I had a nice Mother's Day. Got to talk with our daughter as she was on her way to work. She used to do that all the time when she was in nursing school years ago and she's started calling to chat during that time period lately. We've enjoyed it and I think she has too. She and I discussed that we would have a nice lunch together one day. I did open the door to find a big box that contained these flowers on my front porch a couple of days before Mother's Day. So lovely and the colors were just so vivid and cheerful. I think perhaps my son-in-law's mother probably found a similar gift as well.
My husband bought his mother an unusual gift and placed it on her front porch, while talking to her from way out in their yard - two big bags of nuts. Ha! She had told us that they were hard for her to find and a bit expensive, so he ordered her a bunch. She won't need to get more for quite a while. An unusual Mother's Day, but it was just fine.
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I've been trying to stay away from all the 'news' except for an early morning check-in. Still, some strange stories and behaviors from people. Today I saw an article that wondered whether 'buffets' at restaurants would be a thing of the past. It started me thinking about things that have changed a bit and being curious about what might become the new 'normal' after this time (if there ever is an 'after this time'). Here's are some things I suspect will stick around:
1. Many people, especially older people, have learned that certain aspects of technology are not as user-unfriendly as they thought. They have taken the step to get apps and learn how to video chat and order much more from online sellers.
2. Taking the leap into grocery delivery or curbside and learning the ins and outs of that. I know that many have had substitutions and items that weren't available, etc., but our local big grocery, HEB, has been doing the delivery/curbside for almost 3 years. I used the curbside when my husband had surgery a couple of years ago. My account can be set to accept substitutions or reject them and other tweaks as well. I imagine that many people will continue with grocery delivery/curbside, at least part of the time.
3. Many restaurants are finding that they are able to manage take-out, even if they are an upscale steakhouse or seafood place or if they hadn't done it much in the past. Many are adding a way to order online and also order for pickup/delivery at a later time in the day. Paying online is becoming the norm. I do wish that all of these would have a way to tip as well. In these days, I'm a generous tipper.
4. The online and video chat thing is also transitioning to many other service providers and I bet that will stick around. I also think many people are more likely to try e-books, videos online, audiobooks, etc. And people have learned that you can order almost any product online.
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As to what might not be as common in the future:
1. Cruises - for me, I've never wanted to take a cruise and I don't see that changing.
2. Buffet restaurants - those have been dwindling in recent years and I'll admit that I was never a big fan and won't want them in the future. Remember the 'sneeze-guard' on salad bars. Ick!
3. Only working in an office or rather resistance by companies to have an option for people to work from home if their job involves sitting at a desk most of the time. Same goes for schools, both K-12 and certainly at the college level.
4. Shaking hands routinely or even giving hugs all the time. Smiling and waving is the new hug!
That might be all I can think of right now. What do you imagine will be different or stay the same or never appear again? I'm curious. Hope you all have a good weekend! We're supposed to get a bunch of rain - we need it, but....sigh. Inside again.
I'm with you on cruises! And I think you're right about shaking hands and giving hugs. But having to wear masks all the time sure makes it hard to smile at anyone. We'll have to start carrying around smiley face signs to wave at people. ;D
ReplyDeleteLark, I love your idea of carrying smiley face signs! And, yes, wearing the masks covers your smile and it's not the most comfortable thing to wear a damp cloth across the face. However, it's what we need to do right now. My daughter was saying that it is hard to comfort laboring patients when the nurse's face is covered except for the eyes. Just not the same.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how COVID changes life going forward. One of my friends just posted that the nearby Golden Corral (buffet) will be opening back up next week. She was excited, but it's never been my favorite kind of restaurant anyway. The last time we were there (a birthday dinner request from my daughter), my teenage son threw up all over the sidewalk outside after stuffing himself, so ... none of us are eager to go back. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI've never been interested in going on a cruise, so that won't change even if they are super cheap these days.
Glad you're hanging in there, Kay! Enjoy your rain. I wish we would get some ...
OK, Susan, your Golden Corral story makes me think that 'no' I'm not interested in that type of buffet. Ha! Hope you guys do get some rain, but I know that your hot season is pretty much upon you.
DeleteThe one thing I miss a lot and I never ever thought I would, is a good salad bar. That salad bar at Whole Foods haunts me.
ReplyDeleteI worry that the long term effects of all of this will make movie theaters obsolete. Many are now streaming first run movies and so many people have elaborate home movie systems already. It's not much of a stretch to think that this could become the norm.
Tele Health appts were always available to me through Kaiser but they are in full swing now. Could this be the norm in the near future?
Yes, Whole Foods does have a good salad bar. I also like the Salata restaurants that we have in our area. You move down the line and the employee creates your salad with lots of veggies, fruit, nuts, cheese, meat, whatever. And, now we use the online ordering and just pick up our salads. Plus they have great fresh-baked cookies. Those are way too tempting and I've had to say 'no' to myself about them. My WW plan has been to 'maintain', but I'm about to have to get more strict because I'm not really 'maintaining'. Ha!
DeleteAnd movie theaters. I meant to include those. They are technically open in our area, but most have not opened up as yet. They can 25%, but who wants to sit in a room with a bunch of other people. Plus, most of the new movies were postponed anyway. I agree about the Tele Health. Might be a shift there as well.
I have never ever wanted to go on a cruise ship. Have you seen photos of these huge floating plague ships coming into port at an island that the ships dwarf? Ridiculous! (And "plague ship" is the term I've always used for such a thing. Besides that, I don't like big crowds, and on a ship it would be impossible to get away from the madding crowds. Help-- woman overboard!
ReplyDeleteI've never been a fan of buffet-style restaurants either. The last time I patronized one was because my group of friends outvoted me. For some reason, all the other patrons were paying a lot of attention to overweight eaters and how much food was on their plates. Anyone with good eyesight and a non-judgemental attitude could see that it was the skinny people whose plates were (often literally) slopping over, and they usually went back multiple times. Besides, part of the draw of eating in a restaurant is being waited on, right?
It's going to have to be something VERY important for me to ever consider airline travel again. No matter how few the passengers are or how far apart they're placed, the air is still recycled and contains every sneeze, cough, etc. I've gotten some of the worst colds in my life from being on an airplane. I definitely don't want something even worse.
Now that I've thoroughly icked myself out, I'll shut up! LOL
Cathy, sorry you ended up 'icking' yourself from your thoughts above. Ha! However, I've not ever done cruises because I get very motion sick and in order to not be that way, I have to take serious drugs. They make me very out of it - what's the point? I like the mountains better. We do have friends who absolutely love cruising, but I'm not sure what their thoughts will be from here on out. As to buffets - again, never one of my favorites. Airline travel - well, we'll have to see what happens there. We had a trip planned for the summer to Oregon - our 40th anniversary this year - we've cancelled it for 2020, but are going to try for 2021. Don't think we'll drive to Oregon. I will say that I'm probably not going to be wanting to go abroad any time soon.
DeleteI have stayed away from news on TV entirely but that was true before the coronavirus. I have started reading the LA Times every day, which I did not do before. And I have been reading Coronavirus newsletters online from three newspapers every day, because they talk about how to wear masks, and other useful things in addition to the news. I am going to cut down on that because I think it adds to my stress.
ReplyDeleteI think your guesses on what will change are probably right. We have not tried grocery delivery. I am curious, I have heard that with grocery delivery you should do a lot of cleaning and disinfecting when you get the delivery. Is that necessary? What about with curbside?
I can think of positive things that have happened in our house since we are staying at home except for grocery visits. We are eating better and planning ahead. I am enjoying the cooking and we are not cooking anything very complicated. And I got a good start on the gardening (that I had been ignoring) as a way to get more activity in my life. I wish I was motivated to do a lot of decluttering like I have heard others talk about but that hasn't happened.
Tracy, I do understand cutting back on the news updates, even if you haven't been a 'news' person (which I wasn't all that much). For grocery delivery, I don't clean and disinfect the things I pick up at the store, but I also try not to touch too many things. Guess that would be a personal decision. Yes, there are some positive things about a slower pace of life. My husband has had time to do quite a few things around the house that he's meant to for a long time. And I'm getting to know (at a distance) a few more of our neighbors. I haven't decluttered, but I've done that so many times when moving that I honestly don't have too much to 'declutter'.
DeleteI just started working at the same company as my sister, and we were just chatting today about how the office might look in the coming months and years - more office shares, smaller space, and more time working at home, including flexible schedules.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think that companies are going to have to consider a lot of things that weren't all that thought about in the past. My husband and his boss have been talking about things like that and what changes they might make if and when everyone is back in the office. He says he not sure they will ever again have everyone there at the same time.
DeleteThat's a very good thought-provoking post, Kay! I've never been a fan of cruises and buffets so they won't affect me in the long run, but I'll probably think twice about plane flights but it'll be a dilemma considering how I love my trips and vacations. :( I think most people's mindset will change after this situation towards the service industry staff, especially healthcare, cleaning and delivery and not to mention the supermarkets. I've also seen some people showing their ugly sides, partly due to impatience and all the craziness but there are also times I've seen some empathy and compassion around.
ReplyDeleteAnd those flowers are beautiful! Mother's Day (or any other occasions) this year may not be the same, but it's always the heart that counts, right? :) Hope you've a good weekend ahead, Kay!
Yes, I agree with all you say here, Melody. And I do hope that people will consider and appreciate the 'essential' workers more. Some people will always be mean and rude and crazy, but I think the being at home all the time has not be easy for some families.
DeleteI have never been on a cruise, but I do love to travel, and I worry that's diminishing. Buffets are probably not something we should do anyway, right?
ReplyDeleteWe like to get out of Central Texas in the summer and go to the mountains. We can drive to New Mexico, but other spots are a little far to consider or will be until the day comes that my husband retires. Buffets - I've never been a big fan and you couldn't get me to one right now under any circumstances. My folks liked them though.
DeleteWe went on a 3-day weekend cruise once and decided it wasn't for us and I've never been a fan of buffets. One thing we've probably seen the last of is blowing out candles on a birthday cake and then sharing a piece with all the guests. I'm also worried about big library book sales...
ReplyDeleteCandles on birthday cakes - yes! Maybe a little cake for just the birthday person, like you do with a little kiddo for their 1st birthday. Or people could transition to cupcakes for birthdays. My daughter has provided cupcakes for a lot of weddings and birthdays in the last few years - instead of big cakes. I hadn't thought about library book sales - yep, bet there won't be many of those this year. Even used book stores. Honestly, I'm not very interested in checking out anything from the library that has been in someone else's home. When I worked at the library, one of my duties was processing all the new materials. I worked with one lady who never checked anything out unless it was brand new and she was the first person to check it out. I would let her take a look at the new things before we put them out. It was her quirk, but a little more understandable now. LOL
DeleteI like your lists. Online chats & perhaps grocery pickups & deliveries seem here to stay. & Working more from home. I haven't been on a cruise ... but I miss travel ... and had to cancel like 4 trips during these months .... hopefully someday that will come back.
ReplyDeleteWe're hoping travel will be possible for us next year. Or maybe even later this year - we shall see.
DeleteWhat beautiful flowers! Glad you had a nice Mother's Day and I think your husband's gift for his mother was the best. With regards to the new normal, I think so often companies said that they didn't approve of working from home and now it's going to be hard to say that's an unreasonable request. While I do miss going to the office being able to work from home is wonderful. I hope that at least companies will be more relaxed about allowing that in the future. And, yep, no way am I ever going on another cruise. I just can't imagine.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think most companies will be much more agreeable to employees working at home or at least doing that part time. My husband's company is thinking of employees switching off with 2 days at the office and 2 days at home and everyone at home on Fridays. He told me he would probably do 4 days at the office and Friday at home for being able to check in with his staff, etc. However, he has a private office with a door and that's a little different. Then there is the whole childcare issue. Lots to consider and plan for. No, no to any cruise for me. LOL
DeleteNo cruising for me either, not even remotely interested. We've learnt how to Google Duo on the phone, we've previously Skyped but Duo is so easy. To be honest we live such a quiet lifestyle normally that staying home is no big deal for us. I miss having the family round or going out for a meal with them but with a little patience those days will return. The mortality rates sadden me a great deal, both our countries have been badly hit but thankfully the trend now seems to be downward. Take care, Kay.
ReplyDeleteYes, we've missed being with family, but we've checked in and some of them have met up anyway. We're the ones with the daughter in healthcare who has really encouraged us to be so, so sensible about getting out with others. And we have done that partly because she's asked and partly because we try to be sensible anyway. Have a good week, Cath!
DeleteMy husband and my dad are both engineers at large companies and from what they're hearing it wouldn't shock me if a lot of the big companies stay with the all employees who can working from home. I think it would save them a fortune. Obviously they would have to maintain a physical presence but a much smaller one. Cruises were pretty low on my wishlist and now I'm pretty good not going on one. I do miss Disney World and travel in general though and we are all very much missing New Orleans where we just spent a few months.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers are absolutely gorgeous and I'm so glad you've been able to speak with your daughter regularly even though you're not getting together.
Yes, I think my husband's company will do a trading off time in the office when any of them go back. Maybe a couple of days there and a couple at home and Friday at home for everyone. I'm glad we do get to talk with our daughter frequently and we'll get with her face-to-face one day. We feel like it's as much for her protection as for ours. Have a good week!
DeleteSuch beautiful flowers! And I love the gift that your husband gave his mother - so wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI'm really sad about the impact this will have on school, more than any other areas. I feel adults will cope and learn to move on. So will kids of course - but a lot of experiences that are common to school involve some amount of socializing or close contact. Sure, we can still do some of this 6 feet apart, but that just misses the point of it. Same issue with movie theaters and stadiums, but these can still evolve to allow families/friends close contact, but away from other groups.
I know I will miss cruises. I've only been in one but enjoyed it tremendously. I'm sure cruises will find a way to still survive - smaller number of people per ship, limitations on how many in a room - won't be the same, but hey, that's probably for the better anyways, considering the amount of overcrowding in ships. That said, it's going to be a long time before everyone gets over the trauma of following the news of cruise ships unable to disembark almost anywhere in the world.
I think you're right about school issues and maybe also kids playing sports, certainly for now. Hopefully, it will just be this year, but who knows. Sigh. And I suspect there will be people on the cruises whenever they set sail again. I guess some just love it too much.
DeleteThose are absolutely gorgeous flowers, Kay! I wonder if they're still looking as lovely now that a week has passed. What a sweet girl you have.
ReplyDeleteAll the things you and the others have mentioned are things I've been thinking about, too. I'm not interested in going on a big cruise, but I've always dreamed about going to Alaska on a small cruise ship. The kind with less than two dozen passengers. Of course, those are far too expensive, but I can dream, right? We've never been interested in buffet restaurants, movie theaters, etc., so I won't miss that sort of thing. I'm still doing my own grocery shopping, but it will be nice to have the option to order online if need be. As far as flying anywhere, we probably wouldn't do that now anyway. The RV is our new mode of travel. I suppose if we had to get somewhere fast, we'd think about flying, but not until there's a vaccine for this virus. But then, what happens when the next one pops up? Not going to worry about that today!
No, I'm afraid the flowers have gone, but they were lovely while they were still fresh. I'm not sure what I think about airline travel right now. As you said, not to worry right at this minute. We drive to New Mexico, but I'm not thinking we will be driving to Oregon or other destinations that far away. Guess we'll see how things play out.
DeleteI am glad you had a nice Mother's Day, Kay. Such pretty flowers! I had flowers delivered to my mother and mother-in-law. I made sure to use local florists in their area to help support them.
ReplyDeleteI know my agency is considering making teleworking more of a regular thing for some employees, particularly because the budget will be so much less than coming fiscal year. I have a feeling furloughs are coming back. I think education will look a lot differently than it has when schools open back up. I can't say whether that will be a permanent change or just temporary. There's a lot of talk about them being part in the classroom and part at home.
All the buffets in our area have gone out of business, most before this all happened. I imagine those brunch buffets that are popular offered by some of the restaurants will be a thing of the past. I've never been a fan of buffets, but I really liked the one at the Mission Inn. It runs really expensive, but it was a nice treat for a special occasion.
I hope you have a good week. Stay safe and well.
I'm very curious about schools and the way they might work too. I'm thinking that the part-here and part-there thing will be at least considered. What I can't figure out is how parents will work it if their schedules don't coincide with the kids and daycare is still not open much. Another thing to 'wait and see'. Have a good week, Wendy!
DeleteEveryone keeps saying "when things get back to normal," but don't things will ever be the same. Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think 'normal' is going to be 'new normal'. LOL
DeleteGorgeous roses Kay, glad you had a good day. Our state will be opening Phase 1 next week - very pleased at the slow roll out. We won't be rushing to jump on the bandwagons any time soon. In fact, after 10 weeks we did our first "Panera-Rapid Pick up" and one drive trough in all that time. I hope people still go slow and take precautions.
ReplyDeleteHave a good week Kay.
Diane, from what I can see, some people are doing things in a sensible manner and some are not. We are trying to err on the sensible side. Ha!
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