Sunday Morning Post (V.3, #10) – Warrior Queen Gets Her Shot

Now that I have your attention, I should clarify this week’s title. 

Warrior Queen (WQ) was not grievously wounded in a gun battle with QAnon supporters in a dark alley.  The word “shot” in this context is also not a reference to her getting a big show business break.  Let’s put this way:  we will not be witnessing WQ’s Broadway debut in a revival of Gypsy anytime soon.

No, the shot referenced here is the vaccination that was once thought to be mythological, but is actually in existence and plentiful.  WQ got her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Friday.  The event itself was inauspicious in retrospect, but the process to get there?  Oh boy!

We registered with our county health department in January.  At that time, we got an automatic response acknowledging receipt of our information.  It also warned that we could be waiting anywhere from 9-12 weeks for an invitation to schedule an appointment for the vaccine.  The county would send us updates at intervals, but more often than not, the follow up e-mails were nothing more than notices that we still have you on our list, we are vaccinating certain groups of the population as allowed by current state guidelines, and even then, we are only vaccinating as the limited supply allows.  Which was all well in good, but over it all hung the specter of “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

Both of us got our invitation this past week.  Huzzah!

The invitations included a onetime entry number which we would need to enter on the website which would then take us to the part of the web site where we could actually choose a time and place for the shot. 

Our choice of sites is the local high school a few miles west of us, or a building on the campus of the local community college, a few miles north of us.  WQ applied for hers first and chose the high school site.  The confirmation of her appointment came back with no complications.

More huzzah!

Then we entered my number and, as luck would have it, the system crashed.

No huzzah!

Typical government snafu I thought, but hey at least the pace of inoculation has now been expedited, unlike last year.  We went back in to the site to see if my number would still be accepted.  Alas, it was not to be.  One time use means one time use, regardless if you got through or got kicked off.

Fortunately, the county did enact a protocol accounting for system failure.  We were instructed to go to the website and apply for another entry number.  There my name was placed on a call back list for the next schedule of appointments.

Ah, always waiting, always testing my patience.

In any event, WQ has her first shot behind her.  The second dose will be scheduled for 28 days hence. 

Meanwhile, I wait…

(Thank you for reading.  Stay safe and well, everyone).