We are three-plus months into this quarantine/pandemic/different way of life, and here in Tennessee the numbers aren't so good.
I live in a county just south of Nashville, and we are back "open" with all sorts of precautions. We can go out to eat, but restaurant staff will usually be wearing masks and tables are at least six feet apart.
Stores are open, but I've only been to hardware and grocery stores, and haven't paid much attention to the protocols other establishments are following.
Numbers of COVID cases in Tennessee are up, and in Nashville they are, if we believe what we hear in news reports, spiking. Nashville's mayor has declared mandatory mask-wearing.
Wife and I don't go out to eat these days unless we know we can sit outside, and now it's really too hot, so if we want something we don't prepare, we do takeout. I think that is what has sustained many of the restaurants through this and I think they're still doing a lot of it.
I work from home 100 percent of the time now, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I manage a team of four people, and it is pretty seamless for us. We can do our jobs remotely without a problem and the longer we do it, the more normal it becomes.
I've been asked a few times how I measure productivity of my team and my reply is I measure it as I always have. Everyone knows what they need to do and we have goals and objectives to meet that are no different than if we were in an office. If I see someone lagging (and so far I have not), I'll address it.
I do miss the interaction, though. I don't think I ever fully appreciated how much my social needs were met at work. I'm a self-described high-side introvert (that's my terminology), meaning I can do fine alone and at times I enjoy seclusion. But I also need socialization. People make me tired, but I need the collaboration.
So I miss my work colleagues, and the occasional video conference is not a replacement for face-to-face contact.
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Our church is resuming on-site services this Sunday, but Wife and I have decided to continue with online streaming for now. With both of us over 60, we are simply not ready to put ourselves at risk, even though I agree with reopening and I know extreme precautionary measures are taking place.
But for now, our assembling together for worship will continue to be virtual.
5 comments:
We are living in a weird world. I have only been to the grocery store and hardware stores with one exception to a shoe store to replace an old pair of water shoes for boating. We started doing outdoor evening worship at church, but stopped after two weeks when we had someone that turned up positive a few days afterwards, we postponed such gatherings. But we do have a good thing going with streaming, which we were doing before the pandemic.
www.thepulpitandthepen.com
I like your terminology, Bob, and might classify myself the same way. I still make grocery store/Walmart visits about once a week and have been to our local Atwood's a couple of times, always wearing a mask. I also continue to volunteer at our local food pantry (which provides a drive through for picking up bags) where I wear both mask and gloves. The Episcopal Diocese of Arkansas is making its recommendations by individual country and I'm not sure where we stand at the moment. As you said, outside isn't a good option these days, due to the heat. Our book club has met in a member's back yard (masks and distancing) the past two months, but I'm not sure what we'll do next week. We do fast food carryout once a week (after I work my volunteer shift), but other than that have only eaten out one time... and that was in a fast food restaurant and only because we didn't have another good option. I think there were only two other groups inside and we were very far apart. Oh... and I've made a couple of doctor visits (and one trip for a haircut) where the norm is to take temps and wear masks. I have a dentist appointment next week. We shall see how that is handled....
(perhaps more details from me than you were wanting!)
I love the details Kelly! Proud of you for continuing to volunteer. As you know I’ve been a board member for a Nashville non-profit for many years and we’ve had to greatly restrict volunteer hours due to COVID and the rise in cases here. We have our board meetings via Zoom, which I’m tired of, but also thankful for.
We are primarily a rural county. I would say that less than half the population masks. In some places, our masks put us in the distinct minority. It is a little disheartening to listen to all the conspiracy theories. People will believe just about anything as long is it is not based on science.
Our cases have begun to climb. We recorded our first death, although I am unsure about whether or not this person was actually in the county at the time they died.
We will celebrate the fourth of July around a fire, with my sister and her husband coming in after a day in the hay fields (hopefully)
For us, we are proceeding about our "new normal", at least what I think it will be for the remainder of this year and probably most of next year until vaccines are given to everyone. We go shopping but wear masks. We avoid crowded shopping times as much as possible and try to remain six feet away from anyone at all times. We have eaten out a few times now and as you said, tables are six feet apart and staff wear masks. We generally wear masks on the way into and out of the restaurant but don't worry sitting at our table during the meal. We attended church for the second weekend now. We are spaced out to every third pew and with six feet between family units. I volunteer to stay after mass along with others to sanitize the pews for the next service. Thus far it has been nice to be able to go back to church but I do miss the social interactions before and after mass. Probably the biggest difference for us is that we aren't scheduling or planning to schedule any trips that require flying or long stays in motels and every meal eaten at a restaurant or vendor. We are trying to keep to just road trips to secure locations where we can easily socially and culinarily isolate ourselves at the other end, such as our cabin in Arkansas. This will continue the rest of this year and I don't know what we will do next.
Fortunately for us, our county was hit hard back in May and a large percentage of the population got the virus back then so I'm hoping that will translate into herd immunity for the time being. Our state numbers have slowly started creeping up in recent weeks along with states like Texas and Florida but only in counties that managed to avoid it for the most part thus far. All signs seem to point towards this virus staying around until enough people get it as to provide herd immunity.
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