Dec. 20, 2020 At home decorating for Christmas as Covid surges nationwide, I'm thrilled that the election was certified and COVID-19 vaccinations have started, watching Council, celebrating kitty birthdays, and more.

Recent articles I recommend….

As COVID-19 vaccine distribution starts, here are key facts about Pfizer, Moderna shots 12/17/20 https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/as-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-starts-here-are-key-facts-about-pfizer-moderna-shots/ar-BB1bZ8Ch

Answers to Your Questions About the 2 New Covid Vaccines in the U.S. 12/14/20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/well/live/covid-vaccine-questions.html

When Can We Start Making Plans? 12/16/20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/well/live/life-after-covid.html

What You Need to Know About Getting Tested for Coronavirus 12/9/20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/well/live/covid-coronavirus-testing.html

Here’s Why Vaccinated People Still Need to Wear a Mask 12/8/20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/health/covid-vaccine-mask.html

The Swiss Cheese Model of Pandemic Defense 12/5/20 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/05/health/coronavirus-swiss-cheese-infection-mackay.html

The Election

Biden STILL won the popular election, defeating Trump by more than 7 million votes. Biden STILL won the Electoral College, 306 to 232. Trump is STILL a loser–and a really, really, really bad one at that.

ALL of Trump’s nutso lawsuits have failed miserably, and he or his minions filed over 50 of them. The Kraken one, the Ghost of Hugo Chavez one, the several suits filed in the wrong courts, the ones where conservative judges that Trump himself appointed delivered scathing rebukes to him, even the one where Texas whined that other states voted wrong—they all failed, just like Trump failed to win re-election in November. Trump’s attempts to intimidate and/or bribe officials into changing their state election result also came up short. Thank goodness our judges, just like our state and local campaign officials, have the sense, decency, and moral fiber to do their jobs, without being swayed by partisan affiliation OR political pressure. Special kudos to the Supreme Court, which quickly and unanimously shut down both cases that came before it, finding NO EVIDENCE OF VOTER FRAUD.

On Dec. 14, the Electoral College functioned flawlessly, with electors from every state certifying the vote as cast in November. The Biden-Harris victory was affirmed.

Let’s hope we make it to January 20.

The Coronavirus

Since my last blog, TWO vaccines have been approved for emergency use. Truly, it is a Christmas miracle. The Pfizer vaccine shipped to hospitals across the country last week, and vaccine administration began. This coming week, the Moderna vaccine should go the same route. (Both vaccines are based on new MessengerRNA technology and require 2 shots, 3-4 weeks apart, for full protection.) All states are prioritizing front-line medical workers and long-term care facility residents and staff. Since small amounts of vaccine doses are available now, it will take time to get those initial groups covered. Then, essential workers will be next in line; this is a very large and varied group, and states will have differing guidelines as to priority. Experts say that vaccinating this group will take months, so the rest of us likely won’t be able to get a shot before next summer.

As far as I’m concerned, just the prospect of protection via vaccination makes staying home and taking all precautions well worth it. Any downside is temporary, and the important thing is staying healthy and alive until becoming eligible for a vaccine.

Sadly, MANY Texans and MANY Americans will not live long enough to get vaccinated. In tragic counterpoint to the giddy news on the vaccine front, we are experiencing the worst surge to date. It is exactly what experts warned would happen, when people refused to wear masks in the fall and gathered for Thanksgiving celebrations.

Last week, America had over 1 million new confirmed cases in just 5 days. We are up to 17 million known cases, and experts forecast a quarter million new cases daily as the new norm. Some states are particularly hard hit, but the entire country is compromised.

Hospitalizations are soaring nationwide. Over 114,000 people are in our hospitals, many of them out of space and short on staff. The result is “rationed care” which means some people—Covid patients and other sick and injured just in the wrong place at an impossible time—lose out. There is still no cure, and celebrity-touted experimental treatments like monoclonal antibodies are in very short supply and work best when used early in the infection. Mostly, Covid patients just get supportive care–supplemental oxygen, steroids such as dexamethasone, and proning (which is just physically turning them periodically to lie on their stomachs to ease breathing). A ventilator is the last resort.

Deaths are incomprehensible. We blew past the 300,000 mark last week. (That is the same as the entire population of Pittsburgh.) With the daily death rate habitually over 3,000 now, we are likely to lose another 100,000 Americans in just one month.

Texas is edging up to the same terrible numbers we had last summer, as far as cases (well over 10,000 new cases per day now), hospitalizations (nearly 10,000 patients) and deaths (over 25,000—the 2^nd highest state total, after California, with 200-300 more dying every day). Gov. Abbott refuses to do anything and has prohibited local action.

Vaccines won’t curb infections for MONTHS. Supply is limited, and the process is far from quick and easy. America has over 330 million people, and a lot of them aren’t yet confident about taking a vaccine.

The best advice I have seen is to consider the miracle vaccines a welcome light at the end of the tunnel, but understand THE TUNNEL IS VERY LONG AND VERY DARK. AND, THERE BE DRAGONS…. We still have a scary trip ahead before reaching sunny shores, and we want to get there along with all our friends and family members. The only protection is the same as it has been since the start of the pandemic—wear a mask, social distance, wash hands, don’t gather indoors, avoid travel, and stay home whenever possible. Doing all that EVEN DURING THE HOLIDAYS is hard but makes it more likely that you AND your loved ones will be alive to celebrate together normally NEXT YEAR.

And, on a festive note, rest assured that–thanks to Dr. Fauci–Santa got vaccinated and can safely go on his appointed rounds Dec. 24. As Dr. Fauci recently assured the children of the world: “I took care of that for you because I was worried that you’d all be upset. So what I did a little while ago, I took a trip up there to the North Pole. I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go. He can come down the chimney. He can leave the presents, he can move on, and you have nothing to worry about. Santa Claus is good to go.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/19/anthony-fauci-vaccinate-santa-claus-coronavirus

Maybe next year this time, thanks to our men and women of science, we will ALL be good to go.

In Lakeway

Mayor Cox, in her Dec. 17 Facebook talk, stated that Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Lakeway is one of the hospitals getting the Pfizer vaccine, with the first shipment slated to arrive Dec. 18. Of course, for now, approved recipients are medical personnel and care facility residents. But, it is nice to know that our local hospital will be a vaccine site. She also said that with Texas and Travis County cases AND hospitalizations shooting sharply upward now, it is critical to avoid gatherings, wear masks, etc. But, she then segued to city meetings and announced returning to in-person meetings for “life style” committees starting in January, which makes no sense at all.

Council at its Dec. 7 meeting considered spending $125,000 to restore the historic Liebelt Cabin. (See my previous blog for background.) During discussion, it came out that 1) the city applied for a $20,000 LCRA grant but failed to get it; 2) it may apply for another grant, but it is only for $10,000; 3) additional known possible grant sources are dried up for 2021 and 2022, due to the pandemic; 4) the usual bidding process was NOT followed for this project; 5) the structure is leaking through the walls even worse than through the roof; and 6) even if $125,000 is spent, there is no guarantee the cabin can be saved. Questions on why preventive measures were not taken before the emergency stage was reached were not answered. It became clear the cabin is a vanity project for certain people. In the end, Council unanimously authorized spending $14,000 (already budgeted for the cabin) to slow temporarily the deterioration and look into options to resolve the problem.

I walked by City Hall on Dec. 18 and was surprised the structure still had not even been protected with a tarp, particularly as there was heavy rain on the way. Here is a current photo:

**Liebelt Cabin in Lakeway** **on 12-18-20**

Council meets again on Dec. 21, 6:30pm. This will be an IN-PERSON meeting at City Hall, despite the current record-breaking COVID surge. The Agenda includes:

–Appointing Erin Carr as Director of Building and Development Services. She has served as Interim Director since Charlotte Hodges left the Director’s job abruptly last spring.

–As to Serene Hills, considering 1) allowing payment of $128,000 to the City in lieu of the parkland improvements in the original plan; 2) accepting 8 acres of parkland; and 3) approving a Final Plat.

–Reviewing the proposed new and improved Rough Hollow Development Agreement. Key points to consider are the degree to which water quality and existing trees are protected, what the city gets instead of the shore access park and the sports park required in the original agreement but never provided by the developer, and what Legends gets in return for any concessions it makes (starting with more condos and a storage facility). The draft agreement is in the Meeting Packet (link below).

–Going through the motions of a re-do on amending the PUD ordinance for The Oakes to require developer Stratus to begin construction of Main Street’s middle segment by March 15, 2021 and complete it by March 15, 2023. This is needed due to a public notice error when they did this at the November meeting.

–Reviewing a proposed general overhaul of the city’s PUD ordinance.

So, there is still no disclosure of the results of the 2020 deer count, performed in late October.

The Meeting Packet PDF, including the proposed new Rough Hollow PUD Agreement for public review, is available here—https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/archive.aspx

To send comments to Council beforehand and/or request to speak in person at the meeting, go here and create a Public Comment Form–https://lakeway-tx.civicweb.net/Portal/CitizenEngagement.aspx

Go here to watch this Council meeting online (live or after the fact)— https://www.lakeway-tx.gov/1062/Videos—Meetings-Events

Back to me….

Ho, Ho, Ho! My decorating is done, along with packages wrapped and shipped. Yikes, EVERYTHING is just harder and more fraught this year.

**Christmas tree with Elf Cat Inspectors Peanut, Maxie and Tulip**

I got my second Shingrix vaccine recently. Since I had a very mild reaction to the first shot, I was surprised by how yucky I felt for a couple days after the second shot. Still, it beats getting Shingles, and I am glad to get that wrapped up before all efforts turned to the Covid vaccinations.

December is one long birthday bash for my 3 cats. Peanut had her birthday early this month. Tulip turned 10, and Maxie hit 14 since my last post. Other houses smell Christmasy this time of year; mine smells like catnip.