March 26, 2021
Dear Everyone:
I got my second shot yesterday.
Specifically, my second dose of vaccine against the Covid-19
virus.
It took place at Diablo Valley College in
Pleasant Hill, the same as last time.
This time, instead of arriving a half-hour
early, I barely arrived at my appointed time.
As quickly as I could, I found a blue space in the parking lot,
then puffed my way uphill to the assembly point.
The very friendly and cheerful gentleman in the bright vest asked
the time of my appointment.
When I replied (through the usual mask) “1:00”, he directed me
immediately to a position at the head of a line that hadn’t even begun
to form yet.
Then it was up along the row of “green spots”,
large decals set the usual six feet apart on the concrete floor of the
walkway outside the “Business & Foreign Language” (BFL) Building, which
had been conscripted as the vaccination site.
Another cheerful and friendly person directed me inside a room
for Registration.
Once the receptionist and I confirmed that I
was me, and that I had an appointment, it was out the room and down a
corridor to yet another cheerful and friendly person who sent me back
around the building to another room to stand on yet another decal to
wait for the next available nurse.
It was all so familiar.
Not just because it was almost exactly like my previous
encounter. It was also a lot
like the lines at Disneyland.
Plenty of cheerful and friendly people making sure everyone moved
in the right direction with a minimum of fuss.
As soon as one of a half-dozen nurses was
available, we went through all the usual questions.
It was so loud in the room that I could barely hear her; so I
just answered “No” to each question, assuming that was the proper
response. I did have to ask
her to repeat something long and involved that turned out to be,
“…understand that it will be 14 days until you will be 84% immunized…”
Once I received the actual injection (again,
barely felt a thing), it was over to the “Observation” area.
This is where you sit for a quarter-hour or more to make sure you
won’t keel over or something.
In my case, I was finally able to catch my breath from the
initial sprint up from the parking lot.
So I’ll be good to go in two weeks.
Not that I have anywhere to go these days.
Of course, I’ll continue to wear a mask whenever I’m outside my
condo. Frankly, it’s easier,
and more short-term, than getting “Vaccinated!” tattooed on my
forehead.
Plenty of people warned me that I might feel
“crummy” the day after but, just like last time, a slight discomfort in
my left arm is the only noticeable outcome.
So far, so good.
I’m also working on getting an appointment for
“Jeannie”. “Alice” already
has her second dose lined up, so “Jeannie” is the only one needed for a
clean sweep, at least in our generation.
It will happen.
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |