I'm back!
And I have egg on my face
After a winter hiatus, Hear Me Out is back with both the newsletter and the radio show/podcast.
Coming Tuesday, Feb. 1, on KVLF 1240 AM and Apple Podcasts, I’ll interview the Republican candidates for county judge. I’ll follow them on Tuesday, Feb. 8, with the Democratic candidates.
Greg Henington, Monty Kimball and Ryan Skelton are running on the Republican ballot. The Democratic ticket includes Benjamin Barrientes, Mimi Smith and Oscar Cobos.
County Judge Eleazar Cano chose not to seek a third term.
Just before Thanksgiving — like the day before — I wrote about being finished with COVID-19. (Get your eggs ready.)
Word of the pesky Omicron variant made its way into American headlines that Friday, and into the Esparza household mid-January. Both my youngest son and I tested positive, and both of us were spared the worst of it. He had sniffles, and I some fatigue and a barely sore throat. None of our symptoms would have kept us out of school or work in 2019.
While we’re both healthy and likely would’ve been fine, we’re nonetheless thankful for modern science and vaccines.
The same Friday that Omicron made its entrance into our collective conscience, I began experiencing an odd, sharp pain in my chest. No, not that kind of pain. Within a couple of days it had manifested itself in other unpleasant ways.
Shingles.
It took all of approximately six weeks for my mostly healthy 45-and-a-half-year-old body to heal, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. Wouldn’t you know it — there’s a vax for that. It is advised for people over the age of 50, unless you’ve already had the virus, in which case you are more likely to get it again. If you meet the criteria, I beg of you — call your doctor and ask about being vaccinated for shingles.
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I’d love to share this space with guest writers. Interested? Email hearmeoutalpine@gmail.com.