Festivus (Uno's annual holidayish type discussions)

[Rusty Edge]

Yeah. I've got a sister-in-law holiday story.

My SIL isn't mean. She's stupid and racist.  To be fair, so were her parents. It's probably hereditary one way or another. She works in a nursing home, so she knows proper safety and hygiene procedures with regard to Covid. Stupid as she is, she has advocated for herd immunity via exposure on social media. It's a wonder she still has a job in a nursing home.

Anyway, she was miffed that we declined Thanksgiving invitations because the size of the gathering would exceed the state limit, and nobody would be masked or social distanced while they ate. SO, we agreed to attend Christmas Eve gift opening and family photo at her daughter's home, but we'd be masked and not eating or drinking or staying longer than necessary.

The residents ( SIL's daughter, daughter's husband, and a boarder ) didn't wear masks because it was their home and they didn't want to. Neither did SIL ( because she follows her husband's lead), her husband ( political denial of Covid) , and her son ( hates masks and thinks he had it once).  The other 8 of us wore them. We were sitting around the perimeter of the room.

We had to wait 45 minutes for the last people to show up before we could get started. Plenty of time for people to drink and get loud. When they finally arrived my wife made them get started with the photos. We were there for about 2 hours total.

Christmas Day SIL's complaining about how her body feels like it was hit by a truck and then trampled by a thousand people. Had chills so bad she had to get up at 4AM and take a long, hot shower. Was so tired that she couldn't sleep, and had some common cold symptoms. Intermittent fever. Then she's complaining that work won't allow her to come in before January 8th, and she needs to work! Alternately she's afraid of going on a ventilator. Soon after her husband is complaining about his "sinusitis, but it's not the Wuhan virus" ( he's not afraid of any stupid virus). Last night he went to bed about 8PM.

Today they both got tested "just to be sure", and both were found positive. Meanwhile... the youngest daughter had cold symptoms, slept 5 hours in the middle of the day, then wanted to go back to bed again. My other SIL's daughter ( who was seated near the idiot on Christmas Eve) reports symptoms tonight.

Christmas Day the family photos appeared on social media, and SIL says "I love my family." Yeah, well, too bad you didn't love them enough or weren't clever enough to wear a mask and act like you didn't want them to become infected!

We have been trying to isolate. So far, no symptoms. The others are trying to arrange tests. I can't imagine some of the others who attended Christmas Eve not partying on New Year's unless they are too sick to get out of bed by then.

Happy Holidays!

[Rusty Edge]

Meanwhile.... SIL was saying that she always wears a mask and is fanatical about handwashing. Well, I can't remember seeing her in a mask once this year. Her bathroom was clean once in the 17 years or so that I've been around, and that was when her husband cleaned it for a confirmation or graduation party. She is a hand washing/sanitizing fanatic. So there is that.  I don't know if she knows the difference between antibacterial and antiviral.

[E_T]

WOW, talk about Morons in action!!  Hope ya'll didn't get anything and keep us informed!!

[Rusty Edge]

The residents ( SIL's daughter, daughter's husband, and a boarder ) didn't wear masks because it was their home and they didn't want to. Neither did SIL ( because she follows her husband's lead), her husband ( political denial of Covid) , and her son ( hates masks and thinks he had it once).  The other 8 of us wore them. We were sitting around the perimeter of the room.

Today they both got tested "just to be sure", and both were found positive. Meanwhile... the youngest daughter had cold symptoms, slept 5 hours in the middle of the day, then wanted to go back to bed again. My other SIL's daughter ( who was seated near the idiot on Christmas Eve) reports symptoms tonight.

UPDATE- From the maskless group, SIL's daughter's husband tested negative. Daughter is working from home and had a test scheduled.

Among the eight mask wearers, another daughter and her boyfriend have tested negative. She can use this test to return to work. He is a union apprentice electrician and will be payed to stay home for a week anyway. 

Youngest daughter is puking and tested positive. Her live-in boyfriend will likely get it from her if he didn't get it at the gift opening.  My other SIL's daughter tested positive, but can't get off work. She's considered a tier 1 medical worker. Other SIL is awaiting test results.

The wife and I are hanging out at home and waiting. I figure this is happening to other families in the area as well. We also figure that Cheeseheads being the champion drinkers that they are will not be doing it home alone this New Year's Eve. We don't plan on going anywhere for about 2 weeks.

[Rusty Edge]

To add to the tale, moron SIL is still alternating between I feel terrible and I want to go back to work, without seeing a logical sequence. Meanwhile her husband is busy looking at the pictures and blaming the two girls infected at the party for not wearing their masks properly and getting him sick, even though he obviously got sick before they did. My BIL is not stupid. He's an electrical engineer. He also never admits his own his mistakes, is quick to blame others, and is cranky whenever sick or recovering form surgery or injury. So we mostly ignore him at times like this.

[E_T]

I'm hoping that ya'll stay well and the others make rapid recoveries.

[Rusty Edge]

Yeah. I've got a sister-in-law holiday story.

My SIL isn't mean. She's stupid and racist.  To be fair, so were her parents. It's probably hereditary one way or another. She works in a nursing home, so she knows proper safety and hygiene procedures with regard to Covid. Stupid as she is, she has advocated for herd immunity via exposure on social media. It's a wonder she still has a job in a nursing home.

Anyway, she was miffed that we declined Thanksgiving invitations because the size of the gathering would exceed the state limit, and nobody would be masked or social distanced while they ate. SO, we agreed to attend Christmas Eve gift opening and family photo at her daughter's home, but we'd be masked and not eating or drinking or staying longer than necessary.

The residents ( SIL's daughter, daughter's husband, and a boarder ) didn't wear masks because it was their home and they didn't want to. Neither did SIL ( because she follows her husband's lead), her husband ( political denial of Covid) , and her son ( hates masks and thinks he had it once).  The other 8 of us wore them. We were sitting around the perimeter of the room.

We had to wait 45 minutes for the last people to show up before we could get started. Plenty of time for people to drink and get loud. When they finally arrived my wife made them get started with the photos. We were there for about 2 hours total.

Christmas Day SIL's complaining about how her body feels like it was hit by a truck and then trampled by a thousand people. Had chills so bad she had to get up at 4AM and take a long, hot shower. Was so tired that she couldn't sleep, and had some common cold symptoms. Intermittent fever. Then she's complaining that work won't allow her to come in before January 8th, and she needs to work! Alternately she's afraid of going on a ventilator. Soon after her husband is complaining about his "sinusitis, but it's not the Wuhan virus" ( he's not afraid of any stupid virus). Last night he went to bed about 8PM.

Today they both got tested "just to be sure", and both were found positive. Meanwhile... the youngest daughter had cold symptoms, slept 5 hours in the middle of the day, then wanted to go back to bed again. My other SIL's daughter ( who was seated near the idiot on Christmas Eve) reports symptoms tonight.

Christmas Day the family photos appeared on social media, and SIL says "I love my family." Yeah, well, too bad you didn't love them enough or weren't clever enough to wear a mask and act like you didn't want them to become infected!

We have been trying to isolate. So far, no symptoms. The others are trying to arrange tests. I can't imagine some of the others who attended Christmas Eve not partying on New Year's unless they are too sick to get out of bed by then.

Happy Holidays!

Sadly this has become more of a Covid story than a holiday/inlaw story, so I'll continue with it the Covid thread/

[E_T]

Dang

[Unorthodox]

KLAATU BARADA NECKTIE!

Let's see: 

Thanksgiving:  I ordered a pre-packed meal from the grocer and it turned out better than anticipated, really.  Would do again. 

Talia the only one home for black friday as the rest of us worked. 

Sunday before Thanksgiving hEt's siblings held a meal...Sis brought sick kids.  FFWD a week, they all have covid.  We're in the clear now so no biggie, go vaccine. 

On my family front, Mom/Dad are canceling everything gathering wise which is just fine with me.  Though they made sure to let me know this is a permanent decision.  No more holidays at their house...except for my little brother, HE will still be invited after covid.  Me and my elder bro are out.  Cool beans. 

Elder bro isn't seeing my parents anymore as he refuses to wear a mask at their house.  He doesn't have his employees wearing them at work either.  Though they all have vaccines so don't need them in his view...I'd disagree when you're working retail as lord knows what the customers are doing but whatever. 

Younger bro was a borderline OCD clean freak before Covid...as in his boy was not allowed to play with match box cars on the floor as it was too dirty level crazy.

So that leaves us: 

Xmas.  Kyle will be at his +1's place for xmas eve and morning...possibly back for xmas dinner but no promises.  (they're talking about moving in together and if house prices weren't so ridiculous probably would have) 

Xmas eve breakfast:  Cancelled. 
Xmas eve dinner:  In the air...may do ham/funeral pot like normal. 
Xmas Morning breakfast with hEt's siblings moved to 26th.  I'm pushing to host... Maybe something easy for us at home xmas morning. 
Xmas Dinner, I'm going fancy and doing a Chateaubriand.

Almost all xmas done online. 

Alec got an adult bed, and it's already in use. 

[Rusty Edge]

So this year...

1) In-law Drama. The husband of one of the nieces did something criminal causing a rift. So some won't appear in the same place as he is. She is loyal to her husband and she and her father aren't speaking.

2) Covid.  The plan was to include grandma this Christmas. Trouble is that she has vegetated in assisted living so much that she can't negotiate 2 steps with grab bars to get into our house. She tried it a month ago and her knee gave out. We have since got a portable wheelchair ramp, because all of our houses have 2 steps to enter. So the plan was to do Christmas Eve at the assisted living complex.

Well, the complex requires masks. The usual suspects aren't happy about that. One of them is still unvaccinated, two of them are unboosted ("not anti-vax, I don't trust the unproven technology").  Not sure about a couple of others, but they won't appear together anyway.  The medical career in-laws are tested and want the others tested, too. You guessed it. The usual suspects decline to be tested as well. My wife actually succeeded in finding some quick tests that were still on the shelf by the time I got there.

Meanwhile, my wife has hosted ( hostessed?) a Dec 26th Christmas party for the extended in-laws since forever. Last year it was cancelled on account of Covid. This year the extended in-laws all are opting out, although they like the idea of rescheduling as a Christmas in July.

Things are in flux. At this moment it looks like Christmas Eve gift opening will be in the senior complex with G-ma, me, my wife, her sister and niece. All of us are boosted and will be tested. The SiL and niece seem to have permanently lost their sense of smell.

Looks like Dec 26th will be here and function as a gift opening with brandy slush, but with fewer folks than Christmas Eve or Dec 26th.

We are taking several of the nieces, etc. to an early hibachi dinner on New Year's Eve.

[Rusty Edge]

It occurs to me that we shall be blamed as part of the Liberal conspiracy to cancel Christmas using mask/vaccine/testing mandates.

[Geo]

Well Christmas Eve went on as usual in my nick of the woods. At least 3 of us were already boosted (my parents and SiL dentist). I'm scheduled in 10 days for the booster. And as far as I know all of us have had the vaccin earlier this year. Sofar, none of us seems to have contracted Covid.
In other news, the Omicron variant has become dominant now in the country, and will probably have pushed out Delta by end of the year.

[Unorthodox]

To recap: 

Tali falls ill 12/18.  Tested 12/19 vanilla flu.  Started tamiflu. 
I show symptoms 12/20, immediately start Tamiflu.  Both should be non-contagious by 12/24 if we can keep everyone else from getting it, Tali and I go hardcore quarantine. 

12/24 is a rough one for hEt after losing her parents, I pull out the traditional family meal of theirs of Ham and Funeral Potatoes.  Not easy, still not 100% energy from the flu. 
12/25, I'd already gone all in on the chateaubriand purchase, so fancy meal there.
12/26 hEt's family for breakfast...MOSTLY reheating the xmas eve ham and potatoes with scrambled eggs and whatnot, but requires furniture rearrangement to fit everyone.  Still not 100% from flu. 

Oh, and My parents have permanently disinvited us from xmas from here on out, so that's actually a bonus. 

[Unorthodox]

Chateaubriand spread:

[Rusty Edge]

Nice looking dinner, Uno.
I know it's pretty miserable to be re-arranging furniture and on your feet in the kitchen when you have the flu. I hope you and Talia are feeling better.

-----
As for my in-laws, things turned out okay. After airing the grievances before the holiday, the actual gatherings were smaller, more peaceful, and more of them. People avoided the ones they conflict with. So, over all less stress. Nobody has reported sick yet.

Also, the wheelchair ramp worked.