There’s a bit of vaccine-related unpleasantness going around. Trump, who is not a doctor but plays one on TV, is at odds with medical experts about the COVID vaccine. When will it be ready, who will get it and will it work? Is a mask just as effective? Should we just stay home and wait to die?
I’ve had my own encounter with vaccine-related unpleasantness, but it’s just a coincidence. Usually I get fever and chills the night after my annual flu shot. When whoever was administering the shot asked if I had ever had an adverse reaction, I would say yes and explain. A few years ago, a nurse said that’s not an adverse reaction or a side effect.
The nurse failed to pony up a name for it, but she suggested I premedicate with Tylenol 48 hours prior, and since then, I have not had what we’ll call vaccine-related unpleasantness.
Until this week. One thing I learned through my flu shot ordeal is to keep my mouth shut. Never complain, never explain. This year, I premedicated as usual, but seeing as how I am now 65, I got the jumbotron dose.
I guess because of all the vitamin T percolating through my system, the fever and chills took longer to kick in, and it wasn’t as bad. Just a few hours of unpleasantness.
Still, kind of a drag for something that supposedly doesn’t exist. Gee, that sounds like COVID. Again, just a coincidence.
People who MENSTRUATE
I started Troubled Blood, the new Cormoran Strike novel by J.K. Rowling writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. This is the fifth, and I’ve read them in order, as any good anally retentive reader would do.
While I like it a lot so far, I am wondering about the title, considering the current media buzz regarding the author, and well, blood.
It would seem Rowling is in a bit of a row with the trans community. She doesn’t believe you get to decide whether you are male or female. Something about the definition of a woman being “people who menstruate.” Seriously, this is not a fight worth picking.
As for me, I believe menstruation sucks and am glad to be done with it. Periods and disabling cramps brought me no joy. I never pulled out a bloody tampon and blissfully sighed, “Thank God, I’m a woman.”
I certainly don’t want monthly bleeding to be my legacy.
Here lies Donna, a proud woman who bled like a pig.
more reading and watching
The Michael Cohen book about Trump was OK. More of the same unscrupulous crap we already knew. And, oh, by the way, unscrupulous crap Mr. Cohen was happy to be part of for 10 years … until he got caught. I’m done with these assholes, and I don’t want to read about them anymore.
On the TV front, I watched Unbelievable, which Netflix calls a mini-series. Based on a true story about a young girl who was raped but is convinced by the police she wasn’t, the series focuses on two women cops who put the pieces together and figure out who did it. I read this morning it was nominated for an Emmy Award. I loved it.
Also on the Emmy list is Schitt’s Creek, which got glowing reviews. I mean, glowing isn’t strong enough to describe how much reviewers love this show. I’ve watched a couple of episodes and didn’t get into it. I might give it another go.
Art
The image above is my latest piece of woodburning art. I find great pleasure and a certain sense of peace in transforming trash wood into something unique.
Your art is stunning. You’ll be remembered as Donna who can make beautiful art out of trash wood.
I loved Unbelievable also and hope that the three principal actors get awards, assuming they’re nominated. Merritt Wever (sp?) is wonderful as always.
I’ll have to check out Rowling’s book. I’ve read the others, although maybe not since I don’t remember reading five. Just finished the newest Louise Penny book, which I really enjoyed, right down to the Acknowledgements, which I almost never read.
Right there with you on the bleeding thing. Lots of ruined clothes, mattresses and almost someone’s white sofa. Never regretted that surgery.
I guess I want to be cremated, but that would make a great tombstone: Donna who can make beautiful art out of trash wood. I’ll have to find another use for such genius.
This new book is the fifth.
Oh, thanks for the vaccine tip! I had a fever and chills with my 2nd shingles vaccine and I wish someone had told me to pre-medicate. I think I will do just that with my upcoming flu shot, just in case.
Please give Schitt’s Creek another go! I remember struggling a bit with the first couple of episodes too, and then I was so glad I persevered!!!
Your art is amazeballs, by the way. I just love it.
Deb
Amazeballs. That works for me.
I will give Schitt’s Creek another go. Might get me through the rest of the year.
Your woodturning artwork gets better and better! This piece is beautiful (as they’ve all been). I avoided Schitt’s Creek for a long time and then caved and watched it during the pandemic. I still haven’t finished all episodes, but I did enjoy it more the further in I got. Maybe it’s just because I am totally in love with Dan Levy and would watch him in anything.
I am totally with you on being done with reading about these awful people. I feel as if I know enough to give me the general idea and don’t want to spend any more time with them.
Another vote for Schitt’s Creek — I’m in.
You are right about the Trump books. It’s like spending time with awful people. I mean, I get that Cohen seeks redemption but ick.
Me, I’m sarting on the prequel to the Pillars of the Earth to satisfy my mideval jones for awhile. I watched both Unbelievable and When they See Us (aso a must watch) within a few days of each other. Not an uplifting week, ya know. I will join the Chorus of the “I had to get hrough the first few episodes and then I loved Schitt’s Creek” song . Dan is hilarious, and Catherine’s wigs and hairstyles-enough said.
I imagine When They See Us is hard to watch, but I’ll add it to the list.
Beautiful piece of art.
Everyone kept telling me to watch Schitt’s Creek but I had no idea what it was about. We finally started watching it on Netflix and loved it. We flew through five seasons and can’t wait for more.
Thank you! All the votes for Schitt’s Creek … how can I resist?
Haven’t been here to visit in a while — I live in Portland and we’ve been…preoccupied. The latest in our string of tribulations was awful. And I’m one of the lucky ones whose house didn’t burn. All of us were buried alive under the smoke that passed “hazardous” to go right off the charts. PTSD, and I know what I’m talking about. Finally today it rained and I had held my breath (and lost my shit) for 10 days waiting for this to finally happen.
Then before the day was through RBG died and I really felt down for the count. It’s a non sequitur but, later, reading twitters to feel something like a community of mourners, I stumbled on the term “menocore” and gladly went down that rabbit hole. Somehow, doing so soothed me (and I think I laughed a bit, if memory serves what that’s like) and then made me think of this blog and after reading today’s post I read the one before it. Again and always it boils down to Just Keep Going, doesn’t it?
Seriously, it has just been awful. I’m glad you are safe. I read a quote from someone impacted by the fires in CA, and she said, “2020 can go to hell.” I concur! And then RBG. But yes, just keep going.
2020 can, and it did.