I found the above linked article at the height of the pandemic. Well, the height of the prevaccination part of the pandemic anyhow.
The article is about wine windows in Italy. They are handy little windows whose use is to pass drinks from inside to outside with minimal contact. What a great idea!
The windows are from the time of the bubonic plague and are being put back into use now. I hope they’ve been working.
The above linked article tells about anxiety about ending the quarantine and shelter in place. Now that many of us have gotten vaccinated, it has become a possibility to enter back into society.
The color tiers are slowly going away, and it seems that the state of California will be opening full very shortly.
Will we be taking masks off soon, or is it still too early? Have we been put into a state of paranoia or is it real? Only time will tell.
As you may have noticed, I have been writing more about my adventures. They aren’t as exciting or interesting as the adventures that I had before the pandemic, but they are adventures. I have noticed that people aren’t as nervous about talking to other people. I have had conversations in the grocery store, and that hasn’t happened in over a year, it seems.
I still avoid chatting with people at the post office, but that’s nothing new. Run in, run out. That’s the perfect trip to the post office.
I have gone to restaurants and that’s been a little strange. At what point do you take off your mask and put on your mask. It’s like an added mini cardio workout. Mask on, mask off.
I suppose that the trips to the gym would be more social than they were when the pandemic first started, but, because I am swimming, it’s not so social. Perfect for swimmers. I did have that first trip to the pool when the one person per lane was too difficult to understand for some people. That was unusual, but certainly an adventure.
As things open up more and more, I hope to be posting more and more adventures. At least I am getting going again.
I was asked my stress level over a Zoom meeting. I didn’t know how to answer. Because of the pandemic, it’s different from moment to moment.
Right now? It’ll be different in twenty minutes. Tomorrow will be different than today.
I think this goes along with my “how are you” post from a few weeks ago. How are you? What’s your stress level? I think we still have several months of being honest.
I was meeting a friend who asked me to stop at the grocery store on the way. While I was there, I realized that part of her instructions weren’t clear. I had been messaging her but I decided a phone call was faster.
I didn’t think much about it and I just called her through the app that we were messaging on. She answered right away. She didn’t even say hello. Just “did you mean to do that?”
She’d assumed that I butt dialed since I never phone. I didn’t. I was just trying to get a series of questions answered faster than I could type.
How often do we just message a friend and never hear their voice? It’s nice to hear them once in a while. Next time you think of texting someone just to say hi, think of calling. I think we all need as much human contact as we can get these days.
Just a few minutes ago I got my first of two vaccination shots. I’ll be sitting here for fifteen minutes, so they can keep an eye on me. My only regret at this point is that I forgot my headphones so I can’t listen to my audiobook. Well, I could, but I think that no one else would appreciate it.
The above linked article tells more about Nathan Tan, a local artist who I met at the opening of Keith’s Chicken and Waffles, which is owned by a friend. Nate did the art for Keith’s, and my daughter, an art major, recognized the artist.
Nate also designed masks and put them up for sale on his website. I got some when they were avaliable. They are beautiful and worth checking out. His website for the masks is located at https://www.shopnewskool.com/accessories. He has many other items available there, too.
I’m glad that the article was written about him. He’s started a children’s show on online TV, which is linked in the article. It’s designed for the kids whose parents lack the creativity or skill to teach them art at home while we are still in the pandemic. I hope it goes far.
It used to be, when you ran into someone, you’d ask “how are you?” and you’d get a response of “fine.” You’d either move on with the conversation or move on with your day.
Since the pandemic started, you never know what the response to “how are you?” will be.
Lonely. Sad. Bored. Overwhelmed. All of these are valid responses. Also, there are many other responses that could be stated. Relieved. Busy. Full plate. Anything goes.
I know a lot of these are answers by text, zoom, or phone. Please take them all with a grain of salt. Listen to your family and friends when they respond, even if it’s not what you expect to hear. Follow up with questions. One day, you’ll get a “fine” response, and you’ll wonder what they are really feeling. Take advantage while you can.
bookworm at the gym 