Wow, it’s getting really scary in Texas - and everywhere else!

[audreyh1]

Very sad.

My father almost made it to 90. In his last few years, his mental state was such that he was difficult to be around most of the time. I blame the disease known as dementia, not him.

Did the bank do anything? My guess is no. The rest of us have to deal with it as best we can. You did exactly what I would have done, stay away from him.

The security guard was talking to him right after we arrived, which is when he was making his loud statements. I think they just tried to take care of his problem quickly so he would leave. He looked very frail. He may have covered his face again when he sat down with the banker.

 

[timo2]

That is an interesting one. I faithfully get a flu shot this year for whatever good it does me. I would like to get one this year, but I suppose that will depend on how badly Covid is running wild here and whether I am convinced I can safely get a shot. Can't imagine I will have much chance of getting it, but also not a good year to spin the wheel.

That's what I was thinking also. Perhaps they can have drive up flu shots?

 

[Montecfo]

These are small low population counties. The county of 12,000 where my DF’s farm is has around 100 cases and 1 death so far. I’m not sure how that stacks up statistically, but DF’s farm sits on 300 acres well out from town on a rural road. A farmer rents the land, we see his crew out occasionally with their big machines. We have woods and walking paths that DH has been mowing around the woods. I restocked our chest freezer right before we left, so we need to shop very little.

That sounds like an excellent setting under the circumstances.

Are you driving?

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

Yes but at what cost putting your life on hold until a highly effective vaccine or herd immunity pops up? I feel like we will have a vaccine before herd immunity pops up I sure hope that is what happens.

I suspect at some point we will all pick and choose about the "exposure" that is worth it to us...i.e. seeing family or young grandchildren, church, eating out etc.

This NYT column used the term "exposure budget", and while I'm sure we're all kind of using that idea in our planning, I think it's a very helpful reminder that even very low risk activities aren't something we want to be constantly doing when the consequences are so grave. Kind of like a daily venti triple shot macchiato with extra syrup: your health and wallet can probably handle it, but the effect is not negligible, and it needs to be taken into account along with any other indulgences.

 

[Dtail]

Not surprising. I was sitting outside in my car at the local convenience store the day after a mask ordinance was placed. We're up to probably 25% compliance - which is better than 0% - but of the people that were wearing masks, I'd say the majority were younger. None of the 70+ year-olds with obvious underlying conditions were masked.

Can't fix stupid.

Here here.
Actually by me with local mandated masks, the store compliance appears to be close to 100% now. 10k+ cases a day can influence decisions.

 

[Dtail]

So cases in the US were over 70k yesterday. It is hard to see how we are not headed for lockdowns once again.

Can't see any chance of a federal mandated lockdown. Perhaps some state lockdowns in the hotspot counties.

 

[PatrickA5]

Here here.
Actually by me with local mandated masks, the store compliance appears to be close to 100% now. 10k+ cases a day can influence decisions.

That's what it's going to take here.

I see today that Home Depot and Lowes are requiring masks. Yay! One of the last few places I actually go to occasionally. All of our grocery shopping is curbside pickup - but we've been doing that for years.

 

[tmm99]

But gyms are still open, restaurants are still operating with 50% capacity, and I don't recall the latest gathering limit to be honest but it varies according to a set of rules that I don't remember. I think usually 5-10.

Today is a gym day and I plan to tell F that I want to skip it again. We haven't been for a week.

Are you still eating out, or you've stopped that for now as well? (Just curious...)

 

[audreyh1]

That sounds like an excellent setting under the circumstances.

Are you driving?

Of course!

 

[Montecfo]

Of course!

Seems like the better bet, but very long drive.

We are assessing a shorter car trip here shortly.

 

[audreyh1]

We are pretty comfortable with a long drive. It takes 2 nights on the road for our trip. We take all our food so we don’t have to stop even for takeout. Eat at rest area picnic tables. We’re pretty comfortable with the hotels although we stay a bit away from the larger cities. All have distancing, barriers, etc. We wipe down some things like handles, switches etc. - high touch items. And wash our hands often. Take our own pillows. Feel pretty safe because interaction with others is minimal and brief.

 

[Montecfo]

We are pretty comfortable with a long drive. It takes 2 nights on the road for our trip. We take all our food so we don’t have to stop even for takeout. Eat at rest area picnic tables. We’re pretty comfortable with the hotels although we stay a bit away from the larger cities. All have distancing, barriers, etc. We wipe down some things like handles, switches etc. - high touch items. And wash our hands often. Take our own pillows. Feel pretty safe because interaction with others is minimal and brief.

Great to hear. That does give me some confidence as we would take a similar tack.

 

[audreyh1]

That's what it's going to take here.

I see today that Home Depot and Lowes are requiring masks. Yay! One of the last few places I actually go to occasionally. All of our grocery shopping is curbside pickup - but we've been doing that for years.

Yeah, I think the retailers are fed up and have decided to be uniform in their rules - follow each other. Walmart made a stand and several other big retail chains closed ranks with them.

Interesting things unfolding in GA regarding mandates. At least now I won’t have to worry about the local Walmart which is the only store we need for a long while.

 

[Car-Guy]

So yesterday we went out to eat at Applebee's. They "required" guests to wear a face mask to enter the restaurant but they could take it off after they were seated... I saw them turn several customers away for no mask... GOOD! As I understand the "current" state guidelines in Texas, that is what the latest governors executive order says to do. (It changes often so you have got to stay on top of today's rules)

No problem, we wore them until we were seated. Then the waitress comes over to take our order... Sure she had a mask on, hanging around her neck. I looked around at the other waiters and they all had on masks covering their mouth and nose, but of course ours did not. If the employees can't follow the rules in the public's view then I don't even want to think about what's going on in the kitchen "out of site". So we just got up and left!

Chili's just down the street didn't even have their dinning room open (carry out only) so we ended up eating at a place called the Cotton Patch. (Face masks required by everyone, unless you were actually eating) At least it made me feel better.

 

[harllee]

I just got off a Rotary Zoom meeting. I live in a college town and we had one of the college officials talking about the college students who are suppose to return the first week of August. There were a lot of questions about how that is going to be handled, not many good answers. One topic was a recent large spike in cases in our town among the 20 year olds, some of whom are now in the hospital. They have done tracing and found that most of the cases originated from a restaurant that turned into a bar after 10 pm. Bars are not allowed to reopen in our state but this was a restaurant that was able to open and then stayed open until 2 am every night serving alcohol. As a consequence of the actions of this one restaurant now our town has a new rule that no restaurant can be open past 10 pm.

I am concerned about what is going to happen when the college students return. DH and I are in our mountain cabin now and will probably stay here a while.

 

[harllee]

So yesterday we went out to eat at Applebee's. They "required" guests to wear a face mask to enter the restaurant but they could take it off after they were seated... I saw them turn several customers away for no mask... GOOD! As I understand the "current" state guidelines in Texas, that is what the latest governors executive order says to do.


No problem, we wore them until we were seated. Then the waitress comes over to take our order... Sure she had a mask on, hanging around her neck. I looked around at the other waiters and they all had on masks covering their mouth and nose, but of course ours did not. If the employees can't follow the rules in the public's view then I don't even want to think about what's going on in the kitchen "out of site". So we just got up and left!

Good for you! I would have done the same thing. I also would have complained to the manager, to corporate and would have given them a bad review on Yelp.

 

[Car-Guy]

Good for you! I would have done the same thing. I also would have complained to the manager, to corporate and would have given them a bad review on Yelp.

Just sent a note to Applebees management this morning, for all the good it will do. That too made me feel better.

 

[audreyh1]

I just got off a Rotary Zoom meeting. I live in a college town and we had one of the college officials talking about the college students who are suppose to return the first week of August. There were a lot of questions about how that is going to be handled, not many good answers. One topic was a recent large spike in cases in our town among the 20 year olds, some of whom are now in the hospital. They have done tracing and found that most of the cases originated from a restaurant that turned into a bar after 10 pm. Bars are not allowed to reopen in our state but this was a restaurant that was able to open and then stayed open until 2 am every night serving alcohol. As a consequence of the actions of this one restaurant now our town has a new rule that no restaurant can be open past 10 pm.

Wow! In know the reason a lot of govs closed down bars specifically is because their health departments reported tracing many outbreaks to bars. Amazing!

 

[harllee]

Wow! In know the reason a lot of govs closed down bars specifically is because their health departments reported tracing many outbreaks to bars. Amazing!

And it is even more amazing that this one restaurant/illegal bar is responsible for about 50 cases and several hospitalizations among 20 year olds.

 

[audreyh1]

And it is even more amazing that this one restaurant/illegal bar is responsible for about 50 cases and several hospitalizations among 20 year olds.

Once you have a super spreader event/environment, that’s often the source of a large number of cases in a local outbreak. I think we are all still having a hard time appreciating how extremely contagious this virus is, given the right environment. I understand it intellectually, but I continue to be amazed by story after story.

 

[MichaelB]

Once you have a super spreader event/environment, that’s often the source of a large number of cases in a local outbreak. I think we are all still having a hard time appreciating how extremely contagious this virus is, given the right environment. I understand it intellectually, but I continue to be amazed by story after story.

Same with me.

In the last couple of days I’ve read and heard in podcast a story about COVID mutation, with speculation it has evolved into a more contagious version, not necessarily more deadly.

 

[Moemg]

Good for you! I would have done the same thing. I also would have complained to the manager, to corporate and would have given them a bad review on Yelp.

We went to a very nice restaurant two weeks ago . There was sporadic mask use . We had already ordered a drink . The chef came out of the kitchen with no mask . We left and I wrote that on their review . They have banned me from their restaurant .I have since heard they are now wearing masks so I did some good .

 

[REWahoo]

We went to a very nice restaurant two weeks ago . There was sporadic mask use . We had already ordered a drink . The chef came out of the kitchen with no mask . We left and I wrote that on their review . They have banned me from their restaurant .I have since heard they are now wearing masks so I did some good .

Guess they showed you! Banned from a restaurant where you refuse to eat.

 

[Dtail]

Just sent a note to Applebees management this morning, for all the good it will do. That too made me feel better.

Went to a 7 11 yesterday. The clerk had a mask around her neck. I asked her why is it like that? She couldn't think of an excuse. I stated I wanted to see the manager unless she wore it correctly. She changed her mind. Every little bit might help.

 

[audreyh1]

I’m really shocked at how often Hidalgo County is being mentioned in the news right now! I mean, normally no one ever hears of our county.