my appointment was 12:45pm, i left by 12:15pm, google maps told me it'd take 15 minutes to drive there. the cvs parking lot was full, but i waited until a spot opened up, by coincidence nearly the same hilly incline i parked 3 weeks ago. i pulled the emergency brake just in case the car decided to roll backwards. even though the parking lot was filled, there weren't that many people inside CVS, and there weren't that many people waiting for their vaccine.
since this was my second dose, all my info was already in their database. i didn't run into the problem i had last time, where i wasn't even on the vaccination list. instead of a podium, alyssa sat behind a desk today. the monotony of checking in vaccine patients must've gotten to her because she didn't seem like she was in a good mood. i gave her my vaccination card, she filled in some info, then asked me to stand in line for people waiting to get shots, which i was the only person. she also gave me a 20% off CVS coupon and a CVS vaccination sticker, none of which i received last time.
i was called early into the screened vaccination tent, didn't have to wait until 12:45pm. the nurses administering the injections were different from last time. she asked me some questions (do you have any allergies? have you been vaccinated within the past 3 weeks? did you have any side effects from the 1st dose?) then asked which arm i wanted the injection (right). afterwards she wrote down a time +15 minutes and said i could leave the waiting area once my time was reached.
with that i was done. i got back in the car and drove to belmont. somebody else was already waiting for my spot. i got to my parents' place by 1:20pm. i then spent the rest of the day doing yard work until dinner at 6pm.
first my father and i moved all the jasmines and gardenia from the basement grow room. this was so they could get some real sunshine (saving us electricity since we don't have to run the grow lights) and also so i could spray them with neem oil.
we also planted my flower seedlings. some stocks in a long planter and asters in front of the house near the hardy chrysanthemum. planting them was one issue, the other was erecting a fence around the seedlings so rabbits don't eat them.
later i planted the rest of the seedlings: more stocks in the long planters behind the raised beds; stocks in the spot formerly used by the goldenrods along with some asters; then nigellas in the southeastern perennial bed, some in front of the hydrangeas, a few below the grapevines. this was followed by makeshift cages using chickenwires and whatever else material i had on hand.
we tried to use the water from the rain barrel as much as we could since more rain is due on wednesday and sunday. my father cleaned out the strainer, which was filled with dirt. we discovered that two of the black barrels have a slow leaking around the spigot at the caulk site. they'll need to be drained at some point to fix it but right now it's a small leak, not enough to drain the barrels.
the weather was really weird today, intermittently sunny between periods of thick clouds. we still managed to make 43kWh of electricity. later in the evening there was a sprinkle of rain. while we were working outside, we heard the telltale buzzing of a drone and spotted what looked to be a DJI mini 2 flying overheard. it disappeared for a while but came back 10 minutes later, landing on the street behind us, so it has to be a near neighbor.
while i was working outside i could feel my arm getting a little sore. even though i don't have spring allergies, if i inhale enough pollen i will get a runny nose, which was what happened. it can also make me feel a little run down, so i wasn't sure if that was the pollen or the vaccine or both. when i finally came inside for dinner i felt tired. my appetite was good but i ate slowly, and the noodles didn't help as it made me feel bloated (i still love noodles though). i felt so stuffed that whenever i burped i could feel a little bit of the food regurgitating back into my mouth, and likewise if i tried to bend over.
it was raining after dinner and my father offered to give me a ride back to cambridge but i insisted on riding the bike instead. i couldn't find my housekey though: not the one on my keychain which i left at my parents' place yesterday, but the spare key i fished out from my hiding spot. it's the second time i've lost the spare, i'll need to make a new one when i got back home.
there was so little rain i hardly noticed. i didn't finish my can of seltzer so i put it in the cup holder on my bike. after i returned home, i made sure to put a new spare key in my usual hiding place. i brought back the seed starter trays and replanted a fresh batch of asters and nigellas. i went out briefly to star market to pick up some boneless chicken thighs on sale for my mother. i remembered to use the company debit card this time.
my arm continued to gradually hurt a bit more from the vaccine, but about the same as last time, maybe even less. probably won't be able to sleep on it tonight, not a big deal. MGH contacted me today as well, sent me an invitation to book an appointment to get my covid-19 vaccination. seems like everywhere i turn, institutions are offering me the vaccine: the state pandemic response organization, my hospital, a finding my own appointment through CVS.