When Will You Go Back To Restaurants And Bars?

On Mother's Day I saw pictures of customers in a small diner in Colorado crowded into a restaurant, no distance between any of them.  None of them were wearing masks.  They all seemed to be having a great time, not a care in the world.  Will they pay the price?  We will find out in about 2 weeks.  It only takes one of them to be positive for the virus, even without symptoms, to infect dozens of people.  Is it worth your life to eat breakfast out as you might have done a few months ago?

Not to me.  No one enjoys eating out more than me, but I am not willing to risk my health for an hour of fun and a good meal.  Even if restaurants opened tomorrow, with social distancing inside, I would not go.  I don't think dining with servers in masks, barriers separating tables, and seats so far apart it would be hard to talk to your group, sounds fun.  Outdoor dining is a different story.  As far as we know, inside air is better than outside air, and your chances of contracting the virus are less likely.  Under certain circumstance I WOULD dine at an outside restaurant.  I'm thinking of a place like St. Tropez in the Lumberyard.  That would work. 

Bars?  Forget about it.  Part of the draw of a bar is the bustling, customer filled area, with lots of music, drinking and people in close quarters.  I don't think bars or breweries (without food) will open in California any time soon.

I do fantasize about the day we can go to our favorite restaurant without fear.  I'm afraid that time is not any time soon. 

People say that as soon as we have a vaccine everything will be fine.  Do they realize that as smart as scientists are and no matter how much money the government pours into research, vaccines can take a long time to develop, sometimes decades, sometimes never.  30 years after AIDS, we still don't have a vaccine, nor do we have one for Ebola.  I'm hopeful with so many scientists worldwide working on this, that one will be developed within the next 18 months.  Until then, I have to mostly enjoy my own cooking, and occasionally dine out at an outdoor restaurant.  My thoughts are with restaurant owners, and hope many can survive.

Reopening America

Many states have started to reopen, defying the guidelines of the federal government and advice of most doctors and public health officials.  We won't know for a few weeks how this all works out.  What most experts think is that 10-14 days after the reopening of beaches, hair salons, tattoo parlors and restaurants, there will be a spike in positive cases of Covid-19. Older people seem to take the pandemic more seriously.  Where I live people are always wearing masks in public and are maintaining social distancing.  Younger people seem to say "We've got to get back to business,"  and "When will I be able to go to a bar or club, or go to a concert?"  I guess these people still think they're invincible.  Almost 75,000 people have already died in the U.S. from Covid-19, and the virus is NOT going away any time soon.

I think we need to determine as a country the value of life.  Is it worth a single life to open the beach and allow groups to congregate?  For me, no.  If we continue to lose life at the rate we are going, we will have lost more than 100,00 souls by the end of June. 

I know it's hard to stay apart and stay home.  Things will reopen if people continue to follow the rules.  See how well small countries like New Zealand and Australia have controlled the virus.  Granted, they are very small countries, but their leaders took drastic action early, and have stopped the spread of Covid-19.  Many governors have stepped up and lead with strength and reason.  Cudos to them.  I wish I could say the same about our federal leadership.  Pathetic. 

This is not the time to protest and scream about our freedoms being taken away.  This is the time to band together for the good of the country, for the good of our way of life.  If we don't act smart, thousands of lives will be unnecessarily lost, and our very democracy will be badly damaged, if not destroyed. 

This  will ultimately end.  Either a vaccine will become available, or we will get used to a new way of doing things.  We are strong enough to get through this, and move on with healthy, happy America.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I Can't Think Of Anything Else!

For the past few weeks I have sat down several times to write a blog.  You know I like to keep the topics varied and informative, but right now I'm having trouble doing that.  The only thing that comes to mind is the Covid 19 virus and what we're doing about it.  So, I have not written much lately, but I want you to know I'm still here and thinking about staying in touch with all of you.  Here are a few thoughts I can share with you.

Taking the advice of the science and health professionals is the best thing you can do right now.  Stay home!!!  I got a call from friends yesterday who wanted to bring dinner over and spend the evening with us.  NO!!!  The only person coming in our home until further notice is Dan, our caregiver.  I go to the supermarket once a week during senior hours, but I am considering ordering groceries on line.  Other than that, and a once a week trip to a drive thru for lunch (In and Out), then eating in the parking lot, is all we are doing. 

A friend sent me an e-mail this morning, trying to put our self isolation in perspective.  Anne Frank and family hid in a 450 square foot area and could not make any noise, for over 750 days.  We can all do this!  And her family had no telephone, Netflix, or other devices to keep them busy. 

Thank goodness for Zoom.  My lunch group is meeting on Zoom this week, in place of a great meal at a restaurant.  We will all have a great time, eating our peanut butter sandwiches or yogurt and just having fun.  Our Newcomers group is planning our first on line book club meeting, which I can't wait to attend.  Newcomers will also have their general meeting as a Zoom meeting, which should be fantastic.

The bridge club that we play at in Phoenix has organized an online bridge game every afternoon.  Just like being at the bridge club, same people, same competition, but you can compete in your pajamas.  That's something I also plan to try. 

So what else are people doing?  My friends who used to sit by the pool and sunbathe everyday have set up beach chairs in their driveway, brought the dog's bed out to the driveway so the dog can be with them, and they sit there in their bathing suits all afternoon. 

Several people from our dogpark have arranged walks, usually just two or three people at a time (in order to keep our distance) everyday.  This is a benefit to humans and canines alike.  Others I know are going on Facetime and reading to their grandchildren, or helping grandchildren with their homework.  My gym has set up virtual exercise classes, where you can go on line and take a class with your favorite teacher any time you want. 

I'm exhausted from keeping so busy! Next time I blog I will talk about some of the psychological effects of social distancing, and how I am coping.  We are all in this together, and we will all get though it, if we stay strong and follow the advice of professionals.  Stay safe.