West

Life is odd. Yesterday I had concerns my plastic bird bath was melting. There was a definite list to port. But the marine air fought its way in from the coast and saved us from the crazy weather we’ve had for three days. It was thirty degrees cooler in Maui than Portland on Sunday. That’s just so wrong.

But I’d prepared last week and stocked up on ice cream. Like most of my neighbors, if the decimated ice cream bar case was any clue last Wednesday. We Oregonians treat heat over ninety like a snowstorm; go home and hunker down. With snacks.

But I celebrated an early birthday present this month too.  I got to hug my mom for the first time since March 16, 2020. It felt longer, let me tell you. I managed to get two hugs. I became fully vaccinated June third and my first visit inside mom’s apartment was June 10. Fabulous!

Hugs are what I’ve missed most during the pandemic. I consider them energy transfers. Hugs are back!

I even got a hug from my computer repair wizard last week. Plus he gave me a ride in his new Tesla. Scared the bejeezus out of me. I’m not a fan of going over seventy miles an hour and quick acceleration with other traffic around. Maybe if I was driving? No. Don’t think so. But it was an adventure! I would like to drive an M1A1 tank. My fancy vehicle choices are different. And much more expensive.

But Oregon is very close (69.4%) to having seventy percent of our adult folks vaccinated. By tomorrow we should be there and the Governor is lifting restrictions. But we have to be on our guard, because mutant variants are literally roaming the country and multiplying. The unfortunate thing is unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated people are at higher risk of hospitalization and death from the Delta variant. It takes five weeks from your first shot, of the two-shot regime, to be fully vaccinated. Run for the vaccines!

On flight status with the Air Force Reserve, I had to keep shots current for worldwide deployment as an Aeromedical Evacuation Operations Officer. We had monthly printouts to remind us what shots we needed. It was a bunch. Then if we deployed, we got more shots for that region. Please get the vaccine. Let’s put a wooden stake through this virus’s mutant heart, cell, replication, you get my drift.

Because I have a lot of missed hugs to gather and I need to know you’re all covered. Vaccinate to hug up America!

And with our new Oregon seasons of wildfires, ice storms, and heat waves upon us here in the West, I bet we get a snow storm in August. Time to buy more snacks!

I finished off that two pound bag of peanut M&Ms because they were past their good by date. I hate waste. That’s my story and I’m using it.

Summer Snacks ahoy!