I’m not going to school anymore. Heck, I’m not even working anymore, and neither is my wife. Yet it feels like the fall 2022 semester has begun.
Our pastors returned this week from their three-month sabbatical to the UK and France, followed by some vacation time. After the service was a picnic largely planned by my wife, which has proved to be trickier than she thought.
The choir started rehearsing this past Thursday for the first time since late May and had a gathering afterward. We sang at the service yesterday. I’m very pleased that I’m well enough to participate.
My Bible Guys are reconvening tomorrow, still on Zoom. Given the fact that I am the youngest member of the group, this is not a surprising decision. The Thursday group is going to be meeting in person.
The Literary Legends Gala, sponsored by the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library, will take place on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the Delaware branch of the library. It will honor Sylvie Kantorovitz, and Edward Schwarzschild. Bidding on the silent auction will begin on September 23. If you have a product or service that we can auction, please let me know.
The Wizard’s Wardrobe is “a free one-on-one, after-school tutoring program for elementary students in the South End of Albany.” Folks from my church started it. The Readers Theatre will be held at Capital Rep in Albany on Monday, October 3rd. The “theme for the evening is ‘Hope for Changing Times.'” Alice Green of the Law and Justice Center will be the keynote speaker.
Bitter medicine
A few words about Paxlovid, the antiviral I took after testing positive for COVID. It was a five-day regimen, ending this past Tuesday. Interestingly, it comes in three pills per dose, two nirmatrelvir tablets, and one ritonavir tablet, twice daily. There must be a medical reason for this setup, though I don’t know what it is. (My spellcheck does not like the word “nirmatrelvir” but is okay with “ritonavir.”)
About three hours later, the combination emits one of the worst aftertastes I’ve ever experienced. Water doesn’t help. I’ve been drinking lemonade, ginger ale, and even cherry diet Pepsi to mitigate the effect. They are only marginally effective.
Here’s an important message about some common Paxlovid interactions you should know about. Both my primary care doctor and my pharmacist noted that I should stop taking my statin for not only the five days of the regimen but for three days after that.
Still, I feel okay, and I’m ready to work on the projects for Tom and Delia, the project for Steve, et al. Oh, and I’m planning on getting a flu shot soon, so I can avoid being felled by a potentially nasty flu season.