Covid Finally Got Me

It's been a minor point of pride for me that I've been a Covid Virgin, a Covid Dodger, a... Novid... for almost 5 years. But probably not anymore. I had a positive Covid test this morning.



This comes after several days of getting through what I thought was a cold. I tested 4 days ago with a negative result when I started suffering a cold— or cold-like symptoms— after working a trade show in Las Vegas. Over those 4 days my symptoms first worsened and now have been getting better. It's possible, perhaps even likely, though, that first test was a false negative. Also, late last night Hawk tested positive after experiencing worsening symptoms since yesterday afternoon. That's what pushed me to re-test this morning.

I'm in an uncomfortable situation right now trying to anticipate what happens next. It could be any of these three:

1. I'm on Day 5 of Covid, my previous negative test having been a false negative. My symptoms have already improved over the past 2 days, and I will continue to get better. 😌


2. I'm on Day 1 of Covid, a new infection just as I'm getting over a common cold, and I'm about to get way worse. 😰


3. It's also possible today's test is a false positive, all I ever had was a cold, and I'll continue to heal up in a few days (as #1 above) and I deserve to keep my Covid Dodger status. 😅 I will test again tonight or tomorrow.

For now I'm taking a wait-and-see approach. I'm not yet making a doctor appointment to get a Paxlovid prescription like Hawk is. Her choice makes sense as she's at the start of the illness and her symptoms are worsening. Mine seem already to be mostly over. I'm catering to possibility #1 above (or maybe #3). But if I start feeling worse— if it looks like I'm actually in case #2— I'll seek medical care, too.

An Hour at the DMV

I had to go to the DMV today. Y'know, the Department of Motor Vehicles. The government agency that is the butt of just about every joke about waiting in long lines for a basic government service to be provided by dispirited and demotivated government employees.

I don't think I've set foot in an actual DMV office in over 20 years. I had to do it this time to renew my license. In the past I've been able to renew by mail or online, or at worst at a AAA office as a AAA member, where lines are much shorter. This time I was required to appear in person at the actual DMV office because a vision test was required and because I want / effectively must have a RealID card to function as a full adult in 2025 USA. I made an appointment online a few weeks ago and took the earliest available day for my appointment— 3 weeks away.

• Before I even entered the DMV office I knew there would be delays. Just parking was hard. The lot was nearly full, and I got one of the last 2 spaces before having to vulture.


• Next, as I walked up to the building, I was surprised at the number of people milling around outside. I was surprised because seeing people loitering outside a building is rare nowadays... at least in the US... at least in the places I usually travel. Except for, like, an inter-city bus terminal.


• Once inside I was among a sea of humanity. People of all shapes and ages, many speaking foreign languages. It was like being in a busy inter-city bus terminal.


• I joined the queue for people with appointments. There were just two couples ahead of me, and one employee serving our line. It should have gone fast. The conversation for each person with an appointment should have been, "Hi, what's your name or, better yet, appointment confirmation number? And just to confirm, you're here for...? Okay, here's your service number; wait until it's called." In and done in 30 seconds. Except both of the couples in front of me had So. Many. Questions. The lines for walk-ups were moving twice as fast.


• I got my service number, F107, quickly once I reached the first desk. The agent seemed to give me side-eye about being early for my appointment. I entered the line at 2:50 for a 3:10 appointment and got the to front at 3:00. It's good I got my number for the next queue at 3:00 because it took them until almost 3:30 to call F107.


• At the next station, after 30 minutes of waiting to be called, the agent reviewed my paperwork and documents, collected a thumbprint, and administered a very brief eye exam. After I read the laughably easy identically-sized lines she pointed to on the eye chart, I added, "And the blue and white sign on the far wall, approximately 100' away, says 'Do not place children on this counter.' And the poster next to it says in its headline, '¡Es contra la ley!', which is Spanish for 'It's against the law!'"


• I then queued up for a third station. The only purpose there was to make a new photo. Fortunately that line was only a couple minutes long. The photo examiner murmured pleasantries the whole time. "Oh, great smile." "Perfect." "That looks fantastic." At first I thought she was genuinely complimenting me. Then I realized she's probably murmuring because she says the same things, on repeat, 200 times a day.

After that I was done. Total time at the DMV: nearly an hour, all but 5 minutes of it waiting in lines.