Today's #Pandemic Postcards
First, When in doubt, find some art.
the string Pandemic Art Challenge found me this great image and site from the state of MT. The search string found other things RantWoman was not as charmed by.
Link to the site with more entries
The COVID test
Remember a few months ago when the question of testing because of possible exposure to COVID came up. Much of the world was clamoring for testing. RantWoman had no symptoms and no desire to figure out all the drive-through testing options. Guess what. Testing now comes in advance of medical procedures, and there is a fabulous drive- or walkup testing site near Harborview, an easy bus routing from RantWoman's abode.
It was a gorgeous sunny day with lovely vegetation and blue sky. RantWoman is not entirely delighted with the walkup routing. RantWoman is just fussy about having to share pedestrian paths with cars. But hey, the testing site is already near what RantWoman considers one of the freakiest four-way stops in town. Plus both the testing site and the freaky four-way stop with all its streams of loud buses and mobility challenged pedestrians and traffic are conveniently located right near the Harborview trauma center.
It was a gorgeous sunny day with lovely vegetation and blue sky. RantWoman is not entirely delighted with the walkup routing. RantWoman is just fussy about having to share pedestrian paths with cars. But hey, the testing site is already near what RantWoman considers one of the freakiest four-way stops in town. Plus both the testing site and the freaky four-way stop with all its streams of loud buses and mobility challenged pedestrians and traffic are conveniently located right near the Harborview trauma center.
RantWoman made it down the path and past all the people in hi-vis vests keeping watch and got to the testing site.early. Hardly any line. That is, "wait here," "Confirm name and birthdate. Now go sit in the second chair." Yes, RantWoman can see the second chair. A nurse soon appeared, went through the finer points "It might make you want to sneeze," counted the ten seconds needed in each nostril while RantWoman managed not to sneeze, and RantWoman was done a few minutes before her scheduled appointment.
Back RantWoman walked back up the alley and across the street to one of the Harborview bus stops this time to ride two stops RantWoman could have considered walking. Apparently RantWoman needed some of the Harborview bus stop experience.
When everything is humming along at pre-pandemic levels, the Harborview bus stops tend to feature many ways to overload and overcrowd Metro coaches. Under pandemic conditions, even though the crowds at the bus stop are smaller, the social distancing guidelines also meant RantWoman waited while a couple coaches filled before the stop cleared and RantWoman was able to snag a seat in the courtesy area even!
Next goal: a good walk and laundry quarters
RantWoman has no freaking idea what cyclone of magical thinking made her think that she might be able to walk into a branch of her bank on Fifth Avenue and acquire some rolls of laundry quarters. RantWoman got a great walk out of the idea though.
--It is great to see a lot less construction mess than last time RantWoman visited which would have been several months.
--RantWoman thought of photographing some graffitti at the old federal courthouse but changed her mind. The graffitti was mostly what RantWoman read as "My country, Right its Wrongs." Plus there has been already plenty of #FedsGoHome action related to images of graffitti and RantWoman did not want to re-ignite internet blazes about anything to do with that topic. Instead, RantWoman drank in the trees and clouds and blue sky. RantWoman could have done without the traffic though. RantWoman also is not charmed by the number of places with boarded up windows; this does NOT mean RantWoman thinks addming more police violence to protests about police violence will be helpful!
RantWoman made it to the bank branch which, unsurprisingly, was not open. There it dawned on RantWoman that well maybe she should just Make An Appointment. RantWoman called her bank's customer service number, persuaded the computer at the end of the menus to connect her to a human, waited on hold for 7 minutes or so and ... drum roll please...made an appointment to go get quarters at the branch near home tomorrow. RantWoman did all this while soaking up some AC in a building lobby. RantWoman thanks the building staff for bearing with RantWoman's need to make a phone call.
PS RantWoman's appointment has now been confirmed by two text messages and a phone call saying "we might not be able to get you all the quarters you are asking for." Look, RantWoman does not particularly WANT to need to stockpile a lot of quarters. RantWoman would MUCH prefer that neighbors who have paid RantWoman for some of her rolls of quarters be able to go to their own darn banks and get their own darn quarters and in the increments of quarters they use in about a month!
End of Tirade. Whew
But Wait. One more thing: a ride home from the colonoscopy.
RantWoman had to check herself about a couple points that MAYBE should have come up in a previous phone call. One is the details of ride home issues. RantWoman does not necessarily need a ride. RantWoma needs a human to show up at the colonoscopy site and to escort RantWoman home vis whichever mode of transport is being used. Besides predictable scheduling concerns, add it different people's personal bubbles and comfort levels with different modes available, willingness to wear masks, numbers of other people who have been in different vehicles. Stay tuned for more details!
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