The rules have changed (at our clinic), so I'm not going to be able to have the weekly coronavirus tests. Conditions apply.

Because of the onslaught of virus cases, the related "close contact" testing, and the counter availability brought on by supply chain issues, our clinic has changed the rules for who is allowed to get tested. It used to be "anyone who wanted," but now it's largely related to treatment, symptomatic people, and employees and their younger children. I'm not having treatments or surgeries, I'm arguably not symptomatic (i have a typical set of weather-related symptoms that occur every year), and while my wife works for the clinic's company, I'm not a young child.

So I will test at a distance moving forward, as she and the kids will continue to be tested. If one of us has it, it's likely more do, and if many of us have it, we'll make different considerations.

Today was a little bit of a sad-making day, as our school intern guest is changing households tomorrow. For many reasons, around winter break, which was two weeks ago, the intern teachers change houses. Our time with our guest ends tomorrow, when we deliver her to her new home for the rest of the school year. Each day at dinner, and other times we can be together, everyone has been telling each other to not make them cry yet. Tears are expected at the transfer.

It's a happy time, to be sure. The bittersweet of someone leaving your home, but not for any bad reason, or any kind of surprise.

We've really been lucky with our intern, and she tells us how lucky she feels to have us as her hosts. It seems not all of the families have been as supportive or engaged, or even nice. I get that the times make it hard to do some things. We had a whole list we wanted to try to show off and do when we first signed up pre-pandemic. Some of that we tried to do still, but there's a lot left in the bucket list.

Stupid pandemic.

Still, we're trying to make it fun, while staying open and up front with the kids. The little little is likely to shrug it off, possibly asking about it occasionally. The big little is likely to melt unexpectedly into tears for a while, as she struggles with changes like these, no matter how well we prepare.

At least she's not gone for real, yet, and they'll still be able to see each other at school. And we're planning on occasionally gathering and hanging out, or maybe trying to find a bucket list thing to complete. We've got an OK restaurant nearby that reminds her of home. A little Americanized, or maybe just different nuance in the ingredients, but close.

I'm sure we'll go through this again in July, when she leaves after the school year and returns to her family. And we'll hopefully be able to connect, at least asynchronously over the Internet. And she's pledged to visit should she return to the US.

Transitions aside, everything seems to be going well.

Everyone's healthy.