Right now

Right now...* 

*(an occasional (mostly monthly) meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"). (Explanation of how this started & my inspirations in my first "Right now" post, here. Also my first "The Current" post, here.)

Pandemic diary/update:  April was Month #25 (heading into #26) of living with the COVID-19 pandemic. As detailed in last month's "Right now" post, capacity restrictions, vaccine passport requirements and (most) mask mandates were all lifted by mid-March. Not surprisingly, within a week or two, all the indicators started rising again, and before long, a 6th (!) wave was underway. Very quickly, new cases rose to an estimated (because limited PCR testing = underestimated numbers) 100,000+ per day, equal to the pandemic peak in January. Anecdotally, I'm hearing about more sick people (friends & otherwise) than at any other time during the pandemic, with the possible exception of late December/January.  (Once mask mandates were dropped in schools, absenteeism there skyrocketed, and of course the kids brought it home to their families... one advantage of being childless??)  Hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths also rose over the course of the month. The government has brushed off any queries about the rising numbers by saying they were "expected' (!) and "manageable" (!!), and that we had to "learn to live with covid." ("Move along, nothing to see here...") 

Many doctors have clamoured for the return of mask mandates (at the very least), to no avail (although the mask mandate for public transit, hospitals, long-term care homes and other medical facilities was extended into June). (While I am pro-masking for as long as the pandemic hangs around, I am not optimistic that people would comply if mandates were reinstated -- how do you stuff that genie back in the bottle?)  The province's chief medical officer of health disappeared from public view completely for more than a month (reminiscent of the premier's disappearing act for several weeks last December as Omicron numbers began climbing). Last seen at the Toronto St. Patrick's Day parade in March, he finally showed up for a briefing (which had been held daily) on April 11th, as the numbers surged. (Apparently he was on vacation in the Caribbean for part of that time -- despite the premier's assurances that the good doctor was working tirelessly for us every day...!)  I'm not sure he's had another briefing since then. 

Infuriating. 

(NOT) coincidentally, we have a provincial election coming up on June 2nd.  

Here are some stats from April (mostly from The Toronto Star, here and here). 

• There were 3,519 new cases reported in Ontario on April 1st, and 2,799 on April 30th, with peak numbers for the month (4,668) recorded on April 22nd. 
• Caveat:  The Star notes that "given new provincial regulations to limit testing that took effect on Dec. 31, 2021, case counts are no longer considered an accurate assessment of how widespread the virus is right now. Daily reported cases in 2022 should be considered under reported."  (Some provinces have stopped reporting daily new case numbers altogether, leaving citizens entirely in the dark.)
• At peak times during the two years of the pandemic, around 75,000 tests were being completed daily. During April, the number ranged between about 11,000 and 23,000.
• Test positivity was 16% on April 1st and 14% on April 30th. Peak day was April 17th, with 20%.
• Hospitalizations were up during the month, from 806 on April 1st to 1,676 on April 30th, peaking at 1,741 on April 26th.
• There were 167 patients with COVID-19 in Ontario's ICUs on April 1st, and 188 on April 30th, peaking at 219 on April 25th. 
• There were 18 deaths on April 1st and 13 on April 30th. The peak was 32 deaths recorded on April 6th. 

As of April 30th with a population of just over 14 million, Ontario has logged 1,258,137 (officially counted) cases of covid and more than 12,825 deaths. For Canada as a whole (population 38 million), those numbers are 3,741,125 and 39,182, respectively. 

90.2% of eligible Ontarians aged 5 and over have now had at least one shot and 86.8% are fully vaccinated. ("Fully vaccinated" = two doses, although some believe that definition should change to include boosters/third doses.) When those not eligible are included, the numbers are 86% and 82.8%, respectively.  Canada-wide, 82.3% of people are fully vaccinated.  

Uptake on third doses/boosters has been slow, and fourth shots/second boosters only started being offered more widely in mid-April. Currently, you're eligible if you're age 60+ (which includes me & dh) and 141 days past your third shot.  For us, that would be May 5th. The vaccine clinic affiliated with our family doctor's office sent me an email in mid-April, outlining the eligibility and inviting us to book appointments. (Quite a change from the frantic scramble we had to find and book our first and second vaccine appointments!)  I don't feel QUITE as anxious about getting this one as I was for the first three -- I feel like we are probably still fairly well protected -- but we will probably book appointments as soon as we're eligible.  

On the personal pandemic front:  Needless to say, dh & I have remained masked when out in public, and (mostly) socially distanced. Despite the rising numbers, we were actually more "social" and out and about this month than we have been in a while (although in several cases, it was at BIL's prodding...!). On top of dh's weekly trips to the supermarket for groceries and for occasional takeout lunches & dinners: 

• We went to BIL & SIL's on the first Sunday in April to have dinner with them, Older Nephew, his wife and Little Great-Nephew -- AND meet BIL & SIL's new puppy! 
• Two of dh's cousins who live nearby, the one cousin's husband and the other cousin's young adult daughter, also dropped by while we were there (at BIL's invitation). Despite the proximity, we hadn't seen any of these cousins since before covid began. 
• We went with BIL & SIL to see (another one of ) BIL & dh's cousins on a Friday night in early April -- the same family we spent the cottage weekend with last fall. 
• Dh & I made a "cannoli run" to a local Italian bakery/cafe earlier that afternoon so we'd have some treats to bring along to have with coffee (yum!). 
• We visited SIL & Little Great-Nephew (and the new puppy!) during the week 3 times.  
• On two of those visits, dh & I took LGN to the park for an hour, while SIL stayed in the house and wrangled the new puppy. He was (mostly) pretty good and it was pretty special to have that time together, just the three of us. :)  On one occasion, he even walked there between us, holding hands with both of us. As I said to dh, "I don't know if he'll remember any of this when he gets older -- but WE sure will!"  
• Dh & I went to the local Carters/Oshkosh store and to the drugstore to pick up a few things for LGN's Easter basket.  :)  
• Against our better judgment, we had dinner on Easter Saturday at BIL's, along with 12 other adults & 2 children (including SIL's two brothers and their families).  
• Dh & I headed to midtown Toronto (near where we had our first apartment, 35+ years ago) for checkups with our longtime optometrist on April 22nd. 
• And then we headed to a downtown hospital on April 26th to see an opthamologist. Enroute home, we stopped at the pharmacy to fill the prescription I received.  
• We headed outside -- along with everyone else in the building (well, a lot of them, anyway...!) -- when a fire alarm went off on the evening of April 23rd. 
• Dh spent yesterday with BIL at Older Nephew's house, doing some heavy-duty yardwork. (Older Nephew's Wife was at work, so dh mostly played with Little Great-Nephew and kept him busy while the other two did the work, lol.)  

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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 6 books in April (all reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads, & tagged  "2022 books").   

• "The House of the Deer" by D.E. Stevenson. (My review.) 
• "The Great Influenza" by John M. Barry (about the 1918 pandemic). (My review.) 
• "My Ticket to Ride" by Janice Mitchell. (My review.) 
• "Feeding My Mother" by Jann Arden.  (My review.) 
• "If I Knew Then" by Jann Arden. (My review.) 
• "The Story Girl" by L.M. Montgomery (group read with my LMM Readathon group on Facebook). (My review.) 

This brings me to 22 books read so far in 2022 -- 49% (almost half!) of my 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books.  I am (for the moment, anyway) 8 books ahead of schedule. :)

Current read(s): 

• "The Great Silence" by Juliet Nicolson. 
• "The House of the Deer" by D.E. Stevenson (chapter-by-chapter reading & discussion with my DES online fan group, which began on April 25th; to be counted as a re-read when we're done, in late June). 
• "The Menopause Manifesto" by Dr. Jen Gunter. 

Coming up: 

(Most of my book groups have their next reads plotted out for a few months in advance -- and this is a great place for me to keep track of what I should read next, lol.) 

• For my D.E. Stevenson fan group (no set timeframes, but these are the next ones we've agreed to read after we finish the current book, in order):  
• "Anna and her Daughters" 
• "Sarah Morris Remembers" 
• For the Gateway Women book club: 
• "The Man Who Died Twice" by Richard Osman (May -- already read & reviewed here).
• "The Woman in the Photograph" by Stephanie Butland (June -- unfortunately, not available in Canada yet, it seems...  :(  ) 
• "These Precious Days" by Ann Patchett (July) 

Also: within the private online Gateway Women community, we've formed a group to discuss Jody Day's book, "Living the Life Unexpected," one chapter per month, in a live Zoom call. (There are actually two groups -- one that's more conducive to UK/European/Australasian time zones, and one for North Americans.) Our fourth call, discussing Chapter 4, was on a mid-month Sunday afternoon. Completing all 12 chapters will take us a full year.  If/when we complete the full 12 chapters, I'll count it as another re-read. :)  

A few recently purchased titles (in digital format, mostly discounted or purchased with points):  

• "On All Fronts" by Clarissa Ward 
• "All About Me!" by Mel Brooks 
• "Out of Office" by Charlie Warzel & Anne Helen Petersen 
• "The Good Ally" by Nova Reid 

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Watching: The new Ken Burns two-part documentary on PBS about Benjamin Franklin, earlier in April. 

Listening:  Some great podcasts, including several episodes of New Legacy Radio, and catching up on the latest episodes of The Full Stop.  

Eating/Drinking: Way too much at Easter dinner at BIL's...! 

I couldn't resist buying a bag of Lindor milk chocolate mini-Easter eggs for myself (& dh -- but mostly for me, lol) at the same time I was buying some candy for Little Great-Nephew's Easter basket (as well as something for SIL's great-nephew). :)  I've been pretty good about staying away from chocolate lately, but hey! it's Easter!  lol  

Dh's cousin's wife made us a simple but lovely supper when we went there with BIL & SIL mid-month:  a slab of oven-baked salmon, done just right, focaccia bread from an Italian bakery, and a salad bar, set up on the kitchen counter, so we could help ourselves to whatever we liked. (And wine, of course, lol.)  Yum! (I love salmon!)  Dh & I brought mini-cannolis for dessert from a local Italian bakery that specializes in them, and BIL & SIL brought bombes, which are basically Italian jelly doughnuts (what we would have called "jambusters," growing up in Manitoba), but filled with custard or (yum!) Nutella. 

(Perhaps not coincidentally, my gallstones have been giving me some grief again lately. :p  Nothing major, but just enough to be annoying. Boo, hiss...) 

Buying (besides books, lol):  Things for Little Great-Nephew's Easter basket, including a some cute spring/summer shirts, a book, sidewalk chalk, a chocolate bunny and a wind-up chick toy. 

I took advantage of a spring sale to re-stock and stock up on a few favourite essential oil blends for my diffuser from Saje, online. And I ordered some summery new T-shirts from Old Navy. (Now -- when will I be able to wear them??)(See next item...!)  

Wearing: I had to put my cardigan back on over my short-sleeved T-shirts when the temperatures dipped.  :p  (Oh, April...!) 

Trying:  A different cleaner in the shower cubicle that has bleach in it. It cleaned up the mildew in the corners nicely, but oy, the fumes!  (I do wear a mask when I'm cleaning the cubicle -- they're not just good for covid!  lol)  I think I will have to use that one sparingly/as needed...!  

Wanting: To get out on my balcony and wash my windows/sliding doors!! -- they are FILTHY! It just hasn't been quite warm enough yet.  (Soon! Soon!!) (Building management hires window washers every spring, and they are coming later this month, but they will not come onto our balconies to do the windows there -- those are our responsibility. One of the few advantages of having one of the smallest balconies in the building = fewer windows to wash, lol.)  

Enjoying: A rare "me home alone" day yesterday, when dh went with BIL up to Older Nephew's house. I spent the morning doing a couple of those deep cleaning jobs I never seem to get around to doing. I actually scrubbed the grout in the kitchen & bathroom floor tiles, which was looking a tad dingy (!), and then mopped the entire condo. (We vacuum & dust mop at least once a week, but damp mopping gets done less frequently...!)(Another perq of not having children -- the floors don't need mopping as often!)  

And then I spent the afternoon listening to music and catching up on my social media accounts on my laptop.  :) 

Noticing:  A HUGE uptick in the number of spam messages I'm getting in my email lately. I had AT LEAST two dozen pop up throughout the day on Saturday. I mark them as spam, block the senders, delete... but they still keep coming. Extremely annoying. I'm going to talk to my sister's partner (the computer guy) next time I talk to her, but in the meantime, any suggestions?  

 Also: A green haze appearing on some of the trees around our building (leaf buds)... another sign of spring!  

Wondering: How it got to be May, already??!  

Also:  When the best time would be to book our summer trip to see my family in Manitoba?  My sister has two week of holidays booked for mid-July... but there's a family reunion in my mom's hometown in NW Minnesota in late July. (Not that I feel ready for large gatherings right now, let alone across the border...!) And my sister's 60th (!) birthday is in mid-September. Hmmm... (ETA:  Also the matter of my eye procedure & gallbladder removal surgery to be scheduled and possibly worked around...) 

Prioritizing:  My new eye care regime (to help alleviate my dry eye sydrome):  warm wet compresses, twice a day (morning & evening), gently scrubbing my eyelids and lashes every morning with Cetaphil and water, Systane eyedrops four times a day (I was prescribed Restasis, but didn't like how it made my eyes feel), and an omega vitamin with my breakfast, along with my Centrum multivitamin. I've set calendar prompts on my phone to remind me. 

Waiting: To book both my eye surgery and gallbladder removal surgery. (See this post.) (If I don't hear from the opthamologist on Monday, I'll call his office again on Tuesday.)   

Hoping:  I won't have to wait too long for both procedures... of course, everything is backed up because so many surgeries were postponed because of covid. 

Appreciating: How BIL & SIL (and the nephews) include us in family events and welcome our presence in Little Great-Nephew's life. (I know many childless/free aunts & uncles are not so lucky.) 

Loving:  The time we get to spend with LGN.  :) 

Feeling: Happy that the weather is getting nicer (albeit not quite fast enough for my liking...!).  A little overwhelmed by all my recent medical issues (but fully aware that things could be a whole lot worse!). REALLY bored with covid... but pretty sure things aren't going to get a whole lot better for a while yet...