A sewing project has arisen: one of the friends mentioned in the last post has to do in-person teaching in his community college classroom, so has asked if I can make a mask that includes a clear panel in the center of it so students can see his mouth moving when he talks. There are students whose first language is not English and they need all the help they can get to understand the lecture. This will be an interesting challenge and I'll take it up this weekend.

Today is our last warm day before a string of very cold days (we're at the bottom edge of what the Weather Channel has dubbed Winter Storm "Izzy.") So I'll finish some of the outdoors work today and start on the mask tomorrow.

Yesterday I drove four miles in a perfect square as I did my cardboard/Goodwill run. I'll double that distance today when, way after busy hours, I head over to the 24-hour grocery for some fresh produce and dairy for myself and my ex. Double-masked. He'll pick up groceries here tomorrow when he returns a pot that I delivered his xmas present in (mentioned earlier).

Two boxes of rapid tests finally arrived. I read that insurance companies aren't going to be set for customers to just ring up tests at the pharmacy and have it covered by tomorrow (Biden's date for doing this. Insurance companies usually deal with medical codes, not barcodes). I don't know if I'll bother to try to get reimbursed, but the article said to keep both the receipts and the boxes in case they are required for reimbursement.

According to recent research the BinaxNOW rapid test from Abbott Laboratories is the most effective at catching Omicron variant, but as soon as that was posted they probably sold out everywhere. Here is a helpful article from the New York Times: Which Covid Test Should I Get? When Should I Test? What If I Can’t Find One? Answers About Testing and Omicron
Facing long lines and shortages of home test kits during the latest surge, people are searching for answers about Covid tests.

My jigsaw puzzle cover is working as I hoped. The new puzzle is 500 pieces and seems easy except that all of the pieces are exactly the same shape so you can mistakenly pair the wrong pieces. So that's why the puzzles with individually shaped pieces make a big deal about it on the box. I've had those so far and didn't realize this other sort was available. The puzzle cover is made of previously unused acrylic and there is a several inch wide extra flap on it; I'll cut that off and use it for the masks mentioned above. I just hadn't gotten around to trimming it yet, but I have a need for it now.

Stay safe, everyone! Omicron seems to be roaring through communities for the next couple of weeks.