Unlock the Guillotine

Diane and I have just returned from a cruise from Lewiston to Astoria on the Snake and Colombia rivers. The highlight for me was the series of locks and dams.These 8 dams turn the lower part of the Snake and Colombia Rivers into a series of lakes each about 100 feet below the next, and the river boat headed downstream has to pass through a lock to descend to the next level.

The gates on locks usually open and close like a swinging double door, but one set had ‘guillotine gates’. A massive piece of steel rests between two strong (hopefully) columns, and is raised or lowered by cables.

The cruise was great, and I may write about it later, but today’s topic is something we brought home with us: Covid!

Diane started to feel ill on Monday, and on Wednesday morning when we were getting ready to fly home I started to get that pre-cold feeling of a crawly nose and scratchy throat. Diane was still functional, and we both made it through the long day of taxis and departure gates and connecting flights without any excessive coughing to make fellow passengers irritated. We even had a very nice lunch with a glass of Malbec in Salt Lake City. The Utah Blue Laws must have eased; the brew pub had a full bar.

At home Wednesday night, I really got sick. Raging headache, body ache and chills, and the sorest sore throat I can remember. Coughing and blocked sinuses. Although I felt hot, the thermometer said my temperature was normal.

We both took home Covid tests on Thursday morning, and we both tested positive. Time to self isolate and stay home, which considering how we both felt wasn’t a big deal.

The suffering went on for 4 days. Everything above my shoulders was miserable. I didn’t eat anything but soup for two days, and not much of that. Tylenol, cough syrup, throat lozenges, Pelligrino and orange juice made up my diet. I spent my days on my back reading and dozing and coughing and dreading the next swallow, since every time I did it felt like someone was pouring acid down my throat. Not a single glass of Cote du Rhone vin rouge either: not only was it a bad idea health wise but I couldn’t have tasted it anyway.

Monday I was a little better, and today I feel the best I have since a week ago. Good enough to write this blog, although the quality may be suffering because I still am too, at least somewhat.

During those four truly awful days I considered following the community mandate from The Mikado.

And so we straight let out on bail
A convict from the county jail,
Whose head was next On some pretext 
Condemnëd to be mown off, 
And made him Headsman, for we said, 
‘Who’s next to be decapited 
Cannot cut off another’s head 
Until he’s cut his own off.’

There were times this weekend when that seemed like a really good idea. If I had a guillotine close to hand I might have considered it.

Thankfully my mother has been providing us with delicious homemade soup and watermelon and other easy to digest provisions. We are going to isolate until we both test negative, which we hope is soon.

My mom follows AOL news, and she told me that there is a new Covid surge and this strain features a really bad sore throat. I can confirm that! Unrelenting for 4 days. And according to KCRA:

Case rates are rising in the Bay Area and the proof is in the pipes. According to the California Department of Public Health, the region now has the most viral wastewater than anywhere else in California.

No one tests the waste water from the Brumby Road septic tank, but if they did I’m sure they would find something that wasn’t there when we left for the river trip. So Stoker and I aren’t alone. Obviously: her case was acquired on the boat and I likely got it from her.

I knew I was going to take 12 days off the bike to do the cruise, but I wasn’t too worried about that; I expected to return fresh and rested and get right back to my riding routine with no discernible drop off. Covid has changed this; not only am I losing form from not riding but I am incredibly weak and certainly not ready to get back on the bike for at least another few days. Starting over again…