The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 172 (672)

I haven't taken too many notes yet today, but the power is still on as the snow continues to hurtle downward. How fast is it hurtling? Son #1 and I walked The Family Dog half a mile to the main road and then back home. By the time we were on the home stretch--last tenth or two of a mile--the tracks we'd made in the snow on our way out were totally filled in. There was no sign we'd been walking there not long before. 

Novak Djokovic's appeal was denied, and he is no longer in Australia. An Aussie friend said that when he first arrived in early January and was detained, public opinion was about 50 - 50 as to whether he should be allowed to stay and play or sent packing. By the time of the appeal yesterday, public opinion had shifted to the deport-him side. Another Aussie friend noted that she has not seen one of her sons or her mother-in-law in two years because of covid restrictions, and why should a foreign tennis player get special treatment.

Omicron appears to be peaking or at least plateauing in the Northeast, but people still need to take precautions such as wearing high-quality masks and doing things outdoors if possible. Typing that as the snow falls furiously outside the window behind me makes me envision some sort of meeting in an outdoor conference room with everyone clad in puffy down coats. Omicron is still on the upswing in other places, though. Three hospital systems in Oklahoma have no ICU beds available. The large number of Omicron cases also ups the possibility of more variants arising, with no guarantee they'll be as mild as Omicron seems to be. 

Our new Republican governor issued executive orders in his first hours as governor that scrap mask mandates in schools (at least one district has already said they will not get rid of their requirement that teachers and students wear masks) and vaccine requirements for state employees. I certainly would not want to occupy a desk in a room with people who had not been vaccinated. It's probably a good thing that I retired when I did. 

If we have power tomorrow, I'll put up a post. If we don't, I'll be sitting in front of the fireplace knitting or weaving.