Getting back to Normal

Started by BruceK, May 27, 2021, 11:16:28 AM

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BruceK

Starting this as thread to discuss life hopefully returning to "normal" as we come out of the pandemic. 

Per Dan's wishes and direction, posts on this site should be NON-POLITICAL in nature. 

I'm seeing more and more changes from the way things were in full 2020 lockdown - things changing and feeling a little more familiar.   For example, I visited the local Home Depot today and the wear-a-mask sign at the front door was gone, and the HD employees were all mask-less.  About half the customers in the store still wore masks.  Out of habit maybe?  I think some people will continue to do that for various reasons for a while yet.  Who knows how long that will last?  Seems you can really buy masks at massive discounts now - seen some at 90% off previous prices. 

Just reflecting, it's really nice to be able to see people's faces again. 

1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

It seems to be loosening up around here too, we still wear a mask when we go into a business, but if no one else is wearing theirs we might take ours off too....most of the time we don't.

We've both had our cootie shots so we're feeling more comfortable without masks. Doctors offices and the like still require them, but the last time I went to my heart doc (a few days ago) the lady at the desk that used to check your temperature was gone, as were the machines but they still required a mask. At my knee Doc's they were both still in use and at PT they're still checking temps, requiring a mask and sanitizing every machine and table the instant someone vacates it.

I'm looking forward to see if they will open the swimming pools this year, both the kids outdoor pools and the senior center's indoor pool. I always thought being in a giant pool of chlorinated water would be a safe place in a viral pandemic.

I need to pick up some gloves, hope those are 90% off too!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Pool at our condo opens this week.   Local businesses haven't been enforcing mask even if they still have the signs up.  They lifted the mandate last month.  Of course outside the city no one was enforcing it to begin with.  I'm headed to South America later today and had to get my brains poked through my nose to prove I'm covid free and apparently can't leave the hotel room once checked in.  Luckily I'm only there 14 hours.

MPlayle

In San Antonio proper, things are loosening up as well.  Not quite as much as Bruce's area north of town.  Most restaurant staff are still wearing masks and patrons wearing theirs to enter until at their tables even when the restaurant has signs indicating masks are optional.  Lowes near me has taken down their signs and customers/staff seem to be mixed about masks or no masks.  Grocery stores are still requesting customers wear masks, but are not enforcing any requirement.

Most people seem to still be politely distancing whether wearing masks or not.


gr8kornholio

Still pretty masked up here in N Dallas suburbs.  All employees still wearing and probably 90% customers.  Numbers have come down on the new infection rate that work is planning to drop our shit level by 1.  Has to go down another level after that before I'll be required to go back.  Unfortunately even then we will have to wear masks in the office.   Sounds stupid if at that point the rest of the world is mask free.  The neighborhoods around here with pools are open. 
I am the GR8KORNHOLIO! Are you threatening me?

Saussie Aussie 1965 Australian MK1 Mini.
"Beavis" - 07 MY/MY MCS, B/MY Konig Daylites, JCW sideskirts, TSW springs, TSW lower rear control arms -- Exploring the country with new friends since 11/09.

bikewiz

We're still requiring masks in our shop. I like the fact that I can't smell someones booze breath, coffee breath, garlic,breath, or onion breath while talking to them. I also like that I didn't get sick at all in the last year, no colds, no flu, nothing.  We plan to relax mask wearing once the weather turns really nice, we have the doors open, and more people get vaccinated. I think once the weather turns colder in the fall I may go back to wearing a mask, the no colds or flu has been about the only plus from this last year....

MiniDave

We went to our favorite pizza joint last night, the place was absolutely full!

Our favorite BBQ restaurant is so busy now they only seat by reservations....

We have decided to continue to wear masks too, we're used to it and it's just not really a bother. I agree about both the stinky breath and no colds. Works for me!
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Quote from: gr8kornholio on May 28, 2021, 08:13:30 PM
Still pretty masked up here in N Dallas suburbs.  All employees still wearing and probably 90% customers.  Numbers have come down on the new infection rate that work is planning to drop our shit level by 1.  Has to go down another level after that before I'll be required to go back.  Unfortunately even then we will have to wear masks in the office.   Sounds stupid if at that point the rest of the world is mask free.  The neighborhoods around here with pools are open.

About 5 years ago at my old job my workteam had to (got to!) work from home for almost a year while our floor in a high rise building was totally renovated.  Everyone pretty quickly figured out how to adapt to working from home fulltime and having online zoom-type meetings and we all got really used to that environment.   You know, waking up 10 minutes before work and climbing behind the computer still in pajamas.  This went on for 11 months until finally the floor renovations were finished and we had to  return to showing up at the office.   While it was great to see all my coworkers and friends again on the office, the honeymoon was soon over.   Just about everyone begin to question why we needed to show up in the office when it was proven for one year that we could be trusted to work from home and still get our jobs done.  People begin to openly question the rationale for working in the office - as well as incurring the  "extra expenses" of commuting, paying for work attire, etc.   Not to mention the time and expenses wasted commuting to and from the office.  Eventually we all just put up with going back to work in the office.

But I wonder if the pandemic will have a similar but longer-lasting effect with millions of people working at home?    Will some jobs become permanently remote and never return to an office environment?   Will that be a valuable tool to attract and retain employees?    Well we see a permanent change in the "office job"?
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Not only that, but do you need to own and maintain those giant office buildings when 80% of your employees are no longer in the building?

Around here, it seems like every business, large and small and ALL the restaurants have help wanted signs, offering sign up bonuses, now hiring etc signs .

Don and I went to breakfast at Big Biscuit this morning, all the employees were masked, none of the customers were and the place was packed. I think it's going to be that way for a while till the novelty wears off again.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

Brit_in_TX

Quote from: BruceK on May 29, 2021, 10:31:43 AM
But I wonder if the pandemic will have a similar but longer-lasting effect with millions of people working at home?    Will some jobs become permanently remote and never return to an office environment?   Will that be a valuable tool to attract and retain employees?    Well we see a permanent change in the "office job"?

I work for a global IT Consultancy, and we have always had a flexible work from where you want to policy.  I would go to the office if I had a reason to go to the office. 

My current client is a large State Government department and they have announced they do not see the need for people to return to the office in the same way as pre-pandemic, which for an organization that did not give everyone laptops before the pandemic is a huge change.  The Program I work on is did occupy 7 floors across 2 buildings,  currently they only plan to open one building with the hope (and it is a big hope) that they can sub-let that other building. 

My wife started a new job in August last year, and she was their first "official" work from home employee.  She works for an organization that is based in Kansas City, previously they only recruited people who could commute to the office.  However, the pandemic and the home working made them try recruiting people across the US rather than focusing on the people available locally, and they are finding that they are able to get better people by doing this. 


MiniDave

I see that airlines are now booking flights to full capacity again - they were leaving the middle seats open.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

94touring

Quote from: MiniDave on June 01, 2021, 09:48:40 AM
I see that airlines are now booking flights to full capacity again - they were leaving the middle seats open.

Flights have been pretty full too.

Brit_in_TX

Cruises are restarting as well.

BruceK

WOW.  See the article below. Yeah, I guess it's a new expectation - at least for many.   A sea change in white-collar jobs?

"Nearly 40% of workers would consider quitting if their bosses made them return to the office full time, a new survey shows"

https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-job-flexible-remote-working-from-home-return-to-office-2021-6?amp

1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

MiniDave

Our swimming pools are open.....that's significant to me as a "getting back to normal"

I'm going to see if the senior center's pool is open too - it may sound funny to some of you that I would want to go to a senior center but we have a really nice one, with huge indoor pools, a 1/4 mile track running around the entire interior and all the work out equipment you can imagine, plus all sorts of exercise groups you can join, and it's fairly cheap to go there.

Those 40% - I wonder what they think they're going to do to make the money they are now if not with their current company?

Talking to my neighbor - she's young, educated (engineer) and very smart - she's able to work from home about 60% of her scheduled hours but her hubby is pressing her to have kid #3 - their first two are now 3 and 1. she says she hates to quit her current job because she makes good money (hubby is an engineer too, but with a different company)  but she can't see working and giving up 3/4 of her income to pay child care - not to mention the benefits of raising her own kids rather than letting someone else do it. She has 10 weeks of maternity leave - fully paid - and if she needs to take leave because of a sick child she can take as much as she needs, again fully paid - so she also hates to lose her benefits.

I wonder if those working from home still have all their benefits as before?
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

jedduh01

Charlotte  is nearly all back to normal at this point, and i would say that most of the Southeast is or already has been.,
  Charlotte Motor speedway sold 50K tickets to the memorial day race,  NCAA Baseball had huge event weekend. NHRA had its 4 wide drags.   J&J vaccines were offered on site to those that wanted!   One stop shop!

Locally i see its hit and miss on wearing masks anymore, sort of Do what you want type arrangements. Stores vary by their chosen masks requirments... every place is different, I still carry one if employees are still covering, ill join the same.    Funny a bike shop of mine... No masks worn inside but they are keeping the front door locked so customers cant all come in willy nilly... like a bike sales + repair shop is really going to be over run to capacity, but hey play it safe.

Work wise = I'm an 'office' worker... and the thought of returning to office full time 100% is depressing.
    I would Really r- think my employment choices (I do not love my job) it pays the bills, so I put up with it. Everyone says do what you love, back in office 100% would be the reason to CHANGE.

  But fortunately for me ,  they have not notified a come back date.. and they are actually planning a whole office renovation  (7M$$ spend)  .. Making more Open space.. and 'flexible times' in office " so i think they will keep  our WFH flexibility.  I'm sticking with it for now, I appreciate the companies view that hey, we can still do the job without being monitored 100% in a desk, our CEO is also supportive of alternative work environments.

Here comes summer,  we've been swimming for a month now!
   Travel continues... half this week in Virginia visiting family myself!






gr8kornholio

Omg, the concert notifications I've got in the last 2 weeks are staggering. What sucks is one I was really looking forward too in sept was already canceled.  But now there are like 5 others I could go to.
I am the GR8KORNHOLIO! Are you threatening me?

Saussie Aussie 1965 Australian MK1 Mini.
"Beavis" - 07 MY/MY MCS, B/MY Konig Daylites, JCW sideskirts, TSW springs, TSW lower rear control arms -- Exploring the country with new friends since 11/09.

BruceK

I went to the county tax office/DMV yesterday and NOBODY, employees or customers, wore a mask.  Must have been 50 people or so there.  I kinda figured that government offices open to the public would be last on the list to drop mask requirements. 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

94touring

I've been bumming around (drinking heavily) in Fort Worth this week.  Only place that's been all about mask is the coffee shop attached to the hotel.

cstudep

It never really differed a whole lot around here from normal. People wore masks of course but there was never really that many places that required you wear one and I would guess it was about 50/50 for the most part on people wearing them or not. It's now about 10/90 on wearers I'd guess so that's about the only difference.

At least that is how it was in the places I go, I am sure there were places like the courthouse, etc... that did require masks and such but I just have no need to go to those places for the most part.

The biggest change I noticed was the last time I was in KC a week or so ago, compared to about a 3 weeks earlier it went from most places requiring masks and nearly everyone wearing one most places, to virtually nowhere requiring them and the number of people wearing them going down drastically, more on par with how it has always been up my way. It was a pretty drastic change, or at least seems so to me, but I am not down there that often so it was probably mostly a timing thing.

MiniDave

#20
We went to dinner at our favorite local BBQ place and not only were the wait staff not wearing masks, all the plastic "guards" between booths and such were gone.

At Home Depot, no one was wearing masks, including employees, but the guards were still up.
Complete failure at retirement

1989 Cooper Racing Green
2009 Clubman S
2014 Audi Allroad

BruceK

Pre-pandemic would have been an excellent time to invest in plexiglass.  Who could have known vast sheets of it would appear in nearly every business or public building?
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

cstudep

Plexiglass and TP, not exactly tops on my list of things to hoard.

BruceK

Yeah.  Never did understand the whole toilet paper hoarding phenomenon. 

I meant invest in companies that make plexiglass - not hoard sheets of the stuff.  Masks are not seen as often now, but I still see plexiglass up everywhere. 
1988 Austin Mini
2002 MINI Cooper S
1992 Toyota LiteAce (JDM)
1997 Jeep Wrangler Sahara

cstudep

Yeah I knew where you were going on the plexiglass thing.

Never got the TP thing either. There are so many things that can be used as a substitute for it if you had to, it makes absolutely no sense that it was being hoarded. People do strange things sometimes.