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One Month Ago Today

December 1, 2021

It’s Holidailies time once again, when I attempt to write every day from December 1st through January 1st. Based on my recent activity, this seems like very much a stretch goal, but based on my past few Decembers here, it’s definitely do-able. I have a plan for the first few weeks already, though this plan may result in entries that are primarily good for me to look up later when I want to remember how I spent November 2021. There should be some nice pictures to look at though, because I’m going to write each day about what I was doing a month previous during my trip to Florida.

Yes, you read that right. I went to Florida. During this ongoing pandemic. I did not even consider doing something like that last year. This year, I’m vaccinated and boosted and wearing better masks. Still, Mr. Karen and I were prepared to go and just hole up in our rented condo if need be. It had wifi and a private dipping pool (as it turned out we used the former, not the latter except to sit out next to one particularly pleasant night). If you live in a part of the world that’s handling the pandemic intelligently, you might be cringing at the thought of voluntarily going to Florida, but I live in northern Idaho, where there are many many folks who care more for their freedumb than their community, so for me, going to Florida at the time I did meant I was actually going to a place where the COVID risk level was lower than where I live.

So one month ago today, I got up early so I could finish packing and set the house up to be empty for three weeks and make my two hour drive to the airport in Spokane. That atypcial wakeup time meant I was able to see sunrise colors out the front window.

 

I felt less freaked out flying than I had during my return to air travel in August, what with being boosted now and having a full complement of quality masks. On my first flight of the day, I was quite entertained by a tiny dog across the aisle from me. It was not supposed to be out of its carrier but since it whined when it was put into it, I think if we’d all taken a vote the dog would have stayed out the whole time. On my second flight there was another little dog; that one stayed in its carrier and didn’t make a sound the whole time. I did get to see it trotting through the terminal on its short little legs, so that was good.

 
At the Orlando airport, I got my first in person look at some of the WDW 50th Anniversary imagery.

 
Mr. Karen, who’d left home on a road trip a couple weeks earlier, picked me up at the airport and whisked me off to our condo, which he’d been able to check into earlier despite me having done all the contact with the owner we rented it from. I was relieved when he’d texted me to let me know he’d been able to do that, as this was the first time we’d booked directly with an owner and there was no VRBO or similar to appeal to if something went wrong. I know, my diamond shoes are way too tight.

So that’s my November 1st recap. Come back tomorrow for November 2nd, when I dine in space.

*****
On this date in 2020: End of Year Tradition
2019: Another Trip Around the Sun
2018: A Trio of Firsts
2017: It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
2016: Another Ride on the Holidailies Train
2015: Not Dead Yet
2014: Lucky 13
2013: And So It Begins
2012: Holidailies Time
2011 – 2009: No entries
2008: Turkey Day Weekend
2007: Pinwheel Blanket
2006: Somethin’ New
2005 & 2004: No entries
2003: Goal Check-In: Month 8
2002: Holiday Weekend

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3 Comments

1. John S. Says:
   December 1st, 2021 at 12:55 pm

   Sounds like a great trip! Much earlier in the pandemic we took a trip to an AirBnb or VRBO, it was just a farmhouse on a larger property an hour or so from our house. It was just nice to get out of the house, plus they had a pool. In late October though, we went to Orlando for a weekend, just for the weather and, again, a pool.

   I don’t know about you, but overall it felt safer flying there than driving, because to drive there we’d have to go through Georgia, and basically anywhere you stop along the way they dgaf about masks and probably also aren’t vaccinated.

2. KarenD Says:
   December 1st, 2021 at 1:38 pm

   John, Interesting perspective. I guess because I live in a place where masks are rare and less than half of adults have been vaccinated, I’m used to navigating that environment and felt safer when we road tripped to Michigan this past summer than I have flying. In airports, I often couldn’t distance from other people (the gate areas haven’t gotten bigger) and definitely couldn’t eat outside during connections. Felt like I was having to choose between getting dehydrated or exposing myself to other people’s aerosols. Granted, most folks are wearing masks in the airport and on planes, but not necessarily good well fitted masks or properly worn ones.

3. Denise Says:
   December 4th, 2021 at 9:24 am

   I keep looking between that cute dog and the cosy quilt it’s on. Can’t decide which is prettier 😍