Day 17 - the WHO names Omicron a “variant of interest”

At the Mission Inn Restaurant for breakfast…

At Le Chat Noir for dinner…

12/11/21. Saturday 

 8:00-9:00 – Mom made breakfast reservations at the Mission Inn Restaurant so I’m up early to make space for L. when she’s finally ready to get out of bed.  This room has a Keurig, so I make a cup of coffee, then shower. Lotion. I put on jeans, a turtleneck, and my green boots. Light make-up. 

9:00-9:45 – L. stirs!!! and starts getting ready.  I read Deep Work. 

10:00-12:00 – L. and I meet Mom, my brother, and M., downstairs for breakfast. It’s incredible to me that nobody is masking – except staff – even while we wait inside for our table. This is largely due to the fact that the Riverside Sheriff announced early in the pandemic that he would NEVER enforce a mask mandate.  As a result, nobody masks here. 

Our table is also indoors and the restaurant is slammed…it is sooo crowded in here. Mom orders pastries for the table and I also get a wonderful bacon, scrambled egg, and hash brown breakfast, complete with coffee AND a Mimosa. I have more leftovers.  Yay!! 

The Mission Inn hired carolers to peruse the restaurant and sing Xmas carols.  Last year, when L. and I came for Xmas, the carolers were singing while wearing strange duck-billed masks, which I appreciated. This year, even though Covid cases are absolutely spiking in Riverside [I checked] and higher than they were last year at this time, the carolers are singing sans masks!!! I see the carolers heading towards our table and I quickly put my mask on, although nobody else bothers…but, come on!...singing!!?? This is the absolute, most dangerous activity that can be during a pandemic.  Upon singing, microscopic particles – sometimes you can actually see spray coming out of people’s mouths in the sunlight, like dust motes, as they talk or sing – are hurled right at our faces, at supersonic speed, much faster than if someone were just talking.  

If any of the four carolers happen to be infected, this will result in a huge viral load that we’re inhaling over a consistent 5-minute time span, with Omicron being 3 times more transmissible than Delta. But even if the carolers didn’t take a moment to stop at our table, they’ve still been going from table to table, singing a minimum of 2 songs each, which means a huge potential Omicron cloud has been drifting across the entire restaurant while I eat my breakfast. I can only hope that the viral load is being disbursed…???...instead of blown directly in my face…??? 

12:00-4:00 – L. booked a few spa activities for herself, but that’s the last thing I want to do right now – be in an enclosed space with no mask while a masseuse is breathing all over me [they’re masked, though].  The outdoor couples massage that L. and I had last year was so great, but Kellys Spa doesn’t offer outdoor massages anymore.

-I brought my Netbook with me to the Mission Inn and I vowed that I would spend some time catching up on my blog posts and reading; HOWEVER, this week was so busy and chaotic with the semester ending at College No. 1 and for my highschoolers that I just want to collapse in my hotel room. 

12:00-1:00 – Mom and L go to The Antique Store so L. can go shopping for vintage items. L. later reports that the entire upstairs of the store was converted to vintage clothing kiosks. 

L.’s friend, N., texts us pictures of the dog after he stops by the house to spend time with her. 

12:00-4:00 – I go back to the room and read Deep Work, a couple of Money Diaries, and listen to The Waves and Martinis and Your Money. I have a great time! Do I try to catch up with my blog posts even after reading tips in Deep Work for how to actually do deep work? No. 

4:00- 6:30-L. returns from her spa treatments and shows me the vintage clothes Mom bought for her at the antique store - they look very cool. L. had a facial and a Rose Petal bath with Grapeseed Oil; a plate of chocolate truffles; and freshly-squeezed juice. She loved her spa experience. L. and I hang out and wait for our 7:00 dinner reservations at Le Chat Noir. She watches Forensic Files and I read another Money Diary. 

6:30-7:00 – We all convene at Mom’s room and walk to the French restaurant.  

7:00-9:00 – The food is phenomenal!  L. orders a cheese board for an appetizer and the Ravioli for her entrée.  I get the swordfish and it’s incredible.  I have a few bites of sorbet for dessert. 

I ask my brother if he’s worried about contracting Omicron from the kids in his classroom [he teaches 6th grade]. My brother says he’s boosted, Omicron is milder than Delta, and it’s already peaked in South Africa - he’s not worried.

9:00-10:30 – After dinner, L. and I roam The Mission Inn so she can take pictures for her Final Project in Photography.  She gets some great shots and I help stage some of them.  I feel like a photography assistant! Note: on Monday, L. will discover that she forgot to load film in the camera.  She will have to scrap the project and start over. This project will be replaced by a new project that I name, “A Very Merry Covid Christmas.”

10:30-11:00 - L. and I return to our hotel room. 

11:00-12:00 – Nighttime routine. I watch a few Forensic Files and go to sleep.