Merry Christmas

It’s not quite our turn, but already frontline workers are getting the Covid vaccine. Best Christmas present ever. Each state is handling its own distribution design, and there aren’t enough doses to begin to fill the need, but it’s here. Thank you, thank you to the researchers, scientists, delivery people, test subjects who made this miracle possible.

Florida has decided older frontline workers and people in nursing homes are our first recipients. Then the elderly, which Governor Desantis has decreed is 65 years old and up. YES! In other states, the cutoff is 75. On the other hand, Florida has more than 4 million people over 65, so my place in line is good, not great. I am just about ready to make plane reservations to San Diego. 

There has been much debate about the moral delima of distributing too few doses. Perhaps the young, who need to be at work and school, should get the vaccine first. On the other hand, old people are more likely to die. When should teachers get the shot so schools can reopen? What about children? People in prison? Undocumented immigrants, who are likely the people working in nursing homes? Very difficult decisions. 

Being hard hearted, I think any anti-vaxer should be at the end of the line. Suddenly they have all seen the light, after spreading rumors and measles for years. Fortunately for them, I don’t get to make the rules. 

In any case, we had a wonderful Christmas dinner with Steph and Clara. I made rib roast and Yorkshire pudding, Grant cooked Hasselback potatoes and sautéed Brussels sprouts. Green salad with our lettuce and pears his sister sent. My mincemeat pie with whipped cream. Gigglepot, a 1917 Australian Cabernet Sauvignon to toast our family. Delicious.

I gave Grant a pizza stone he can use on the grill or in the oven. It is also supposed to be excellent for baking croissants, so I may commandeer it occasionally. He bought me a new pair of Felco #2 clippers, because he couldn’t stand to see me struggle with my antique ones. He also got me a replacement blade for my old ones, just in case we can get the rusty screws out. I plan to enlist Patten, who has my old vise, in the project. Clara got a mechanical carousel kit, which she and I can make together, actually the real present. Stephanie will get new tires (practical because she is starting back at the office one week in three), and a Winnie the Pooh quote to inspire her. 

I had Spaulding and Molly’s fire pit shipped directly from the Canadian artist. Spaulding cleverly converted it to propane so no ashes on their patio. I am impressed. I also had Mary and Ryan’s gnome dinnerware shipped to them from Pottery Barn. Much confusion over the order, so they got 2 sets. I mailed her a return label so Mary can box up one set and take it to the UPS store, once California gets off lockdown. I sent Patten’s present to him via Diane and David when they came to visit, warning all of them to keep their respective dogs, Howard and Bobby, from eating it, an Iberian ham. He wanted one, as did Grant, when we visited Madrid last year, but Americans can’t bring them into the country without an import license.

When I saw this one at Costco, I immediately put it in the basket. Grant wanted to give it to him at Thanksgiving, I think with the hope of having a small sandwich. I held firm. Now another reason to visit Fort Lauderdale just as soon as we get the vaccine. 

We have discussed to stop giving presents, however this year I really found ones I think were good. Perhaps I should quit while I’m on a roll.