Borachio

Update: It's been 3 weeks since I had my second Moderna vaccine injection, so I got an IGG and total antibody test yesterday and both tests came back negative for antibodies. I was surprised by this given the reaction I had to the second injection (chills, fever, soreness, etc.) that lasted 24 hours. Must have been one heck of a placebo shot!

I had my 2nd injection of the Moderna vaccine on Thursday afternoon. They did the nasal swab again (should be the last time for that thank God) and more blood work. The Dr. said most patients have been reporting mild fever and chills the next day that last about 24 hours, he was right. About 4 hours after the injection my arm started to get sore near the injection site that progressed through the night and into the next day. This was the only reaction I had after the first injection 4 weeks prior. Throughout yesterday I had chills off and on especially around lunch time. I put on some sweats and got under a big blanket for a bit to "warm" up. That helped. The highest my temperature ever got was 100.2 yesterday after dinner time. It mostly stayed around 98.5-99.0 most of the day. My normal body temperature is usually in the low to mid 97s range. I also had fairly mild body aches/soreness in some spots. Just an overall feeling of blah throughout the day yesterday. I woke up this morning feeling good as new! My body definitely had a pretty good immune response yesterday, but overall, nothing major. When the vaccines do come out and if you decide to get one, maybe schedule it for a Friday so you can lie around on the couch the next day. I go back in a month to have more blood work done and then again on the 6th, 12 and 24 month. I use an app to log my temperature and any reactions for the next 7 days and the lab calls me once a week for the next 3 weeks to see how I'm doing. The study lasts 2 years and I get up to $1,600 for my time. At this point, I have no doubt that I received the actual vaccine and not the placebo, but I am still going to get the antibody test done on my own in two weeks to see what the count is. The full blood draw one, not the rapid test. For the medical people out there, which would be the best test for me to get with the best results for my situation? The IgG test or the Total AB (IgM/IgG/IgA)?

Last Saturday it was breakfast tacos at Valentina's, today it was the BBQ. They even hooked me up with a big piece of burnt end. Damn this place is good!

Valentina's BBQ for breakfast. Real deal Holifield and pork carnitas. So good!

The soreness was pretty much all gone today. The second day was the worst, very similar to when I get the flu shot. Raising my hand above my head and just applying slight pressure to the injection site was quite sore. Didn't have any redness or noticeable swelling. Yup, the injection was done into the side of my upper arm, just below the shoulder.

I had my first appointment yesterday at one of the research labs here in Austin doing the vaccine trial for Moderna. The nasal swab was as uncomfortable as advertised. They took 8 vials of blood, which seemed excessive. Then I got the injection. The injection site started to get sore last night and was a little worse this morning, but it felt about the same as when I get the flu shot. Pretty tender when I raise my arm. Since there is a decent amount of soreness maybe I did get the actual vaccine? I hope so, anyway, I go back in a month to get the second injection, plus another nasal swab.

I got my second call back from one of the research centers here in Austin that is testing the Moderna vaccine. I go in on Tuesday to get blood work done. If I make it past that round, I would either get a placebo or the actual vaccine, not sure if they will tell me which one I'm getting. My sister, who is a nurse, knows a few Doctors that are participating in a Covid-19 vaccine trial. I think a lot of participants are high risk and probably in the medical field.

My first Conans. Had the Savage and I added Canadian bacon, breakfast bacon, anchovies and extra cheese. Excellent!

I filled out the online form last night for Tekton Research, one of the 3 research facilities here in Austin that are doing the phrase 3 testing of the Moderna vaccine. I got a call this morning from them for a 10 minute phone interview. Said I should know something next week if I make it to the next round.

I got 3 different refunds tonight from 3 different airlines. I had to cancel a trip to Europe 3 weeks ago, that I was supposed to go on last week. United initially just gave me a travel voucher, I called again today and asked for my 60,000 points back and they obliged, plus a refund on the $150 taxes I paid. Had another domestic flight at the end of this month on American and Delta. Called them this evening and got refunds back to my credit card from both airlines. Delta I had actually cancelled 3 weeks ago and they gave me a voucher at the time, I asked for a refund tonight and got it. Airlines are being quite accommodating at the moment it seems.

Got a trip booked for Chernobyl and Auschwitz first week of April. The extra radiation should be able to kill this thing right? Which reminds me, if anyone has recommendations for Kyiv let me know.

I really enjoyed it. It was a nice change of pace for me from Hamilton and Les Mis type musicals which I saw recently, in the sense that DEH had a lot of dialogue mixed in with the music. It was a nice change of pace. The cast was really good and the show has a great message. There were a lot of high schoolers at the show. I'm going to recommend my sister take her high school aged kids if she has the chance.

Going tonight in Austin. Don't know much about the story going in. Really looking forward to it.

If anyone has a presale code they are not using I will happily take it. I was selected for the presale for ALDS and ALCS, but not WS. shelby18@hotmail.com or message me

That's actually a fair price. I paid that exact amount yesterday for 2 tickets on StubHub after all the fees. Same section, row 13.

Another happy H2O customer here. 3GB of LTE data for $28 a month. I rarely use over 1GB, I'm on wifi at home and at work. They use the AT&T network so coverage is great. AT&T was charging me $52 for the exact same plan. Like someone mentioned above, AT&T has a line access fee which is like $20. Ridiculous!

When I used Turo in Denver, the owner made it real easy for pick-up. The car was left in the longterm parking lot at the airport with a lockbox on the window and I was given the code to get the key out. If I remember correctly the parking was included at the airport.

I used Turo a couple years ago in Denver. No problems. We did get the extra insurance purchased through Turo when making the booking, was still cheaper than renting a car. Our main reason for using Turo was so we could get an AWD vehicle, which the rental companies could not guarantee.

Thank you GLL for the rundown on Botin. I think I will just go by there for lunch maybe one day if I have time just for the history. I'm kind of a sucker for that, but not waste a good dinner on it. La Castela looks great! I'm going to replace Botin with them on the itinerary. Mercado San Miguel is on the list. I remember going to the big market in Barcelona a few years ago (La Boqueria)and was blown away. If you've ever been to Lisbon, feel free to share some places to eat.

Thank you all! DiverXO was my first choice, but they appear to be closed the week I am there, maybe because it's Easter week. So plan B.

I will be in Madrid, Spain for a few days in April. Any must sees? Most importantly, is there a restaurant or two I should not miss? I have a reservation at Botin Restaurant one evening and I want to eat at one of the Michelin star places as I have never been to one anywhere. I am thinking La Terraza del Casino as I am a fan of Ferran Adria and I read he is a consultant here.

I'm interested in this topic as well. I'm heading to Marrakech for a few days in April. I plan on taking a day trip to the Atlas mountains one day. Half day tour of the Medina and other historical points of interest including the Majorelle gardens and YSL museum. Evening food tour in the Jemaa el-Fnaa Hammam scrub and massage. This restaurant looks interesting, https://www.alfassia.com/our-restaurant/ employs mainly women. I'll be staying in the Medina at Riad Les Clos de Arts. The Riad has been very helpful booking and planning some of my excursions. Looking forward to the trip! New continent for me.

Thanks for all the advice! It sounds like this could be a big risk and stressful if everything doesn't work out just perfect. The next day is Easter and if I miss this Norwegian flight, the next Norwegian flight to Austin is not until Tuesday. I did find another Easyjet flight that leaves Madrid at 9:50pm on Friday night, which still gives me the whole day Friday in Madrid to do stuff. Stay Friday night at a Gatwick hotel for that Saturday morning Norwegian flight. Still save the 15,000 plus points and not risk missing that flight home. Seems like the smart and safe bet.

Yes, flying out of Gatwick on that Norwegian flight. Carry-on only. Just got to get to that Norwegian gate in an hour and a half. Would I have to go through security again?