Howdy, folks. The kitties are still trying to figure out why we DARED to change things up on them, so they’re still marking their territory and otherwise pitching a fit over the changes to their little furry lives. As such, you get me again today.
My husband and I both got our first dose of Pfizer today, which is a huge load off! Hooray! The shot went smoothly, and neither of us had any allergic reactions. Apple, my husband’s employer, provided the shots when they were allowed to acquire doses for employees.
Apple is amazing at operating vaccinations. We get our flu vaccines yearly from them, and it’s almost magical how efficient they are. They try to get everyone to bring their forms in ahead of time, although they have them (and a station to fill them out so you don’t clog the line.) They tend to have multiple employees at every stop in the chain to make sure the chain keeps chugging along smoothly. Today, the chain looked like this:
1: Park. (We got to park in the outdoor lot reserved for permanent employees of the area because we had Dipshit, and they had converted the parking garage into part of the vaccination center. We are very grateful for this, as parking in the garage would have been amusing and stressful.)
2: Follow the arrows, which were placed on the ground at 6 foot intervals. In the areas they expected clogs, the arrows were foot stand spots to remind people to social distance. There were no waits, and I’d say probably 15 people were vaccinated in the time it took us to get there, get vaccinated, and wait 15 minutes. The entire process took 20 minutes, including walking through a rather large (and pretty!) floral maze to get the cafe they were using as their base of operations.
3: Get health screened. You stand in front of a biological scanner, which checks body temp. It takes about three seconds. Get a sticker when you are not registering a temperature. (Hooray!)
4: Hand paperwork to person, who then makes you fill out little thingie on an ipad. This took me about 2 minutes, which was about 1 minute longer than it took the lady with the pokey to do her job.
5: Apologize, repeatedly, for not looking at the really nice lady because needles are scary. Needle lady was super sweet and seemed amused by the needlephobe. As long as I can’t see the needle, I’m generally okay. It helps I’m on anxiety medication/blood pressure medication.
6: Get a STICKER.
I got a sticker, I got a sticker! It’s PINK AND PURPLE! (I actually got TWO of the stickers!)
7: Get an appointment three or so days after birthday. I get a vaccination for my birthday!
A real conversation with my husband:
Me: I get a VACCINATION for my birthday!!! (excited mode: active.)
Husband: That’s not on your birthday.
Me: It’s close enough. May is my birthday month, and it’s like only three days. It counts.
Husband just laughs and shakes his head.
Due to COVID, there was no candy this time. (Sad sigh.)
8: Wait 15 minutes, which was spent playing on phone and reading a book. Stay an extra 5 minutes because reading a book.
9: Follow the arrows to escape the vaccination center. Return to the wilds.
I am highly amused the drop icon is the location symbol on the iPhone.
Note to self: clean under nails. Working at the old apartment yesterday was not good for beneath my nails.
As for the movers, I wanted to answer some questions and general statements.
1: My husband hired them, so he has to deal with the movers. I do not have the mental, emotional, or physical resources to deal with them. It’s not worth any payout I might receive. My life is genuinely better if I just let it be water under the bridge rather than allowing it to put the bridge under the water.
A lot of you want justice or some form of payback for the movers and the moving nightmare. That’s okay. That’s really sweet of you, and I really appreciate it.
It’s just not a good choice for me and my health.
I’d rather be writing books, and by NOT making a huge fuss over the movers beyond nailing them on reviews and recommending they NOT ever be hired… I don’t need their money.
1: I will get new, shiny dishes to replace the West Elm set… and this is exciting! I was on an extended ban from new, shiny dishes because of the West Elm set, so I can start browsing and admiring pretty dishes that match nicely in my new home.
Value: Probably $200 in broken dishes, but my prized pieces were abandoned in the apartment rather than moved, so they weren’t broken. This is good. I can afford $200 on new dishes, and this is water under the bridge.
2: The two heirloom dishes that were broken can be replaced, and it can be replaced for less than $50. I got lucky and found a seller with matching set/stamp. This is water under the bridge, especially since I bought two epoxy/gold repair kits to see if I can turn them into art! (And I’m far more comfortable doing this because I WAS able to find replacements.)
Value: less than $50 to replace the specific dishes. $60 for two of the gold repair kits to learn a cool new craft!
Water under the bridge that leads to artistic FUN. I’m pleased.
3: I got to buy a Dyson corded vac, which had been completely off the list, except they lost the charge cord to my cordless Dyson. (We are still looking for it, and we are hopeful that it is somewhere in the apartment.
Value: Priceeelleeeeeessss. It does SUCH a good job!!!
But, seriously. There are so many silver linings to this. I’ll let it be water under the bridge because I’m choosing not to let them put the bridge under water. That DOES mean letting it go to be swept downstream.
Others might want to go all out on them, but that just won’t work for me.
And before you ask why my husband isn’t doing this, he just had major dental surgery, and he is not feeling up for it, either. His bridge needs to stay above water, too.
It’s just not worth it.
I’m a hair behind schedule on Catnapped, which is finished but needs to be edited and proofread. I’ll make it on time, but I regret April does not have 31 days right now.
As soon as Catnapped is to vendors in final, I’ll be working on Client from Hell and some other books.
Please note that my cover designer is currently sick with COVID, and as such, print editions will be delayed. Sorry, but she’s not feeling well, and I’m not going to add to her plate until she’s all better and able (and ready!) to work. I will get VERY upset with anyone who is cranky over a lack of print books at this point in time.
Her health ALWAYS comes first. (So please do not ask. You will get a reply similar to the paragraph above, but not phrased as nicely.)
So, that’s it. We have to go back to the old apartment to finish up there. Not my favorite thing in the world, but we’re almost done this nonsense. Almost, Almost.
So glad you are getting your vaccinations! Just schedule about 3 days after #2 for general “not feeling good” days. But it’s worth it. So very glad the apartment debacle is getting behind you!
I appreciate your perspective [& the cost-benefit analysis] and am glad you & your husband are taking care of yourselves. Thank you for the update on the books; I’m looking forward to them. Good luck on the rest of your move!
1. You are right of course; killing the movers via zero star review can be just as satisfying.
2. Yea! looking forward to Catnapped.
3. In a year, the furry majesties will forgive you. Maybe. Possibly. With many many treats provided to convince them you deserve forgiveness.
: )
Congrats on the vaccine *and* the new place. Sorry the movers were not a good choice. I hope your other half feels better soon. Dental surgery is sneaky. You think it’s history and then you feel it again.
Don’t worry. The kitties will get over the move – eventually. (I moved 2 years ago. My Maine Coon went “meh” and I *think* my lynx cat has forgiven me.) They miss the carpet, but my allergies don’t. They will just have to settle for scratching posts and sisal rugs and sitting on the furniture…
I just came home from my second shot. I’m so happy to have this done. You are so right on the don’t worry about things it’s people and pets you need to take care of.
Moving is always stressful! When my husband died, he had just moved from a skilled nursing facility to our retirement home on a lake. I was still working and living 2 1/2 hours away. His live-in caregiver didn’t have anywhere to live so she stayed with his two cats and her cat. When Covid-19 started, I retired and moved to the house on the lake with my 16 year old Siberian cat and my toy terrier. It only took a day for my cat to adjust. It took longer for the other 3 cats to get used to the dog! We are all staying at home waiting for Covid-19 to go away. I get to spend as much time as I want reading now and it is heaven!
I love all your books and don’t mind waiting for the next one. Both of you take care of yourselves. Just moving is stressful!
I hope you’re moving to a place that’s bigger and kinder to you. I love my Dyson too. Thank you for the Dae portals book I am using it as my treat for when I am officially “fully vaccinated”. Watch out my arm ached the evening I got my first vaccination for about a day and a half. Take care 😉
I’m so glad you have had your first vaccine.. I had my first one in February but am waiting for my second. I was.given a time scale of 10-12 weeks due to availability at my doctors, this is my 10th week so hopefully soon. My sister and one of my friends were given dates but we have different doctor’s. I’m so so sorry your cover designer has caught this awful virus. My sister and her husband both had it and were very unwell. I hope that she gets through it with out any serious repercussions. In the UK they are recognizing serious after effects referred to as Long Covid which is leaving long term health issues.
You have your new apartment to look forward to living in and even better Turtles and haunted gazebos. Take care of yourself and Beard and your ever adorable cats.
Health comes first – always. I really hope everyone gets to feeling better.
Also have fun creating new art with the broken dishes.
You really have a fantastic attitude about things! I hope that you enjoy the repair-with-gold kit (that’s Japanese, right?) and that hubby feels better soon. I’m sure that the new book will be highly enjoyable when it comes out. And good luck finding that cord…
I am so glad you both got your first immunization for COVID and a sticker. One of the techs and I have been handing out stitckers at the sites we work. Pokemon, Mandalorian, Minecraft, Disney, etc – candy is no longer allowed (public health doesn’t like creating dental problems).
May the unpacking go smoothly and the fur fiends fine new places to lurk.
Looks like you’re making lemonade out of lemons! There are always solutions, and I like yours.
Congrats on your vaccinations. Makes a world of difference!
Just finished Unawakened, and I loved it!!! Thanks for such engaging reading!
I’m stealing your “not let the bridge me under water,” it’s perfect (I’ll be giving you credit though). Hey, I got my vaccination for my birthday, too! And I had a similar conversation with pretty much everyone the week before and …….okay, I’m still having it almost three weeks later. I got the 1-shot 3 days before my birthday, and everyone working there was tickled at how excited I was for my birthday present.
Although it irks me that those so-and-so’s will get off lightly, you and your husband’s health takes priority. You are the ones who can best assess your needs. I’m glad you are getting new shinies to replace your old ones :). Here’s hoping that the kitties get settled down soon and return to their familiar snarky selves!
When I got my first Pfizer, I kept asking for my sticker. Finally got it and was so excited. But mine wasn’t pretty like yours. I’m getting my second shot today. I had no reaction. I even forgot they had put a band aid on my injection site until I took a shower the next day. We’ll see if the second shot bothers me.
I’m with you on the birthday vaccination, I got my second dose the day after mine. And the side effects were a little more than on the first one *sad face*. Mostly just general fatigue and yucky feeling. And I didn’t even get a sticker *jealous*! 😛
I saw an interesting video on YouTube. Cahannel Paolo from Japan. . What a Japanese moving company is like. Wow. Too bad you could not find such a company in your corner of the states.
The channel is Paolo from Japan
I REALLY really need to know which Dyson you got that you are so pleased with. My sister was helping me move but she is death to anything mechanical and immediately broke my vacuum. After I moved but before I unpacked, we had to work on my mom’s estate plus fibro flares and my car was stolen. I really need to get a better vacuum than the one I inherited from mom. Help.
Happy to hear you got the jab!
We have… a Dyson ball multifloor of some sort. If you have a lot of pets, get the corded Dyson animal! If you have a lot of mixed carpet and hardwood, get the best Dyson Ball Multifloor they’re currently selling! Dysons are amazing.
Also, I’m so sorry to hear some jerk stole your car. That is just awful!