Gutters and Intercourse

This past Thursday, due to a Covid case in our department, I was willing to take one for the team and stay till 7:30 to close things down... mostly because I'm old and whatever.  Within hours, I got the call.

"Blah, blah, blah... you were exposed to this person... blee, blee, blee... go home."

Interestingly enough, I wasn't "exposed" by the definition of our protocol IMHOMO (within six feet for an accumulated period of fifteen minutes over twenty four hours), but I knew any protestation would fall on deaf ears.  I was going home for the day.

And here's where I finally got to experience the nuttiness I had hoped to avoid.

I couldn't test until at the earliest on Monday minimum amount of time from exposure).  Without a test, I couldn't come back to work until Thursday.  As far as getting a test, HR told me they would help me if I was having trouble, but honestly, getting an appointment right now?  Not easy.

Well... given the parameters.

Finding an appointment that would take an insurance card?  Not before next Thursday.

Finding an appointment that will take an HSA card (which I have zero dollars on... because I don't contribute to it... because I have no recurring medical expenses) meant I could get in at 1:30PM on Wednesday and mebbe get my results in time to get back to work at... 3:30PM.  Which makes sense?

So I was encouraged to spend time looking for appointments online.  No response from HR through my manager regarding possible out of pocket reimbursement if I pay up front.  Filling out all sorts of questionnaires on all sorts of websites to get to the part where it says "there are no appointments available."

So on and so forth.  Every single day so far.

Traveling?  No appointments.  No symptoms?  No appointment.

There is a NCDHHS website that is supposed to make it easier... but it doesn't.  It would be nice if there was a menu where I could click "asymptomatic but exposed" and then "need rapid PCR test between these dates" to pull up a S.O.L. response would be simple enough.

I'm sure some would say shut up and enjoy your time off, but it's cold and wet and I'm going to be paying for dog boarding (nonrefundable) for a couple days because The Pie is headed outta town for a multi-day running event.  Quite honestly, I'd rather just be at work.  I mean, my gutters are already clean...

Cleaning out my gutters at the age of 52.5 is like marathon sex.  It seems like a great idea at the time I get started.  I need to make sure I change positions and methodology to avoid cramps.  It's a good idea to take short breaks.  The next day, I'm sore and realize I woulda been better served breaking up the task over several days...

But I'm happy that my gutters are clean.

Oh yeth, woe is me.  I was exposed to Covid and there's an infinitesimal chance that I got it because I was recently boosted and had limited contact with a positive person and people are out there sick and dying and I'm just bummed because I can't go to work and I'm out of gutters to clean and somehow all this is happening at a time when our testing capabilities are once again stretched beyond limits? 

Yeth?

Quite honestly, I considered what is the point of this post, but whatever.  I got nothing better to do.

Bicycle related content:

Got in a sweet rip with fellow Radimus owner (who in Charlotte isn't?) Todd on New Year's Day at Lake Norman.  It's been pretty dope to see so many people fall in love with the bike I'm currently having the most fun riding lately.  It's just that fucking good.  I almost want to build up a newer generation Optimus... although my frands are all "don't be stupid..."

They do know who they're talking to, right?