The dreaded Covid test! I had gone twenty months without being tested. Then I made the decision to accompany my sister to Houston for her 87th birthday and that of her twin, our brother, who lives there.
So twenty months without a test and then four in six days. The Canadian re-entry test requirement creates the most stress. The “within 72 hours” requirement is strictly enforced so I spent a stressful 24-hours worrying about getting results in time to travel.
Now, we are going to England. First stop – the Air Canada web site. It sets out the Canada departure / UK entry requirements and then the UK departure / Canada entry requirements. Not confused yet? There are numerous hyperlinked references to various UK and Canadian government web-sites. These will be sure to confuse you.
And then we need passenger locator forms, Arrive-CAN documents and possibly various other bits and pieces. Don’t stop checking regularly to make sure that there isn’t something new that could mess up travel plans.
I am double vaxxed! We are careful! We mask indoors, in public transit, and on crowded streets. The odds of either my wife or I getting are very slim, getting seriously ill very, very, very slim…. So I don’t really dread the test! I dread:
Is the “dreaded Covid Test” worth it? Everyone will have their own answer. The trip to Houston reminded me of the importance of family. My remaining siblings are between 12 and 16 years older than me. Not so unusual – WW II caused long marital separations. My family means something to me. So, not only did we see my brother and sister-in-law but also my two nephews and my niece whom I had not seen in years. I met their families. I hope that I will see them more often.
The England trip is one that I just have to make to rid myself of any Covid-residual, travel-related apprehensions. And we love London and the family that we have there.
Anastasia Mourogova Millin, March 5, 2024 Earth’s urban population will grow by 2.5 billion people over the next 30 years. Over the same time period, urban land expansion put at risk the survival of 855 different species and will threaten the homes of over 30,000 animal and plant species. Add in the impact of climate […]
Co-working space came to mean the notorious We Work model. When I had been asked to opine on co-working I tried to steer the conversation away from the Adam Neumann / Softbank flimflam growth model. Instead, I suggested that property owners look at usage and users. While I doubted We Work’s ability to survive I […]
Before I fall completely into the trap of opposition politics, I have decided to take a break from never-ending criticism and to start suggesting solutions to the affordable housing conundrum. Do I have a plan? No, more a collection of ideas To start with, I think there are three key issues: Home ownership is not […]
I know! I am going to sound like a grumpy old man. Maybe that is because I am. I have been scratching my head in wonderment at the Taylor Swift phenomena. Is she an Incredible song writer, composer, and performer? I really don’t know! A discussion for another time? But probably not. At my age […]
Don’t build it! At least, Not In My Back Yard ! I acted as an advisor in the sale of a beautifully natural, 14-acre urban waterfront estate. Existing zoning allowed for the development of 30 to 35 single-family homes, which after road dedication would leave very little green space. I did not think that was […]
We were visiting Glasgow (literally that Dear Green Place in Gaelic) to see where my father was born, grew up, and went to University. Fortunately for me, my cousin John from Australia had just visited and had met with historians, Bruce Downie and Norry Wilson. So, we too arranged to meet them in the Govanhill […]