How Will Life Change After Covid 19?

You hear people talk often about "The new normal."  What will that be?  I think there are two stages to consider:  One, the time before we have a vaccine when were are still wearing masks and social distancing, and two, when we have a vaccine and everyone is vaccinated. 

For the forseeable future, before we have a vaccine, things will definitely be different, and some of the changes may be permanent.  For example, more people will work at home.  Many may find that they really like it, and want to continue even after they can go back to work.  The result of this down the line is that companies may need less office space, which will affect commercial real estate.  Education will change.  Educators are still trying to work out how to get kids back in classrooms safely.  Many older students, middle school, high school and college, have discovered that learning on line works well for them.  One of my sons has discovered huge progress academically for their kids in the past 6 weeks as they have been home schooled.  Long term, I don't think that's what most people will choose.  It's hard for parents to work full time and home school.  Oh, there's so much to think about.  We will all go back to many of our regular activities, like gyms, restaurants, and hair salons, but with social distancing and extreme caution.  We will no longer be packed into bars for happy hour.

In the long term, after a vaccine is found for the virus, people will begin to go back to what we now consider "normal," but it won't be overnight.  I'm not sure I will ever again play bridge in a traditional bridge club, or that Ron will play poker in a casino.  Over time, when we're not worried about getting the virus, restaurants will be more crowded, concerts will return, even Las Vegas will come back to life.  These things are a long way off, and what could happen is that people will get used to doing things the "new" way, and be slow to return to how life used to be. 

What about cruise ships, dance clubs, crowded movie theatres, football stadiums?  Younger people will probably be more willing to take chances and get back to these activities sooner, but who knows?  For now, we'll have to watch and wait.  Do what the scientists say is best to keep us from having a big flare up in six months time.  I'm doing my part, and from what I see in San Diego, so are most people in our community.  As my neighbor says, she's dying to go out for a good steak dinner.  I told her to put that at the top of her new bucket list.

Great Flavors at City Tacos

On one of our Saturday walks, Fran and I decided to try the new taco shop in the Lumberyard.  We often end up at The Taco Stand, but we decided to try the new kid in town, City Tacos.  City Tacos was born in North Park several years ago, and now has five locations, including La Mesa and Encinitas.  They will soon be opening in Sorrento Valley.

We were pleasantly surprised with the delicious meal we ate.  It's definitely just a taco stand, but oh, are these tacos good.  It may be my new favorite taco place in the area.  We ordered two different tacos and split, so we could try more than one thing.  The pork chorizo taco with pineapple was served on a freshly made thick, hot corn tortilla.  It was delicious.  The chicken taco consisted of big chunks of chicken, tomatoes, sliced almonds and arugula.  It was served on a flour tortilla, freshly made.  We enjoyed both tacos, and decided we will come back soon again and try some of their other interesting flavor combinations.

They also offer vegan, vegetarian and Paleo tacos, so they cover all the bases.  Side dishes include guacamole and chips, black beans, and Mexican corn on the cob.  Indoor and patio seating are available.  We were their first customers of the day, but I imagine it gets busy and very lively as the day goes on.  It's a great place to stop for a small snack (one taco is about $4) or a big meal when you're in the Lumberyard.  You'll be happy you tried City Tacos.

Continue Learning With Road Scholar

Thanks to my friend Marilyn, who sent me the information on how Road Scholar, which one usually thinks of as a travel company for seniors, is adapting its programs to the stay at home mandate.  They have a series of virtual lectures to keep their senior audience thinking.   What a great idea.  The first one was on some of the famous names in the art world in Los Angeles in the past 100 years.  I thought I knew a lot about art, but I learned so much from this 35 minute lecture, followed by about 15 minutes of questions.

The lecture concentrated on the four big names in Los Angeles art of the 20th century, on how they got started, how they originally made their money and quite a bit about their lives.  The people, all men, were Henry Huntington, John Paul Getty, Norton Simon and Eli Broad.  Each man was unique in what they wanted to collect and why.  For example, Henry Huntington started collecting books and manuscripts (no one knows exactly why) in Cincinnati, before he even arrived in Los Angeles and bought up much of the land in the San Fernando Valley.  He opened the Huntington Library near Pasadena.  J.P. Getty, who made his money in oil, took six months out of his life to learn Arabic, so he could deal with the oil men in THEIR language.  I guess it was a good idea.  The unique spin on his collection is that he was always looking for a bargain.  This has led experts to question the authenticity of some of his collection. You can see his collections at the Getty Villa in Malibu, and the Getty in Brentwood.

Norton Simon was the son of a clothier from Portland.  In business, he made his money buying struggling companies and turning them around.  Hunt's was probably the most important company he turned around in the early 1950's.  Simon's interest in impressionism continued and grew after his marriage to Jennifer Jones.  Instead of building a new museum to house Simon's growing collection, he did what he had done in business.  He bought the struggling Pasadena Museum of Art, redid it, and put in his collection of impressionist art.

Eli Broad was born in Detroit in 1933.  He started his career as a CPA for the builder, Kaufman.  The rest is history.  They formed Kaufman and Broad.  Eli also founded Sun America (insurance company).  In 2015 the Broad Museum in Los Angeles,  opened to rave reviews.  It is beautiful to look at, and houses a rotating collection of some of the most beautiful modern art of the past 75 years.  Surprisingly, 70% of visitors to the Broad Museum are under 45.  That means that interest in art, at least modern art, is important to young people.

Why were no women involved in the art world in LA in the past 100 years?  No one knows for sure, but I most assuredly has something to do with the fact that men controlled most of the wealth at that time.  However, the wives of several of these business tycoons were instrumental in what they collected.  Hopefully the next 100 years will see women involved in this end of the art world, too.  Check out Road Scholar for more interesting lectures to fill your at home time.

Remembering Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas died recently at age 103.  Imagine what he has seen in his lifetime.  As I'm reading about his life, I'm awed by what he accomplished.  Born into an family of impoverished immigrants with six siblings, he became one of the most recognized movie star of the Golden Age.  But making movies, 90+ movies like Spartacus, The Bad and the Beautiful, Lonely are the Brave, Ulysses, and one of my favorites, Lust for Life, was not all he did.

Kirk Douglas will be remembered as a film star, but he was also a screen writer, producer and director.  He is largely responsible for breaking the black list in Hollywood during the 1950's.  He was able to get Dalton Trumbo, one of the blacklisted writers, to write Spartacus, thus breaking the blacklist.  I consider this one of his great achievements in the film industry, although he also won several Academy Awards and Lifetime Achievement awards.

Kirk Douglas was also an activist, working hard for social and political causes in which he believed.  He was a writer of 10 novels, including a memoir.  In 1996 he suffered a stroke, which left him unable to speak.  With hard work and good care, Kirk Douglas was again able to speak, although his speech was slow and deliberate.  After recovering, he wrote Stroke of Luck, which he hoped would be a guide for other stroke victims in their recovery.

At age 100, there was a big party for him at the Beverly Hills Hotel.  He was still able to walk in to the party himself and enjoy the accolades that were given to him.  He was one of the last surviving stars of the Golden Age of Film, and will be missed.  We have his many movies and books that will last forever.  Oh, did I mention how good looking he was?

How Is The Travel Industry Doing These Days?

Not well is the short answer.  I am still involved in the travel industry.  I work for one of the largest travel companies in the country, Tzell Travel.  I work out of the LA office.  The main office is in New York, and almost everyone except support staff and administrative staff work at home. 

I was reading the most recent edition of Travel Weekly, the trade magazine that offers us so much information.  Here are just a few of the things I learned.

Air Emirates (excellent airlines from UAE) is doing Covid 19 testing for  all passengers on their flights from Dubai-Tunesia.  Positive tests means you cannot fly, and you can easily isolated those people and do contact tracing.  After a month without service, Dubai-Chicago service will commence on April 18.  I am not sure if those passengers will also have the Covid 19 test.  If they can do it, why can't we?  I guess UAE was not one of the countries under a ban from President Trump.  Masks and protective barriers are present at check in and only carry on laptops and handbags are allowed. 

The Trump National Doral has laid off 560 workers.

Hawaii, a top travel destination, has been hardest hit.  Most hotels and Band B's have been closed down, and cruise ships no longer plan to go to the Hawaiian Islands any time soon.

Cruising Alaska is dead for the summer.  Princess and Holland America have cancelled most cruises.  There is one cruise itinerary, from Seattle to Anchorage, that has not yet been cancelled. 

The airline industry could not be in worse shape.  Airlines have laid off (or will lay off)100,000 employees, plus plan to ground or retire 900 planes!  Airlines are in good shape financially (most of them) and no bankruptcies are planned.  Experts say it will take 2-5 years for the airlines to recover. 

I feel brilliant, as I had some Delta stock that I sold around 4 months ago for $58.  It is now $15.  If you've got airline stocks and hopefully don't need the money, put them away and forget about them.  I feel confident that they will come back.

Travel is one of my great loves, so I am saddened to see what has happened.  I can't imagine what it's going to take to bring travel back.  For now, just be an armchair traveler and make your wish list for when we can all return to what will be a new normal.

The Work of Lari Pittman

Lari Pittman is an American artist that I have long admired.  Born in 1952, his father is American, his mother Colombian.  He is currently a professor at UCLA.  I don't know how he finds time to teach, with all the work he produces.

I was in LA in late December, and stopped in at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, one of my favorite museums to visit.  They had a retrospective of Lari's work that was so big, so bold, so fascinating.  It's hard to describe his work, but to me it is visually exciting.  Every time you look at one of his paintings you see something new.

Pittman uses anthropomorphic depictions of furniture, weapons, and animals—loaded with symbolism—to convey themes of romantic love, violence, and mortality. His paintings and drawings are a personal rebellion against rigid, puritanical dichotomies. They demonstrate the complementary nature of beauty and suffering, pain and pleasure—and direct the viewer’s attention to bittersweet experiences and the value of sentimentality in art. Despite subject matter that changes from series to series, Pittman’s deployment of simultaneously occurring narratives and opulent imagery reflects the rich heterogeneity of American society, the artist’s Colombian heritage, and the distorting effects of hyper-capitalism on everyday life.

Pittman graduated from Cal Arts, then went on to get his MFA from there, too.  It was there that he met his life partner, Roy Dowell.  If you are not familiar with his work, you can find it at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles and dozens of museums around the country.  He is collected by many serious art collectors around the world.  

From his paintings I thought he might have had a tormented life.  He seems to be painting about rebellion against society, love, romance, history, current culture and violence.  Other than a 1980's robbery that left him badly injured, I could not find much that would account for his fascinating paintings.  I guess he just has a wild imagination.  Get to know his work if you haven't already.  He is one of a kind.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind On Hold

In the era of Covid 19, so much has changed.  Take the training and hand off to the blind of guide dogs that are ready to serve, to their new owners who have been waiting patiently for their new helper for months, if not years.  The training of guide dogs is not considered essential business!

Easy for those that are not blind to say.  A blind person may wait a year or longer to get his companion in normal times.  Now this is delayed.  Most people who qualify for a guide dog need help in the outside world as well as within their own home, with a variety of tasks.  When a guide dog is ready for service, the person who is receiving the newly trained dog, receives extensive training with the dog before they actually go back home with the dog.  This cannot be done right now because of social distancing.  That means that people and dogs will have to wait many weeks, if not months, to start their life together.

 People with disabilities need a vast number of services most of us have never even thought about.  Help getting groceries, taking trash cans out, getting mail (if your mailbox is not at your front door), rides to doctor appointments, help preparing meals, and most importantly, someone to talk to every day.  People who are blind have the additional challenge of navigating their home without an accident and just taking a simple walk.  With the restrictions put on Guiding Eyes for the Blind and probably other organizations that train guide dogs, people in desperate need of help, and the companionship that the dog offers, cannot be served. 

This is so sad to me.  I have seen first hand how difficult it is for a senior (without a disability) living alone to tolerate self isolation.  My mom, age 96 and in excellent health, has been alone and self isolating since March 10.  She has done very well. I am so proud of how she has made the best of it.  She and her friend have a one hour exercise class twice a week with a trainer.  They do this on Facetime.  She has connected with her neighbors, who up until now, were so busy she never saw them.  She went over and left her phone number in their mailbox and told them she was all alone, and  since then they have been very attentive.  The lesson is you have to ask for what you need.

My mom's dog Captain, has been her constant companion and has helped her get through the past month.  Hopefully restrictions will be lifted soon on guide dog training, and those dogs that are ready to be placed, will get where they are needed most.

How To Keep Busy During Covid 19

Since about March 10, when our governor came out with stay at home directives, life has changed.  I need to be even more diligent than most, as Ron is probably the most at risk person I know.  He's got at least three conditions that make him more likely to get the virus than others.  So I am definitely staying home.

This situation is making it difficult for me to have blog topics.  In the past my topics were all related to my active life.  I would talk about an event I had gone to, a restaurant I had eaten at, an activity I had enjoyed.  Now, everything is done at home, so I will tell you about my day, and some of the things I am reading/watching/learning on TV or internet.

My typical day begins with a 30 minute walk with Pepper around 7:00.  I come home, fix my coffee, and sit down with my on line NY Times, e-mails and texts and then a book.  I try to read for about an hour in the morning.  It's a discipline I like, and even though I don't always feel like doing it, I try to make it the first thing I do each day.  Then, Ron gets up, I fix him breakfast, and get him ready for the morning, either relaxing in front of the TV, or in his office, doing tax returns.  After getting him settled, I do about a 45 minute workout.  My local gym, EOS, has online classes, some live and some I can put on any time, including stretch, yoga, pilates, strength training, etc.  It's great.  By now it is almost lunch time, so I make lunch, take Pepper for a short walk, and relax a bit.  The afternoon I usually watch Netflix.  After Netflix, I take Pepper for a long walk, maybe an hour.  By then it's getting late in the day, I watch a little CNN or MSNBC and catch up on this tragedy.

I just finished watching The Tiger King on Netflix.  It's a 7 part documentary on the rise and fall of Joe Maldonado Passage, better known as Joe Exotic.  The series shows murder, madness and mayhem that is beyond anything I could have imagined.  He has been raising tigers (and other cats) in captivity for many years, and had a private zoo, where visitors got to get up close and personal with the cats.  He bred and raised mostly tigers, and sold them for thousands of dollars to other collectors.  His main rival was Carol Baskin, another lover of exotic cats.  He was finally arrested, tried and found guilty of attempted murder for hire (of Carol Baskin), among other things.  His plan to have her murdered was unsuccessful.  He is currently serving a 22 year sentence.  Apparently many other people associated with him, some of whom testified against him, are also under federal investigation, and will probably be arrested.

What I also learned from this series is that there are 5,000-10,000 tigers in private ownership in the U.S.   That figure blew my mind.  There are only 4,000 of these amazing animals left in the wild.  The other interesting fact was that many states have not passed  laws that prohibits the breeding and selling of wild animals.  The laws for each state are different, with Oklahoma and South Carolina being two states that have the most relaxed laws, thus many of the private ownership is in these states. 

While you're sitting home looking for something to do, turn on Tiger King.  It will amaze you.

Life After Covid 19

Will life as we know it ever be the same after this epidemic has passed?  The answer, in my mind, is a resounding NO.  We are getting used to social distancing, and I think eventually we will be able to handshake, hug and kiss our friends and family.  What I think will change, is large gatherings.  At least for the foreseeable future, even if large gatherings are allowed, people are going to think twice before going to a ball game, a concert, a movie, or any other group event..

What will this mean for the Democratic and Republican conventions that are coming up?  What about football in the fall?  Will they play to empty stadiums, or, will they play at all?  Because of the virus they will not have worked out together, even if the virus does subside in the summer.  What about schools?  Will it be safe, at any level of education, to send kids back to school where they'll be in close contact with each other?  What about voting in November?  Will voters stand in long lines to cast their vote, or will we get our act together and go to voting by mail?  What about travel by plane or train or subway?  Will commuters be anxious to get on a packed subway or a crowded plane?

I have so many questions and absolutely no answers.  Guidelines seem to be changing daily, and it now looks like this pandemic is going to last longer than first thought.  Until we have a vaccine, which could be a year or more from now, many people will live in fear.  It's not a matter of if it comes back, but when.  We know it will resurface.  Hopefully, after the worst is over, we will be preparing for the next bout of Covid 19.  Oh, and by the way, if it's not Covid 19, it will be some other bug that raises its ugly head in the future.

These are treacherous times.  It's not just all going to go away one day and we'll get back to normal.  We have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  I feel confident that with the best scientific minds in the world working on the vaccine, we will have one next year, but until then we must all stay focused on keeping safe.

Ageism In The Workplace

I've been reading the AARP Magazine for years, but recently my mom brought me the AARP Bulletin, a paper pamphlet loaded with good information.  I especially liked the article on ageism in the workplace, and thought I would share a little of it with you.

About 35% of the workforce in the U.S. is now 50 years or older, yet the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) concluded that age discrimination remain a significant and costly problem for workers.  It happens every day, in all kinds of jobs, yet few speak up.  Most companies do not understand that older workers possess a depth of skills and knowledge that's worth paying for.

Age discrimination is so pervasive that people don't even recognize that it's illegal.  The discrimination takes many forms.  Recruitment and hiring, on the job bias, and termination.  Some recruitment adds are obviously favoring young workers, like a Linkedin post that read, "This is an excellent opportunity for a recent college grad......"  Other postings are a little more subtle, like "The ideal candidate is a digital native...."Most of these postings appear only rather than in print.  The federal government has warned employers against using terms like "recent college graduate"in positing, but the practice continues.

The EEOC is struggling to keep up with complaints.  Between 2010 and 2017 they received 205,355 age discrimination complaints, yet just 1% resulted in a finding of discrimination.  Only 10 age  discrimination lawsuits were actually litigated.  EEOC is trying to mediate and settle as many suits as possible.

Harassment in the workplace is a common form of age discrimination.  In some cases, the job the older employee was doing is eliminated, thus forcing the employee to resign.

The reality is, every aspect of job performance gets better as we age.  Wharton Business School determined that the juxtaposition between the superior performance of older workers and the discrimination against them in the workplace just makes no sense.

We had a friend who was a sit com writer.  He had written for some of the great shows, like Cheers and Taxi, yet when he tried to find work as a writer in his 50's, he could not get work.    For the most part, that industry is dominate by men and women under 35.  Age discrimination can take place in workers as young as 50.  Hopefully with other movements that have caught fire l (like the me too movement), older workers will stand up for their rights and fight back.

Social Distancing

My mom is in LA, all alone.  Her housekeeper/companion Chayo has been sick for several weeks now, and the worst thing she could do is come back to help my mom before she is 100%.  In the mean time, my mom has been alone and self isolating for over 2 weeks.  She is not living in fear, but is smart enough to know that listening to the professionals is her best chance of staying healthy.

When we first started to self isolate, I suggested that she come here and stay with us.  She was right.  That would have been a bad idea.  We don't even have a separate bedroom for her, she would have had to bring her dog Captain, and it would have been very difficult.  She is safest in her own home, where she is comfortable, but lonely. 

Our family tries to keep in close contact with her.  I call twice a day as do other family members, and the grand kids and great grand kids Facetime often.  She has Netflix, and reads the NY Times from cover to cover every day.  As she says, she stretches out activities that used to take a few minutes to much longer.  She says, and I agree, that you get into a slower routine and actually get used to it. 

When you live to 96+ as she has, you have seen a lot.  Depression, many wars, several recessions, and great economic booms.  She says she has never seen anything like this.  Is she fearful of getting the virus?  No, she is not.  She knows she is doing all the right things, and that's all she can do.  I feel the same. 

I wish we had a little more information on how Covid 19 is transmitted, how long it stays active on surfaces, etc., but we don't, and we won't know for a while.  In the meantime, we need to self isolate as much as possible.  The worst thing would be to allow businesses to open too soon, allow people to congregate in large numbers before the virus is under control.  We know that the virus can come back and we have to make very sure we are out of the woods before opening up communities again.  If not, it could be additional months before we end this pandemic. 

I admire those on the front line, the nurses, doctors and all their support staff, who are risking their lives everyday, many with inadequate PPE.  (personal protective equipment).  I also admire all those that are staying home, self distancing and helping to stomp out this virus.  Those that aren't doing what professionals say is imperative are making things worse.  Not only are they endangering their own lives, but they may be endangering the lives of their family, friends and strangers.  We're all in this together and we all need to follow the guideline.

Social Life In The Time of Coronavirus

We're all finding new ways of staying in touch these days.  Social distancing requires us to keep six feet (an arbitrary distance) from each other.  Well, where there's a will there's a way.  Zoom, which is a network meeting app, to the rescue.  My lunch bunch group, which usually goes to interesting restaurants around San Diego, settled for a virtual lunch this month.

We decided to all sign on to our Zoom meeting at noon, lunch in hand, and sit and eat and talk for 40 minutes.  We weren't sure how it would go, but after a little trouble with some of us getting audio or video, we could finally see and hear each other.  We chatted about the last few weeks, and how were getting along.  It was so much fun we plan to do it again next week.  It's something to look forward to, and it reemphasizes the fact that getting together with friends for lunch is mostly about the friends.  The food is secondary.  My chicken salad sandwich and sweet potato were good, but not as great as seeing good friends that I haven't been with for a while.

Another activity that everyone seems to be involved in is walking, walking, walking.  I live in a isolated community, and I notice that everyone I see while out walking is much friendlier than ever before.  People I don't even know are waving and stopping to talk.  A walk that used to take 30 minutes will now take up to an hour, with all the stop and chats.  Of course we keep our distance while talking.  I see people out in groups of two, riding bikes around Ocean Hills.  Keeping social and physical at the same time.  Yesterday I played 9 holes of golf by myself.  Not terribly social, but good exercise. 

My Newcomers group is having our next book club on a Zoom meeting, and our next general meeting too.  Also, our congressman Mike Levin, is having a town hall this week on Zoom to talk about the coronavirus.

So, there's no reason to be a recluse during this time of social isolation.  With the age of Facetime and Zoom, there's no reason to be alone.  I've got lots of interesting meetings to attend this week.  Also, many museums now have virtural tours which you can take to keep you busy.  I'm a bridge player, and tomorrow Ron and I are going to play a three hour game at the club we visit in Phoenix, Bridge on Shea.  Through the magic of the internet, we are transported to the club and get to play all afternoon.  I can't wait to try it out.

Keep yourself socially active.  It's not what we're used to, but a new way of connecting.  We've got a way to go before this pandemic is over, so get involved and have some fun.  It may be a while.

Great Italian Food at Piazza 1909

On Debbie's recommendation, our lunch bunch drove to La Jolla for a delicious lunch at Piazza 1909.  The restaurant is on Fay Avenue, just across from one of my old favorites, The Cottage.  Piazza 1909 is an old house turned into a charming restaurant, with five or six tables inside, the rest outside on a beautiful patio.  We were there on a cool day, so the inside was very crowded.  We were also there during restaurant week, and although the three course meal looked interesting, we ordered off the menu and shared a lot of dishes, as we always do.

First, the focaccia bread with tomato dipping sauce was delicious, and with my nice of Chianti, tyed  me over until our meal came.  First we had delicious bruschetta, with nicely toasted bread and fresh tomatoes.  Next, we had meatballs in marinara sauce that were excellent.  We also had an arugula salad and a tagiatelle with and intense meat sauce.  Finally, we ordered a pizza with cheese and prosciutto.  Everything was quickly devoured, and several in our group were ready for dessert.  They ordered a chocolate volcano, similar to a lava cake, with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato on top.  Not being a great chocolate lover, I passed on dessert, except for two spoons of gelato, which I couldn't resist.

This is a great little find in La Jolla.  The food is very good, the service friendly, and the atmosphere is very homey.  It's great for lunch or dinner.  Enjoy.

Oh, the restaurant also has some sort of a wine club, and for $60, they have a cooking class where you learn to cook three dishes and then eat it.  That might be fun to do.