The In-between Normal
Nov. 29th, 2021 03:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blogcutterEveryday life has entered a new alternate reality. There's the virtual reality of the Zoomiverse and the in-person world which still is not real life as we used to know it and has a whole bewildering new set of protocols we must learn and adhere to - but without the luxury of time and parental or mentoral patience, training or guidance. Is it any wonder we're feeling a bit disoriented or overwhelmed?
We're still doing a fortnightly early-morning big grocery shop, as we've been doing since lockdown in March 2020. In many ways it's easier than it was in the beginning. They no longer have the one shopper per family rule, they've removed the one-way arrows on the aisles and they don't detain you on the way in to ask a bunch of health questions, take your temperature or spray you with hand sanitizer. It's rarely crowded when we shop and we usually don't have to wait for an available cashier. On the minus side, there are still shortages of some things, the produce is often a bit tired-looking and prices are high even when we look carefully for sale items.
Museums and art galleries have re-opened, though with reduced hours and by appointment only. On Saturday, we attended our first live Ottawa Bach Choir concert in nearly two years and a couple of weeks ago we went to a noon-hour harpsichord concert at Southminster. Restaurants have re-opened for indoor dining. Movies are possible too, although I find there's less selection these days, at least at the times and venues I'm most interested in. There are even a few seasonal craft sales this year. Everything takes a bit more planning and organization than it used to: ensuring vaccination certificates are ready to present upon entry to a building, keeping one's mask on or at hand as needed, along with at least one spare one, a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a couple of wipes. It's definitely a juggling act but a worthwhile one for many of us, especially if we are engaged in activities of our own choosing.
With the recently emerged omicron variant, it's hard to predict what the next few months will hold. And I'm still wondering whether I'll be travelling next summer...
We're still doing a fortnightly early-morning big grocery shop, as we've been doing since lockdown in March 2020. In many ways it's easier than it was in the beginning. They no longer have the one shopper per family rule, they've removed the one-way arrows on the aisles and they don't detain you on the way in to ask a bunch of health questions, take your temperature or spray you with hand sanitizer. It's rarely crowded when we shop and we usually don't have to wait for an available cashier. On the minus side, there are still shortages of some things, the produce is often a bit tired-looking and prices are high even when we look carefully for sale items.
Museums and art galleries have re-opened, though with reduced hours and by appointment only. On Saturday, we attended our first live Ottawa Bach Choir concert in nearly two years and a couple of weeks ago we went to a noon-hour harpsichord concert at Southminster. Restaurants have re-opened for indoor dining. Movies are possible too, although I find there's less selection these days, at least at the times and venues I'm most interested in. There are even a few seasonal craft sales this year. Everything takes a bit more planning and organization than it used to: ensuring vaccination certificates are ready to present upon entry to a building, keeping one's mask on or at hand as needed, along with at least one spare one, a small bottle of hand sanitizer and a couple of wipes. It's definitely a juggling act but a worthwhile one for many of us, especially if we are engaged in activities of our own choosing.
With the recently emerged omicron variant, it's hard to predict what the next few months will hold. And I'm still wondering whether I'll be travelling next summer...
