A sip of coffee. A puff of smoke. I awake and bake. Gaze at the blizzard swirling outside my window to the world as it snarls traffic, burying the streets below beneath a blanket of snow. Truly, it's the dead of winter, in more ways than one.
Janet and I are stuck indoors at home in Toronto again. The fifth wave struck fast and hard, just when it seemed like the pandemic was finally over. It'll soon be two years since Covid put our retirement travel plans on hold. We're still here, as the Omicron variant now wrecks further chaos upon our once fine city.
How fucking frustrating! Every time things improve, we get hopeful. Then the province eases restrictions, takes it's foot off the break, throwing caution to the wind. Everyone goes back to school and work, plunging us into the thick of it again.
With the arrival of the Omicron variant, the Ford government has completely sacrificed province wide testing, tracing, and an accurate daily case count to the corporate god$ of busine$$ and indu$try. Little i$ being $aid or done about it; a $tupefying Canadian media fail. The end re$ult?
Just read between the lines: We're kept in the dark as the pandemic spirals out of control like never before. Clearly, our lives are now expendable. Amongst the disinformation and mass stupidity, few seem to realize what's really going on or even care anymore.
It wears you out! It's totally insane! Even our own family and friends aren't immune to the sheer folly. It wasn't being "paranoid" to following the Covid restrictions at Christmas. We dodged a huge super spreader event. But lots of them got sick as the virus spread like crazy!
Our self isolation has become an old friend. It doesn't bother me much anymore. During the summer we relax outdoors enjoying a safe respite at the lake. Then come fall we retreat back indoors to our city condo. Rather all or nothing, but it's a comforting routine.
Fortunately we renovated our place before the pandemic. I quite enjoy being here with my books, music, and computer to entertain myself. Janet's got her cellphone TV and games. We don't go far on date nights. Mostly, we just cuddle a lot, talking and relaxing together on the couch. Then once a week make a supply run like Rick and Michonne, dodging all the walking deadheads at the store. Too bad it's not as much fun as on TV!
Bottom line? The Omicron variant is scary as shit. We just try to go with the flow, biding our time, keeping it all in perspective. It isn't easy. It takes lots of love and patience just to get by. After all is said and done, it's just the two of us together alone. It's difficult sometimes, but in my heart of hearts, I love her even more for just being here with me.
However, the madness outside our own little world continues unabated.
The Ford government has asked retired teachers like myself to fill in for the recent crush of ... ahem ... "absent" classroom teachers. I taught almost thirty years. The extra pocket money might be nice. But my answer is a resounding "no"! Here's why:
Would you go into a crowded classroom? Where someone has signed out sick? Then sit at their desk? During a pandemic? For more money?
Proper ventilation, sanitation and hygiene in our schools were huge, ongoing problems throughout my teaching career. They can't possibly be now fixed overnight. The teacher and student vaccines are too late; they are voluntary anyway, and take three weeks to kick in. Add the lack of proper masking, testing, tracing and reporting. The list of horrors goes on and on and on.
The health risk, especially in my senior years, is far too great. Moreover, I'm not going to enable Ford and Lecce's criminal negligence in sending everyone back into our unsafe schools during a surge. Not when even the unions are doing next to nothing to really protect the teachers and students. It's complete bullshit.
No? Just watch the virus spread in the daze ahead, at school, home and work!
Bet it'll be a total shit storm! We can't even get accurate case counts to plan accordingly, so that we can keep our family and loved one's safe!
Premier Doug Fraud's so called Science Table has proven to be of very little help whatsoever. However, there are numerous, reliable medical science experts still privately tracking the province's hospitalization, ICU and retransmission rates. They can provide very detailed analysis along with useful tips on how to get by. Unlike the Science Table, they are usually proven right too.
I'm still retweeting their links on Twitter for you to check out, if you haven't already. My favourites are Ryan Imgrund, Bill Comeau, and Dr. Jennifer Kwan. You'll find each @ Ryan @ Bill @ Jennifer
My full guide to Teacher Free Speech News and Views -The Twitter edition is coming, but in the meantime, you can still follow me for more updates @davidchiarelli
So, here I am, staying at home, spinning records and getting stoned on reefer. I've got some tasty leftover Racing Fuel, Bruce Banner, and Girl Scout Cookie buds from last summer. Plus I scored some trez kool Tremblant black hashish from my local dispensary. I'll toke a tiny jeeb. It's real exquisite and laid back!
Yummy yum yum!
Come evening, Janet and I will curl up on the couch with a pot of CBD tea. For a clean, smokeless high, I also enjoy a drop or two or three of CBD and/or THC oil. Helps get me going in the morning. So too, during the harsh Toronto Covid nights!
Cannabis is very calming. It's legal now. It can provide a creative spark when the going gets tough. Plus it's way healthier than booze. Take too much and the worst that will happen is you'll get a good nights sleep. I highly recommend it!
However you decide to get by, please stay safe and remember to look out for each other!
See you on Twitter!
David C
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