Dear Diary:
What follows is a meandering recounting of the effects over the last five months since the pandemic affected us all around March 15, 2020.
My wife (Ronnie) is a high school educator. We plan our annual travel around her vacations. During the past server summers we have explored many long-desired destinations in Europe, the Balkan countries, Cuba, Alaska, Central America, and the Baltic countries.
This summer was to be special. Our trip was to include Bordeaux and southeastern France. We purchased a couple of travel books and made arrangements including stays, wine dinners, and fascinating smaller village adventures.
And next Christmas we scheduled at 17-day trip to Australia where we have been dying to go for years.
I am in my mid-70’s so, as I often explain to Ronnie, “the time window is closing” such that at some point it will be physically difficult to travel and I’m guessing that at some point we just won’t want to go due to simple old age.
We had to cancel both of our scheduled trips. Our hope is for a safe and effective vaccine in the near future so that we can reschedule our trips before the window closes completely.
What other effects have we seen?
Ronnie and I have had trouble getting haircuts, and Ronnie has found it challenging to have her paws and hoofs done. (I have also said that after March 15, 2020, there are no more blondes left in Newport Beach.)
We’ve tried a couple of outdoor breakfast spots in town, but it just ain’t the same. Service is compromised and food sometimes comes out cold. Also, waiters and waitresses make more money not working than working so it is hard to find really good personnel. Understandably, Ronnie is gun shy about our eating out because of my age.
We had a grandson born on June 5, 2020 in Minnesota. We took a (1/5th full) direct flight to Minneapolis to visit but we stayed in our son’s house for food. No outside contact was made and we wore masks the whole time. (I tell folks that Ronnie sprays me down with Lysol when I get home from the office and she makes me sleep in a Haz Mat suit—a little bit of an exaggeration, but not much of one.)
Our Public Library has been closed for almost five months. Yes, online and curb service is great but we enjoy visiting the Library and going to programs, Sunday Musicales, lecturers, etc. and miss this mucho.
And Ronnie and I very much miss the Angels baseball games. It looks to us like the college football schedule will be cancelled for the Fall and we hope the NFL will be able to play.
Our Birthdays and Anniversary fall in late July and August. These celebrations will be much less elaborate than in the past.
Sooo, let’s please use “Warp Speed” to achieve a safe and effective vaccine.
Thanks for letting us comment on our times during COVID.
Submitted by Paul K. Watkins, Orange County – Newport Beach.