Shea and I took the kids for our annual “Twinkle Tour” around Regina tonight and funny to think how Covid has even influenced this simple tradition…
– immediately noticing a higher amount of traffic at the “starred” houses on the Sparkle Tour web site, likely because there are fewer other entertainment options – no work Christmas parties at restaurants, no school concerts, not even house parties with families and friends.
– wondering if any driveway with extra cars in it signalled illegal visits of extra guests?
– “Candy Cane Lane” is a heavily decorated street in Regina which has always had one house with a walking tour of giant inflatables, accepts donations for the food bank and even a temporary shack selling hot chocolate and snacks. Obviously, none of that this year. 🙁
– getting home and immediately rushing to wash hands even though we never left the vehicle the entire time when normally we’d get out at some houses to stand on the sidewalk or try out the candy cane dispensing machine (also a no-no this year!) or chat with others enjoying the NICE LIGHTS!
This one of Smokey Robinson recording a message for someone has gone viral for being both funny and sweet as he mispronounces the name of a well-known but many-varied spelling Jewish holiday…
There are a lot of reasons I feel frustration with the small but vocal strain of idiotic anti-maskers:
* their lack of knowledge of everything from science to law to basic hygiene
* their innate selfishness
* the unnecessary risk they’re creating, especially for the elderly and at risk
* their smugness
* the way they bleat all over social media
…but more than anything, it’s their outright hostility towards healthcare workers that I take *very* personally. I remember a thread in a local group dedicated to Costco of all things where a small minority of anti-maskers were making their “free speech” arguments about their “rights” when a nurse posted simply about how tired she was.
The group’s admins had already said that it was a private group and they would ban anyone who posted anti-mask sentiments. But some fucking idiot couldn’t help himself and posted the laughing emoji in reaction to this nurse’s comment.
Step back from that for a second – a healthcare worker who shares how tired she is after what is likely the craziest year of her working life and that sad sack of jelly’s first reaction is to laugh at her?
At that point, this isn’t about differences of opinion anymore (though it many ways, it never was – it’s about facts, not opinions), it’s about a sickness of a different sort that doesn’t seem to have a vaccine unfortunately.
For that reason, if Covid restrictions are ruining your Christmas plans this year, why not plan a “Christmas in July” (or August or October or whenever you get vaccinated next year?”
People are going to restaurants, attending concerts & sporting events, having family gatherings and much more, all because they had strong leadership that minimized the economic and social impacts of the coronavirus.
Earlier this summer, we heard that Shea’s cousin’s herd of bison had gotten out and were in a nearby farmer’s field.
We knew that previously when only one animal had gotten out, her uncle had been able to guide him back into the pasture using a front-end loader tractor he used to feed them which it followed thinking it was lunch time.
But since so many got out, it would be impossible to herd them all with a tractor like they did for a single one before. So we had no idea how (or if!) they’d be able to cajole the bison back to their fenced area.
We later heard they had a stroke of genius – they got a local who happened to have a private plane to take off and he was able to herd them from the air!
Anyhow, here’s one of the bison from her uncle/cousin’s herd in earlier times, possibly plotting an escape route…
