Really sorry to hear that, man. Stay safe and get well soon. Hope you make your appointment.

Six minutes?

Ah, yes. Perhaps that requires a bit of contextual explanation.

I am an INTJ, and as such, have sought to optimize every facet of my life as much as possible. So for the last five or so years, I've eaten the exact same thing at the same exact minutes of the day for every meal. (Mostly marshmallow breakfast cereals.)

I mapped out the location of those items in my grocery store in the order they appear. I drive to the grocer fifteen minutes before they open for the day every second Saturday. I wait in the car until the doors are about to open. Then I grab a cart and literally sprint through the store as fast as humanly possible grabbing my items. That way, I'm the first one at the register so no one else has touched the PIN pad for the debit card swiper. I do this in an effort to minimize any and all risk of COVID contamination.

So yes - two weeks of groceries in six minutes. This week I did it in five.

Thanks for asking.

Dang!

Anyway, hope you feel better soon. Are you vaccinated?

You'll be ok either way I'm sure, but I think there's no need to prolong your isolation for extra time once you get it. You're not likely to catch it again in the coming weeks...I figure...:/

I would just assume if ISB goes through all those - really top level, no way I'd do it even in my situation - precautions, that he would definitely be vaxxed and boosted. Probably one of the first in the queue.

were you vaxxed?

Thanks, everyone. TH is correct - I am fully-vaxxed and boosted and did so at the earliest available opportunities. I consider myself a being of rationalism and scientific appreciation so I was fully on board with vaccination. I can't begin to fathom how much harder this illness would have hit me if I weren't! The waves of violent chills and uncontrollable shaking is perhaps the worst part of it.

As for my hyper-precaution of isolating continuously until my vacation, there are several critically important events on my calendar during that stretch, from medical procedures to international travel, so I can't take even the slightest risk in compromising them.

I'm an introvert and my home is my sanctuary space where I'm surrounded by all the artifacts which inspire me, so really being isolated for upwards of a month won't be so bad. Friends have been very thoughtful and kind, offering contactless care packages and such, so I'm sure I'll get through it.

I am quite fortunate.

Yeah but still you isolated and got vaccinated and still got the virus. I would be cursing God for that one. Best of luck to you.

Well no vaccine is 100% effective, as they never tired of telling us. I thought I might have had it there a while back - bad cough, temp seemed up and I was worried, not so much for me but for Karen; how in hell would I get her into a hospital that was already creaking at the seams, and did I want to, when we were being told, quite matter-of-factly, that the hospital was the worst place a person with Covid could go? Thankfully whatever it was passed off, but I was convinced that, this being the only time I was really exposed to a maskless environment up close (guy cutting my hair did not wear a mask, and it kind of only dawned on me too late), it was the time I had been hit. As I say, it seems not to have been it, but no matter how careful you are, there is no guarantee.

Take care, ISB, and get well soon.

You guys my father is using my dead brother’s name as a platform to run for a seat in the House.