May 10, 2020

Give them an inch...

A few days ago, our Governor, proclaimed that a 5:00 pm this past Friday North Carolina could proceed to "open" to Phase One.

Yesterday, around 4:00 pm, my company sent out a company-wide email that provided guidance to returning to work.

I can honestly say, I met both announcements with dismay.

Yesterday, I ran to the empty office building to catch up on a few tasks that can't be done from home.  Based on the amount of traffic I faced, I decided to drive by the local Marshall's that, in normal times, was always hopping, just to see whether or not local North Carolinians were staying home.

Sadly, they were not.  The parking lots were packed.

When I stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few necessary items, most of my fellow shoppers were wearing masks.  The sad part?  They all seemed to think that those masks afforded them super-powers.  They had no problem brushing by me (and each other) in very close proximity.  At one point, I lingered at the end of an aisle, patiently waiting for one person who needed to examine each and every box in that section, as I stood there - clear to anyone paying attention, that I was following the six feet apart protocol - a woman came up behind me and passed right by me and proceeded to stand very close to the other shopper while she reached for what she was looking for.  *sigh*

What also unnerves me is the people who aren't wearing their masks properly - i.e., they aren't covering their nose.  The whole purpose of wearing the mask is moot then.

At any rate, it's Mother's Day here in the US.  Man-Child is planning to come for a socially distant dinner - and that's a very welcome Mother's Day gift indeed; the only way it could be better is if I could hug him.  He has asked several times just when it will all go back to normal.  Sadly, none of us know the answer to that yet.  At least we won't be dining in the garage this time - the weather is glorious and we are planning to meet in the backyard - so there's that.

7 comments:

  1. I'm seeing the same things here at the grocery store. About half the people are following the 6ft rule and wearing masks....others don't cover their faces AND are on top of you. It's frustrating.
    Our beaches were opened up I think Thursday; and last night they were closed again because people can't follow rules.

    I Hope you have a great day with your Son. My girls are coming over and we'll have a distanced dinner; I'll take what I can get.

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  2. I haven't had a hug other than from my husband for months now, and I too miss them. You did have a really great Mother's Day to see your son. Here, almost everyone is following the six-feet rule and wearing masks, but then again I'm only going out occasionally unless it's to walk in the woods or in the neighborhood. :-)

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  3. In Chicago people are chomping at the bit to get back out and into places. I say, take your time - we don't want to start this whole process over, right? I hosted a distanced, surprise 16th b-day party for Mini's BFF. It was just Mini and 3 girls. Coach went out on the deck with the measuring tape to encourage them to stay the right distance apart. It is tough to enforce, and now I fear that I have opened Pandora's box. Tank is dying to get out of here. He can now site Mini's get together as 'If she could, then . . . ' The difference is I could see them from my kitchen window. It was controlled and very short. If Tank and the rest of the other inmates start escaping, they won't have my 'eyes' on them. Coach has been begging to kids to take it all seriously. If he gets it, his clinic will have to close for a solid 2 weeks. That would NOT be good.

    So happy the weather cooperated for the social distance Mom's day outdoor dinner. Our weather was rain on top of rain. All my peeps are here, but really - we could've used some outdoor time to get air and space for a few.

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  4. That pushing past in the supermarket thing happens everywhere, I'm afraid. Although I did read a great comeback online the other day: apparently a woman pushed past people in the supermarket and when told to stay 2 metres away, answered that she didn't know what 2 metres looked like. Another, uninvolved person provided the answer; 'It's the length of a coffin.' That's in my arsenal for future use!

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  5. Ugh, that is so frustrating. Things are opening up here but there are still a lot of rules around social distancing and mask wearing. I like the comment above "the length of a coffin."

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  6. I hate this for you and all the others who are scared. There is going to be another outbreak even larger before and I think you know this. So do your part, be smart, wear your mask and wash your hands and you will be good.

    We are so far from being out of phase one that it might be July before we have stores fully opened. I am okay with that but I can imagine that is what our stores will look like then as well. :(

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  7. And this is what I fear. I have been out in all of this. People have been reasonably good, aside from the guy who started screaming about not wearing mask in the PO was part of his "constitutional rights!" (Surprisingly, he did not get his stamps) But those that have been inside this whole time just don't get it. I know because I talk to them, otherwise smart people, they just don't comprehend the social responsibility of it all. We are set to soft open on the 18th.

    We. Are. Doomed.

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