We are alright. And grateful.

Nearly 30 million Americans have been tracked as COVID-19 positive. More than 500K Americans have died from the virus. So it shouldn't surprise anyone that COVID came to Castle Row.

We were careful, but we still got it. If I was a betting person, I'd bet it was round two for us. Jeff came down with a bad cold in February 2020, and it was starting to hit me when Alison's Spring Break was about to start.

We were in the heading to Lafayette, and I must have looked even worse than I felt because he pulled a classic Dad Move, turned the car around and banished me to the basement where I stayed for a couple of weeks. The isolation worked. Ali didn't get sick, and I emerged from my round of that bad cold after a couple grumpy weeks.

This year, the symptoms and recovery time for me were just about identical. Maybe longer and harsher. The Captain, who again fell ill before me, had more of the headaches, digestive issues and fever symptoms. 

We were both fatigued and slept a lot, but I don't think I ever had a fever.  Of course, with all the hot flashes, it's hard to know. I'd just about trade the flashes for fever. Fevers are shorter lived. No one seems to know how long those suckers last. (If men got hot flashes, I bet there would a remedy and a way to immediately cool down.) And if there was a God, the hot flashes would burn off some weight rather than finding new spots to deposit fat cells.

COVID's wedding anniversary/Valentine's Day gift was an upgrade for our malaise: time on the couch rather than our separate beds. We agreed we would revisit the idea of celebrating only after we felt better. 

Once we were on the road to recovery and eating actual dinners again, I had some gaseous issues but I blame the return to bigger portions of more solid and spicy food rather than COVID. One night after ribs, I was afraid that if the gas escaped as it was, I would have fire coming out of my butt. When I advised the Captain of my symptoms, he made me turn onto my other side so he would escape the flames should they arrive. 

But that was the worst of it. We had so few of the most terrible symptoms, we both argued with anyone who brought up COVID that it was just like last year; just a cold. We'd been too careful to get COVID.  

It was my Book Club that sent me over the edge to get tested. I'd been thinking about it, but when they shouted at me in Zoom unison that I needed to test for others if not myself, it occurred to me how selfish I'd been. Jeff was sick first and sicker throughout, so I'd been making short grocery trips. Masked, for sure, and gloves when it was really cold, but I did go out. And in my stubborn ignorance, I could have exposed others. 

COVID brain DID have an effect on my cognitive abilities, to which at least a few of my co-workers can attest, but it shouldn't have clouded my judgement such that I endangered others.

So I got tested, and sure, enough, the test came back positive. The Captain was nearly back to fighting shape by then, and I wasn't that long behind him when we found out. I think that made it easier to deal with. None of the panic others with more serious issues must have faced. Rest and fluids were all we needed to survive it. 

One of my friends posited that if we had COVID in 2020, we may have gotten off easier with Round 2. I don't know if that's true, but I'm grateful that we didn't have worse experiences. The Health Department says we are no longer contagious but we're not rushing out to get close to other people.

We biked, walked and played pickleball yesterday -- a sure sign that we're healthier.  There was a bit of snow on the court, but the sun was out and it was nearly 50-degrees. In February!

It was fun to get out. We didn't bike, walk or play long, but it felt really good to be outside. If the sun comes out we may get out there again today, but it's looking pretty gray out there.

Here's hoping you'll be able to avoid COVID and/or if you get it your case is mild. We'll be getting vaccinated when it's our turn and we'll still be masking and washing up. I don't think anyone really knows whether you can get it again, and we want no part of it.

Thanks to my Book Club for pushing me back onto the straight-and-narrow COVID precaution path. And everyone who asked about our health and offered to help us get supplies. Mask up!