::yawn:::

 When I go to bed at night I lie there and think, 'oh I should write about _____.'

Some of the ideas are actually good ones.
Then I sleep. And sleep and sleep. I get up at 10. Or 11. No matter what time it is, I have to MAKE myself get out of bed.

Now before you go all aghast, I don't usually go to bed until midnight-ish. Maybe a little before, but then I lie there awake.

I finally fall asleep only to wake up when Eric gets up to pee. And, since I'm 60 years old, apparently the pee fairy thinks I need to pee, too. If for some reason I manage to go back to sleep instead, it's usually about an hour before the pee fairy whaps me upside the head, laughing maniacally, and tells me to get the fuck up and go pee. Usually adding I told you so and what, you think you're 20 again?

Aggravating. But I don't have a clue what to do about it.

He gets up at 4:40, and I usually wake up then, too. I get up to pee AGAIN. Then, since I'm up already, I wait for him to get dressed and join me in the kitchen so I can send him off for the day with a hug. I still love the guy. I appreciate how hard he works and how many hours he puts in to take care of me. He's a good man and I'm lucky to have him.

I go back to bed, of course. And I end up lying there until six or seven or sometimes even 8 before I can drift back off to sleep.

I know, 'why don't you get up'.
Because then I'd end up having to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon and mess up making dinner for the guy. Which is something I love doing. I haven't cooked much in many years since my schedule is so wonky. Me getting home between 6:30 and 7 PM means that it's usually Eric cooking, at least while the world is open.

So that broken sleep/awake/sleep/awake thing's going on nightly.
I'm tired and crabby.

I don't know about you, but I just have no volition. The house is a mess. Although I've been staying mostly caught up with laundry and dishes, so that's something. Or maybe I just want it to be something but it's really more like nothing.

I received the first dose of the vaccine on the 9th.
Had to go to the Oregon Convention Center for it.

I had planned to drive, if you're going there for vaccinations parking is free. But it *is* a little hectic driving down there, so after some deliberation (and conversation with the man) I decided to ride the train.

I'm sure you and the passengers are relieved to know that I did not sing any karaoke on the train, although I'd planned to if I drove.

And because I take situational awareness very seriously, I don't listen to anything on my headphones. I plug them into my ears, though. It's almost like wearing a 'do not disturb' sign around your neck.

Seems to be a conversational deterrent, at least.
I prefer to be completely left alone but I want to hear everything that's going on around me.
 
They're running trains at limited capacity, so instead of waiting 20 minutes between trains it was about seven. One nice thing about the plague, I guess. Except riding the train is a little sketchy at times. Or rather some of the people who get off and on are a little... strange.

First, everyone is supposed to wear a mask.
Of course there are always a couple assholes that can't manage to follow simple instructions, whether in the store or on the train. Either the mask is hanging around their neck, off one ear or missing completely. Then you get the I'm-sort-of-complying-but-fuck-you-I-don't-care-if-you-die crowd who wear it but defiantly below their noses because they're too fucking stupid to realize their noses are connected to their respiratory systems.

There are masks available ON THE DAMN TRAIN in a little box mounted on one of the panels next to the doors. But there was at least one unmasked asshole going both directions.

And there was one interesting critter who got on the train where I did, got off the stop before mine, then got back on the damn train when I was on my way home an hour later.

He was not sober. Twitchy and definitely hopped up on something. He frantically paced the aisle of the train, back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Gesticulating wildly, hands flying, carrying on an urgent discussion with someone no one else could see. He was tall, probably about 6'5". I know he weighed more than 40 lbs, but he was pretty scrawny.
No mask, of course.

He was not really present, if ya know what I mean.

I didn't make eye contact with him. Didn't act like I could even hear his commentary. Oh I heard the sounds, but he may as well have been reading random words from a list.

It was... interesting.

Okay, so I made it to the Convention Center.

They have things incredibly organized, I did not have to stand and wait at all. They kept the line moving quickly, I was handed papers to fill out (brought my own pen) and as soon as the papers were ready, followed the handy arrows on the floor to the big room where the shots were being administered.

In answer to 'are you allergic to any foods' and 'have you ever had a reaction to a vaccine' I explained the reaction I'd had to a tetanus shot a LONG time ago and the weird relatively recent apple reaction.

So instead of the regulation 15 minutes, I was asked to stay for half an hour in the waiting area after the injection.

The person who gave me the shot was very good, there was ZERO pain. I  swear to you that I didn't even notice it. Likewise the bandage she slapped on. I'll have to remember to ask them to NOT bandage it next time, I get a little contact dermatitis from the adhesive and it's NOT FUN to have an itch that hurts like hell  when you scratch it, especially during your already broken sleep.

I was issued a sticker with a time written on it in sharpie and directed to a waiting area, full of other people who'd been shot around the same time.

I did not look at the sticker, thinking that I had to wait until 11:20. This was because I didn't know what time I'd been injected, although I should have, there were BIG RED DIGITAL CLOCKS in three places around the room.

But I put in my headphones, turned on some music and ignored most of the universe until then.

I got up and left. On my way out, I peeled the sticker off and saw that it said 11:05. So I listened to a few extra minutes of music, which isn't a bad way for me to waste time.

No reaction at the time, other than the surreal feeling I had over all of it.
I was given the Pfizer vaccine, although from what I've learned, it really doesn't matter which one. It's apparently 85% effective with the first dose, which makes me feel a little safer than I felt before. I will feel a lot better after dose #2, which happens on the 4th of March.

I had some residual soreness in the muscle of my left arm. Three days worth, give or take, although day #2 was the worst of it.

My understanding is that the second dose is the one that will make me feel like crap for a couple days, although it does not do that to everyone. I am hoping I'll be one of the lucky ones and feel okay.

After the requisite two weeks post-injection, I can call my employer and see if they have anything for me. I'm guessing they won't until school starts in the fall, but I do know they definitely want me back.

And I want to go back. I love working for this organization, and of course I've always loved the work itself. I miss the kids, I miss the craft projects and the silliness and the drama and the camaraderie and the hot battery smell of a crowd of busy kids.

So how are you doing?
Miss me?

I've been less-than-motivated to write, too. And haven't been reading blogs. I plan to make the rounds here in the next couple days.

I think I'm back?