-Restaurants can only do take out. Many restaurants have closed- many of them permanently, though many are doing well with take-out. Pizza places like Dominoes are actually doing really well. Some restaurants are acting as grocery stores, selling items like yeast, flour, meat, eggs. etc.- things that are difficult to get at the grocery store.
-Most people are wearing masks. Workers are mostly required to wear masks. Personally, I don't like going places where people are not wearing masks. If I go to a store and people are not wearing masks, I feel uncomfortable. I have made over 50 masks for people- I have finally run out of elastic, after cutting thick elastic up into strips and doing all I could to stretch the elastic. Now I have to make binding, which is time consuming, but doable. I just finished 10 masks for missionaries in Mexico who are in desperate need. Pretty much, every person in the world who owns a sewing machine has become a mask maker.
-The NFL draft happened on-line. The NHL season was canceled, MLB is still postponed, we don't know if any or when sports will start again. Speculation right now is that maybe the NFL will happen but with no spectators.
-Late night talk show hosts and TV media are filming from their homes. It's kind-of fun. They are even doing SNL Home Editions. The fun part is seeing the inside of people's houses.
-I think all schools across the country have now been canceled for the end of the school year. Will they be able to go to school in the fall? That is the hope, though Dr. Fauci (the White House chief doctor/expert/something) says it will "look different." How can it look different? Will kids have to wear masks? Will classes be limited to 10 kids per class? Will they be on a rotating schedule so schools only have 50% of kids at a time? We have no idea.
-Social distancing is the new buzz term- staying 6 feet away from everyone at all times. In stores, there are taped lines on the floor of where to stand to stay away from people. Glass shields have been put up between the cashier and customers at grocery stores.
-A lot of stores are offering curbside pick-up to try and stay in business. We are eating out at least once a week and spending more food on eating out than ever before to try and support them.
-The business world is crushed. The economy is devastated. It is heartbreaking. It makes me want to cry everyday.
-Some businesses are booming. Sales of trampolines, puzzles, pizzas, books, and elastic (for homemade masks) have skyrocketed.
-Ben continues to work from home. We have a good set up. He works in the basement and his co-workers get to hear Audra practicing the trumpet during Zoom meetings. He much prefers working from home and hopes that after this is over he can still work a couple of days a week from home. It will be interesting to see how this forced working from home changes the way people work after this.
-Zoom meetings. Constant Zoom meetings. Two months ago none of us had ever heard of this on-line meeting platform, and now all of a sudden we are using it multiple times a day. The girls, especially Audra, have constant Zoom meetings- for YW, for band, for drama, for activity days, for Cloverleaf, for book clubs, for pretty much everything in the world. Even though it is the best way to "see" and "socialize" with friends, we are all pretty sick of Zoom meetings.
-Everything is canceled. Concerts, vacations, family reunions- everything. Girls Camp was canceled yesterday. I told Audra and she said, "well, that's what I expected." That pretty much sums it up- everything is getting canceled and now we just expect it. We can't make plans, we can't schedule anything- and possibly this could go on for another year. Hopefully it won't, but it could.
-Everybody in the world is in the same boat. The whole world is staying home (except for maybe Sweden, though they are practicing social distancing. But, they are going for herd immunity- time will tell if it works or not).
-Colorado is implementing "Safer at home" orders. It's mostly the same, but a few more businesses can open up if they make sure to have social distancing rules and wear masks and such in place.
-Gas prices are the lowest I have seen them since college. I paid $1.42 a gallon the other day. Much of it is from the pandemic, but much of it is also from an oil war going on between Russia and Saudi Arabia. But, with nobody buying gas and airlines only flying 50% of their flights, there is definitely more supply than demand.
All anyone is talking about is the pandemic. That really is the only thing that matters right now- it is affecting and changing everything.
