vaccinations

Going Down . . .

I should have found some wood to knock on when I penned my July 2021 post, “As the world begins to open up, Frank and I will carefully venture back out, chronicling our adventures in our next chapter, Waltzing Wanderers 5.”

July-August, 2021: Armed with a second vaccine dose, Frank and I gingerly, and then more confidently, rejoin society — outings and visits with family and friends, cooking/dinner parties, a belated wedding celebration, a building get-together, even a weeklong trip to New York City.

Going Up . . .

Fall 2021: End of summer, end of party. The Delta variant results in a substantial spike in Covid cases and deaths. Wisconsin faces its largest wave of patients requiring intensive care since 2020 as millions of residents remain unvaccinated.

*In Washington DC, “695,000 Flags—and Counting” memorializes the Americans who have died of Covid-19. Worldwide deaths number 4.8 million. (September 30, 2021)*

A vaccine booster and the continuous barrage of misinformation broaden the country’s politicized chasm between vaxxed/unvaxxed and masked/unmasked. Public events take place but many now come with a caveat: No mask? No proof of vaccination? No entrance.

*After going virtual for a year, “Open Doors Milwaukee” is open for business — as long as you’re vaxxed and masked.*

Interlochen School for the Arts (Traverse City, MI) re-opened their campus for public performances — as long as audience members were masked and vaxxed. Cousin Faye and I took the ferry across Lake Michigan to see Mary Rose’s daughter Zara perform.

The unvaccinated make up the majority of Delta’s severely ill patients and deaths but there are also some “breakthrough” cases among the vaccinated. As infection numbers climb, many who are vaxxed return to more mindful habits. Potential activities are vetted based on risk to themselves and others.

I was super excited to have access to “Field of Dreams” tickets after the once-in-lifetime baseball game was cancelled in 2020. But then we carefully considered the risk of being around so many people in the midst of a pandemic. Sorry, no.

*The Summer Olympics (cancelled in 2020) are belatedly held in Tokyo sans spectators.*

Schools, businesses and international borders open and close based on infection count fluctuation. Everyone wants the pandemic to be over but, ironically, masking and vaxxing mandates continue to be vehemently challenged.

Keeping it small

The holidays presented their own dilemma. In 2020, there wasn’t an option — no in-person holiday get-togethers. This year wasn’t as clear-cut based on the availability of vaccinations and test kits and countless self-proclaimed experts. The yearning to spend time with loved ones and honor family traditions, however, had to be weighed against the risk of exposure to an extremely contagious variant. Our personal choice was to stick with small gatherings of vaxxed family and friends.

*We were overjoyed to have Nick and Andy come back for Thanksgiving along with th*eir ladies.

Christmas morning had Frank and I home alone. I taped Midnight Mass and was shocked to see all the empty pews. We did TV mass and had a virtual visit with Nick and Andy before heading over to Mom and Dad’s for a dinner.

Groundhog Day

On March 10th, Frank and I mark two years in what seems like a never-ending loop of “Groundhog Day.” Aside from those two quick trips to Chattanooga and NYC, we’ve pretty much remained here in Milwaukee.

The pandemic froze our travel plans and fostered nesting in our cozy apartment overlooking Lake Michigan. We’ve created a home and have decided to keep it as a base when we return to travel. In a few ways, life is getting back to some sense of normalcy. Frank is swimming at the JCC and attends the less crowded weekday masses — and we do make a point to catch Sunday TV mass when we know the reader!

And down again?

Once again, positive test numbers and covid-related deaths seem to be in decline. Dare we hope we are nearing the end? Much of the news, including concert and festival announcements make it sound like that’s the case.

*And the Busalacchis definitely have something to look forward to later this year!*

Fingers are crossed! In the meantime, I will continue to write, play Wordle, research our family history and map out future adventures! Stay well.

. . . We’re off to be a part of it — New York, New York!

These days, Frank and I get as exhilarated for a mini-getaway as we once did for our six-month adventures. It’s extra special when these trips involve time with the kids. Other than the delightful May road trip to see Nick and Kim in Chattanooga, pandemic concerns have kept us grounded for over a year and a half. Vaxxed and masked, we now feel comfortable enough to fly — to New York City to visit Andy and Crystal!

Traveling during COVID

Masks are required in the airport and on airplanes.

Once the Covid epicenter of the United States, New York officials and businesses are doing all they can to move the city forward despite the evolving, contagious virus variants.

Proof of vaccination with an ID is a requirement for indoor dining, as well as for admittance to museums and theaters. Masks are required for everyone — regardless of vax status — on public transportation (subway, cabs, Ubers) and inside most businesses. In addition, free vaccination and pop-up Covid testing sites are conveniently located all over the city.

Many restaurants feature outdoor dining options but vaccinations are still required.

9/11 Anniversary

Our trip coincided with the 20th anniversary of September 11th. The mood over the weekend was somber and reflective. A morning service at the 9/11 Memorial was cordoned off and reserved for families and political VIPs. Everyone else lined the streets on the periphery. We couldn’t see anything but heads bowed and tears flowed as bells rang out, commemorating the moments when the planes hit the individual towers. The plaza re-opened to the public mid-afternoon and was busy throughout the week. There were various tributes throughout the city, as well.

Tribute in Light is a commemorative public art installation, first presented six months after 9/11 and then every year thereafter — from dusk to dawn — on the night of September 11. It has become an iconic symbol that both honors those killed and celebrates the unbreakable spirit of New York.

Assembled on the roof of the Battery Parking Garage south of the 9/11 Memorial, the twin beams reach up four miles into the sky. They are comprised of eighty-eight 7,000-watt xenon lightbulbs positioned into two 48-foot squares, echoing the shape and orientation of the Twin Towers. The installation can also be viewed from a 60-mile radius around lower Manhattan. (911memorial.org)

One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center (also known as One World Trade, One WTC, and formerly Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.
FACTS:
— It is the tallest building in the United States, as well as in the Western Hemisphere. It is also the sixth-tallest in the world.
— With its spire, the building reaches a total height of 1,776 feet (a nod to the year the Declaration of Independence was signed).
— There are 103 floors and the top floor is numbered 104 (no floor 13).
— The new World Trade Center complex will eventually include five high-rise office buildings.

And the most interesting fact?

Andy’s business, B Media, is on the 85th floor of One World Trade — what a view!

“I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps . . .”

Andy and Crystal are just getting settled in to their new home in Chelsea but they made us feel welcome and comfortable.

“These vagabond shoes, they’re longing to stray, right through the very heart of it, New York, New York.”

While they worked, Frank and I had fun exploring their neighborhood and beyond.

I have been to NY three times and it’s always for just 2-3 days it’s always been cold. The week’s weather was perfect and Frank and I really got around. This trip gave me a chance to get my bearings and familiarize myself with the various areas of Manhattan.