booked our covid booster shots for next week!  
• Booster shots for everyone aged 50 or older in our province were recently announced, and will begin on Monday, Dec. 13th. You must have completed your second shot at least 168 days earlier.   
• Our family doctor's office notified us by email late last week that appointments were now available there for all covid vaccines, including boosters, beginning Dec. 13th.  (Our first vaccines were administered at a pharmacy;  the second at a large vaccination centre.) 
• The first day we were eligible for boosters was Thursday, Dec. 16th -- and we took the first available appointments that day. We thought the sooner we get that added protection, the better, especially when we're travelling (and to a covid hotspot area at that...!).  We're scheduled to fly west for Christmas that Saturday (Dec. 18th) -- i.e., approximately 48 hours later. 
• Are we nuts?? -- We figured the booster is a smaller dose, and even with the full dose the previous two times, we only felt crappy for 24-36 hours. The full protection of the booster will have kicked in by the time we return, two weeks later. 
• Have you had a booster shot yet? What was your experience re: side effects (especially compared to the first two rounds)?