Compliant?

 7:58 am - Real Saturday - May 22nd - Seal Rock, OR - 48° F, 82% humidity, wind 3 mph out of the north.....cloudy today with a forecast high of 55° F.  On this date in 2020 we were blessed to 'dine in' for the first time since the Wuhan Flu struck.....at the Feisty Pint in Grand Junction, CO.....↴

Friday was a day to which I was not looking forward.  It would involve over 200 miles of driving, and many errands.  I have an audio/video cardiologitst appointment next Tuesday (May 25th) and Dr. Mulvihill asked that I get some blood work done at Quest Labs prior to that appointment.  The nearest Quest facility is in Salem, OR in the local Safeway grocery store, and I secured an appointment for 1:15 pm on Friday.  It's just shy of a two hour drive one way.  I am required to fast for a minimum of 10 hours prior to having my blood drawn, so unless I was up at 3 am eating, this was going to be more than a 10 hour fast.  

TLE also needed to pick up some new eyewear at the COSTCO Optometry Dept. in Albany, so we decided to do that on the way to Salem, and left around 10 am.  After a 90 minute, uneventful drive we arrived at the COSTCO around 11:30 am.  As we walked up to the entrance we realized most people were not wearing masks, including the 'greeter'.  Like Walmart, COSTCO is no longer requiring masks.  Since they may not legally ask you if you have been vaccinated, they just ask "Are you CDC compliant?".....I sincerely do not know what that means, but I am a compliant person generally so I just nodded, and entered the store.....

.......most customers were not wearing masks.  I have no idea if they have been vaccinated, or not, it's really none of my business, and I am not concerned, or fearful.  I know some of you think I'm stupid, and selfish....that's your privilege.  I do not have the Wuhan virus, and, therefore, am putting no one at risk except myself.  Is there a very small chance I may contract the virus here on the extremely rural Oregon Coast, of course there is.  Every year over the past 30 years I declined to get a flu shot I took a similar chance I am taking now.  The last time I had any form of flu was 8 years ago, and I got pretty sick, but that did not change my opinion about getting vaccinated.  Every time I get on the Massey-Ferguson loader, or operate a chain saw, or pole pruner, or ride my mountain bike down a 13% grade at 30 mph I take a significantly much greater, imminent risk of being injured.  I accept those risks, just as I accept the risk of getting any number of infectious diseases every day of the week by moving around in public.  I don't think I'm being stupid, or selfish.....just making informed, risk assessed decisions.  If you have decided to get vaccinated, good for you.  I'm sure you did a lot of research, considered where you live, thought it through, and made what you believe is an informed decision based on all those criteria....I respect you for that.  Please respect my right to disagree, just as I have disagreed with all of you who have chosen to get an annual flu shot for the past 30 years, but have still respected you for your decision to do so.   By the way, fewer than 50% of all adults get an annual flu shot. I have done my research, and come to a different conclusion than you.  I have lived 95% of my life the past 10 years in rural America, but if I lived in a densely populated area like many of you I might possibly come to a different conclusion, but I do not....I live where I live.  The risk here on the Oregon Coast is minimal.....since the pandemic was declared 15 months ago only 21 people have died in Lincoln County from the Wuhan Flu (none in the past 3 months), and there have only been 1300+ cases.  As of May 20th approximately 30% of the U.S. population has been vaccinated, and the vaccination rate is decreasing rapidly.

I am not soliciting positive, or negative comments on my views, or trying to create controversy.  If you have nothing kind to say, please don't, because it will treated like spam, and not published.  If you have a reasoned, well articulated contrary view I'm happy to hear it, but if you believe your only recourse is to name call, and insult then it would appear you apparently believe you have already lost the argument.

After we picked up TLE's eyewear we headed next to the local UPS store to drop off a package, and then further north to the nearest In 'N Out Burger.....we haven't had a #2 combo since mid February.....

......In 'N Out Burger was packed....the drive through line was 50 cars long, and the inside ordering was just as crazy.  They require masks inside, and there is no 'dine in', but you can eat outside at one of their many tables.....it's starting to feel like things are getting back to normal.

After picking up a few things at the Target store, which was in the same shopping mall as In 'N Out Burger, we began our 109 mile drive home.  It took us just shy of two hours for the return drive, and once again it was uneventful, and traffic moved right along.  We arrived back at SRRVC around 4:45 pm.....whew, that was a long day!

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