Honestly, it hasn't been too awful, but there is definitely a difference between the Moderna and the Pfizer. It's knocked us both for a loop, and fortunately, Sean did manage to have an extra day off this week, so he at least got a chance to sleep in and get some more rest. My "covid arm" (rash and muscle lump at the injection site) is almost entirely gone, and let's just say my female cycle harkened back to the bad old days when I was fairly useless for a few days between the additional pain and nausea. (So much pepto bismol this week. 
)The next big news in short is that Sean is transferring to a new, closer, Post Office sometime soonish, and will also be going FT sometime before the end of summer.
The long I-wish-I-was-making-this-up version you can feel free to skip if you don't care about the deails: So two weeks ago, Sean heard that his current OIC (office in charge) that's been filling in for the Post Master that only did a whopping week of duty before being shuttled off to fill in elsewhere is being sent to yet another PO where the post master there is under investigation. (He was a supervisor/clerk at this other PO before, so he was a logical choice to put there over other candidates.) So a new OIC came in to start the transition at Sean's current PO last week. Once again, as other newly bumped up people have done before, this new OIC thinks the best way to make a name for himself is to show how by the book of a leader he is and tell everyone they're doing everything wrong (even when they aren't). This was even after a regular carrier had already contacted the union after the first day of the transition, and the union was so aggravated at what the new OIC was up to that they assigned him a "transitional aid" to explain how some things need to be according to contract and what powers he absolutely does not have as an OIC. This, of course, made the new OIC double down on the non regulars (including the clerks) to the point that Sean contacted the union yet again because of how fast things were escalating within DAYS--several verbal warnings over absolute garbage, but threatening physical write ups which can quickly lead to dismissal charges. Sean went through this before as I wrote about back then, so it was essentially a flashback he did not need.
To give one prime example of the nonsense, the new OIC told Sean that he could not get his second shot when scheduled because the date was too inconvenient (happens to be the Friday of Memorial Day weekend when many regulars take off for the long weekend--which Sean had zero control over the second shot date--Walgreens assigned it per CDC guidelines). Once Sean explained that even Walgreens said he can't reschedule a second dose, the OIC became enraged, even going to the Walgreens site to show there were plenty of (first shot) appointments still available at other Walgreens, and so insisted it was possible and told Sean he had to at least change it to later in the day so he could still work that day and was absolutely not allowed to take off the day after even if he felt ill. (FWIW, Walgreens said it was the employers responsibility to work around them because it's neigh impossible to reschedule already set appointments, and the second dose HAS to be done within a certain time frame for best efficacy.) So, after Sean contacted the union, the regional union president himself made a phone call to explain that, no, Sean does not have to change it, nor does Walgreens have to reschedule it, and Sean does in fact have to be paid for the day, which the OIC is still trying to get out of doing. Same OIC already didn't pay Sean for the first shot as he was in charge of the latest pay period which started right when Sean got his first shot, so Sean had to file a grievance for that as well.
Thankfully, after a few phone calls and some paperwork started, Sean is transferring to a different Post Office some time within the next 26 days that is a wee bit closer than where he's been working the last year and change. It all depends on how long the new OIC tries to drag this out. Sean could, theoretically, be transferred as early as a week from Saturday because that's the start of a new pay period. But if the OIC who initially claimed he wouldn't hold up the transfer changes his mind and decides to claim that Sean is "essential", it could try to force the full 30 day transfer window (Sean started the paperwork already once he saw the writing on the wall with this new guy, so the clock has already been ticking down on that.) The good news is technically, because of Covid and the fact that the place where he is transferring has three carriers in the process of retiring as soon as replacements can be found (one of which currently is out with Covid and might not be returning)--the new OIC may not be able to play the essential card because the other PO has a greater need. This would free Sean up to Get Out of Dodge sooner, as it were. Because the new OIC has been pulling shenanigans (like deliberately not scheduling Sean at his own PO for no good reason at all, and instead has been sending him to cover at the farthest possible post offices because everyone is short handed still), Sean's hours in the last week have been insane, mostly due to the driving he's had to do--this is a common tactic to try to get a sub to "refuse" work, which can also be used as an excuse to do a write up.
At least today he only has to go a few towns over (the worst drive of late was 2 1/2 hours each way). Next week, one of the regulars is off so Sean was already going to be covering for the week, so at least then he won't be driving too much.Now here's where the short and long version matters related to a post I made here before...
The best news is regardless of how long this takes, Sean will FINALLY go full time before the end of this summer, depending on how long it takes the paperwork to get settled from his transfer, and then paperwork to go from sub to FT.
Also, the PM at where he's transferring is one he really likes (it was one of the PO's he almost transferred to before during the Gardner mess a few years ago when that new PM came in.) This will mean a huge pay and benefit bump that he has been waiting on for YEARS.Our next door neighbors that were supposed to be moving out this summer somehow ended up with a very ill sister staying with them, and it appears they got an extension on the move out because of same. (Sister is in wheelchair/hospital bed most of the time--I have not asked what with, they have not volunteered, so I don't know.) So since they're not moving out as was planned, it seems we may have more wiggle room as to whether or not we might have a chance to buy the house next door. (Yes, Sean's salary will take that big of a leap--and by then the covid housing boom should have cooled a bit.) We're not assuming this will work out in our favor, but it did put the purchase back on the table of possibilities.
Never a dull moment, I tell ya.
He is understandably unhappy, and honestly...his spirit is a bit crushed. I have been feeling helpless because I have run out of ways to try to cheer him up and none of them are working well if at all. He keeps threatening to look for other work, but I know he's at the point of paranoia about trusting anyone, so he's torn between the devil he knows and the one he may yet face. 
