Do You Think You’ve Never Had Covid? Think Again…

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article saying it’s very rare to not have had Covid for the majority of people, even if they haven’t tested positive.

The original article is paywalled but this link appears to have the full article if you’re interested.

I’ve thought about this a lot – it’s almost unbelievable that:

* Shea, a nurse who, unable to work from home, has continued going into the hospital since day one of the pandemic and though not directly working with Covid positive patients except occasionally has not tested positive even once.  (Heck, I think she’s missed less work in the past couple years than I have!).

* myself who was able to work from home during a couple different parts of the pandemic but is now in a public facing role where we literally hand test kits to people who often over-share *why* they need the kits has never tested positive.

* Shea and I having both been in close contact with a handful of people who did eventually test positive – family members, coworkers, etc.

* We also haven’t lived completely in a bubble – did a trip to West Edmonton Mall with lots of restaurant meals, two days unmasked in the World Waterpark, attending an Oilers game (we were masked but many around us in sold-out stadium ignored rules at that time and didn’t mask.).

* …and our two kids who are in two different schools, interacting maskless with others at least at lunch and possibly other times as well?

Yet given all of that, none of us have ever tested positive?

Not once?

Not one faint line?

As a healthcare worker, Shea had access to rapid tests months before the general public and we’ve generally tested at least weekly for the most part (and occasionally more often if someone has a sniffle or sore throat or whatever?)

Both kids ended up getting the “brain tickler” full PCR test yet Shea and I never even had symptoms that made us feel like we had to go for that same test?

If up to 30% of Covid cases are asymptomatic as the article claims, it very well could be that one or more of us had Covid and simply didn’t know.  (I mean, I feel like I have a brain fog pretty much constantly so maybe I’m ever suffering from Long Covid without realising that either?)

Anyhow, what was I saying…nevermind. 😉

The Health Benefits of Camping

The points in this video are all very true about the benefits of camping – more exercise, fresh air, better sleep, less electronics, etc. etc. – but I could probably do a list of the reasons camping (at least how we do it) isn’t as healthy!

From drinking Bailey’s with your morning coffee (and more booze throughout the day and evening) to eating a lot of hot dogs & chips and other junk foods to inevitable injuries (this last trip, my worst injury was from scratching a mosquito bite too much then having a sandal rub on it until it was pretty raw which doesn’t compare with my worst ever camping injury – broken wrist), camping can also have its downsides.

Nah, who am I kidding – those are all great parts of camping too – even the toe injury!

Music Monday – “I was thinking ’bout you crossing Southern Alberta/Canola fields at harvest time/Looked like tumbleweeds all raked up into rows/Brown rusty contour lines”

Canola Fields” – James McMurtry

Gone Camping!

Technically, I have one day of work left but likely won’t get a chance to blog tomorrow as we’ll leave immediately after work.

(And who wouldn’t be in a hurry to get to this place?!?)

Music Monday – “We don’t know just what’s gone wrong/We’re trying to carry on/Going through a rough patch right now/Our whole world’s upside down.”

“Rough Patch” – Fred Eaglesmith

Secular Sunday – Record Numbers Leaving German Churches

(published on DW.com found via Reddit)

Saturday Snap – But With Training Wheels?

With this bike parade happening in Weyburn, I can’t help but think that some of these kids will likely grow up to join flag-festooned convoys of a different type when they’re older… 🙂

Friday Fun Link – Happy Canada Day?


I accidentally ripped this decoration off a kid’s bike during a Bike Parade for Canada Day at Nickle Lake when my father-in-law and I were trying to work around it to help him get his chain back on.

But I feel like this photo may be a metaphor for Canada in some ways too…

Throwback Thursday – #tbt – “When I Was Five, I Walked The Fence While Grandpa Held My Hand” (April 2012)

[At this time of year, I don’t know why I even bother trying to keep up my “a post a day” habit since we’re out at the lake every chance we get and since the Internet is crappy out there,  I couldn’t post very easily, even if I wanted to.  Then I get back and feel this weird need to “catch up”.  Oh well, we’re starting two weeks’ holidays soon so that long stretch away will be a good reason to let the blog sit idle for a while like I have for other holidays over the years!]

It isn’t a farm fence but this pic of Pace with Grandpa Ray reminds me of the old John Mellencamp song, “Rain on the Scarecrow” (of course, it’s probably also an early sign of Pace’s love of parkour!)

I’m The King of Twitter! (At Least the Ice Cream Truck Section)

Kinda funny that my most successful tweet of all-time (at least based on Likes) is a throwaway reply to a heart-warming viral thread about ice cream trucks