Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

People are weird.

Do we throw up our hands or do we roll up our sleeves? (hint, door #2)

You come for women, you’re gonna get your ass kicked.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

If you can’t control your emotions, someone else will.

No one could have predicted…

Good lord, these people are nuts.

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Why is it so hard for them to condemn hate?

In my day, never was longer.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Am I the Only One Reconsidering Plans to Travel for Christmas?

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183Comments

  2. 2.

    raven

    We’re not, Soprano2 wrote the best statement on how some of us feel

    My husband and I are triple vaxxed and have had Covid (this week last year, in fact). I’ve done everything I can reasonably do to keep from getting it, since I’m not willing to stay in my house away from people all the time. I won’t be cancelling any plans. I understand why you are saying that, but I think it’s too late – most people won’t change their plans at this late date. I hate to say it, but at this point it seems that TFG supporters (and the crazy liberal anti-vaxxers) who haven’t gotten the vaccine have made the choice to play Russian Roulette, and I for one won’t drastically change my life because of a choice they have made. It sucks for those with children who can’t get vaxxed yet (soon, hopefully in January or February), and for those with weak immune systems. I have a cartoon to put on my door that’s a health care worker in front of Santa; he says “I cannot make people care about other people, sorry”. That seems to be the TFG part of our society in a nutshell – they don’t care about others enough to get vaxxed.

    My friend who was looking for Ivermectin said it was “for a friend”. I told her to beg her friend to take the monoclonal antibodies, since they’re an actual effective treatment for Covid, and all Ivermectin is for them is a waste of money. She’s extremely tight with her money – maybe that will sway her.

    We’re driving to Virginia Christmas morning and visiting her sis and family then on to Appomattox the next day and back here Monday. I don’t really want to but I also want to support her and her wishes. I haven’t seen my family since the 2017 Rose Bowl

     

    eta I wouldn’t be surprised if her professor sis asked us not to come. They have been very careful the whole time. Easter and Thanksgiving outside and the nieces wedding in September was also outside.

  4. 4.

    dcbaok

    I have flights booked and have commitments and people depending on me. I’d rather not travel but we’re all fully vaxed, and boosted where possible, and fortunately don’t have any at-risk people in the immediate vicinity and aftermath.

    I’m planning to double mask with kn95 and a surgical mask over it while I’m aboard plane and in airports. It’s going to be miserable. I won’t be eating or drinking on the plane but will unmask to do so in open areas of the airport if necessary.

    Aside from the air travel, we’ll be routinely masking and distancing in public and keeping things contained.

    Really unhappy with the pro-covid community for producing the conditions that are allowing yet another wave of infections to happen.

    Miserable that I have to make the decision.

  7. 7.

    Carol

    My family is traveling next week and they have a 4-hour flight more or less each way. I wish they would reconsider.

  8. 8.

    Mdub

    Nope. Don’t blame you. We are not traveling this year and only having one person over that has been basically in isolation due to medical condition. All of us are boosted.

  9. 9.

    John Cole

    My travel plans remain completely unchanged. I will still go to the grocery store and italian deli twice a week and maybe hit the post office every week.

  11. 11.

    Anoniminous

    We had no travel plans. We’re not reconsidering. We’re keep ourselves to our selves.

    Given what we know about Omicron I think it is foolish to travel. It is more contagious than Delta. Meaning it is more likely to be contracted. And while vaccination does decrease the severity of the disease even mild cases of Covid have resulted in long term heart, lung, brain, liver, and kidney damage.

  13. 13.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Baud: same here, but hoping a lot of extended family cancel theirs, and they are stubborn fucks. My remaining 80+ relatives, all of whom see (it seems to me) at least one doctor a week, are convinced they’re bullet-proof

  15. 15.

    Chief Oshkosh

    You are not alone. We’re on the verge of cancelling.

    Here’s hoping every unvaccinated-by-choice person is given the gift of hard, long Covid over the holidays, and that they are turned away from their local ERs, so that they have an abundance of time to reflect upon their life choices. And then die.

  17. 17.

    Cermet

    Travel by car, or maybe train but an airplane and bus I’d be worried. The plane is the worst with the recycled air and people taking off masks to drink/eat but at least its shorter then most bus trips. Be well masked, use sanitizer, and have the booster (post two weeks) and I’d think the odds were well in your favor.

  18. 18.

    Anoniminous

    @raven:

    How about this: Fuck Off

    It is a matter of complete indifference to me if you and your whole family spends your last hours gasping for breath while you drown in your own lung fluids or have life-long heart, brain, kidney, or lung damage. The question was asked; I answered

  20. 20.

    AM in NC

    We have an awful conundrum: this may very well be my mom’s last Christmas because cancer (spit!), and everyone in the family is coming here where we live (siblings, kids, grandkids) since we haven’t all seen each other since before COVID.  We are all vaxxed and boosted, but I am still nervous as hell.  But if this is the last chance then the risk feels worth it.

    I will never forgive Covidiots and the GOP assholes who created them.

  21. 21.

    The Dangerman

    Couldn’t pay me enough to get on a plane or train (unless it’s the Silver Streak and an alive Jill Clayburgh (sp?) is on it) right now.

    Christmas means stores and in greater LA people are mostly behaving right now on masks but I am very much losing patience with the thankfully infrequent asshole (I think we are distilling down to the serious assholes as the more reasonable ones don’t want to look like, well, a serious asshole).

  22. 22.

    JMG

    Picking up my daughter at Logan tomorrow at end of her flight from France. She tested negative this morning. She is triple-vaxxed as we are. I figure Terminal E (international arrivals) is the safest place in Massachusetts as all incoming passengers must have shown a negative test to get on a US flight. That’s it besides food and wine emporiums this week. My Christmas shopping’s all done.

  23. 23.

    MisterForkbeard

    My kids are vaxxed and the wife and I are triple vaxxed. We have some family visiting (mostly staying at another location) where they’re all triple-vaxxed except for the 4 year olds, and everyone’s okay with the risk level for now.

  24. 24.

    Betty Cracker

    @raven: That’s where I am too. We’re having older relatives over this Christmas who stayed home last year. Everyone is triple vaxxed, as are we. The weather will be fine, so the windows will be open. The folks who are at greatest risk due to age say they aren’t willing to miss family gatherings for the rest of their days, and I can respect that. We all understand the risks.

  27. 27.

    mali muso

    Wasn’t planning on traveling anyways as we always stay close to home at this time of year.  But Soprano2’s statement above reflects pretty much how I feel.

  28. 28.

    trollhattan

    Having returned home from a vacation planned and purchased half a year ago, enduring (oh, the humanity) sevenish-hour masked stints each way, we definitely enjoyed being away but the travel just sucked.

    Going to the only sane (and vaccinated) branch of the inlaws for Christmas Day and my triple-vaxxed bro is flying out from Cow Hampshire for the duration. Other than that, no more roaming for awhile.

    And am still fighting going back to the office even the mandated half time. They can only claim 65% vaccinated status of the staff, which is too damn low even with weekly mandatory testing of the not-vaxxed. Screw that noise.

  29. 29.

    emmyelle

    You are not the only one. I gotta tell ya, I’m tripple vaxed, as are Mr. elle and emmy junior, but I am completely freaked out about the fact that we could actually kill someone with our noses, even if we don’t get that sick.

  30. 30.

    Dan B

    My partner announced that “we” are not going to either of our siblings for Christmas.  My brother is very disappointed.  I wasn’t going to my partner’s siblings because sadistic fascism.  Not my cup of tea.

  31. 31.

    Grumpy Old Railroader

    We have four adult sons. Sons marry into their wive’s family. They always feel guilty and used to try to work out alternating where holidays were spent. So my wife and I made it real easy for them. Every major holiday we just happen to be in our RV on the northern coast of California. So yeah, we are traveling. By ourselves in our RV to spend Xmas watching wildlife and waves. The kids can visit once we return. It’s all good.

  32. 32.

    JPL

    The new variant spreads rapidly and is supposed to peak mid-January.   I hope that is true because I have tickets to see the Obama paintings at the High Museum January 29th.   I hate driving in Atlanta, so plan on taking the train.

    Grand imp number two is supposed to start daycare next month when he reaches six months of age.   We’ll see how that goes.

  33. 33.

    marcopolo

    If it were just me & I actually had plans to travel I might.  I’m vaxxed & boosted and under 60 & in decent shape & figure if I get Covid (Omicron) it would most likely be fairly mild.  But I live w/ and take care of an 88 year old & I do not want to find out how robust their immune response (also vaxxed & boosted) is as a result of me not taking all due precautions.

    Hell, I figure most/all of us will get it sometime over the next year/two/three but I’ll do my best to postpone that for as long as possible.

  34. 34.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    No plans to cancel. The kids are local, we were just going to do a local visit.

    However, we have an annual Valentines weekend B & B tradition. We skipped 2021 but are really looking forward to 2022.

    I haven’t cancelled but I’m beginning to get anxious.

  35. 35.

    Bruce K in ATH-GR

    I’m triple-vaxxed, masking wherever I go, and I haven’t seen my sweetheart face to face in half a year. I’m packing a pile of test kits and enough FFP2 and surgical masks for an army platoon, but unless my flight gets cancelled or men with guns stop me from boarding, I am going.

  37. 37.

    citizen dave

    Well I have apparently emerged unscathed by the virus from a work trip to Orlando Floridastan last week (Universal Studios district), and my wife cancelled our hosting her unvaxxed sisters and spouse dinner at our house, so it’s looking like the best Christmas ever.  No travel plans.

     

    Note to self, New normal: travel in the virus troughs, not the peaks.

  38. 38.

    realbtl

    I just cancelled my 1-7 flying trip MT to CA to see my 2 yo grandson.  Ain’t worth the risk at this time.

  39. 39.

    Brachiator

    After reading about Omicron this morning, I am seriously reconsidering my Christmas travel plans.

    Am I the only one?

    My friends and family are tightening up on their Covid protocols. My sister is doing more takeout and has regularly used curbside delivery for groceries. She is doing a Christmas dinner at her home, but if people who have not been vaccinated are not coming.

    I have to work on the days around the holiday, so I don’t have any plans to change. But I also am sticking more to home.

    I am not super worried about Omicron, but the rate at which it is spreading is alarming. What concerns me more is that the hard core deniers don’t seem to be modifying their behavior at all.

  40. 40.

    wenchacha

    My son cancelled his family’s trip to Japan to see the in-laws. He was eligible for entry, being the spouse of a Japanese national, but there were a lot of hoops and still questions about what would happen once they arrived.

    Husband and I are not keen to attend group parties with family. I would like to see my siblings, but I saw them before Thanksgiving.

    We’d like to travel to California and Washington state, and thought we might head that way in January or February. It’s been over two years since we saw our daughter in Washington, and we are hot to see our grandson again. Like today. Thinking about driving cross-country, or maybe flying.

    What will things look like in a month? Two months?

  42. 42.

    Ramalama

    Not seeing my family in ‘Merica for the holidays part II.

    We caught it last year before vaccines, even though we were super duper careful. Had a pretty okay experience with it, aside from the initial complete fright, and some major brain fog after. But I have an in-law who won’t get vaccinated. They have kids. I won’t be able to get boosted till after the new year. Canada is not yet at my age group until later.

    We don’t even indoor doggie visits with neighbors, coffee, tea, brownies, gossip, while two dogs ignore each other and then fight each other. The neighbors have been triple vaxxed due to age and other health issues. But I’m doing everything I can to not be the typhoid mary in peoples’ lives. I may have served as one last year, unwittingly, and it’s stayed with me.

  43. 43.

    TheOtherHank

    We’re still driving to family. But I am even more resolved not to be in the same room as my un-vaxed, 92 year old, RWNJ father-in-law. I might consent to dining at an outdoor restaurant with him, but inside is a no-go.

  44. 44.

    JustRuss

    Was seriously considering road tripping to a bowl game, but noped out when Omicron arrived.  I like my lungs a lot more than football.  At least I’m banking some vacation, I’d rather use it in spring and summer anyways.

  46. 46.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Betty Cracker:

    The folks who are at greatest risk due to age say they aren’t willing to miss family gatherings for the rest of their days, and I can respect that. We all understand the risks.

    I guess that’s where my above-mentioned 80 plus aunts and uncles are. But they’re in Chicago, so no open windows (since last week), and while their young adult grandchildren are for the most part sensible and I’m sure vaxxed, they’re also college or post-college youths who have friends and like bars and….

  47. 47.

    jonas

    @Cermet: Airplane air is recycled, but also heavily filtered. I don’t think any major covid outbreaks in the past year at least have been traced to air travel. I would actually feel more comfortable in a plane than in many other kinds of closed conveyances if I wasn’t certain of the vaccination status of everyone around me.

  49. 49.

    Percysowner

    No travel plans, so not changing anything. I’ll probably go to my kids for Christmas, if I feel well enough. Had my first chemo treatment yesterday and I’m waiting for the fatigue to kick in. I should be good today, but no guarantee I’ll even be up for Christmas. Hopefully next year this will all be over.

  50. 50.

    Wag

    @dcbaok:   We returned from an international trip a couple of weeks ago.   In all public transportation in Peru required double masking, including all domestic flights.  The flight attendants took the masking Rey seriously, and there was not beverages served.  I felt very safe.   Once we were back in the States, the masking became more problematic.

  52. 52.

    Princess

    I’m in the UK. I’ve cancelled my planned trip to the Netherlands. I tested positive for covid a couple of days ago — probably Omicron. Fully vaxxed and boosted, and mask-wearing — but I did eat in a couple of restaurants. My symptoms are mild, fortunately (so far) — on a parr with my reaction to the vax tbh

    My message to all of you is that if you are near someone who absolutely absolutely cannot afford to catch covid for some reason, do not rely on your vaccination to keep you or them safe. TBH I am also very wary of testing as a panacea when the rapid tests miss roughly one in four cases. I think they may cause a lot of people who think they’re fine, but are not, to infect others. Best solution if you need to see someone vulnerable is probably to test, then quarantine, and then see them. And please, please, pay attention to any little tiny symptom. Mine started very, very mild — a tiny headache, a slight tickle in my throat, a nose that was runny on occasion. I know this is tough because let’s face it, probably 90% of us have one or two of those symptoms at this time of year, but please consider staying home if you do. By the time you have a fever or a cough or loss of smell, it will be too late.

    Omicron is wildlfire. I have maybe naive hopes it will help us burn through this thing for good but in the meantime it is going to make a ton of people sick and kill a bunch of them.

  53. 53.

    q

    I will not be travelling for Christmas (except to my sister’s house 20 miles away) this year.  However, my wife and I and our younger son have airline tickets and plans to visit my older son, daughter-in-law aond baby granddaughter in San Diego in February.  All of us (except the baby, of course) have long been triple-vaccinated, we all wear masks in public and, fuck it, I will see my son, his wife and their baby.   This is very self-righteous of me but, fuck it, as far as I’m concerned my immediate family and I have been doing the right thing ever since this pandemic began almost two years ago.  I am not going to stop living because tens of millions of my fellow Americans are idiots and assholes.  (I will not, however, be seeing my cousins because two of their sons are gun-totin, Trump-votin anti-vaxxers.  These young men can go fuck themselves.)

  55. 55.

    James E Powell

    @raven:

    I’m really really hoping Georgia destroys TTUN. Not only am I an unbearably obnoxious Buckeye (If TTUN were playing the devil, I’d be wearing red horns & carrying a pitchfork), but my Georgia bred brother in law has had a tough year and a national championship would go well with the Braves World Series win.

  56. 56.

    mvr

    I’m cautious about travel but haven’t decided to cancel anything yet. My spouse and I are vaccinated and we may see a couple of vaccinated friends from out of town.  I plan to be tested before we travel if we do. Right now travel will be by car so no special risk in travel itself.  The risk would come in seeing the small number of people we would visit with if we do go anywhere in the next couple of weeks.  Between where I live (my state, my city is better) and what my job requires I’m safer traveling than working during the semester (in classrooms w 20 to 120 students).  Given politics around here I expect to be teaching in person in January even if Omicron takes the rate up on campus.  Or quit.

  57. 57.

    James E Powell

    @Cameron:

    Looks like no BBB under the Christmas tree:

    The truth is, we all should have known this as soon as Manchin & Sinema said they were against it. We probably should have known it as soon as the returns from the Maine senate race rolled in.

    Everything we want for our country, everything we believe in, depends on what we do between today and November 8, 2022.

  58. 58.

    Aimai

    I’m not thrilled that both my daughters are coming home. One, who is at college, has to as the dorms are closing but the other is driving home from DC. As a result we will not be seeing my 89 year old parents until everyone retests negative, if tests are available, or possibly at all this holiday. And, of course, we may get exposed. I’m not happy but we are mitigating their risk by driving to get the younger one and having the older one drive instead of taking the train. But really anxious as I have had two vaxxed patients come down with Covid recently.

  59. 59.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Baud:

    Same.

    Just had lunch with my brother, and he and his husband are still planning to go to London on December 26. They are vaxed and boosted and think that masking and social distancing will protect them. I’m not so sure.

    Plus, what if U.K. or USA initiates a travel ban and they get stuck there? Okay, forget that: getting “stuck” in London would be a dream come true for them.

  60. 60.

    dopey-o

    After reading about Omicron this morning, I am seriously reconsidering my Christmas travel plans.

    Am I the only one?

    this year, i will celebrate The Feast of Wretched Excess by limiting my travel. Chair, liquor cabinet, chair. YMMV.

    and maybe a quick jaunt to get 2nd booster.

  61. 61.

    JPL

    My son had purchased six tickets for the Polar Express Train Ride in Bryson City, NC.   I backed out much to the disappointment of him, but I didn’t feel like it was safe.  They do require masks, but I didn’t think it was worth the risk.   Truthfully, two children under two are not going to remember.   I was concerned about overnight accommodations, more that the train.  We went to Burt’s Pumpkin Patch in north GA, and although outside, there were no safety precautions.   They packed them on the hayride.

  62. 62.

    HeleninEire

    I am not traveling for Christmas but I did alter some plans. The pub I hang out in has a party for all the regulars where we drink for free from 3 – 6. I go every year but it’s always packed. I am skipping it this year.

    I also eat dinner out 5 nights a week. Oh did I miss that during COVID, and was THRILLED to get back to it. And even more thrilled that here in NYC they are checking vaccination cards. But I think I may cut back on that too. :(

    I’m boosted; but still….

  63. 63.

    La Nonna

    We are meeting the adult kids and adult grandchildren in Sicily next week after seeing no one in 2.5 years, we are all triple vaxxed, all have green pass…staying in a large rental villa on the south coast, cooking, eating, and holidaying together.  Safer here than in most of the Midwest, everyone here is masked, and reasonably good about personal space.

  64. 64.

    FelonyGovt

    No plans to travel, so nothing to reconsider. I declined a visit from an unvaccinated friend last weekend.

    We’re hoping for a road trip to somewhere like Santa Barbara or San Diego (either is about a 2-hour drive) early next year.

  65. 65.

    Anonymous At Work

    Sadly, I had gotten permission to work remotely (well, more remotely) and had shipped off for the holidays when Omicron started popping up.  So now, I appear to be stuck…

  66. 66.

    C Stars

    Two flights and three airports. Layover in Las Vegas. Family flying/driving in from all over. Plans made 6 months ago. I’m terrified. Of course we are all as vaxxed as we can be and will bring along a bunch of rapid tests but FUCK.

  67. 67.

    UncleEbeneezer

    It’s too late for us to cancel our flights and the cabin we rented, but we are all fully vacc’d/boosted and we will wear masks, social distance and keep windows open as much as possible.  Fortunately it looks like weather will be warm in Dallas so opening the windows will be easy.  But yes, we are definitely feeling dread and pissed that again, a Covid wave has to hit right when we plan to actually go somewhere/do something.

  69. 69.

    WaterGirl

    My holiday plans were 5 days in one house in Michigan, with 17 people from 8 different households, 6 traveling by plane and 2 by train.  Everyone else is still planning to coming in but I started feeling very wobbly about it after doing some reading this morning.

    The more I think about it today, the more anxious I feel.

  70. 70.

    jonas

    Right now from what I’m reading, most of the breakthrough infections happening in vaccinated people are people who had only one dose, or two doses well over six months ago. People who have gotten their second shot or booster recently are catching covid only rarely and then not getting very sick. On one hand, I want to do my part not to spread this thing, even unwittingly, and prevent more variants from emerging and protect those who can’t get vaccinated due to getting cancer treatments, or whatever. On the other hand, I want to just tell all those fucking asshole anti-vaxxers to GDIAF and get on with mine and my (fully vaxxed/boosted) family’s life. Having fewer and fewer fucks left to give right now, I’m leaning towards the latter, personally.

  72. 72.

    Chetan Murthy

    @dopey-o:

    ​a quick jaunt to get 2nd booster.

    second booster ?  Is that a thing yet ?  I’m not saying I’d get one right away (got boosted 10/14) but sheesh, I’d sure get in line in late Jan ….

  74. 74.

    JoyceH

    I’m reconsidering, but haven’t reached a conclusion yet. I’m staying home, but the plan was for an old college friend to come stay for a couple days. We’re both vaxxed and boosted, but she gets out more than I do, takes the Metro and buses, works the elections, goes to museums. Seems like several times a day, we get more bad news about the upcoming surge. Just this morning I read that most of the monoclonal antibody therapies are essentially useless against Omicron. What sucks is that I’m more risk averse than she is, so I suspect it’s going to be my call, and if I call it off I’ll feel like a real cad.

  75. 75.

    UncleEbeneezer

    @C Stars: Don’t know.  But we may want to get some once we get to Texas since we will be around an immunocompromised family member.  Trying to plan.

  76. 76.

    Math Guy

    We talked about staying home instead of joining family, but all of the adults are triple vaxxed and the kids over 5 have gotten their first two shots. We still exercise caution daily, avoiding crowds as much as possible and masking up at the grocery store.

    For many of us this is a deeply personal balancing act between risk and family connection.

  77. 77.

    Sure Lurkalot

    So far, we’re still planning on the 1.5 hour drive to my inlaws house in the mountains on 5 acres. Have rapid tests.

  79. 79.

    Lapassionara

    @Raven: We are still planning to visit my daughter who lives in the Roanoke area. We are all vaxxed and boosted. My daughter said that people had pretty much given up wearing masks in her area, so we will probably stay around her house mostly.

  80. 80.

    Anonymous At Work

    @WaterGirl: That gathering sounds like it would occasion more than a little alcohol.  Can you re-purpose it into a decontamination dunk-tank?

  81. 81.

    C Stars

    @UncleEbeneezer: Ah, maybe you can order them for delivery for once you get there? I just checked target and they are available but only for shipping (not in stores right now).

  82. 82.

    VeniceRiley

    I would cancel. At least until Q1 when the Pfizer pill becomes available. Sorry to anyone that catches it before then!

  83. 83.

    Chetan Murthy

    @JoyceH:

    I’ll feel like a real cad.

    We all have to do what we feel is necessary to feel safe.  And others shouldn’t judge us for that: I would hope your friend would understand this.  Maybe being boosted is enough to be protected; maybe it isn’t.  We don’t have enough data to know with adequate certainty yet: that’s why the scientists couch everything in such uncertain language.  I read someplace that the Pfizer booster gets the protection level up to 70%.  Is that enough?  It isn’t for me, not for an illness that could leave me with permanent injuries to my brain, kidneys, who-knows-what [long covid in breakthrough cases is real and from many large studies, quite prevalent].

    You’re not a cad for wanting to keep yourself whole and uninjured.

  85. 85.

    Chetan Murthy

    I was never going to travel until effective oral antivirals are available.  No way.  Until then, I

    1. always mask up in groceries
    2. take public transit, but only when the bus is less than half-full; otherwise, *wait*
    3. try to take surface public transit, so I can sit next to the window with my facemask leaning out a little
    4. and that’s it

    This is a big step up from a few months ago, when I was completely housebound.  And I’m 3-shots in, of course.

  86. 86.

    zzyzx

    I’m sticking to my NYE plans as of now but I’m also getting boosted next week and I just got it in September so I like my odds.

  87. 87.

    JoyceH

    @jonas: ​
     

    Right now from what I’m reading, most of the breakthrough infections happening in vaccinated people are people who had only one dose, or two doses well over six months ago. People who have gotten their second shot or booster recently are catching covid only rarely and then not getting very sick.

    But – most is not all.

    My local hospital posts a COVID report to Facebook about once a week, with a chart of COVID in-patients, broken down by vaccinated, unvaccinated, and they just added boosted. They list numbers hospitalized, numbers in the ICU, and numbers on ventilators. Obviously, the lion’s share is unvaccinated, but there are still vaccinated people being hospitalized, and the latest chart showed a boosted person in the ICU. Almost certainly that boosted person has ‘underlying health conditions’, but heck, so do I!

  88. 88.

    LeftCoastYankee

    I traveled cross-country for 20+ years at the holidays, until a blizzard/deep freeze changed that one year.  Most relaxing Christmas in years.

    So, my yearly present to myself is to not travel for the holidays, and visit loved ones at a more relaxed and temperate time of the year.

  90. 90.

    O. Felix Culpa

    I travelled to (and throughout) Germany without incident this summer and am glad I went during the relative lull. I also visited my parents in AZ last weekend, but basically quarantined myself for over a week before driving there. I can see how it’s a hard call for people, and I’m thankful I don’t have travel plans for the next several months. This timeline sucks.

    On another note, why does it take minutes seconds for a credit card charge to show up on the account and nearly a week for a refund to do the same?

  91. 91.

    Tony Jay

    We were supposed to be hitting up a pantomime in Manchester on the 21st with Lady Jay’s Dad and his wife’s family, but it’s pretty much nailed on that Cinderella and Co will be cavorting alone. We’ll still visit with that part of the family, but strictly behind closed doors and after everyone is tested.

    Sadly it’s looking like the post New Year trip we had planned to London will coincide with the next Lockdown (or combination of restrictions and protections that approximate a Lockdown but aren’t officially called one for political reasons) which is a big old pisser.
       We had a couple of stage shows booked for Jay Junior’s birthday celebrations and were planning to stand outside the gates of Downing St with “Flobalob can Flobaloff!” banners for a couple of hours, so our disappointment is only a shadow of Fatty Fashy Boom Boom’s who, as we all know, simply lives to be noticed. 

  94. 94.

    ETtheLibrarian

    I didn’t even consider but I likely would if I had decided to go. Of course that was back in June when I had to decide.

    1. pandemic still a thing
    2. traveling to a red state that was a March 2020 epicenter (New Orleans)
    3. Christmas travel always sucks
    4. Christmas travel after not a lot of traveling for 2-ish years would suck harder
    5. Christmas travel to/from red state after 2-ish years not traveling much would suck so, so, so hard
    6. Christmas travel to/from red state after 2-ish years not traveling with an untold number of (potentially drunk) anti-mask/anti-vaxxers would suck SO, SO, SO HARD

    I just didn’t have the mental band-width.

  96. 96.

    O. Felix Culpa

    To lift the spirits, a little Christmas schadenfreude, courtesy of WaPo (oh, and of course it’s Floriduh man):

    Fla. man sentenced to 5 years for attacking police, the longest Jan. 6 riot sentence yet

    A man who watched and cheered the Capitol riot, then moved to the front of the mob and hurled a fire extinguisher, a plank and a long pole at officers, was sentenced Friday to more than five years in federal prison, the longest sentence given so far to someone charged in the Jan. 6 attack.

    Robert S. Palmer, 54, of Largo, Fla., pleaded guilty in October to assaulting law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon, and his original plea agreement called for a sentencing range of 46 to 57 months. But after his plea, and his entry into the D.C. jail, Palmer arranged to make an online fundraising plea in which he said he did “go on the defense and throw a fire extinguisher at the police” after being shot with rubber bullets and tear gas.

    That was a lie, Palmer admitted Friday. He had thrown a fire extinguisher — twice — a large plank and then a four- to six-foot pole at police before he was struck with one rubber bullet. The lie indicated a failure to accept responsibility for his actions, prosecutors argued, and when U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan agreed, she increased his sentencing range to 63 to 78 months, ultimately imposing a 63-month term.

  97. 97.

    TriassicSands

    One of my best friends (late sixties, vaccinated) is about to join his/her unvaccinated, RWNJ relatives for Christmas. The NJs all refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks. I tried, gently, to persuade my friend to pass up this opportunity to further enable the pathological behavior of her/his relatives, but, recognizing the risks, yet still ignoring what it says to continue to let the idiots set the rules, s/he is going ahead anyway.

    I don’t understand this behavior — the NJs have made it clear that they don’t really care about her/his well-being. Why join them for what is supposed to be a “family” gathering when they demonstrate no care or concern for the health and well-being of others even close relatives?

    I’m fortunate, my family members are all sane, caring people. But if they weren’t, I wouldn’t risk my health/life to allow them to inflict their stupidity and irresponsibility on others.

  98. 98.

    dopey-o

    @Chetan Murthy: Second booster? Is that a thing now?

    I recently heard that the effectiveness of the booster may wane after six months, and that the timeline of 6 months can be shortened to 4 1/2 months.

    I have 2 friends who have celebrated 10+ years of transplanted lungs. I really want them at my funeral, not vice versa.

    Will we need boosters indefinitely? Helen Branswell at statnews.com examines the evidence.

    Omicron is unpredictable at this stage. Human behavior, unfortunately…….

    ETA: what, no love for “The Feast of Wretched Excess”?

  99. 99.

    bjacques

    We canceled our Amsterdam to Houston plans for mid-December, back in mid-November, because NL cases were shooting up 50% per week for a month *before* Omicron. I’ve had two shots, she’s had three. Christmas and New Year’s cancelled. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that I’ll save a lot and that could bring my retirement plans forward next year.

    Could be worse and it is for a lot of people.

  100. 100.

    RevRick

    Fully vaxxed and boosted me and the Mrs. will drive an hour to spend Christmas with our fully vaxxed and boosted daughter and SIL and our fully vaxxed granddaughter. We will be joined by our fully vaxxed and boosted son. Granddaughter’s school district is keeping mask mandate.
    OT, I see my rounding up the Four Directions Michigan thermometer has prompted no response. I suspect giving fatigue has set in, not to mention being stretched thin.
    Good thing I proofread this post, because autocorrect kept trying to change vaxxed into faxed or vexed.

  101. 101.

    JMG

    My niece who lives in Marin called with holiday wishes just now. She’s not going to visit her parents (my middle brother’s child, she is) in Florida this Christmas. We agreed there was no incentive that could get us into Florida right now.

  102. 102.

    Yet Another Haldane

    We started early: cancelled all travel plans just before Thanksgiving, when case rates here in MN launched for the stratosphere.  Fortunately, so far, the peak is a lot lower and rounder than the one last year, but still in the pretty-damned-terrible range.

    I wouldn’t say we feel *good* about the decision (because it sucks), but it still feels *right*.

  103. 103.

    trollhattan

    @Tony Jay:

    We went to panto a few years ago and had a blast. The whole production was just a hoot and our then 14(?) YO and her friend–who both got at least some of the ribald humo(u)r–even overcame their shyness and got on stage for some of the participation bits.

    Would love to go back and understand your inner conflict on missing out.

  104. 104.

    dexwood

    After today Mrs. dexwood joins me in a life of sloth and debauchery, I mean, retirement. Neither of us likes Winter traveling so, we had no plans to cancel. We do have plans come Spring. We shall see.

  105. 105.

    Fair Economist

    No travel plans, but I’m cutting back on my socializing. I have two social events this weekend and I am debating whether they go too. I may go anyway since I am superimpose- triple vaxed plus prior COVID: I am about as immune as a person can be. Plus my husband is out of town so there’s nobody to infect at home.

  106. 106.

    Steve from Mendocino

    We haven’t seen the kids in two years.  They’re in Montreal.  Flights purchased a month ago.  Canceled a week ago.  The big risk is they get back here and then are not allowed back in to Canada because of exposure or some bureaucratic change.  Thank god for messaging.

  107. 107.

    geg6

    I was never planning to travel but I am now reconsidering even going to my sister’s for Christmas with the family (who are all vaxxed and boostered).  Cases in my county are through the roof, we are only at 50% fully vaxxed and cases and deaths have been climbing every day.  I just am so sick of all of this.  One of only the few times I wished I lived in a warm weather state so we could have the whole thing outside with all of us there.  But we don’t and, unless it’s CA or HI and the cost of living has drastically changed there, there is no scenario where we ever will.  There is not enough money in the world for me to live in a desert state or anywhere in the south, so I guess I need to look into moving out of this godforsaken fucking hillbilly county and bite the bullet in order to move to Pittsburgh, where sane people live.

  109. 109.

    Sloane Ranger

    I’ve paid for my Christmas cruise and will lose several thousand pounds if I back out now. I’m vaxed and boosted, need a negative test to get on the cruiselink coach and another to get on the actual ship. I think I’m as safe as I can be.

    I’m more concerned about the Christmas lunch I’m going to on Sunday. I am the leader of our local u3a Sunday Lunch Club and I booked the venue before Omicron raised its ugly head. We’re all vaxed but who knows about the other customers? I would cancel but we paid a nonrefundable deposit so we’re committed (although 3 people have baked out). I will test after I get back but it will be too early for anything to be picked up and I leave for the cruise on Monday.

  111. 111.

    jonas

    @dopey-o: My expectation is that we will require Covid boosters every year at least pretty much forever — just like seasonal flu vaccines.

  114. 114.

    moops

    we canceled our trip to Canada to see family this Christmas.   We agree that the airplane trip itself is probably safe enough, but the airports at either end are nut houses.  We usually arrive in Toronto and are in a crush of people in customs from other flights that are mostly India and Pakistan.  I just can’t see being in a closed room with hundreds of people from locations with vaccination levels around 35%.  Even with masks.  Nobody wears masks correctly and there is just no way those rooms have enough air turnover to keep the virus load low enough to not be at risk.

     

    Plus Ontario has a very fast growing Omicron outbreak now.

     

    we are going to try and do Christmas in May with my family there.

  115. 115.

    burnspbesq

    Starting to plan trips for 2022, but not casting anything in stone. OC to see the kid in March, Asheville and Durham in May, Maui in October.

  116. 116.

    Ann McClenahan

    I was taking my 90 year old mother to a fancy hotel in VA she had been to 40 years ago and so wanted to revisit.  When I called last week to ask about covid precautions, the hotel’s response was basically “what covid restrictions??” I cancelled immediately. Instead, we will happily have a safe, vaccinated, and masked visit at her retirement home outside of Philadelphia.

  117. 117.

    Cmorenc

    Wife and i are still flying from nc to colorado (grand junction) dec 22 via denver, to spend christmas & new years with daughter and grandkids.  All the adults are vaxxed x3, and if grandkids (4yo and 1 yo) are going to get covid, much more likely they would pick it up at preschool/daycare than from us.

    on the flight out, i do expect to see a portion of passengers who are resentful about mask-wearing to use the while eating/drinking allowance to slow-sip/nibble their way out of mask-wearing from the moment of first drink service to final trash pickup on the final approach to denver.

  118. 118.

    Nancy

    Travel, hmmmm.

    I stood in line at the Town Hall and got two at-home tests, so I’ll use one a few days before and one after I return. Vaccinated and boosted. I plan to drive to son’s and daughter-in-law’s house for Christmas Eve day. Cancelling a planning outing this weekend because I don’t want to mess up seeing them. I’ll spend the day and overnight and drive back X-mas day. No planes, trains, or buses. I really want to see them.

    Texting and Zoom  just doesn’t do it after a while.

  119. 119.

    Skepticat

    Had and will have no travel plans. Doctor’s appointment Monday, one more trip to the grocery, and then the cats and will be hunkered down safely alone with good books, some work, and much laziness. I’m not eligible for the booster for more than a month, dammit. There’s snow in the forecast this weekend, which makes the family lawsuit keeping me here instead of in the Bahamas especially loathsome.

  120. 120.

    Mel

    @Chetan Murthy: dopey-o might be talking about the fourth shot that serves as the booster dose for immunosuppressed and other high-risk people.

    The FDA and CDC are considering two doses as “fully vaccinated” for healthy people, and three doses as “fully vaccinated” for people at high risk. So, the booster there is actually a fourth shot, to be  given six months after the third shot.

    I had my two dose series, then had the third dose (first two don’t always kick up an immune response in the above groups; I’m in the first category b/c of CellCept and Decadron).

    Third dose kicked up a response, so I’ll get the 4th shot /booster in January.

  121. 121.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    We’re still travelling (from DC to MI by car). We’re all vaxxed and boosted as are my parents and sister and her husband who we’ll be visiting. My only issue since it’s a pretty small group get together is on the way home we are planning to stop in Cleveland to visit my aunt and uncle and a cousin (+ his wife and kid) who will be there after visiting the in-laws in the Phoenix area. The folks they’re visiting are anti vaxxers so they will have spent time with a group of unvaccinated people and I don’t know. Kinda feel like maybe driving straight through and skipping that visit might be wise.

    I don’t know though…we’re in the finishing stages of adopting a kid from South Africa and at present if the schedule doesn’t change we’ll be going there in late January…so I mean, we’re going to the Omicron belly of the beast in another month…how exactly worried am I supposed to be about driving to Michigan? I wish it wasn’t going down this way but the pandemic has already delayed this process by a year and a half at least. We just can’t not do it at this point.

  122. 122.

    CaseyL

    No particular plans to travel, so nothing to cancel.

    I have an open invitation to spend Xmas with my friends in Ocean Shores, but need to be back home on the 27th for an outing with another friend.  Also don’t much feel like dealing with holiday traffic – and the lack of pet sitters, which would make my trip a single overnight anyway. (As I did for Thanksgiving.)

    @Princess:  The sore throat, headache, and mild fever are exactly the symptoms I have, so I went and got tested.  Test came back negative, but I still have the damn symptoms, which aren’t like any cold or other URI I’ve had before.

  125. 125.

    Matt McIrvin

    No travel plans. My workplace cancelled an in-person get-together scheduled for today. Interactions with local family… we’ll play that by ear, I guess. The situation is moving rapidly.

  126. 126.

    Tony Jay

    @O. Felix Culpa:

    @trollhattan:

    I always enjoy them more than I think I will. There’s no gusto like panto-gusto.

    It’s missing out on London that will be the real pain. Tickets to ‘The Show That Goes Wrong’ and ‘Operation:Ouch’, both shows Jay Junior loves on TV, plus I had everything ready in my Mischief Bag* to make Flobalob’s remaining time in office a misery.

    It’s a sadness.

     

    *Stinkbombs, trained ninja-hamsters, recordings of Charles Dance reading from the collected works of Tommy Wiseau, and a semi-drugged James Corden to take the blame.

  127. 127.

    trollhattan

    IDK what it means but the county does not list a single omicron detection yet. Delta predominates and while we had a small bump in cases a week after Thanksgiving, they’re trending down at present. The all-important covid hospitalization and ICU counts remain low as well. By comparison, delta et al kicked our butts this summer, with the largest surge of the entire pandemic.

    Hoping this continues for the next month. Vaccinations are up, driven a good deal by the under-12s receiving them, and booster doses number more than a quarter-million, which I infer as folks are taking it seriously.

  128. 128.

    PJ

    @Sloane Ranger: I’m sure your Christmas trip will be fine, cruises are known to be safe from infectious diseases.

    (Apologies for the sarcasm, but a cruise ship is a floating petri dish under the best of circumstances, and I don’t think omicron is going to make allowances for anyone’s Christmas plans.)

  129. 129.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    Also, I mean, I can’t live like this forever. Either the vaccines are going to work or they’re not and if I find out now or 3 months from now what’s the difference? Omicron is so contagious it’s hard to envision a satisfying life that also allows for staying closed off enough to avoid exposure. It’s here. It’s going to be here circulating indefinitely. I’m going to get it at some point. The whole situation is making me rather fatalistic – like lets see if my immune system’s got this or not already.

  133. 133.

    Chetan Murthy

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    Either the vaccines are going to work or they’re not and if I find out now or 3 months from now what’s the difference?

    We all have to decide what risks we’re willing to take, and when. Nobody can decide for us.  But I thought I’d just note that three months from now, we might have effective oral antivirals, so that getting a breakthrough infection will cause you to take a five-day course of pills, and that’s it, no risk of long covid, no (admittedly small) risk of hospitalization, no nothing.

    That’s what I’m waiting for.

  140. 140.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @Chetan Murthy: Due to the adoption process I just am not going to be able to wait that long. I’m 52 with a normal BMI and am not on a single pharmaceutical – BP normal, total cholesterol 151, no comorbidities. Just have to hope for the best. One thing that does seem to work to protect against severe disease and is available now is an SSRI called fluvoxamine and I might have my NP nurse wife get us a prescription of that to start taking if we test positive on our trip to SA.

  142. 142.

    Sloane Ranger

    @PJ:

     

    (Apologies for the sarcasm, but a cruise ship is a floating petri dish under the best of circumstances, and I don’t think omicron is going to make allowances for anyone’s Christmas plans.)

    True, nothing is guaranteed, but they’re doing everything they can to minimise risk and the mitigations actually also reduces the risk of norovirus.

  144. 144.

    J R in WV

    I plan to visit Kroger’s at least once before the 25th, we will need more wine and exotic foodstuffs. And prescription refills… I should go in today, but tired, tired. Was in town a couple of days ago, spent a while at Dr’s office…

    Not changing plans. Would love to be in NOLA right now, alma mater in the bowl game there tomorrow, crazed to go to a bowl game this season! Won’t even get to see it on TV, ESPN not broadcast TV. So sad! New coach, hope he does well, I like him from what little I see on the TV news sports bits.

    Since we aren’t traveling, we are spending that money on fresh fish and French wines… And good west coast wines. And G&T before dinner. Wife is napping right now, was snoring in her chair surfing the web, I said “You need to lie down, I don’t want to explain to the ER doc how you fell asleep in your chair and fell out harming yourself!”

    You all take care, whatever you do, have a happy holiday season, and be as safe as you possibly can!!!

    ETA: We are triple vaccinated, third Moderna shot in August was a full dose, as opposed to booster sized. Health Dept had a bunch of vaccine about to expire and decided to put it in arms rather than a medical waste incinerator. Hope to get a 4th dose asap come Feb or so.

  145. 145.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @La Nonna:

    That sounds like a great holiday! I am a big Inspector Montalbano fan,  and Sicily is on my bucket list. Where on the island will you be?

    ETA: Oh, south coast—Montalbano country.

  146. 146.

    Pittsburgh Mike

    My whole family is boosted, and we’re still planning on traveling for vacation in early January.  Two early 60s, 2 mid-20s.

    At some point, you’ve done the best you can.  The risk of a serious illness after 3 shots is pretty low, and it’s not clear that Covid will be less prevalent in the world any time in the next couple of years.  We don’t really want to spend a significant chunk of the rest of our lives worried about a 1 in 1000 risk of serious illness.

  149. 149.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    A Christmas play, usually based on a Fairytale (Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc) with lots of men in dresses, audience back-and-forth, bad puns and rude jokes. They say they’re for kids, but it’s basically drunk humour plus cross-dressing.

    What could be more British?

  154. 154.

    frosty

    No change for us. Just getting the nuclear family together, driving not flying, maybe some takeout, no parties.

  157. 157.

    The Pale Scot

    @jonas:

    My flight attendant sister says it’s way more dangerous in the airport and especially the gate than the plane it self.

  158. 158.

    WaterGirl

    @CaseyL: You can test negative for several days before testing positive.  Which totally sucks.  I think Day 5 after you have co-mingled with others is the most reliable time to test.

  160. 160.

    WaterGirl

    @What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?:

    if I find out now or 3 months from now what’s the difference?

    I would say one big difference is in the availability of the pill that can keep the symptoms down, for one.  The other is that the antibody infusion doesn’t appear to help with omicron, so 3 months allows time to figure out what does help.

    edit: or what someone else said at #133.

  161. 161.

    WaterGirl

    @Steeplejack (phone): oh, right.  i did see that in the other thread.

    I was just thinking how it would feel to see yourself described as a troll when in fact you were a regular commenter who was just acting like a dick on a particular day.

  164. 164.

    What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?

    @WaterGirl: I mean, I’m wearing a mask, we’re ordering groceries and takeout delivered rather than going out to eat. I’m doing what I can to avoid infection. When we visit my family it’ll be 7 people total.

    My wife is in health care so she has to see patients in person, which means exposure is pretty inevitable for her. Besides which, we’re going to be on a 2 day flight to South Africa in a month to adopt a child, whence we’ll be there for 5 weeks before returning stateside. I’m glad the pill is coming but we won’t be able to wait for it. Maybe we’ll make it through unscathed being as careful as we reasonably can, or if not we have to hope being vaccinated and boosted means we will have mild cases. Our adoption court date is set so, like, it’s happening whatever the situation is. I wish it were otherwise but that doesn’t change things.

  165. 165.

    Sloane Ranger

    @Baud: Thanks. I’m not so worried about the cruise, UK protocols are just as strict.  It’s the bloody Christmas lunch that worries me!

  166. 166.

    laura

    I was so looking foward to seeing Roadie Brother the Elder, sister in law and the nephews for the first time since 2019, but there’s a newspaper report of a big outbreak of omicron at a high school up the street and suddenly the risk factor is way too high to ask them to roll the dice and risk exposure.

  168. 168.

    Nora Lenderbee

    I planned to do several bike rides, weather permitting, and trips to the climbing gym to practice my new hobby. My fractured fibula forced me to reconsider. I suppose I’ll spend the holidays sorting tax documents or something.

  169. 169.

    Skepticat

    @WaterGirl: Anxious might be an understatement. I wouldn’t be able to tolerate that situation even if there were no pandemic, but right now it seems extremely intimidating and not a recipe for carefree fun. Damn the covidiots.

  170. 170.

    Anyway

    I am expecting a vaccinated 21-yr-old to visit me over Christmas weekend Fri-Mon. That’s still on.

    Planning to spend NYE +2-3 nights in Manhattan with friends on the UES (we won’t go near Times Sq).  Plans still on.

    I got boostered last Friday. I come in to work daily but stay fairly distanced around (mostly) masked folk. Had been doing a little socializing and may cut back on that…

  172. 172.

    Tony Jay

    @raven:

    Kind of like that with the set characters filling well defined roles, but there’s a lot of talking to the audience, lots of participation (a hundred kids and adults all shouting “He’s behind you!” Is damned loud) and huge amounts of cross-dressing.

    Imagine John Waters and Jean-Paul Gaultier getting together to design a kid’s performance of Cinderella and you’re getting there.

  173. 173.

    cain

    Got no plans to cancel – we’ll just stay home or maybe take a day long road trip. Plenty of things to see in our fine state. I’ll try to avoid southern middle Oregon however.

  174. 174.

    sab

    @WaterGirl: Happened to me about ten years ago. I utterly deserved it, but some have not forgiven me and I deserved it. I still feel bad, but I have since decided the offended party is kind of a bitch who doesn’t actually say much interesting, so the pie filter works well for both of us.

  175. 175.

    debbie

    I plan on crapping out on invitations. I’m especially disappointed that I’ll miss my closest cousin’s 70th birthday fest, but I’ll be there if the day comes when we don’t have to deal with this nonsense.

  176. 176.

    Bill Arnold

    @Ksmiami:

    My estimate is now between 1 mil to 1.4 million deaths in the US…

    We are effectively in our third COVID-19X pandemic.
    – Wild strain + similar variations: – honorable mention to the faster-spreading UK variant.
    – Delta: like wild strain (vaccines work against similar levels of exposure) but twice as infectious and much more likely to spread with casual short-term sharing of exhaled air.
    – Omicron: still being studied; different enough that Delta and Omicron will coexist in large host populations, and vaccines don’t work well. (A major concern is long-COVID risk relative to other strains; won’t be clear for a few months.)
    Each of these should have had their own carefully-customized collection of public health responses. They did not. E.g. mask requirements and other public health measures were being phased out as Delta was in its early exponential spread. Locally there was about 6 weeks of low risk socializing/restaurant dining, July 2021 + a week on both sides.

    I will be extremely cautious until Omicron is better understood and good antivirals start being available (that may include omicron-specific monoclonal antibodies) and maybe an omicron-specific booster.
    No travel plans, in part because of Omicron and in part because my current (remote work) job has no paid vacation.
    If reliable signs point to low Omicron severity and low risk of Omicron long COVID, will loosen up a bit.

  178. 178.

    The Pale Scot

    @Tony Jay:

    Are they aware that Flobalob and Co are planning to target middle-class drug use? 8-)

    Gotta distract from all the loos showing positive for blow

  179. 179.

    Caphilldcne

    @raven: Go Blue!

    I’m not changing plans yet – fly to Alabama (not from there, dad retired and they stayed after his AF career) from DC for 10 days.  I probably should. I’ll reconsider on Sunday when I talk to the folks.

  180. 180.

    grandmaBear

    I live with son and family who just left for Florida and will be back for Xmas. Everyone’s as vaxxed as possible and they’re good about masking but it’s still quite a risk. We’re having family over the day after they return and I don’t know everyone’s vax status, so that should be interesting.  I’m triple vaxxed and wear a mask everywhere but this all makes me very anxious. I’ll probably stay home out of caution the following week.  I have a trip scheduled in March to Italy but I’m hoping omicron is in decline by then.

  181. 181.

    planetjanet

    I just decided to travel to see my Mom at Christmas.  It is a long drive, but just need to stop for gas a couple of times.  I was just down there three weeks ago, but this will be the first Christmas without other family in that town and I do not want to leave my Mom alone.  We buried my cousin from Covid three weeks ago.  We are both boostered and survived the gathering with mostly unmasked folks.  I think we can survive one trip to Applebee’s.

  183. 183.

    tandem

    As these comments tell you, you are not alone.  Here’s my story. My husband and I just cancelled a two-week trip to Italy over the holidays.  We had been there in September and were very comfortable because of the need to show proof of vaccination to get inside restaurants and public spaces like museums, social distancing, and masks everywhere except outdoors.  The biggest reason we cancelled now was that we need to be home on schedule and feel that Omicron’s higher transmissibility coupled with winter pushing us to eat inside restaurants makes the trip riskier than the one in September.  I feel like we made the right decision, but I am definitely not happy!

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