Mask Up!

 

     An elderly lady walked up to my husband and me on the sidewalk the other day. I backed away as she pointed her finger and screamed, “Take your masks off. You  don’t have to wear them anymore!” I’m not sure where she got that idea because masks are still mandatory in my state. I think that people are getting frustrated and are eager to return to their normal lives. What is normal now? It changes daily and so does the news. Now I heard today that washing your hands is not very effective against the coronavirus. However, I will continue to wash my hands and use hand gel as if it is going out of style anyway.

     Bravo to my favorite store Target! They still require masks at all their stores even if the state doesn’t. Texas Targets need a big round of applause for enforcing the mask mandate. I watched a lady eating a Starbucks pastry at a slot machine. When she was done, she licked her fingers and then touched the screen. Promptly, she looked guilty and returned to gambling. Yuk! I like the new fashion trend where dresses come with matching masks. If you watched the Emmy awards on TV, it is the new fashion statement. I just bought a mask to match my new shirt. Why not? You can never have too many masks is my motto.

Have you read about ‘Maskual Harassment?’ Waitresses are being asked by some male customers to remove their masks to see if the other half of their face is as ‘cute as the top half’. Waitresses are refusing to do this and then customers won’t give them tips. Many women are risking their health to work in bars and restaurants where some patrons refuse to wear a mask or social distance. Please tip them extra!

Restaurants are reopening up to 50% capacity in Las Vegas. The newlyweds are posing for photos in front of fancy fountains at local hotels. Love has no boundaries. The couples are removing their masks for their wedding photos even though it is against the law in this city. Love is in the air. There were more than 1,000 Las Vegas weddings on the magic date 4/3/21 last week.

When can we travel overseas again? The answer in the news is the year 2022. However, some countries are opening up now. Dubai is mostly open, but many are still locked up like New Zealand. Thailand is opening to tourists slowly in resort areas. Tourists must pay to stay at an airport quarantine hotel for 14 days and require a negative COVID test before they can leave the hotel. Some of my ex-pat teacher friends in Thailand have not been able to get the vaccines yet and haven’t been back to the U.S. for almost two years. 

Disneyland is re-opening at the end of April and worldwide resorts are eager for the tourist business. Hawaii is rescheduling resort weddings for the third time this year in April. I heard that some vacationers are leaving Mexico early during their Spring Break. At an all-inclusive Mexican resort, some people got COVID and had to spend the rest of their vacation in quarantine. Their family members got on the next plane home so they wouldn’t be exposed to the virus. It is going to take some time to return to ‘normal.’ So hug your loved ones tight, be grateful for your health, and continue to wear your mask. Face masks are here to stay until further notice. Remember to mask up!