While not as big a deal in the States, it still takes some navigating of vaccination websites or waiting in long lines at pop-ups to get that second dose. There is also a lot of angst given that AZ was pushed up here and now people are hesitant about mixing vaccines, though it seems to be a working strategy. I was sure I was going to get Moderna yesterday, as the pharmacist told everyone on the phone they didn't have any Pfizer (as there is a lot of vaccine shopping going on, which just wastes everyone's time), but perhaps they meant they didn't have any unbespoke Pfizer, since my second shot was Pfizer. Honestly, I would have been more than happy to switch to Moderna and give my Pfizer shot to a teenager, but that wasn't an option. At any rate, I have now had my second shot and should be quite protected from Covid if I do run across a carrier. Now I might still not want to take the Stratford bus this year, but I think the train to Ottawa might be doable (if they ever decide on when the National Gallery will open and how hard it will be to get tickets to the Rembrandt exhibit).
It wasn't supposed to rain until 8 pm tonight, but in fact it started with a light rain around 3:30 as I was leaving, so I am quite glad that I didn't attempt to bike to work on Friday. By the time I got back to the Danforth the rain had picked up quite a bit and I got pretty wet. Fortunately I had a plastic bag with me, so my book (Don Quixote) didn't get all wet. It was interesting when the pharmacist asked about it (she had never heard of Don Quixote at all, which I thought strange) and whether I would recommend it. I find the characters totally exasperating (and Sancho's mania about becoming a governor of an insula gets way out of hand in Book II) and the adventures fairly pathetic, so I guess the short answer is not really. I said it would have worked better at 400 pages, but honestly 200-300 pages would have been better still. It's somewhat hard to imagine what someone coming at this completely cold would make of it. Anyway, I have finally hit the 750 page mark! And I probably will be done with Cervantes by Canada Day.
It was generally a better trip than the first time. At that time, the link between the TTC and the GO Bus station was out of commission, and the back entrance to the mall was completely closed. They were letting in a very small number of people for pick-up of essential items but most pick-ups were on the north side of Yorkdale by the parking lot. There were probably as many manikins as people walking around in the halls. It really was quite eerie. Here's the view from my first visit.
They still weren't letting lots of people in, but there were certainly more people inside. I think some of the food court restaurants were open. Certainly the stores that had a direct entrance onto the parking lot were in much better shape, as they could let the general public in at reduced capacities. All in all, there seems to be two to three times as much foot traffic through Gerrard Square as Yorkdale (because of a higher proportion of essential shops), which is just mind blowing when you think about it. I imagine it will be much, much busier on the 30th when we go to Stage 2 and malls can re-open. Indoor gyms are still not allowed, along with indoor dining and indoor concerts and movies (maybe that comes in Stage 3 or Stage 3 plus.) I'm pretty sure museums reopen in Stage 3, which is looking like it will happen in late July, given that the vaccination campaign has really ramped up; more than 75% of adults have at least one dose and 20% are fully vaccinated -- higher in the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec and Ontario and lower in the Prairies and Alberta naturally).
This time around the line-up for vaccines was much shorter, as there were major computer snafus last time. There was a relatively short delay, but it wasn't too bad, and I did have my book. The way back was pretty uneventful. I did grab a few things from the grocery store in case the rain was even heavier on Sat. and in case I wasn't feeling well. So far, knock wood, my arm is sore but I don't have any other symptoms like nausea or extreme fatigue. That said, I probably won't head out today, and I'll focus on getting some work work done and maybe some of my remaining 6 poetry reviews up on the blog.
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