This was supposed to be my first full week back to work after vacation, last Friday was Truth and Reconciliation Day so we were closed, and then Monday is Thanksgiving but I got my fourth dose of the COVID vaccine, the new bivalent vaccine and it decimated me for about 36 hours. I had a pounding headache, my left arm (where I got the vaccine) twitched for about 24 hours, I had a fever, I was coughing, runny nose, nauseas, it was rough. It means that the vaccine is working but good Lord it was rough. And I haven’t had a reaction like that to any of the previous doses, which is more evidence to support my belief that I had COVID very early on when I was working in the clinic so I already had antibodies to the wild-type COVID-19, but haven’t had Omicron so I didn’t already have anti-bodies to this one hence the rough reaction. But that’s just a theory and I am not a virologist nor immunologist, so take it with a grain of salt.
Social Media Favourite:
Is social media feeling stale to anyone else? I’m just not really vibing with it this week.
Movie/TV Favourite: Fate: Making the Cut
Making the Cut is the only American reality TV show that feels like the Great British Baking Show. The competitors are always so supportive of each other and actually seem to become friends throughout, despite the fact that this competition is actually really impactful to their careers and businesses. It feels very early Project Runway, which I imagine is exactly what Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are going for, since it felt like they lost control of Project Runway a bit at the end.
Podcast Favourite: Maintenance Phase: The French Paradox
Basically any Maintenance Phase episode is going to be my favourite podcast episode that week. Every podcast Michael Hobbes touches turns to gold. I love when he gets all, as he calls it, “Methodology Queen” and really digs into the flaws in so many research studies. So much of science is really messy and full of assumptions and just generally wrong, and Michael is never afraid to say that, but not in a science-denier way. There is a way for science to be done correctly, to remove bias and assumption, but we need to call out bad science, especially when it effects people’s health and pulls on their emotions and insecurities.
Random Favourite 1: Anthony Bourdain: Kitchen Confidential
I have been a fan of Tony’s TV shows for years, they definitely go me through grad school, but I had never actually read the book that launched his entertainment career. It’s reminding me of so many memories that I have of working in bars and restaurants, I was always front of house, but the chefs and line cooks are really responsible for a lot of me learning things about myself and some healing that happened in those years. And not all FOH sleep with BOH, I can promise you that lol.
Random Favourite 2: The bivalent booster
I am so glad to have finally gotten the bivalent booster, it’s been authorized in Canada for a bit now, but they restricted the access to the immunocompromised and seniors at first but now it is open to all over 18 and I got mine on Wednesday. It did very much knock me out, moreso than any of the previous doses.
Have a great weekend!
Laura
Thoughtful Millennial 