I Got My Booster Shot on a Bus

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….no kidding, it was a pop up clinic in the middle of a parking lot

Last Thursday I decided to go to one of the many pop-up clinics that are showing up in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario and try to get my booster shot a little earlier. I had managed to get an appointment for January 6th but with the kids coming over at Christmas I thought I’d try to get an earlier appointment.

When I got to the outdoor plaza at Dixie and Dundas, I wasn’t sure I was in the right place but I eventually saw the GO bus where the clinic was being held. After I parked the car I walked over to the line where people were masked and socially distanced. It was hard to tell how many people were ahead of me because the line snaked around rows of parked cars. Luckily it was a mild and sunny day.

Soon after I arrived someone came around handing out tickets to make sure they had enough doses and they announced that they had run out of the free testing kits. Half the line behind me left when they heard that. I quickly got to know the lady behind me and saved her place in line so that she could find a washroom. Most of the people in line were in their 60s and knowing where the closest washroom was was essential. We quickly got to know the couple in front of us and for the next five hours (I kid you not) we chatted up a storm. Not sure I would have stayed in line if I had known that the wait would be that long. When we got there they told us three hours, which was bad enough.

Did I mention that the sun was out and it was 15 degrees celsius when we got there? It was but it changed over the next five hours and it became cloudy and very windy. We prayed that the rain wouldn’t start because there was no shelter in the line. At about the 4 hour mark our legs were becoming quite numb and we started jumping up and down to keep the circulation going and warm up our feet. After five hours I finally I got my booster shot that took all of five minutes. I said good bye to my new found friends, Suzanne, Jackie and Warren and we all went our separate ways.

Am I glad that I got my booster shot? Maybe glad is the wrong word but I am relieved. It is one less thing to worry about for me and my family.

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New Flower (December 18, 2021) – Red and PInk Poinsettia

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….an interesting two-toned colour

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RIP Frances

Posted on December 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…I’ve been MIA for the last two days dealing with a very sick Frances

Frances was our beloved dog for over 14 years. It was just a few days ago that I announced that she turned 15 and little did I know that 5 days later she would be gone. It is never easy to have to make the decision to put down an animal. We both knew that the time would come when we would probably have to make that decision. Apparently very few dogs die naturally.

My husband always said that Frances was his dog but we had a special bond of our own. When I came home from work she would always greet me at the door and even in retirement she would come to me for walks. She loved going to the cottage with me, when Kevin couldn’t and she quickly learned that I had a soft touch when it came to doling out treats. Kevin always gave her liver treats before he retired for the evening but as soon as he went upstairs she would start on me. She knew she could break me down if she was persistent enough and she was persistent.

A couple of weeks ago I ran into a neighbour who was out walking her second dog. Her first dog had passed away a couple of years ago. Frances and Pichou were puppy friends. She was amazed that Frances was still with us and she declared that Frances was the last of the six or seven puppies that hung around together in the summer of 2007.

Every time we have a dog, my husband firmly announces that there will be no more dogs when the present one goes but this time he started thinking about the next dog he wants to own. This time I’m the one that says no more dogs (for now anyway). I was hoping that travel would be in the cards for us and having a dog just complicates that. It will seem odd though not having a dog in the house. We’ve had dogs for the last 38 years. Who do you think will win this argument?