More accurately, both my wife and I are getting the first of the two shots today and it has been a strange journey to get to this spot.
The way it has worked here in Georgia, the health departments had the vaccines. You had to go sign up, which, seems to me was a waste of time. I don’t know anyone who got a call back.
Word of mouth told us that you had to talk to someone which meant holding for hours while the software told you where you were in line (“You are number 54…45…22…” etc.). Several times my wife got down to the single digits (“You are number 6”) and then the call was dropped. Bah humbug. Cussing would have been perfectly acceptable in that situation.
Finally she got through and made appointments about a week out. I’m at a drive through.
In the week since the appointment was made we hear that Kroger, Ingles, Publix, CVS and other pharmacies were doing the shots. She got a spot at a Kroger at a time earlier than mine. Good for her. She deserved it.
So, we both go today. We will see how smoothly it comes off.
Observations:
- This is a colossal mess but then, the numbers are so huge (tens, hundreds of thousands in my health district) that one can hardly fault the people doing the front line phone work.
- Citizens shouldn’t have to find by word-of-mouth where they can get the vaccine. Sounds like we’re in Russia, “Hey, did you know they have toilet paper in Gum today? Better get down there quickly.
- I don’t have confidence that this could be administered on the federal level any more efficiently. The government is good a printing checks and making electronic deposits. Doubt they would be as good at distributing, scheduling, and administering shots.
- I’m a patient guy but if I didn’t have a saint for a spouse, one who would hold for hours on the phone, I’d be waiting until I could walk in a store and get a shot. No long phone holds for me.
- We have been permanently hunkered down since Thanksgiving with very little contact from family and others. It’s getting old.
- Church and small group meetings are out until after the vaccine. Makes no sense to go to church (pastor admits to about half the attendance having had the virus but not catching it at church; I don’t know how he would know that). I love my small group but no hugs and gatherings for now.
- I doubt Biden or the Dems can or will do better but they will claim to do so.
Look for lean, mean, immune Plodder before too long.
Good luck, uh providential success, to you all.
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I’m in a high risk group: old, cantankerous, and curmudgeonly.
