Venturing out

[DailyDi]

I ate out, at a restaurant, around other people! First time in over a year.

[Little Cub Pants]

1 minute ago, DailyDi said:

I ate out, at a restaurant, around other people! First time in over a year.

Good for you!? I went to cracker barrel yesterday!? It was delicious. They also have a gift shop.

[DailyDi]

1 minute ago, BabySpiderBoy said:

Good for you!? I went to cracker barrel yesterday!? It was delicious. They also have a gift shop.

I went Italian as it's the one food that no one delivers around here so I haven't had a good lasagna in a year and there's a good and cheap Italian place we like.

[subhubby1968]

Congrats, I only just started going back out in May after I got both my shots.    It was nice to sit down and eat instead of getting it to go.

[~Brian~]

26 minutes ago, DailyDi said:

I went Italian as it's the one food that no one delivers around here so I haven't had a good lasagna in a year and there's a good and cheap Italian place we like.

@DailyDi

I have 3 places I frequent in the area.  One is the local Subway, where I get some subs from time to time, and the second is called Simply Subs:  This places SMALL sub is a 9" and their LARGE sub is an 18".  I usually get either:

Tuna

Turkey

Rib-a-cue

Chicken Finger sub or Parmesean

Cheeseburger Sub (1/4 pound burger) with the lettuce/tomato/cheese and mayo)

They also do pizza and "soft serve" ice cream (We call them "Creemees" up here in New England)

My third favorite place is called 2 Loco Guys, and this is a Burrito place that does burritos of all sorts, and they also do burrito "bowls", where they take a container and fill it with everything you ask them for - This is good if you don't want to have it in a tortilla.

In Montpelier, where I work, I like a place called the "3 Penny Taproom" and my Buddy works there.  This weekend, when we were having an outside sale, I took a break from the heat, and he PAID for whatever I want, so I had a Burger, and fries, and also 2 glasses of Ginger Ale:  was HOT last weekend, so I apparently was dealing with an ASTHMA attack, and I could NOT stop coughing:  I had to retreat to the basement, and stay there until it cooled off:  I felt pretty good, because at the end, I was in "auto pilot" and counting money, and dealing with those functions I used to do 3 days a week:  Felt GOOD to be able to help people, and we will do that again on the 18th and 19th - My Crew of volunteers is TOPS, and I could NOT do this job without them, and having a GOOD MEAL at a local eatery means that someday, we WILL be able to enjoy that again.

@Evelyn Dellcerro tells me that in NYC, you can get anything, at any hour of the day or night - I have been taking rides to the local Walgreens, which is 4-5 blocks away from my building - it is nice to be able to take a nice stroll, and see all of those pretty works of art (Cats/Dogs/Cars/etc) that line the streets:  If she ever travels to Vermont, she'll have an AWESOME time, as Vermont is known for its hospitality and FOLIAGE, SKIING, and Teddy Bears, and Maple SYRUP and CABOT Cheese

23 minutes ago, subhubby1968 said:

Congrats, I only just started going back out in May after I got both my shots.    It was nice to sit down and eat instead of getting it to go.

@subhubby1968

I have been going out for a while now:  I have just now started to not wear a mask if I am outside, or in a place where I feel comfortable removing it:  I still have to wear a mask at work, if the people that I am around are NOT vaccinated, and when I am on Public Transit Buses, or when I am requested to wear one.  The Pandemic really didn't stop me from getting food, but it DID make me over 200 pounds:  Simply Subs and 2 Loco Guys have dine in, so I have been taking advantage of that when I can:  This weekend was the first time since last MARCH that I was able to eat in a Montpelier VT eatery.

I agree:  It is nice to be able to SIT down, and eat a meal like that:  with covid, we were all ordering food, and a LOT of places shut down, and some NEVER returned:  I know that it has been hard on the businesses, especially when the only way to keep open was to find a way to SERVE the food as take out:  In Vermont, Governor Scott signed an amendment to his Executive Order (State of Emergency) that made it LEGAL to sell alcohol as take out, which was NOT done before.  A LOT of things we used to do had to be changed because of the Pandemic, and as my pastor says "We have to find NEW ways of doing things we used to do"

Take Care,

Brian

[rusty pins]

I have been vaccinated as of the end of January, however only about 50% of my county has been vaccinated.  Finally our Covid-19 hospitalizations and people testing positive are dropping, as are deaths although they still occur weekly.  I'm still wearing my mask when I go out to public stores and it's still mandatory at work.  I am very optimistic that we are finally turning the corner, but there are more deadly and contagious strains starting to show up in the U.S.A.  In another month or so I may remove the mask when in public places and if I go out to eat, but wearing the mask doesn't bother me.  I've gotten very used to it over the past year and I can stand to wear it for a while more in order to see how things go after the memorial Day weekend and 4th of July parties.  I'll wait and see if it spikes again, especially as variants are showing up here.  Besides, the mask can also help prevent me from catching someone's cold or other ailments that can be passed through airborne particles.

[Princess_ZoZo]

TN just got rid of their mask mandate right when I moved back from California last month. I thankfully got vaccinated in March.

 

Not wearing a mask anymore is so weird. After dealing with them for a year and dealing with the anxiety of it (things covering my face give me panic attacks) I'm kinda glad I'm not forced to wear them anymore (and it is the South so I don't want to draw more attention to myself).

I just got concert tickets ordered today for my first concert since the early days of COVID.

Literally went - See Protomen in concert the end of April - Saw a SpaceX launch the next day - Everything's shut down in Nashville the next day (when I got back).

 

Sadly this means I may have to go back to giving people rides instead of the much much more pleasant passengers - food.

 

[beallucanb]

I have been going to grocery stores at least once a week and  a while I'm out I stop in to my local McDonald's since the beginning of the shutdown

I only stayed home if I had enough supplies to last.

Things are looking up right now, My local Micky D's tells me that I may be able to stay for a few hours very soon.

I'm looking forward to getting back to our daily gab sessions, plus seeing the old friends we used to see everyday.

We are all vaccinated and ready to go.

[spark]

4 hours ago, DailyDi said:

I ate out, at a restaurant, around other people! First time in over a year.

I did eat out once a couple of months ago with a friend and his brother.   Since I live by myself I don't eat out very often anyway

[Moochie]

It sure is nice not to wear a "face diaper" all the time; but nice to wear a diaper all the time!

[Evelyn Dellcerro]

On 6/9/2021 at 3:50 PM, ~Brian~ said:

@DailyDi

I have 3 places I frequent in the area.  One is the local Subway, where I get some subs from time to time, and the second is called Simply Subs:  This places SMALL sub is a 9" and their LARGE sub is an 18".  I usually get either:

Tuna

Turkey

Rib-a-cue

Chicken Finger sub or Parmesean

Cheeseburger Sub (1/4 pound burger) with the lettuce/tomato/cheese and mayo)

They also do pizza and "soft serve" ice cream (We call them "Creemees" up here in New England)

My third favorite place is called 2 Loco Guys, and this is a Burrito place that does burritos of all sorts, and they also do burrito "bowls", where they take a container and fill it with everything you ask them for - This is good if you don't want to have it in a tortilla.

In Montpelier, where I work, I like a place called the "3 Penny Taproom" and my Buddy works there.  This weekend, when we were having an outside sale, I took a break from the heat, and he PAID for whatever I want, so I had a Burger, and fries, and also 2 glasses of Ginger Ale:  was HOT last weekend, so I apparently was dealing with an ASTHMA attack, and I could NOT stop coughing:  I had to retreat to the basement, and stay there until it cooled off:  I felt pretty good, because at the end, I was in "auto pilot" and counting money, and dealing with those functions I used to do 3 days a week:  Felt GOOD to be able to help people, and we will do that again on the 18th and 19th - My Crew of volunteers is TOPS, and I could NOT do this job without them, and having a GOOD MEAL at a local eatery means that someday, we WILL be able to enjoy that again.

@Evelyn Dellcerro tells me that in NYC, you can get anything, at any hour of the day or night - I have been taking rides to the local Walgreens, which is 4-5 blocks away from my building - it is nice to be able to take a nice stroll, and see all of those pretty works of art (Cats/Dogs/Cars/etc) that line the streets:  If she ever travels to Vermont, she'll have an AWESOME time, as Vermont is known for its hospitality and FOLIAGE, SKIING, and Teddy Bears, and Maple SYRUP and CABOT Cheese

@subhubby1968

I have been going out for a while now:  I have just now started to not wear a mask if I am outside, or in a place where I feel comfortable removing it:  I still have to wear a mask at work, if the people that I am around are NOT vaccinated, and when I am on Public Transit Buses, or when I am requested to wear one.  The Pandemic really didn't stop me from getting food, but it DID make me over 200 pounds:  Simply Subs and 2 Loco Guys have dine in, so I have been taking advantage of that when I can:  This weekend was the first time since last MARCH that I was able to eat in a Montpelier VT eatery.

I agree:  It is nice to be able to SIT down, and eat a meal like that:  with covid, we were all ordering food, and a LOT of places shut down, and some NEVER returned:  I know that it has been hard on the businesses, especially when the only way to keep open was to find a way to SERVE the food as take out:  In Vermont, Governor Scott signed an amendment to his Executive Order (State of Emergency) that made it LEGAL to sell alcohol as take out, which was NOT done before.  A LOT of things we used to do had to be changed because of the Pandemic, and as my pastor says "We have to find NEW ways of doing things we used to do"

Take Care,

Brian

Be able to sit and have a big slice of pizza outside in the sun and just relax. Yeah its sad here too many places that shut down because of the virus never opened back up. I'm still on vacation here Brian, and enjoying the time I have with Elle. Its going on 3 weeks and she has one week left, so we're just catching up on a lot of fun and been having bbq after bbq. Everyone sends you hugs and kisses we will try to be on in chat room, but lately thats been a ghost town. I found myself in there many times already chatting with myself, hope to chat soon. Hugs and kisses

[~Brian~]

3 hours ago, Evelyn Dellcerro said:

Be able to sit and have a big slice of pizza outside in the sun and just relax. Yeah its sad here too many places that shut down because of the virus never opened back up. I'm still on vacation here Brian, and enjoying the time I have with Elle. Its going on 3 weeks and she has one week left, so we're just catching up on a lot of fun and been having bbq after bbq. Everyone sends you hugs and kisses we will try to be on in chat room, but lately thats been a ghost town. I found myself in there many times already chatting with myself, hope to chat soon. Hugs and kisses

 @Evelyn Dellcerro

I have been enjoying the last few weeks, but I have also noticed that I have begun to HURT sometimes:  One day, my leg feels like its gonna give out, because I am planting it down on the footrests, using all my strength, and other days it feels like my back or my left arm or my left shoulder just HATE me.  I have tried to go out more, as the weather gets warmer, and the summer keeps rolling along:  I have yet to determine the status of the MRI they did on me, and I have to wait til the 15th - I am at my wits END, because everything hurts like hell, and I can't stand this much longer.  Tomorrow, going in for PT again, and alas, just haven't felt up to doing any exercises or standing - I hurt in ways I can't describe, because without my left arm, I feel like I can't do as much as I would like to:  I can't trust that one day, I will feel my hand/arm on the left side, and another day, it just is a lump of an appendage, because I cant FEEL my arm, my fingers, or anything when it gets bad:  I will INSIST we move more quickly now, because how am I supposed to function, and do what I love, and work, and get stronger, when I feel useless, and i can't walk as well as I would like.  If My Mom sees me now, all I will here is "I told you so", because i have lost strength in my arms, legs and she will rub my face in the humiliation:  I am LUCKY I have my medical team and my supports:  sometimes....I....Wish....something GOOD would happen to me, and someone would give me some GOOD news:  If I didn't have the friends here, and my loving family, I would go CRAZY, but things are changing and i don't know how to deal with it sometimes, as I need to have my mobility back.

I NEED the stability of my upper body to move, and I don't have it:  Thank GOD for the diapers, because I would have hurt myself a few times, if I had tried to cross the room without my wheels.  THE only thing I have been doing is trying to immerse myself in work, and try to do things online that I LOVE doing, such as site maintenance tasks on my websites:  In the last few days, I have fixed a filesystem mounting issue, and was scouring my logs to figure out what was going on:  A Power Failure caused my server to drop to emergency mode, and then I had to power cycle the machine, and all external peripherals connected to the machine. 

Today, I worked on updates to WordPress. I had to update it to the current version, and also update all of my plugins on all 4 sites, delete over 2,000 spam and junk comments, and back up the databases on all services that use them.  I then worked on my forum on my sites.  I upgraded MyBB to the most current version, and did some account management tasks, and completed that in 3 hours or so.  Now, I just have to decide how/what to add for new content.

Last Weekend, we had our first outside event since October 2020 - We did it as a "sale by donation."  Did REALLY well, for a 2-day event, that went from 10-2.  Tomorrow, gonna go to my office, and count what we have and set up my cashbox for the next sale on the 18th and 19th.  On The 19th, I will be there and will hopefully be able to avoid the asthma attack that sidelined me last weekend:  It was like 88 Degrees upstairs in the building, so I went to my office in the basement, where it was cool.  Next weekend, we will see how we do, and I am feeling good about this!

I am GLAD that you and @Transfusionelle are enjoying a LONG deserved vacation, and I am happy that you are able to decide what you want to do, and then make it happen.  It is a SHAME that there are so many businesses that shutdown and then never returned - I hope that someday, I will see my brother James again - I MISS him REALLY bad, and hope that my summer is not a total washout, because I feel like someone ran over me with a TRUCK:  I have been dealing with getting my chair stuck on the train tracks 4 times, and I have to bail out, crawl on the tracks, pull myself out, and each time I do that, my body takes a beating:  I wish I was 37 again or something.

Enjoy your vacation together:  I have had days where I talk to some people, and then don't go back on for a few days.  I spent a solid WEEK just playing youtube and watching movies, because I knew I wanted to do something different:  I don't know if I am just in a rut, or if I just need a change of scenery:  I am happy, but I feel like I cant do what I want, because my body doesn't like me:  Maybe PT Judy will be able to tell me how to deal with a body that just aches:  I can't deal with this much longer, but what can I do?

Take Care,

Brian

Edited June 11, 2021 by ~Brian~
corrected spelling on a word/other edits

[square_duck]

I have been out and about the whole time....basically giving the finger to the ignorant 2year old brat pretending to be a "Govornor," and having temper tantrums when ever people just ignore his "orders". ?

I work as an "essential "worker anyways, so noting really changed for me. Being out running errands, banking, shopping, and yes, eating when I could, even though it was "take out" only. So basically, nothing has changed for me, I have been dining out more lately had a burger at a place I go to on occasion, and yesterday had wonderful dinner at a nice place I visit from time to time ( they have killer french onion soup!!) 

I'm still alive and well...nothing really changed other than having to wear this stupid mask inside places to do things.... The thing I really have to look forward to is the recall and removal of the above mentioned 2year old brat tyrant, hopefully to be replaced with someone a far more adult,intelligent, competent person. 

Until then we will probably be stuck wearing these God forsaken masks until eternity dawns, or his butt is kicked out. But at least we can "dine out" when we want, with out permission or a mask.

?

[PamperedinthePoconos]

Nice to be able to belly-up to a bar again & being able to talk to people.... (and BTW, got my 2 shots.........)

[Dubious]

I didn't eat out before the pandemic and don't see any reason to start now.

[Cute_Kitten]

A lot of places in my area have started opening back up for indoor or outdoor dining. Some stayed open all throughout the pandemic. I've enjoyed finally being able to see some old friends though. 

[Little Lindsey]

I'm kind of in the same boat as @square_duck. Since I'm "essential" I've worked through the whole pandemic so nothing changed there (aside from getting even busier and working more hours). Also, I was kind of a homebody before the pandemic started so not going out very often was nothing new for me. I'm glad I don't have to wear a mask at work anymore. Most of my co-workers are still wearing them, but 90% of us are vaccinated so personally I feel pretty safe around them. I don't spend a whole lot of time face to face with customers, and almost never for the 15 minutes or more that puts you at higher risk of catching covid, so again, I feel pretty safe. I keep a mask on me in case it's very busy/crowded, but overall I don't wear it unless a business requires it. I know a lot of vaccinated  people still masking up, and they (not all, but a lot of them) can be intolerable with their holier-than-thou "I'm still doing my part to protect everyone. You're so selfish only thinking about your own comfort," attitudes. The way I see it is I listened to the CDC when they said to wear masks, I listened to the CDC when they said get the vaccine, why shouldn't I listen to the CDC when they say I don't need a mask any more? One day a couple came in with their baby, and they were quite bothered by me not wearing a mask because the baby can't safely wear a mask or get the vaccine, but that's not my problem. They were only grabbing a few things and it was a nice day so one of them could have stayed outside with the baby. We also offer free delivery one day a week and free curbside pickup every day, so if they're that scared they don't even have to come in the store. I think it's time for people to start taking personal responsibility and choose safer options if they're still afraid instead of expecting those of us who have been vaccinated to cater to their paranoia indefinitely. Me? I worked my ass off through the worst of the pandemic. I wore a mask, I stayed home as much as possible, I social distanced, I slathered myself with hand sanitizer, etc etc etc, and I got the vaccine as soon as I was eligible. I didn't go through all that just to live 2020 on repeat for the foreseeable future and keep wearing a mask 8 hours a day as the temps hit 90°F. I did it so I can get on with my life.

 

[square_duck]

You go lindsey!!???  ((((((hugs)))))) people DO  need to start taking personal responsibility for thier own health, and leave the rest of us alone!. I'm tired of the attitude too. Government is trying (yet again) to use this to divide people, by making it into some kind of very sick status symbol. Even with suggesting a "vaccine pass port" which would just be rediculous, as well of a sever infringement on our freedoms and rights and just plain unconstitutional!!

Neither I nor anyone else is responsible for anyone elses health....PERIOD! If you have health issues,stay home....leave the rest of us alone to live our lives as we see fit, as long as we dont bother anyone else. If you got a shot......congratulations.....you want a medal?? If you contracted the virus and survived, congratulations!!! You are now immune to further infection and you don't need the vaccine, and you can't spread it!! ? if you are Asymtomatic....you rock....you can neither contract it nor spread it, AND, you don't need a shot either!!!

I know, I know, I'll get yelled at or what not...."duck you're not a Doctor! Blah blah blah...thats fine. I don't just follow "science" BUT  also use a lot of *GASP * common sense!!!! I took biology in school, long ago...and have an idea how thus stuff works...

I also know that this whole sorry sad episode has been very badly hyped, abused, politicized for personal gain and power and control. I also know I will not die in this war....and yes, this IS a war. 

If it were anywhere near as bad as the talking heads say it us /was.....there would be bodies lining the streets EVERYWHERE....much like the 1918 pandemic, where people were dropping like flies. Didn't happen here. Sure, I am sure the virus is out there and is bad for individuals susseptable to it due to underlying health issues, BUT NOT EVERYONE HAS HEALTH ISSUES!!!!! But we have been treated like we do......and it has been greatly insulting.....and I for 1, cannot WAIT for this stupidity and blatant abuse of power and the American citizenry to E*N*D!!!