Trying to decide whether to move or cancel a family trip to the Rockies. It’s scheduled for mid- to late-January and is meant to be our Christmas gathering with the boys. The Airbnb has a strict cancellation policy.
I’m having all kinds of feelings about this, mostly aggravated worry sliding into outrage. As my husband likes to point out, I go from zero to ten rather quickly. (At least he pointed out that I laugh easily too).
But here’s the thing: when members of a family have different tolerances for risk, whose gets to govern?
And, if we cancelled because a million cases are predicted for next week and oh, by the way, our airline keeps canceling hundreds of flights due to sick personnel, why should we be penalized? This is Act of God-level interference.
Frankly, if no money was involved, I’d have made a unilateral decision two days ago and cancelled.
Nicolle Wallace on Deadline Whitehouse yesterday: I just assume I’m gonna get it. Everyone I know has it. She doesn’t usually indulge in that level of hyperbole, but there you have it.
As I said to Airbnb hostess, I don’t care about getting a breakthrough case. It’s long Covid I worry about, for all of us. Can you imagine, for instance, living out your days without a sense of taste?
At least I took the ornaments off the tree. It’ll be on the curb by mid afternoon.
I’m off to make mushroom soup for lunch. A friend is coming over and we’re going to watch Being the Ricardos.
In the same boat here .. booked to visit my family in Hawaii end of January. Hawaii numbers are crazy high. I’ve had cold symptoms so decided to get tested yesterday .. waiting for results. Really just want to know!! This morning my son-in-law was rushed to one hospital .. transferred by ambulance to another and is currently in the ER with a brain bleed. I surely don’t have to tell you how scary that is. None of us know what tomorrow will bring .. please pray for my young family.
Tina
That is terrifying. I hope he is okay. Will they operate?
I hope your test is negative. I found out today that my older son has covid. He had cold symptoms, too. Half of the people in the lab where he works have Covid.
I was disappointed with the Ricardo movie that doesn’t mean you won’t like it
It was engaging and made me think about what it took to succeed in Hollywood as a woman. But? I had questions. And, Javier failed as Ricky in my view because so much of Ricky’s appeal was in being so very handsome and Javier is a lot of things but classically handsome isn’t one of them.
I wouldn’t travel right now everything you need is right in front of you right? Disappointing I know we retired last year and thought we could travel some. So far only North Carolina this summer.
We’ll decide next week. North Carolina is nice, no?
If you had to chose to give someone the money you lose for the booking to save their life… would you hestitate?
Good point.
Boy, do I feel ya on this trip decision. BTW, an FB friend is friends with Lucie Arnaz so I looked at her personal page to see what she had to say. She posted a review by someone who was a writer on the show. He explained that this one focuses on three crises for dramatic effect and thus is fairly fictional – he was somewhat conflicted. She didn’t seem to have a problem with the film but agreed with his review. They did mention a documentary coming out soon by Ron Howard that will be more accurate. I look forward to seeing both.
Glad to know all of this. I figured events were compressed. Look forward to the Howard doc.
Travel now is chancy at best for everyone. I have several friends, vacced and boostered who have come down with covid. Not miserably sick or needing hospitalization…but what does anyone know about potential long-term damage to the lungs?
The long term impact just isn’t known and is scary.
I would say the most worried wins! Because that would be me, plus…how can the risk friendly enjoy knowing how their loved one is in knots?!
We’ll see. But thanks for that.
Tina~ I’m so, so sorry for this health scare for your family. Sending love.
hoping for wellness for your son-in-law … and strength for your daughter
this being for Tina …
Dee – I confess I was almost relieved when our travel plans were trashed, especially since J had the mildest of symptoms … but we were fortunate that all our reservations were held for the future … hoping your host will consider letting you rebook at a future date
My suggestion is you all have your blood work done to see what your antibody situation. I was told by a tech working in Covid labs some never develop antibodies I’m one of those with lab results <20 after 2 Moderna’s and a round of breakthrough I had lingering issues for months No with the risk for me to go anywhere though I’m dying to go, I prefer to die another day. My MD says the normal response is in the 1000s. If you all test safe, I say go for it. Especially since you will be in an air BNB and outside
some friends who were all set to fly out of Sydney today to go skiing in Colorado canceled on Tuesday as the escalating numbers & flight cancellations don’t add up for travelling with any sort of peace of mind
PS I blame Covid for poorly written comments and typos too!
My cross the street neighbor just returned from Boston – her daughter and son in law tested positive yesterday- she has all her shots and booster but is in quarantine at home.
I have been very diligent in regards to venturing out, ever since R’s heart surgery, being adamant about not going to restaurants, or going where there might be groups, to the point of upsetting our local relatives who feel I am being overly cautious. During this holiday, we had to weigh all potential risks against the wanting to see our daughter and her good man. The fact that we are all vaxed and boosted helped with our decision to go ahead and get together.
So for this holiday, here is how it went: Our daughter and her love wanted to come to New Mexico for Christmas but it was touch and go, they were ever mindful of R’s situation. In the end, heavily tested, all results negative, they came on Christmas Eve and we took them back to the airport yesterday afternoon. We had the most wonderful, loving, fun time and while “long haul” is ever present in our thoughts, we had not seen our daughter in 3 years, so we weighted that against the reality of what we all are facing going into this 3rd year of the pandemic.
We were extremely careful when we traveled to Santa Fe for a meal, when we were treated to an incredible meal at Campo in Albuquerque, a fine Farm to Table restaurant, when we attended the museum and ceremonial dances at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s. For the ceremonies, we sat outside. At Campo we had appetizers and cocktails outside under heat lamps. Inside all of the restaurants, social distancing was on high alert, our tables were doubly spaced, way beyond the six foot suggestion. The museum paced the attendance, only allowing 4 at a time in certain places.
None of these events would have occurred, however, if we all were not doubly vaccinated and boosted… I tell you about this Dee because I have been the most reluctant to leave the safety of our home. The reality is that we don’t know if we were exposed or not, only time and testing will tell but to be with our daughter and her good man, was so important to us. If I had one concern it was that no one in any of the places we visited asked if we were vaccinated or asked to see proof…so it is kind of a toss up and each of us need to decide how much risk we are willing to take…fingers crossed that for us, the risk will be minimal.
Thank you for sharing your story, Marti. I’m glad you were able to weigh the risks and gather without damage. Three years is a long time!
Reading your decision making process helped me with ours. The fact is, we saw both boys together in June and each of them separately a number of times since. We can wait until omicron settles down. The hostess of the Airbnb, thankfully, is being gracious and flexible.
But jeez, I found one graph that showed there may be 2MM + cases on the day we were due to fly.
Plus CO is having a huge fire!
Weird hurricane-like winds have died down a bit now but not before some 600 homes burned — all happening not far from where D. works.
Just finished a stressful week of how to group children for lowest risk of covid but still provide care for families that need it with lack of staff who couldn’t make it to work with the snow that fell over Christmas… Everything is such a juggling act of risk versus need tossed with wishes. Wishing you a good last day of the year!
Thanks Deb. And a big blessing to you on the front line doing heartwork for so many. Happy New Year.
Yeah, thinking of CO folks I know or know by association. So sad.