Hello and welcome to a sunny Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is April 17th.
Today, hubby and the teen boys are with Team F.R.E.D (#2883) competing at the Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference. This is pretty exciting because last year's robotics season got the kibosh by the you-know-what. Warroad High School consistently turns out strong robotics teams and last year there was legitimate belief and hope that the team had a good chance of making a return appearance at the world championships in Detroit. (The team made it to Worlds in 2019.) I'm at home watching on Twitch, but it's good to see kids' activities getting back to some version of normal, even if they do involve continued social distancing and limited spectators. This year, at least there can: a) be an event, b) have some spectators.
Also this past week, our high school announced that prom will happen in May, followed by a safety-sanctioned post-prom party. No news yet on what graduation will look like, but I'm proud to say that our little community on the shores of the big Lake of the Woods did a tremendous job imagining graduation in the time of Covid, which I wrote about last year. If they can dazzle during the first pandemic wave, I'm sure all those involved will be absolutele rockstars in the returning-to-normal phase.
I credit the vaccination effort for the increase in allowable activity. Hubby just got his second shot on Thursday, I got my first shot on Wednesday, and the Oldest is scheduled to get hers next week. Marvin Windows & Doors president, Paul Marvin, even posted a video talking about his vax experience and encouraged those "on the fence" to get vaccinated.
I am amazed and grateful that I was able to get vaccinated in April. I am the demographic that falls in the crack between too old (most vulnerable) and too young (most contagious and asymptomatic) with no underlying conditions. I assumed my position at the back of the line a long time ago, so I had no expectation of getting vaccinated until late summer. However, as the pace picked up and more and more folks around me had already gotten their second shot, I decided that it was okay for me to sign up and get it done.
My first online stop was the LifeCare Medical Center website. A friend had shared how her 20-year-old daughter had registered on a Tuesday, got the call Wednesday, and had her first shot Thursday. On that very Thursday (last week), I registered on the website, assuming I would get a call on Friday.
It didn't come.
Not over the weekend. Or Monday. Or Tuesday. I was like a girl waiting by the telephone for the call from the boy crush that would never come.
By Tuesday afternoon, my Ulysses book study peeps (fellow Wannaskan Almanac bloggers who both had their vaccinations all taken care of over a month ago) put their foot down and demanded, "Go to Thrifty White!"
Right then and there, before delving into Part 16, "Eumaeus", I went to www.thriftywhite.com/covid19vaccine, clicked on "Minnesota", and selected the town nearest me with the vaccine available, which turned out to be Baudette.
I was amazed to see that there were appointments available that very afternoon! I selected a Wednesday afternoon slot.
Wednesdays are early-out days in our school district. I thought the younger kids might enjoy tagging along. The farthest I've driven in the past year is the Roseau County Transit Station (i.e. the dump) and the kids haven't been farther than our church, 3 miles away.
Despite the snow flurries, we made our way east - that 35 or so miles that always seems to take 45 minutes. It felt strange to be on the road again. The kids bickered until I promised a treat in Baudette after my appointment. Then we all settled in and listened as the Third Grader read a Ninjago book out loud.
Baudette felt warmer than Warroad that day. A little cheerier. We parked in the little downtown and held hands as we crossed the street together. (Yes, even little towns have traffic to watch out for!) Thrifty White was vast and sparse, half the shelving of the former Noble's Pharmacy. No lines. A couple customers. Very quiet.
The process was fast and simple. When the Third Grader asked to watch, the pharmacist obliged. "Of course! Come on in!" The kids, despite normally being squeamish about blood and such things, asked questions about the process. "Where will she get the shot? How big is the needle you're going to use? Will it hurt?"
When the pharmacist compared the injection to the "prick of a mosquito bite," I had to interject. "More like a wasp." Sorry, folks. The "mosquito prick" is a myth that we must dispel. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't but it's never like a mosquito bite.
Then it was over.
Then we went to the Lake of the Woods grocery store so kids could collect their good behavior rewards. They surveyed every single food item, walking up and down each aisle, contemplating the options to capitalize on the one optimal choice. They both selected sour gummies - bears (for the boy) and worms (for the girl) - and a Powerade each. Mom got a mocha from the new Caribou and a doughnut. Okay, two.
The Third Grader was intrigued by Baudette's architecture. She oohed at the sight of the Rex Hotel (built in 1913) and told me to tell the owners they must not do anything to damage or change the bricks. I showed the kids the Grand Cinema movie theater, the old depot, the road to the bridge to Canada, the Furniture Gallery, and the river. They pointed out the Willie the Walleye monument.
On the ride back, I commented on what an adventure it had turned out to be, to which the Kindergartener declared, "This is a trip, not an adventure." When I asked what the difference was, he explained that adventures were things that happened by your house. Trips are what you do away from the house.
I smiled.
Because of the pandemic, we have learned lots about our own neighborhood and backyard. I always called these outings "adventures." It was nice to hear my son use this word - "adventure" - and understand it meant so much more than going someplace. Adventure, we learned over the course of this past year, meant exploration and discovery; a nurturing of curiosity. An understanding that magic and delight will always be found if one is willing to go looking for it. Even in your own backyard.
My second shot is scheduled for another Wednesday in May. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. I've got plans to make the trip to Baudette an even grander adventure.
On This Day
Remembering You
Kim
A trip and adventure can overlap. The worst trips can be the greatest adventures in retrospect. It's fun to see your kids defining their own terms.
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