Apr
2021

We’re two-thirds vaccinated!

We were back to school online learning this week…

He said

In adding the bike accomplishments I shared last week, I added some more this week. First off, I managed my old favourite, every-now-and-then ride back into my repertoire this week. A long time ago when I had my GT mountain bike – before it was unceremoniously stolen off of our trailer, I used to do a bike ride on the Thames Valley Parkway and back. It’s about 30km round trip and back then I would do that ride once a week—if I was lucky. When I started back up on my rides with the new Swift bike, I really wanted a 30 to 40 minute ride that I could commit to and keep up on the daily. That turned into a 17 km trip to the entrance to Greenway Park and back which I have been quite happy with and able to keep up.

A few weeks ago, on a day off work with beautiful weather, I decided mid-ride to push myself further and see if I could double-down and do The Big Kahuna ride once again. I discovered much to my surprise I could, and I could actually do it faster than I used to! Here I was in my 50th year and I was in better shape and able to do this ride much better than when I was in my 40th year! Well this Friday and Saturday off this week, I decided I would give it a go again, on back-to-back days and let me tell you it was a great success. But what is craziest to think about is the 30 km distance the ride is, that I did in just over an hour, is the same distance as between Wallaceburg (my home town) and Chatham (Danielle’s home) when we first started dating that seemed a universe apart, I had rode on my bike in just over an hour.

The other accomplishment this week was: I joined a bike club. The G2G Rail Trail has a bike club in order to raise funds and awareness for the trail, and to help with the costs of trail upkeep. Given that I had many hours of enjoyment from the trail last summer, I figured it was time to put my money where my mouth is. And while I have openly mocked people in my past for wearing cycling jerseys while clearly not racing in the Tour de France, I have now become one of those people… I mock… because this club has cycling jerseys. And I’m kinda geeked out to get one! I am happy to give back to something that was such a great piece of relief from a very strange last year in lockdown. That bike trail was a huge part of our last summer and I sense it will be again this summer.

And I know it sounds like all I am focused on these days is cycling but the reality is I am. You see poor Emelia is stuck back in online learning from home and this was the same place we were last year at this time. We’re locked down at the store. A lot of this sounds like nothing has changed in a year, and the reality is it hasn’t changed—we’re in the same spot. Then one thing we are allowed to do, that gives me joy is cycling and getting that exercise in. And while Danielle worries that will become my next expensive hobby like collecting records, while she’s not wrong, this hobby at least has allowed me to go into my 50th year in the best shape I’ve been as an adult. She can’t argue with that, can she?

She said

This week was a big move to relief on the Covid front. After the announcement came late last week that they were lowering the eligibility age for vaccine to be 40 and older at the participating pharmacies. I was beyond thrilled and instantly put my name on at least 10 waiting lists. We have heard the nightmares from friends in hot zones to get vaccine appointments. I put my name on every eligible lists in the general area, even a few out of London.

After talking to friends in Toronto and hearing that they were having more luck with appointments by trying to call pharmacies directly. After a few calls in the work week I was able to secure an appointment this weekend at a pharmacy close to my work. It was such a relief to finally get my first dose. I had been warned that this vaccine has a bit more side effects the day following the vaccine so I prepared for it and was ready for not feeling 100% today. John and I pushed through all our errands yesterday so that I could take it a bit easier if needed today.

I did feel some effects, I had a low grade fever giving me the sweats for a bit today, headache and just basically easily worn out today. The headache and low grade fever/sweats were short, the fatigue lasted much of the day but I will take these effects to know any day to have my first shot. We’re so proud of Emelia who wants the vaccine the moment they open up the availability to her age.

It was an emotional moment, after a long year of loss, sacrifice, and uncertainty it feels that there might be a light at the end of a long tunnel. We just need to get through this last dark storm, stay strong so that our friends and family in medicine have a fighting chance to get through this third wave.

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