Saturday reflections

 A shopping center in Abu Dhabi.

Quite unexpectedly, I got my first Moderna shot yesterday, on only my third day of eligibility.

I started navigating the various websites on Wednesday (and the IT professional in me found the mishmash of badly designed websites one must navigate a personal affront -- or would have, if I weren't so goddamned happy at finally being eligible for a shot.) There is no one place to go to sign up for available vaccines; New York state has one website, New York City has another, and the various pharmacies giving shots have to be checked individually.

I lucked out with the Walgreen's site and got an appointment for a first shot tomorrow. They called yesterday afternoon and asked if there was any chance I could come in right away? An hour later I was sitting in a drab Duane Reade pharmacy on 57th Street, waiting out my fifteen minute reaction watch. Mostly I was unnerved at being around so many people, even at proper social distance, but this morning I am reveling in my sore shoulder as though it's a first-place winning lottery ticket.

At the beginning of the week, I was trying not to be jealous of all my friends who've been vaccinated, and reminding myself that I'd definitely qualify by summer. Monday they announced eligibility rules were changing as of Wednesday, and Friday I got the shot.

By the end of April, I'll be able to take a bus to Central Park again.