I am really happy our numbers in New York are better. I'm sure the vaccine has something to do with it, but I think the season is more influential. We're outside more. When the Fall hits and we return inside, with no masks and less distancing, what will happen? I doubt lots more people will get vaccinated. In fact, if I was a young person, I probably wouldn't take the risk of a vaccine only approved under emergency authorization. 

We went out for our anniversary on Monday. We sat outside. I wasn't expecting it to be busy, but it was insane. There was only one waitress on, and service was terrible. The food was okay, but I felt a little under the weather afterwards from drinking two glasses of wine combined with a greasy appetizer. Pre-pandemic, that much drinking was nothing, but now I rarely have alcohol. We used to love eating out; a little sad to see it be a casualty of COVID, but I think it might be. (That doesn't translate to cooking, though. Take-Out rules.)

 Finished grades!!! YAY. A "friend" on FB put up a picture of his cut up mask with a comment about freedom. That ain't freedom, dude. And it got him an un-follow from me. LOL. I haven't had a cold in over a year -- largely due, I'm sure, to staying away from other people, excessive hand washing, and mask wearing. I hope shaking hands never comes back; I hope people stay home when they are sick.

I was scheduled to get my first vaccine on March 31, but that was the day after Rosie died and I was at the pet crematory. (I cry as I write that.) I rescheduled for April 21 and was relieved because classes would be over the day before the second shot, in the event of a reaction. On May 12, I got the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, and on May 13, I was one of the unlucky who had severe side effects. I think I didn't understand until it happened to me. It wasn't like the flu at all, "it flattened me," which is how someone described it in a Google search I did. My arm was sore Wednesday night, much more than it was after the first shot, so I should have suspected. If I had known, I would have skipped the second dose. I was pretty vaccine hesitant, but got it due the social pressure. Not that anyone said anything to me, but in my community, getting the shot is the norm. At minimum I should not have scheduled it until after grades are done, because the deadline is tomorrow, and I am stretched to the limit. The mask mandate is being loosened -- but like in this New York Times story, I think I'll keep mine handy.

I have learned that another grant I wrote was funded! $21,250 for a tree inventory. I am a skilled grant writer, and I need to find a way to transition from how I make my bread now (as Mark Twain would say) to grant writing. To that end, on Friday I am going to a web conference for a Regenerate New York forestry grant.