It's been a few months. Despite "serious people" claiming that the pandemic is over, it's...not. Folk's expectations don't exactly match up with reality. The coronavirus continued to spread, despite the existence of effective vaccines. The most effective vaccine in the world can't do anything, however, if people don't take it. Notwithstanding the continuing media coverage of American anti-vaxxers/anti-vaxxer-curious, billions of people in poorer nations around the world don't even have access to the vaccine. Thus, the virus, unchecked, mutated into an even more transmissible variant. Pundits yelled at the Omicron variant, calling it mild, as it simply continued to infect and kill at a faster rate than ever before.
We ourselves had a go at the virus. Having narrowly dodged the disease over the holidays (which ended up catching only my sister), John picked it up at school and infected everyone in the family, with the possible exception of myself, as I never tested positive. Tommy, thankfully, endured the disease without any difficulty, despite not being eligible for a vaccine. So does that mean we're done? We're only as done as the virus is...we must continue to control it.
We just went through a season of soccer with John. Despite his claims to the contrary, he enjoyed playing.
Eric, having just gone through intense heart surgery, needed some support at home. I saw him shortly before he went in for the operation, but I had an opportunity to fly out to Dallas to see him and Krystal for about a week and help out.
The trip was nice and Eric appeared to be recovering well. He still needed oxygen assistance when he walked about, but he appeared to be in much better health than before his operation.
We went to a "pumpkin patch" that was set up in the West Covina Mall parking lot. Overpriced, but the kids enjoyed themselves.
A cold, foggy soccer game on an early Saturday morning in October.
A neighbor's birthday party in the park.
An ET-esque California neighborhood trick-or-treat.
John finally got vaccinated!
John exercising his 2nd amendment rights.
Adults exercising their right to have an evening free of kids.
Tommy exercising his right to make a true Italian Thanksgiving.
I got boosted!
I got a (digital) piano!
I got older!
We went back to Dallas, this time for Christmas!
I got there first, so it was Torchy's with E&K&K!
Perfect holiday afternoon.
Alison and her Christmasing.
Kids doing the Christmas 2021 thing.
Turf wars between the doggos.
Splitting the holidays with family in Houston involves a stop at Buc-ee's.
Cousin Graham under assault!
Cousins lining up for pictures.
A balmy post-Christmas Houston day at the pool.
We spent a day at Ross Perot's monument to science (museum).
John had his birthday just before he got sick with COVID-19.
I had a long day trip to Gilbert, AZ for work.
John was baptized the second Saturday of February, but since I was an active participant I don't have any pictures of the event myself. All I have to commemorate the day is a brushfire on the mountain near our home. It was good to have a lot of family around, including all of John's living grandparents. The water was extremely cold; I think the bishopric counselor filling the font overestimated the warm water fill rate and made it up with cold water. John...kind of did ask for it though. Definitely made for a good memory. I had to really push John in deep because he kicked his legs up; Dad later told me I was supposed to block his feed with my leg. Well...it was literally the first time I had baptized anyone, ever. Not in the temple, not on my mission...
