Fourth of July and stuff

Things are open now, sort of. The governor, whose job I don't envy and even more now, seems to be randomly deciding what things will open, and how and why. I guess she probably knows better than I do, not like I am privy to any information, but it all just seems so random. Restaurants are open, but fifty percent capacity inside, unlimited outside. So I can't really eat inside, but i go outside and I am sitting next to people, in an outside area partially shielded by tents and plastic walls, hardly seems safe, although not like I walked away. It is nice to be out and have someone bring me food. But it is so strange seeing manes pared back to bare bones, some places not even opening, servers in masks and gloves sometimes. My first meal was meeting someone at Somerset and J Alexanders. The mall was creepy, like no one there, most stores were closed or had limited hours, the restaurant was empty and tables were spaced far out. Other than that, totally normal....save for the feeling of the apocalypse.

I played golf, they won't let us share carts which is probably a good thing, I am not sure how well the 16 yearly making 9 dollars an hour is at really sanitizing the carts, so for now it's good. A movie would be nice, well, any activity would be nice, going out to dinner just seems like it is filling a hole, I am sure this feeling will get worse, but for now at least the sun is out, we can all walk around, eat outside and pretend that some sense of normalcy is returning, even if it is just not.

Fourth of July up north was a little less weird, but only a little. It is clear that there is less mask wearing up there and people that do not want to wear them REALLY do not want to wear them. I still do not get the political part of it, or why they think this is some action rooted in fascism, socialism, naziism at times. Do people really think that this is being done just to see how stupid we all look wearing masks? It is also revealing how divided as a country we are, that safety measures even if just perceived, devolve into screaming arguments. Don't we want to err on the side of caution and safety. Ok, maybe masks don't help, what do I know? But aren't we better off seeing if the do.

Anyway, Charlevoix, not quiet, crowded, although I do not think it is as busy as people who are here all summer think. Stores are now really open, restaurants busy, ice cream and fudge plentiful. Mostly we eat home, one really awful pizza night, one of my parents is fulled with anxiety, some justified, some not. I see sadness in so much that s lost, although for sure first world problems. Hotels not open, camps that were central parts of lives not reopening, disrupting normal summer plans that were essential. Simple things like being inside a grocery store and apologizing for being close to someone, I am not sure this is getting any less strange or weird, but it is not getting easier.

Nor will it anytime soon, I count the missed concerts and events on more than two hands, and they seem to rack up more every day. Oh well.