I finally succumbed to Covid. For a couple of days I complained about a stuffed up nose. I felt uncharacteristically tired as I trailed across the hellishly hot parking lot of our local shopping centre. Was it some extreme hay fever brought on by the lush foliage of summer? Was I shamefully out of shape, diabetic, simply old? My three beloved grandchildren came to sleep over as they often do. I sent them home early ( unheard of!) as I was dog tired from not having slept well the night before. As soon as they left I fell asleep and awoke completely disoriented with a full on fever. A friend called. “ you sound like you have Covid.”, he said.

Whaat? Covid? Four times vaccinated, a veteran of dorm sleeping last fall on the Camino Frances….I couldn’t have Covid! I dug out a box of rapid tests and, sure enough … a positive result. Just goes to show you shouldn’t let your guard down. Who knows how or when I got it but the first 36 hours knocked me off my feet and into my bed where I slept in increments of three hours. Each time I woke up wondering if it was day or night. I was awoken by vivid dreams of my mother demanding that I fly immediately to British Colombia ( she’s been dead for ten years) or a totally convincing fire alarm that was only ringing in my dream. I read. I scrolled Facebook. I watched the start of ten lousy Netflix movies ( recommendations please) and today, the third day I feel better. So far none of my family show any signs of illness thank goodness.

My only annoyance is that I must self isolate. Tomorrow I will find out for how long. In the meantime I sit on my little balcony and read and hatch nefarious plans for “ when I am better”