To me, it’s not so much a question of being safe, but more getting this stupid pandemic over and done with. If people would curtail gatherings and just wear the masks, the virus would end sooner since we wouldn’t continually being providing it a host. But that won’t happen because people won’t. Seems logical to me, but apparently a huge portion of the population don’t agree and want to pretend they can live life as normal.
100% this. But...our wish for everyone to follow the rules won't happen. Here in NJ, numbers are going up...averaging around 1,000 cases a day now, and I'm sure it will get worse, as it will in most states as it gets colder. So, it is what it is.
In some ways I look at all of this as a game of Survivor at this point. Not in the real sense so much, but making it to the point where there's a vaccine that will hopefully be trusted and taken by most Americans. We've visited outdoors only with parents, my sister's family, and some close friends. That's it. We haven't eaten at a restaurant since February (inside or outside). And while I don't think there's anything wrong with it, we haven't done take-out...not even one time. We went about 5 months without doing so and I saw a drop in our food bill...bigtime. So, I see that as my personal "game" in a weird way. I've taken us this far, and so now I"m determined to make it all the way to vaccine-time without eating out or doing any take out. While my husband's job is quite secure and he works from home normally, my business has taken quite a hit and isn't likely to return to what it was until maybe next summer at the earliest. I've used some of my extra time to pick up more volunteer hours at our local ASPCA, to grow a great veggie garden, and honestly, to become a better and more creative cook. Saving on the food bill makes me feel like I'm making a positive financial contribution to my household.
I'm a bit obsessed with the news cycle right now (politics...I'll admit it), once the election is over, I am going to start a new workout routine for the winter months to get into better shape. I'm not in bad shape, but I could be better. It's a good way to lift your mood in the darker, colder months for sure. And so I'm hoping to be in great shape when we get that vaccine, and then will gleefully plan lots and lots of travel.
One other thing that we're doing to get us through the late fall is to put up our Christmas decorations very early, probably the week of Thanksgiving. Our families have agreed that celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas indoors is too risky this year, but we're hoping for warmer days so we can sit out on our porches and celebrate a bit. I want to have a backyard fire pit gathering or two and enjoy some gluhwein. I've never made it, so if anyone has a good recipe, I'd love to have it. Way, way back in 2006, DH and I traveled to Germany, Austria and the Chech Republic and visited many Christkindlmarkts. At each destination, we purchased two of the mugs for that particular market, and hauled all 14 of those mugs back to the States. So, thought it would be fun to break them out after all of these years and enjoy a hot adult beverage outdoors.
That's all I have. Nice reading what everyone is planning to do.
