Allie Updates & Release Schedule

Thank you.

FWIW, my wife and I have have had both our Pfizer shots. My reaction to the second one was a small knot on my arm for a couple of days. It seemed to make her tired. I've known other people who had a reaction (my 40-year-old daughter, a guy I work with, and others who had very little reaction.

Sorry for your loss, Nick! We've had cats and dogs, and it's hard when they have to go.

Thanks, Sef. I'm misty-eyed again, replying to comments, but that's a good thing. I think.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Frank. Sounds like you've had a rough couple of years, pet-wise. Hope it's better now.

Nick Scipio

Glad to hear. My second shot was a huge nothing (which is good!). I *maybe* had a slight headache and 0.1° fever, but that's about it.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Michael. And you're right, it's tough to lose them, even when you know it's the right decision. I wouldn't want to suffer either.

Nick Scipio

No kidding! I'm sure we've all heard the joke, "Dogs have owners; cats have staff." It's funny 'cause it's true!

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Sean. Yes, it's tough, but I have good memories, and those will last forever.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, JR. One cat is a good number. Our max is/was three, but two seems to be our happy place. Good luck with your second shot. Hopefully you're past the worst by now.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, lcd. And yeah, hard to lose a pet, even an "older" one. (Cats can live past 20, so Goober was middle-aged... kinda like us. Ugh.)

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Les. I had a reaction to the second shot like you did... little or nothing, might've been a lack of caffeine. We were lucky. Very, very lucky. And it feels good to be vaccinated.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Paco. I think we all can relate (and that's a good thing). Cats and dogs are different in life, but they're the same in death. They're all creatures we loved and who loved us in return.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Geoff. Glad to hear you're doing well. Having the vaccine is a huge relief.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Jimmy. Glad to hear you're doing well, especially after a bout of COVID. Hope your wife's second shot went well too.

Nick Scipio

I'm sorry for your loss. Having been there, I know how hard it can be.

Seferin

I'm very sorry for you loss. It is always a tough decision on letting them go. In late 2018 we lost an an 8 yr old orange tabby we rescued off the street to an aggressive cancer, a male border collie mix rescued off the street to age, and a female border collie mix to age in early 2020 just before the pandemic iced that shit cake. They are companions and family members and losing them is always painful. It took us 4 or 5 months until we were ready to find a new member of the family.

As for the Vaccine, I got the Moderna shots and for the first, slight arm pain. The second however... About 14 hours after the shot it hurt like hell. Couldn't sleep but about 24 hours later had no more problems. Had no fever, minimal aches, done. Hope yours went as well or better.

Sorry for the loss of Goober. I've gone through it myself a ew times and it is never easy. It's tough to lose a family member even when you know he is suffering.

There were cats at the courts of the Pharohs in Ancient Egypt and the Egyptians revered them as gods. Cats have not forgotten this.

Condolences. Tough to say goodbye to our loyal furry friends.

Sean O'Neill

Sorry for your loss I’m down to one cat right now from to many to admit to he is a 12 year old rescue . Getting my second Pfizer shot on Monday hopefully with no response at all

I'm sorry for your loss, it's hard to lose a companion who was there with you for so many years! I had my (Pfizer) shots in December and January. I had to take a day off after the second one, as I was pretty sick, but I got better by the evening, and had no problems since. Glad you're getting it, too!

Laszlo Szidonya

Most sincere condolences for your furry friend. I’m a cat person too, and losing them is losing a beloved member of your family. I’m a bit older than you, and I had both Pfizer shots, the second two weeks ago today. Other than a slightly sore arm both times, and a bit of fogginess the morning after the second one, I was fine. But then that might have been a lack of caffeine talking that morning too. Anyway, thanks again for your writing and the entertainment you provide!

Les Bagley

Sorry to hear about Goober, dude. I can relate!! I'm a cat person myself... RIP kitty-cat!!! Shot 2... the next day will probably kick your ass (it did mine - low grade fever, weak, tired - went back to bed for 6 hours... felt better), but after that it's "home free"...

Very sorry about Goober. It's hard to loose a family member. I've had both doses of the Pfizer. Had a slight fever for about 2 days after the 2nd one. Other than that all good.

I send my condolence on losing Goober. I know it will be difficult to get over losing a close companion. Concerning COVID, my wife and I had COVID in December. It never got into our lungs. So we were lucky. I got both Pfizer COVID shots in March. Both shots didn't affect me at all. My wife gets her second shot on Monday. After her first shot. She got sick and ran a fever that got to 101. So I don't know what to expect when she gets the second shot. On "Don't Fix It", I think the addition to the story of an 'au pair' is a good idea. It should be a fun adventure to read.

Thanks, Ford. Glad to hear about the vaccine. Big Ed's wife is getting her J&J shot on Tuesday, so hopefully she'll have a similar experience. It'll be nice to start easing back to a normal life. Maybe. Like I've said many times today, fingers crossed.

Nick Scipio

Yep. You know it's coming and it's almost a relief when it does, but that still doesn't make it any easier. Good luck with your next pet. Like you said, you've been lucky. I'm still doing fine after shot #2, but my wife is achy and dizzy. I'm hoping this is the worst for both of us. She tends to hibernate when she's sick, so I'll take her some Gatorade in an hour or so but leave her alone otherwise.

Nick Scipio

Sorry to hear about Goober. I am allergic to dogs and cats, but I'm more of a dog person. I got the J&J vaccine last week, I was laid up the next day with joint pain, but fine the day after.

Ford Prefect

Condolences to you, Nick. I lost my 14 year old pug this week. Even though I knew it was coming, it doesn't make it easier. They're family to us. I guess I've been lucky. My two adulthood pets lived long-ish lives -- 14 years for the pug and 17 years for my shelter kitty. It's just never enough. I got my second Moderna yesterday and had a rough night. Chills set in about 1am and lasted until about 3am...just couldn't get warm. Got up at 6ish to use the restroom and got dizzy and knew I'd pass out if I didn't get back to bed...and then had the sweats and a horrid headache. Starting to even up now.

Thank, LT. Good luck with your wife's second shot. Hopefully she won't have any serious side effect. We're doing fine so far. Knock on wood.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, James. And holy crap! You lost a kitten after 6 weeks?!? Wow, that's rough. But like you said, you filled the void with a new furball. Love the name, too. On the vaccine front, we're doing fine so far—minor soreness in our arms, but no fever, aches, or pains... yet. Fingers crossed.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Doc, for both. No major side effects so far, but it's only been 24h. Fingers crossed. But, like I said above, it beats the alternative.

Nick Scipio

Thank you, sir. Goober was definitely my cat. He liked my wife and the grandkids okay, but I was his favorite. Agreed about the vaccine. No matter how bad it gets from the second shot, it's a LOT better than the alternative. And the peace of mind is worth 1000x more.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Joe. Good to hear about your vaccine experience. And thanks for reading! I really wouldn't be doing this without you and everyone else.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, J.L. Goober was my little buddy. Like I said, he followed me around and hung out wherever I was working. I felt mostly okay yesterday after the shot. Today, 24 hours later, I'm still mostly okay. Maybe a little fatigued, but nothing like the flu. We'll see how long it lasts. Watch this space, I suppose.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Dennis. Our first shots were big nothings, which was good. I felt a mild burning for about 30 seconds after the shot. My wife's arm was sore the next day. That's it. So far, we're doing okay after the second shot, but it's only been 24 hours. Talk to me in a couple of days...

Nick Scipio

That's one of the reasons I love Havana Browns as a breed. They're more like dogs, so they greet me at the door, come see what I'm up to, etc. Oddly enough, I'm mildly allergic to cats too, 2/4 on the standard allergy scale. And, of course, I'm not the least bit allergic to dogs. Go figure.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Condor. I had trouble starting the current book, but I'm having fun with it now. The latest scenes in the Staff pre-release were pure joy to write. As far as the vaccine, we're doing fine so far, but it's only been 24 hours. We'll see how long it lasts.

Nick Scipio

Thanks, Jim. I have some really good memories of Goober. Just wish I'd taken more pictures. Ah well, the ones I have are good. As far as the vaccine, we're both fine this morning. Our arms are a little sore, and my wife's running a VERY low-grade fever, but we're fine otherwise. Fingers crossed that it lasts.

Nick Scipio

I took 2 doses of the Pfizer 2-10-21 & 3-4-21 with no side effects, The wife has had one of the Modera and waiting on the second next week. She had no adverse effect from the first. Sorry for your loss of your feline companion. we have 1 inside cat and three outside(not counting all the neighborhood strays we feed) and we love them all. I also have a mix breed dog out back of my shop. Glad to see we are going to be reading again the stories I very much enjoy.

My added condolences about Goober! My wife and I lost our new kitten in January after having him only 6 weeks, so I sympathize for sure. I definitely recommend your plan of finding a new cat of the same breed--we ended up doing that ourselves, and now have a friendly, curious tuxedo kitten almost exactly like the one we lost so suddenly. It's almost like the first one never left. We even gave them the same name (Hamilton, aka Ham or Alexander Hamilcat), though you may not want to do that since Goober was with you for so long. Either way, so sorry for the loss and hoping the new cat will be just as amazing. I've gotten my first Pfizer shot and will get the second in about two weeks. No symptoms or problems so far! Though my wife has gotten both hers and had a couple days of feeling sick and blah both times.

James Ranson

Very sorry to hear about Goober, we never really get to have our loved ones around long enough whether they have two legs or four. He must have been a very sweet mancat and I hope that his memory will always be a blessing. I've got two doses of Phizer onboard, and no side effects. Hoping that you have an equally uneventful experience.

Sorry to hear about your cat. We’ve lost two during the past year. One that had adopted my son as her person, and one that had attached herself to me. She would spend most of the day curled up in the office as I was working from home, on the floor next to the desk. It’s been a couple of months now, but I definitely still miss her. I’ve got my second Moderna shot scheduled for this week. I had some stomach cramps and lethargy from the first dose, so I’m expecting to have a rough day or so afterwards. It’s better than the alternative.

Condolences on the loss of Goober. Pfizer, both shots. No symptoms. Thank you for the update. Looking forward to the story!

My deepest sympathies, Nick. Goober sounds like he was a great friend. I received both rounds of the Moderna vaccine, and after the second shot experienced some arm pain and fatigue for around 48 hours. My dad apparently had a stronger reaction (flu-like symptoms including chills and fever for 72 hours) to his second dose, but he's fine now. It'll be nice to finally catch up with friends and family who are also vaccinated.

J.L. Garner

It's so disheartening to hear that you lost Goober. He looked adorable. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to lose a family member and friend like that. I got my first injection of the Moderna vaccine yesterday and only experienced localized arm pain, which is pretty typical for me when I get a shot like that. I keep hearing that the second shot has more potential negative reactions. I'm getting that one during the first week of May. Hopefully it'll go okay.

I’m so sorry for your loss. Funny cat story. I thought I was allergic to cats when I was adopted by my current feline twelve years ago. When I came home from my most recent deployment, it was confirmed that I’m allergic to them. She was staying with my parents for the almost year I was gone. When I got home, I went around with my father to visit some things, then finally went to his house. He let Sophie down and she was running straight to her dish in the kitchen and I was on the sofa. As soon as she heard me, she turned and ran right to me and jumped on me rubber and meowing a storm. Within thirty seconds I started coughing, which confirmed my being allergic, BUT she did miss me and remember me. All the previous cats I had would shun me if I left for deployments, giving me an attitude of “where were you servant?” Sophie is more like “daddy!”

Eric

Sorry for your loss, Nick. Anyone who has experienced the passing of a beloved pet can certainly sympathize. My experience is that the sorrow passes but the fine, fun memories persist. Hope it is the same for you. Thanks for the release update. I will take the position that your taking the time needed (within reason!) to create a great and satisfying work of literary art is well worth it to your loyal readers. Also, we all need some fun and time to recharge our creative battery now and then. Since you asked, I and my wife have had both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. As usual I had negligible reaction. My wife only slight discomfort. Our daughter, son and daughter-in-law have all had their first Pfizer doses. The girls had significant arm ache for a day. Our son had only slight discomfort. One (female) friend could barely get out of bed for a day. Most had minimal reaction. The peace of mind once you are vaccinated can be significant! I encourage everyone who can to do so as soon as they are able.

Sorry for your loss. I never met your Goober, but I understand that the attachment, and the grief, are real... As for the vaccine: my wife and I got the Pfizer. She had almost no reaction. As for me, the day after my first dose, I felt like someone had swung a baseball bat and connected with my arm. I felt sore after the second dose, but nowhere near as bad.