The Sunday Post [63]

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly at the Caffeinated Reviewer! It's an opportunity to share news, post a recap for the previous week, showcase books, and highlight what's planned for the week ahead.

News:

Halito! I can't believe I haven't done a Sunday Post all year! My last one was in December. 😬 A lot has happened in the last four months, so I guess I'll just share the highlights. My kids have started going back to their extracurricular activities (piano, gymnastics, ballet, soccer, Cub Scouts) and my son is back in school. He's really happy to be going in-person, and we've only had to quarantine once this semester (someone he came into contact with tested positive for COVID, but he was fine). They all wear their masks, even though they're usually the only kids wearing them. Most places wouldn't allow parents and siblings inside, so we had to drop them off and wait in the parking lot until they were finished (not ideal but understandable). They've relaxed restrictions for April, so now we can go inside, but everyone is required to wear a mask. 

I think Virginia is really taking this seriously, so I'm thankful for that. Unfortunately, not everyone is as COVID-conscious. I've had several altercations at work with people refusing to wear masks. Our store policy is that they are required and we will not let you shop in the store without one on. People immediately scream "medical condition," but we offer online shopping and store pickup, so being in the store isn't necessary. People are still jerks about it though. One guy started yelling and throwing things around the register, which is scary (especially since he also had a gun holstered at his waist). 

Speaking of work, I'm currently annoyed with my employers. I went to the doctor roughly two weeks ago because of swollen lymph nodes. My doctor though it was vaccine-related, since they were only swollen on the one side. (Jacob and I are both fully vaccinated now!) Well, a few days later I noticed some spots on my tonsils and my throat felt swollen, so I called to make another appointment with my doctor. She called me the next day and recommended that I go to Urgent Care (the clinic was closed) and not wait until my appointment. She thought I might have Strep, but it ended up being Pharyngitis/Tonsillitis. It's still contagious, just not Strep. I had kept work informed the entire time, and then provided a note from my doctor AND Urgent Care that said I couldn't work for a few days. I tried to get my shifts covered, but no one wants to work more than they have to. My boss emailed me saying I still had to work unless I had a doctor's note (I had given them to the MOD the night before), so I replied with copies of both notes. 

This is what I got the next morning: 

Seriously? I am sick and contagious. I provided not one, but two doctor's notes. I can barely talk without my throat hurting, and they still want me to come in? What else am I supposed to do? They're not going to guilt or harass me into working, because my health and the safety of myself and others is more important than the part-time job I'm working. I know I am fortunate and can say this, because there are others out there that have to work regardless of whether or not they're sick. This is one of the reasons COVID was able to spread so easily. Employers don't care if you're sick, and they don't take care of sick employees. They just care that they have bodies to work in their stores. We really need to treat people better.

Well, that went on for longer than I'd intended. 😅 On a happier note, my in-laws drove up in their RV and spent a week with us. We waited until everyone was vaccinated, and it was so nice getting to be around family again. They even helped us work on our house, which is still a work-in-progress. We've gotten a lot done, and I'm almost finished with the big project I've been working on. (Roberta, you asked if it had to do with woodworking months ago, and I said no. 😏)

My son's Spring Break is this week, so Jacob and I both took off work. We're just going to spend time together as a family, hang around the house, and subsequently work on the house while we have some time. I'm looking forward to reading a lot this week, too. I've been better about making time for books, but it's been a challenge. I hope you guys are doing well and enjoying life!

Previous week on the blog: 

Sunday: Nothing.

Monday: Also, nothing. 

Tuesday: Again, zilch. 

Wednesday: My Weekly Pull [161] & Can't-Wait Wednesday [136]

Thursday: State of the ARC [30]

Friday: Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow (Nevermoor, #3) by Jessica Townsend

Saturday: Past Due Reviews [7]

What I'm currently reading: 

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle, #3) by Jay Kristoff 📖

Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner 🎧

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon 📱 

I am REALLY enjoying all of my current reads! I know I'm late to the party with the Nevernight, but I devoured it and Godsgrave within a week. It's such a unique story! However, I'm still reeling from a certain someone's death. There have been so many twists and turns... I'm not sure how Kristoff kept up with all of them while writing this series. 

Something to Talk About has been really sweet so far! The Ex Talk has been wonderful, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Their charade can't last forever, and I'm curious how they're going to handle the fallout. 

What I plan on reading next:

To Love and to Loathe (The Regency Vows, #2) by Martha Waters

Astrid Sees All by Natalie Standiford 

Almost There and Almost Not by Linda Urban 

There are sooo many books coming out on the 6th! I've been struggling to get through them all. 😅

What I'm watching:

There are new One Piece episodes! I'm also watching Black Clover, but Jacob read somewhere that it's ending after this season? Have any of you heard about that? (My fellow anime-lovers!) We've also been watching Falcon and Winter Soldier. It's been pretty good so far, although I hate the "new" Captain America. U.S. Agent, right? 

Challenge updates:

• Read the Alphabet Challenge 4
• Audiobook Challenge 6 / 50+
• Beat the Backlist Challenge 4 / 100
• Discussion Challenge 0 / 1-10
• Goodreads Challenge 70 / 365