Double Vaxxed
Monday June 28, 2021
I was privileged to be part of Toronto's Vaccine Day today, which saw more than 26,000 people vaccinated at Scotiabank Arena. The atmosphere was amazing, with entertainment and DJs. They gave away Maple Leafs and Raptors tickets for every 1000 vaccines administered (Go sports teams!), and everyone got a free rally towel to commemorate this record-breaking day. It truly felt like an "us, the team of Toronto" thing, and to be in Scotiabank Arena for the first time getting my vaccine felt so momentous.
Restrictions have started to relax, and the weather is blazing hot. Things are looking up. Being able to see people again has really lifted my spirits. Having social events to look forward to makes my week so much more enjoyable. I've kept up my fitness by joining Toronto's Bike Share program, so I can get around town and burn calories at the same time. I've biked all the way out to Woodbine Beach on the east side, and Mimico Waterfront Park on the west side. The Martin Goodman Trail is super nice to bike on, and High Park during weekends, since they close it to cars. We biked the Don River Trail one afternoon as well, starting at ET Seton Park by the Science Center and heading to Tommy Thompson's lighthouse - where I saw a fox for the first time! - and I still biked home down Bloor Street after all of that.
I caught the magnificent partial solar eclipse sunrise on the 10th of June as well. I woke up at 4.30am and got a car share car to drive to Woodbine Beach where I found a bunch of other nerds setting up their massive cameras and equipment for this spectacular one-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The weather was almost perfect, with a few clouds around the horizon, but not enough to obscure our view. At 5.35am, the "devil horns" sunrise appeared, two distinct spots of light emanating from the sun while the moon obscured the central part. As the sun rose further into the sky, the more familiar crescent shape appeared, illuminating the waters of Lake Ontario. I was truly lucky to be able to witness an event like this - and I've already bookmarked the next major eclipse event in Toronto, a total solar eclipse in 2024!
Posted by Jeremy at 2:38am on Monday June 28, 2021 :: 0 comments :: 
Tired
Saturday April 17, 2021
We're in our sixth month of lockdown. We are well into our third wave. Our case numbers have spiked hard, causing the provincial government to issue another stay-at-home order for four weeks. That was two weeks ago; today they announced even more restrictions, as well as a two week extension to the stay-at-home order. It's looking grim, and I'm tired. I'm tired of this lifestyle. The new variants are running rampant through the health system. The vaccine rollout is slow. My area is listed as a hotspot, so apparently I'm eligible for a vaccine earlier than expected, but there's no indication of when I'll get an appointment. I was one of the quick ones who managed to register while the website was active, but haven't received any further information.
I keep looking at flights back to New Zealand. I'd have to fly to Vancouver, then to Los Angeles, and then to Auckland. It's expensive. Then I have to quarantine for fourteen days. Also expensive. It's an option I'd rather not take unless absolutely necessary. Also I'd be flying back into winter, and that's just depressing.
I'm tired because my patience is running out. I don't have motivation to do anything. It sucks.
Posted by Jeremy at 3:02am on Saturday April 17, 2021 :: 0 comments ::
(Almost) One Year of Pandemic
Sunday February 28, 2021
We're coming up to a whole year of working from home, marking what has been an extraordinarily disappointing and depressing year for many of us, myself included. Winter has been tough. What is normally a festive time with gatherings for Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year and Random Events in March became a long, cold and literally dark lockdown over four months. I've made it clear I've struggled a lot throughout this time; I like to think of myself as very mentally stable but even this has been taxing on me. I got a sun lamp from Bed Bath and Beyond just after Christmas, and that's definitely helped. Walmart was supposed to deliver one before Christmas but they screwed up the order and it ended up getting sent back to the supplier, some random dodgy house in Seattle. I bought some bathroom scales as well, and I've lost 4kg since a year ago.
It's frustrating because it feels like I'm not doing anything with my life at the moment. I'm just passing time until everything is back to normal. It feels like a massive waste, and it's even more disheartening for me because I look back at my friends and family in New Zealand, who have enjoyed a magnificent summer and an almost COVID-free lifestyle. Our case numbers are dropping though, it might give us a bit of reprieve from lockdown as the weather starts to warm up. I've tried to get outdoors every so often, even though it's usually been below zero. Really the only reason I leave the house now is for food, be it to pick up some takeaways from my favourite neighbourhood joints, or to walk to Nations to get groceries. Sometimes I bike out to Cherry Beach along the waterfront trail, which is really nice. There's a fantastic sunset viewpoint at Polson Pier, which I've caught a few times.
Even in times like this, there's still some beautiful scenery to see around the city. But I miss travelling and going to restaurants and playing badminton and going to the gym. I guess I'm missing social interaction a lot more than I thought I would.
Posted by Jeremy at 4:27pm on Sunday February 28, 2021 :: 0 comments ::
The Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn
Monday December 21, 2020
I've seen many amazing astronomical phenomena in my lifetime. I remember watching the transit of Venus on the west shore of Manhattan Island in 2012 with the New York Amateur Astronomy Society. I saw Comet McNaught from Mt Roskill in Auckland, January 2007. There was one morning in 2016 I got up at 5am to see Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the sky at once. I've seen total and partial lunar eclipses and partial solar eclipses. This year's biggest event is the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn, and naturally, today it's overcast and miserable, so there's absolutely no chance of seeing these two magnificent gas giants at their closest in the sky. I did capture this photo from a few days ago, so not all is lost.
The crescent moon with Jupiter and Saturn to the right, in the glow of twilight.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:53pm on Monday December 21, 2020 :: 0 comments ::
Second Lockdown
Monday November 30, 2020
I'm finding second lockdown harder than the first. I'm not quite sure if it's a combination of boredom because outside is cold, dark, wet, windy, snowing, or a combination of the above, or if it's the onset of seasonal affective disorder, or if it's something else. I don't have any fun events or social gatherings to look forward to. It's just...how can I pass the time until everything is over.
This past weekend was sunny at least, and I spent most of it biking around the waterfront. I made it all the way to Cherry Beach. There were quite a few people out, though I did wonder how many of those people were socialising outside their household bubble. That's probably another factor in my frustration, I feel like I'm giving up a lot of the things I like doing but others aren't.
And then I look back at New Zealand, where my family are, where people are hugging and high fiving and enjoying the warmer weather and the longer days. Holiday season sucks when you're alone. It's going to be a long winter.
Posted by Jeremy at 11:02pm on Monday November 30, 2020 :: 0 comments ::