Lolla required either proof of vaccination or negative test within 72 hours. My concern with the testing requirements has always been, unless you strictly isolate between your test and the event, you could have caught it in the meantime and your negative test means nothing. We also know now that vaxxed people can spread Delta. The pictures of those crowds make me nervous. They did start requiring masks in indoor spaces at Lolla but frankly I think they should be required outdoors as well there for how crammed in everyone is.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 31, 2021 14:56:52 GMT -5
After raining all morning, the sun came out and it's a lovely day. We're going to a local baseball game tonight with fireworks after. We're also getting a new dresser delivered tomorrow.
I have 12 days left of summer break and I am just shocked at how fast it went. And also not ready at all to go back to work.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 30, 2021 12:50:21 GMT -5
I'm a teacher and I have been wearing snug-fitting cloth masks the whole time. The surgical masks are so itchy and IMO are hotter than cloth on my face, and they always ride up into my eyes. I never found a Kn95 that fit me. I do have a fat face, and every brand I ordered was too tight.
As of today, masks are required to enter our school buildings but they say they are reevaluating next week, whatever that means.
So excited for Suni and her family! I only caught them last rotation. Hoping to see the rest of it later. Streaming it live was SUCH better coverage than what they show in prime time, but didn't want to wake up at 5:50 to watch lol.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 28, 2021 14:28:57 GMT -5
We have zero relationship with our niece. This is because we cut off contact with MIL, BIL, and SIL 6 years ago and are much better off for it. I'm an only child and H just has this one brother, so we won't have any other nephews or nieces besides their kids.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 28, 2021 10:41:56 GMT -5
They are starting our patio project today! It has been cracking, ugly concrete for the last 9 years and we're finally getting it expanded a bit and made of brick. Right now is the jack hammer phase though lol. Not super pleasant. My dog is doing surprisingly well with it.
Yeah I am frustrated with the coverage. I'm home during the day right now and want to watch stuff like weightlifting, kayaking, other random sports. On TV, it's usually tennis, bball or volleyball. Those are fine but I want to watch a variety. I said "weightlifting" into my remote and it gave me a minute and a half clip of just the gold medal winner's clean and jerk lol OK
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 27, 2021 12:41:25 GMT -5
Well CDC is now set to urge universal masking for students and teachers regardless of vax status. But I wonder how many districts will follow this since so many have already said no mask requirement.
I think she's incredibly strong and brave and I applaud her decision to put her health first. And I cannot imagine the massive amount of pressure on her.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 27, 2021 12:27:46 GMT -5
I am happy about the new CDC recommendations, but worried that many districts won't follow suit. For mine personally, I think they'll only follow what IDPH and ISBE put out (IL Dept of Health and Board of Ed). Both of those bodies had previously come out and said masks are not required but recommended for unvaccinated individuals and it was up to each district. However, they also said they were following the CDC guidance. I'm hoping since the guidance is changing, IDPH and ISBE will come out and change theirs. Of course, if the wording is "recommend universal masking" vs "requires universal masking," I have a feeling my district still won't require it. They have always done the bare minimum. Last year we had zero social distancing. We had rooms full of 30 kids because it wasn't required by the state, just recommended to the greatest extent possible. The only thing required was masking, so that's all we did.
I feel like this question is so last year, but where do you take your kids for a test and is there a specific test I should try to get. Two of my kids are in a summer day camp through their school. They are 8, so not vaccinated obviously. One of them woke up today with congestion and a cough. I can't find a policy from the school. I'm going to ask, but in case they leave it up to me, what kind of test should I get him and is CVS/Walgreens good with kids or did you go to an urgent care.
My H had to get a test to go into the office for something a few weeks ago. He made a next-day appointment at Walgreens and it was very easy. It was through the drive-thru, a self-administered test. He got text results two hours later. His work allowed both rapid and PCR tests to be used though.
First day back after vacation and I have a dentist appointment. Why did I schedule it for this day? Lol
I have random household stuff to get done. I’m also kind of a nerd and love writing reviews on TripAdvisor after a vacation so I’ll be doing that today.
Work on our new patio commences Wed. and I can’t wait!
We’re driving back from vacation today. It was wonderful but I will be happy to get home. It was a ton of driving and go go go. Four national parks, a national monument, Horseshoe Bend and one tribal park. My absolute favorite thing was Monument Valley. Omg it was stunning. We splurged on a suite with a premium view for our ten year anniversary Friday and also did a backcountry tour with a Navajo guide and that was my #1 activity we did. Highly recommend if you ever go there.
Now back to reality.
How did your knee hold up?
Thanks for asking and isabel too. No issues at all! I think I must have just tweaked something that weekend that resolved itself in a couple days before my trip started. My biggest issue was the 3 blisters I developed by the end of the trip lol
We’re driving back from vacation today. It was wonderful but I will be happy to get home. It was a ton of driving and go go go. Four national parks, a national monument, Horseshoe Bend and one tribal park. My absolute favorite thing was Monument Valley. Omg it was stunning. We splurged on a suite with a premium view for our ten year anniversary Friday and also did a backcountry tour with a Navajo guide and that was my #1 activity we did. Highly recommend if you ever go there.
I go back as a teacher mid August. I’m pretty sure masks will be optional (there was a board meeting about this week while I was on vacation so I didn’t watch but that’s what the super was proposing and I’m sure it passed). Last year we were already in five full days a week with zero distancing, only masks, so this year will be back to “normal.” Our state is only requiring remote Ed for students in health department required quarantines.
I am pretty worried. The county where I teach has very low vax numbers. And of course no one under 12 can even have it yet. But I foresee hardly at masks. Also many areas in my state are back up to almost 8% positivity again.
IL (my state) just had a huge outbreak this summer at a youth camp where masks weren’t required so I envision that happening in schools now.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 15, 2021 14:55:35 GMT -5
What helped me was rolling my foot on a frozen ice bottle of water nightly (wearing a sock). I also did exercises in bed every morning before getting up that helped since right out of bed was always the most painful. I spelled the alphabet with my foot before getting up.
And definitely my shoes made a big difference. Vionics work well for me.
We’re driving to CO today and then UT tomorrow. Last night driving in Iowa, we got caught in horrible storms with rain so bad you could not see anything with nowhere to safely pull off. So nerve wracking. Hoping for good weather on the roads today.
We’re you driving on 80? Storms can be brutal there, because there’s so little tree break to cut the wind. Glad you were safe.
Yea it was 80! Thank you. We were so happy to see our hotel.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 15, 2021 10:43:13 GMT -5
We’re driving to CO today and then UT tomorrow. Last night driving in Iowa, we got caught in horrible storms with rain so bad you could not see anything with nowhere to safely pull off. So nerve wracking. Hoping for good weather on the roads today.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 12, 2021 17:27:26 GMT -5
We leave for vacation for our ten year anniversary on Wed and I am so excited to get Out of my city and state! I have so much to do before then though.
Then when we return I only have two weeks left of summer break and they are filled with medical appointments and getting our patio replaced so not exactly relaxing. Plus planning for school. I can’t do that yet bc we haven’t gotten the master schedule 😑 This summer has flown by!
It still feels ok today. Not painful so much as tight. I haven't taken any more Advil. I wonder if I sort of tweaked something in it? On Saturday (the day it started hurting), we went hiking and it started raining and I slipped on a wooden beam using that leg (didn't fall). I also bought new hiking shoes later that day which involved trying on and walking in several shoes and I wonder if some made me walk differently or something. Odd.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 11, 2021 10:52:41 GMT -5
I took Advil this morning after posting here and have no pain currently. I would not classify the pain as severe but just definitely there.
We don’t have any orthopedic urgent cares here just regular walk in/minute clinics. I know some have X Rays because when I dropped something heavy on my toe a few years back, I went to one after work and got an X Ray. But I definitely don’t think anything is broken. After the Advil, my pain is gone; it just feels a bit tight.
Thank you for all the advice. Since it seems to be ok with Advil, I’ll probably rest it (no hikes at home the next couple days) and ice it and use Advil on the trip if it does flare up. If it is still bugging me when we return I’ll go in. We weren’t planning on any huge treks, just day hikes of 3-5 miles but definitely elevation gain. I do use trekking poles which help alleviate pressure on knees.
We're leaving for a national parks trip on Wed. that will involve a lot of hiking. I have no idea what I did but yesterday afternoon, my left knee started hurting. The place it hurts is like near the middle of the knee going down vertically. It hurts when I bend or clench it and when I walk. It also feels kind of tight when I'm walking and my leg is straightened out.
H doesn't think a walk-in clinic will be able to do anything about it and that I should just do Advil and ice it. I'm fine with that, but I also want to make sure I can hike on this trip. A PCP isn't an option; I am getting established with a new one and I can't get in until after my trip.
Do you think there's any benefit to going to an urgent care? It is not swollen. I can move it. It just hurts.
Do you think I should try to rest it and stay off it or use it? I can ice it as well.
I am honestly just mostly worried about being able to hike on this trip lol. Right now, I can walk; it does hurt a little. But my concern is, I don't want to start hiking the first few days, overdo it, and then I can't do anything the last part of the trip.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 10, 2021 15:43:33 GMT -5
Illinois Department of Health came out with their policy that masking is recommended for teachers and students who aren't vaccinated. The state board of ed adopted that and said each district can decide for themselves. That if they want to drop mitigations, it should be one at a time and with frequent testing at school.
Well my school never did physical distancing even last year. The only mitigation we had was masks. And I highly doubt we will have frequent testing at school. I foresee just no masks being required, even though a very low percentage of people, especially students, are vaccinated. And I am concerned about a scenario like this outbreak at a youth camp in my state that happened because of unvaccinated people being in close quarters indoors without masks.
Post by RoxMonster on Jul 10, 2021 14:13:36 GMT -5
I got some new hiking shoes from a local outdoor store. They are Hokas and omg they’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. It’s like walking on clouds!
We then went for a hike and got caught in pouring rain but oh well 🤷🏻♀️