Last night was a pretty challenging night feeling achy and feverish, and all those other symptoms of Covid. I did get my breakfast at 9:30, as it was placed on the ground in front of my outside door by a man that stood at least ten feel away from the glass door.

My plan was to try and get a certified Covid test through the PEI testing clinic today. I call at 8:00, when they opened, and they were already fully book for today. I did get a nice woman on the phone and told her my circumstances, and she put me on hold for quite a while and then came back and told me they made a place for me a 10:45. I was thankful that she understood my dilemma, but it could have been that she felt sorry because I was crying (joking but close) on the other end, and that might have swayed her.

I called a cab to arraign a pickup, but the gruff voice on the other end just blurted out, “call back when you’re ready to be picked up,” and he hung up the phone. Apparently the cab service on the island is a little rough. I called later and when the same man answered he asked where to? I said the Covid testing clinic, and again he blurted out, “we don’t go there,” and hung up the phone. Darn! I tried another cab company and this time when they asked where I was going, I gave him an address. He immediately said, “ can’t take you there,” and hung up the phone.

By then it was 10:10 am, and with my mind in a fog from feeling bad, I googled the address and it was 1.25 from here, with an estimated 26 minute walk. Am I crazy, feeling as bad as I did, even thinking about walking there? Well, I did! Out the door by 10:15.

It wasn’t an easy walk and I just tried to picture how close it was. Google maps of course sent me through a huge parking lot out in the middle of nowhere, and then told me my destination was on my right. Where, there’s nothing there but a tall chain link fence and building in the distance, and I only have four minutes left!

Strange, but I saw a guard shack and started walking by and the guard asked me what I was doing. Of course I told him I was there for testing, and he gave a a sticker with a phone number on it, and told me to go to the big commercial building and call the number. There were several cars parked in designate areas, and it looked like people were being tested in their cars. When I called the number, she asked me what kind of car I was driving. I said walking of course. A woman came out and confirmed who I was, and then proceeded to stick a long cotton swab up my nose and into my brain. I almost sneezed on her hand. I have had several test, and most were either done by myself with instruction of a tech, or gently done by a lab tech. She did say she wasn’t a medical person, so maybe she was a mechanic in her former job. About two minutes and I was done.

I walked back the 1.25 miles and couldn’t wait to crawl into bed. The walk had wiped me out. Two hours later I went online and the test results came back positive. Quarantine is for six days starting on tye day of the first symptoms, which could be Saturday night for me.

When I got back I crawled in bed and don’t plan anything else for today or the next 3-5 days, depending how I feel. I’ll order food delivery again and will have breakfast here one last time. Then I’ll head over to my next hotel, which is about a quarter a mile away, but I’ll take a cab. Hopefully they don’t recognize the address or phone number and refuse to take me.

It just dawned on me why such a friendly people on PEI are so curt and almost hysterical, and overly panicked, about Covid. PEI was basically shut down until this year, with few people allowed in and the Covid rates very low. Now that Canada has open up people in droves are coming here along with Covid, which most places have been dealing with for over two years. We have gotten so use to the numbers and spread of Covid, and have gotten use to the lockdowns, numbers, etc., back home and big cities, but here it is something fairly new, like it was for us two and a half years ago. It’s just my guess, but it might explain some of the difficulty I am having here.

Best wishes to all, and keep me in your good thoughts, and prayers,

Ted

Ted’s The Island Walk Alzheimer’s Association donation link:

http://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=15144&pg=personal&px=16504635

Please excuse tye typos, spelling errors, and grammar, as I am not feeling well.