that feels big...

 So, two pieces of cheering news today:

Apparently there's an article out in Science saying that for most people, it looks like COVID immunity should last for years (pending, I am sure, weird vaccine-escaping mutants, but let's not think about that)

AND: my state opened up its vaccine-registration portal. (vaccinate.oklahoma.gov) and I went on and registered my info. Oh, I won't be able to get a shot YET as I am not a first responder nor over 65 nor seriously ill - but it's reassuring to know I'm in the system and they'll let me know when my "wave" can start scheduling. And who knows? Maybe eventually states will go to a system of "okay, if it's getting to the end of a day and we have leftovers that will expire, we just call people who are down the list and see if they can come in" and maybe I will get lucky that way?

But yeah, the dream of the pandemic ending feels a bit realer today.

***

Working on my BlackBoard pages this morning; that's my goal for today. 

I did get my bloodwork results back last night - one of the beauties of modern "connected" medicine, and now I know ALL the numbers were in the recommended "healthy" ranges, even fasting glucose (which I worry a little about given family history) and ALSO my doctor sent a message back saying "no you do not have to try to arrange to weigh yourself this time" and weirdly that removes a tiny bit of pre-appointment stress for me. (I will have to take my bp and oxygen saturation and temperature at home and report them, but I can do all those things! I bought a pulse oximeter back in March thinking "well, if I get infected, this is one way I can monitor" and so far I've just checked it occasionally for funsies, but now it actually comes in handy).

But knowing my body is not rebelling against me is helpful and also having registered for the vaccine when it is available for me helps. But I still need some little things to help keep going.

I've described it as "rat-cage enrichment." There are a lot of studies showing that captive animals like lab rats do a LOT worse on health outcomes (and also just things like "tests of intelligence") if they live in cages without toys or different levels to climb around on and things like that. And that housepets do a LOT better if they have toys and people to play with them (and things like Kongs for food-dispensing - they have to work in order to eat so they don't get so fat and lazy) and I feel like I need "enrichment" too, and need to work at it, since I am not just picking up and driving to Sherman on the regular like I did in the before-times.

So I have decided I am going to get carry out somewhere (maybe, if I think of a place with food I particularly want) for lunch today. One thing I do low-level miss in this is going to restaurants. In the immediate before-times, I'd grab lunch out once or twice a month, usually when I took a jaunt to Sherman, often going to my favorite bbq place there. And in the REALLY before-times, before hypertension and I had to worry quite so much about what I ate, and some semesters I had NO classes on Tuesdays, there were times when I'd just go out for lunch once a week somewhere here in town. 

And I miss it. Mainly, the "pick a thing you want and you can have it without having to fix it yourself" though also there are some things - true pizza, and also barbecue, and some of the more complex Asian or Mexican dishes - that are a lot more work to make at home and are not as good (I can't do REAL barbecue at home, do not own a smoker). But mainly it's the "someone else cooks" thing and I admit one of the things I really miss about visiting my mom (beyond being able to be with  my mom) is that she does some of the cooking, or even if I am cooking, there is another person there to help with some of the prep work. It gets really....I don't know, tiresome? Or low-grade depressing, or something, to come home every single night and have to figure out what to feed yourself, and get the food out of the fridge and cut it up and cook it and try to juggle if you are making more than one dish, all of them coming ready at the same time. And cooking for one is harder and less-fun than cooking for an "audience" is. 

Also, I need a couple things - need a bin to house some of the things I want to put away (I plan to clear off my coffee table today and do the "pressed glassware with candles in it so it looks kind of "icy" for January" thing so I have something a LITTLE pretty and nice. And I need a new doormat. Lowe's should have both of those.

Also I admit I am tempted to try the toy shop again, this time for a little treat for me, but also maybe if they have some small item I could pop in a puffy bag in a couple weeks to send to my niece as a Valentine's Day surprise. I doubt they would be busy and I have a mask with me...