Kid got his second COVID jab on Wednesday, making us now a fully vaccinated family. With the new NSW premier mucking around with school reopening dates I’m glad we got everyone vaccinated as soon as possible. I don’t trust Premier Perrottet to make decisions for our benefit, only for his right-wing conservative Catholic constituents and moneyed mates.

The premiers, for better or worse, have been protecting their citizens against the selfish stupidity of the Federal government, but with Perrottet’s elevation that may no longer be the case. Been so angry about his ascension that I’ve struggled to sleep at night. It’s not a good state to be in.

We all got Pfizer because it was the only vaccine that was open to us at the time. Would have been fine with the locally manufactured AZ.

Meanwhile, my brother’s family were all sick with COVID last week. It is fortunate that the adults were both vaccinated, though it was still rough for my brother, who is immunocompromised. Some of the kids also had a bad time of it, one had a brief visit to hospital but was discharged the same day. Get vaccinated.

Whilst the first steps to reopening begin on Monday I intend to take it cautiously. Not sure the other two in the house will agree as they can’t wait to visit restaurants and supermarkets in some of the worst affected areas.

There’s plenty I miss with being locked down, but I don’t miss the crowds, the shopping every weekend, the queues at the restaurants. We visited Miranda Westfield on Monday, hoping for some take-away variety from the food court. The top floor of the shopping centre was almost completely empty. Sure the shops were closed, but I kind of liked it.

This pandemic has been a break from the constant crowds, the streets with too many cars, the trains without enough seats. All part of a big city that seeks to grow ever larger.

And when the mask restrictions are lifted we’ll have to use other means to spot the dicknosers, the selfish who put themselves ahead of others. There are many days I despair of humanity.

But humans made this vaccine and they made it in record time. That’s worth celebrating.