It may be VACCINE DAY for you, but I’m gonna have to wait
Got an unexpected kick Tuesday morning.
My dog-walking wife went to work packing a PB&J tucked inside a “Star Wars” sandwich bag. The one she pulled out of the drawer had Rey stamped on it, the heroine of the J.J. Abrams reboot trilogy. Rey looks as though she’s ready to use her blazing light saber to neatly cut sandwiches in half for her happy fans.
I had forgotten about those bags. I bought them weeks ago when my wife texted me while I was at the grocery store with a last minute request that I pick up a box.
I chuckled when I discovered them, but then they got lost in the kitchen drawer where we keep our cache of plastic wrap, wax paper and aluminum foil.
I FINALLY got the kick I expected to get WAY before now when I noticed Mrs. Dog Walker using one to pack her lunch.
My dog-walking wife is not even remotely “Star Wars” conversant, which is why I bought them. The thought of her having to explain why Rey is wrapped around her PB&J put me in a good mood first thing in the morning — a mood so outstanding that I found the motivation to write this post. I also received some gentle prodding from a Twitter friend, who suggested Monday evening that maybe it’s time I start regularly entertaining him again. It’s been a while since I embarrassed myself for his benefit.
Anyway, my wife left for work Tuesday morning with some peace of mind. You could say her body is learning the ways of The Force. The previous evening, she received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
I give myself some credit for that. I was the first to notice the email notification we (and many of our friends around town of a certain age) received last week from West Virginia’s much-lauded vaccine distributors.
West Virginia is known far and wide for the lousy health of its people, but the state’s successful vaccination effort has stood out nationally. My own employer, NPR, said “the state has been a shining star.”
Despite all the ballyhoo, we had been wondering when the West Virginia vaccination overlords would get around to us. We got our answer last Thursday evening.
Mrs. Dog Walker was able to register smoothly for Monday’s clinic organized by our county health department.
As my boss said the other day when I told him my sob story, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
It’s always a good idea to get vaccinated against illness — any illness. No question. That’s what I did last week when I was at the doctor’s office for my annual checkup. I took the pneumonia shot. But I probably would have put it off if I had known Covid jabs would suddenly become available.
It’s a waiting game for me now. The guidelines say 14 days, meaning I have to wait until the end of next week before I can safely take the Covid vaccine.
In the meantime, I keep getting emails and text messages about vaccine clinics that I keep having to turn down. Two or three opportunities seem to crop up almost every day and each time I’m forced to take a pass.
I guess that’s a good thing. Those notifications mean my region of West Virginia, the Eastern Panhandle, is headed down the right path.
That path is just going to be a little longer for me.
_______________________________________
By the way, in case you’re wondering about Ornery Dog Jasper — rest assured that I’ll be posting news about him soon. ODJ is about to start obedience classes because — he’s only getting more ORNERY with each passing day!
Originally published at http://www.gilessnyder.com on March 10, 2021.
