I’ve been putting off this hopefully final entry for a while. As with the COVID-19 collection, I’m sick of writing about it, but as Al Pacino once said in one of those Godfather movies, “They keep pulling me back in.” Hopefully not.

So as not to leave everyone hanging, the trucker occupation finally ended a couple of weeks ago, once the police mustered enough officers (from all over Canada) to either force them out of their own free will or get arrested and/or their vehicles impounded. Two of the main organizers are still behind bars.

With Omicron on the wane, and hopefully no new variants of concern, more and more restrictions are being lifted across the country. For the first time, there’s talk of even lifting the much reviled and mandatory face mask, although some businesses are within their rights to ask for them to be worn, in addition to seeing a vaccination passport. Increasingly, the experts are saying, and we realizing, that COVID will always be with us in some form, and we should learn to live with it. Thanks again to the miracle of modern medicine and epidemiology, vaccines and related medications have become increasingly effective at combatting the virus. So, until that next pandemic, let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Just as COVID is dying down, the world is now faced with another ugly war, with Russia invading Ukraine. Vladimir Putin, finally seen for what he is, a thug and a bully, has overnight become vilified by much of the world, many now calling him a war criminal. Thanks to the electronic world banking system, much of his and his oligarch cronies’ assets have been frozen. The Russian stock market and ruble are in freefall, due to various sanctions. And that’s not even discussing the tragedy and carnage taking place in Ukraine, as the Russian army moves in.

Personally, my Cataract surgery is slowly moving ahead, having had my first consultation and eye test appointment a couple of days ago. I have to go back towards the end of the month to have my eyes “fitted” for the operation, so I probably won’t be seeing the actual surgery until sometime after that. Meanwhile, the ophthalmologist prescribed special vitamins to take daily, to strengthen my eyes in preparation for the surgery, with a 1/1,000 chance of losing my vision completely in the process, as it involves removing and replacing the retinas.

At the last consultation for my knee at the Civic Hospital, I was given a business card for a surgeon who specializes in that sort of thing. It turns out, my problem is that I’ve developed arthritis in the left knee; the x-rays showing the cartilage partially worn away. It apparently can be replaced with plastic, with a lifespan of about 15 years.

Jason is leaving today to stay with his mom in Calgary for a month. It’ll be a nice break for both of us. The amazing thing is that we’ve only had two fights, though more like loud arguments, over the two years we’re been together through this pandemic. It’ll be surreal at first not having him here, but I’ve lived alone before for periods of time, and confident I’ll adjust.

As that old Chinese proverb goes (actually meant as a curse), “May you live in interesting times.” If you ask me, a little too interesting for my liking.

Stay safe everyone, and thanks again for your patronage!


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03/02/2022

Posted on 03/02/2022
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti