Betsy's Blog

Why do I need one? That is everyone’s question. Well, let’s see. I am in the ‘ancient’ age group, I flew back from overseas, took a cross country drive and ended up with a sore throat and my husband got a fever. My husband already passed his COVID-19 test here and is germ-free. So today is my turn! It is not as easy as it sounds to get tested for the virus in Las Vegas. Even though the test is free at many drug stores and hospitals, it is difficult to get an appointment. First, we tried to get the drive up test from the drug store CVS through their online registration. There were no appointments available at any of the stores in the whole city of Las Vegas. So I marched into the pharmacist and asked how I can get a test. She said the CVS testing slots are full, but to keep trying online. We tried repeatedly, but there were no openings. Meanwhile, my husband ended up in the Emergency Room for another health issue. He asked the doctor for a COVID-19 test and got one on the spot. ...

I’m a huge fan of Glee! I wrote a blog about it every week when it was on TV from 2009 until 2015. Well, almost every week. Did you know the term ‘Blog’ was first invented in 1997? I sent out my almost weekly Glee Blog by an old school email to my family and friends. I hope they looked forward to reading my weekly observations about a fictional high school Glee Club and often responded with funny feedback. I would even take notes during “Glee” about the characters, plot, actions, and fashions that sparked my interest. I had tears in my eyes during the final episode and Glee Blog. I joined the group that suffered from  “Glee Withdrawal.”  During this time, I was teaching in Florence, Italy when my teacher friend told me about the TV show, “Glee.” We discussed the weekly episodes over school lunch and then again over pasta and wine at the local pizzeria. Rachel was the diva with her beautiful voice and dance moves. The show costumes and musical numbers were over the top. Tee...

Take a deep breath. Breathe in, breathe out. I don’t think my husband and I have COVOD-19, but we signed up to get tested just in case. That is not as easy as it sounds. We are living in a new city in a new state and have to find doctors and hospitals. I have asked neighbors, realtors, and friends for recommendations. I have multiple lists of doctors and not everyone agrees on the best medical facilities in Las Vegas. After many phone calls, we finally found a doctor who could see us, but not in person. She does consultations on the internet during the pandemic. This was an adventure in itself. After multiple trials to connect with us, phone calls with her staff, and then IT, we finally reached her on Skype. She asked my husband a series of questions and then prescribed him an antibiotic for a sinus infection. She also suggested that we both get a coronavirus test just in case. Just in case! The alarm bells went off. We quickly found out how difficult it is to get a C...

Happy 4th of July! I said this holiday greeting to my children and grandchildren by phone today. However, is it really a happy day in the pandemic? Where are the fireworks, the barbeques, and the parades? Family traditions are turned upside down again. We already celebrated Easter in unique ways during the coronavirus. I spent it in a Thai condo with my husband where we ordered a Thai meal delivered to our door. We called our families on Skype and thought life would return to normal soon. Instead, times have gotten even stranger since then. We are all still staying close to home. The first confirmed COVID-19 case was in November 2019 in China and spread to Thailand and then to the U.S. by January 2020. The first American coronavirus death was in February 2020. We moved back home to the U.S. in April on one of the last flights out of Thailand. The U.S. now has the most number of recorded worldwide COVID-19 cases as of today, July 4th. Our country needs to trace and track people who ha...