Kevin, who is from my home county, though I don’t think we met until college, asks what should be a simple question:
Where is the first place you are going when it’s safe to go out?
Of course, not everything will open up at the same time. The thing I miss the most, singing in the choir, is going to take a while longer than other activities. So, it’s a toss-up between going to the movies and going indoors to a sit-down restaurant.
Now there have been some cinemas open around here with a limited capacity. I’m not feeling at all comfortable with attending. Maybe by the time I take my second COVID shot, I’ll feel differently. Yet, watching movies from home is a lesser experience.
I have some HBO channels, though not MAX; Amazon Prime, and Apple TV. So I have the capacity to see films at home. I just don’t have the discipline to treat films at home as I treat movies in a place I have to sit in a dark room with strangers. And it’s been true for over 40 years.
As for restaurants, I’m not doing that indoors either. Or for that matter, outdoors. When the weather was decent, there was a row of outdoor dining options at the end of Madison Avenue, only a couple blocks from here. Not only did I never patronize them, when I needed to go to the local CVS, but I also made a point of walking on the other side of the restaurants.
Now, I did do takeout occasionally, and sometimes I’ve been anxious about buying THAT, depending on the size of the unmasked crowd I had to wade through. Besides, takeout is not sitting in a restaurant, with its ambiance. There’s a huge difference between being served by a waitperson and taking food home in metal containers.
Hometown
Right before the lockdown, I was planning a trip to my hometown of Binghamton, NY in late March. I wanted to see the court transcripts of the trial involving my grandmother Agatha Walker (later, Green), who levied charges against my biological paternal grandfather, Raymond Cone. These records are only available in paper form, not electronically.
Big want when it’s safe (which will require a lot: both her and me being fully vaccinated, AND case count out in the world being lower): going on Amtrak to visit my mom, whom I have not seen in over a year. It’s too far to drive for me (by myself) or I’d do THAT, and be able to do it sooner.
Smaller want: just to go antiquing/to crafts stores/grocery shopping and feel comfortable lingering and not having to worry how close someone is to me. I really haven’t “nonessential” shopped other then two or three very quick runs into a place since last February.
Restaurants, eh, in my town I’m as likely to get carry out and eat it in the quiet of my house. And I never really went to the movies in the before times. I might like to see plays on campus again though.
Two “plans” for travel when it is safe – to Virginia to visit my mother, sister & niece and to Vermont to visit my brother and his family. And like fillyjonk, I agree it will be nice to go shopping to places other than food stores and spend some time lingering in the aisles without fear of catching a virus. We’ll get there, eventually.
Ah, so many wants, so little safety.
I am confined to our house bc of lung condition. But once I get jabbed, I have to wait for herd immunity. THEN, when that’s happening…
Go to visit child Luka and his partner, Charity, in Columbus, OH. They moved there months ago – during a pandemic, not an easy task – and I really want to see their home, neighborhood. Want to go out for coffee with them, first thing. Our favorite thing to do, really, grab a mocha and gab.
Lex and I have a favorite date: Movie and dinner. We can’t afford to do it much, but it is very much missed. We have Netflix (thank you, Regina King, for the sublime “One Night in Miami”) and other such access (Netflix is just because our friend gave us his login!! Pastor and wife have a cheesedog budget but expensive taste!) So that will be ijn the cards.
We have saved SO MUCH MONEY, hundreds and hundreds, just having to forego the date nights, etc. Once things get back to The New Normal, I don’t imagine we will go out nearly as much as before.
I need to see Miami this week. It’s on the list, after at least one of the Small Axe movies.