Yes, I know you can eat without a mask, this was walking into a restaurant without a mask!

Now, I know there are some of you out there who have been playing it very safe over the last year, not going out, strict quarantining, maybe only going out for groceries and curbside pickup, and I respect that. For us, as we’ve talked about, PSM and I have ventured out as often as possible. We respect the protocols the establishment has set for their business, masks walking in, masks walking around, masks off at the table, when eating. That is very fair, whatever is best for the business, I go with that.

This…was very different. So…I told you Monday about going to the yoga studio and being able to take our masks off at our mats, you still have to wear the mask when you walk in to the lobby, but on your mat, a machaya! [one of my favorite Yiddish words!] and they are allows you to shower at the studio again, rent mats, the whole gamut.

Tonight, we decided it had been a very long day, let’s go out for beer [for PSM] and brussels sprouts [for me]! I knew just where we were going! The Three Kings! Here’s where it was a new and different experience and took some getting used to. When I walked in, no one, and I mean no one…was wearing a mask! Now, there have been a few places, we may have talked about this, that you walk in with a mask and it’s half-arsed by the staff, so you’re like what’s the point, but you’re following the posted rules and I have accidentally walked out, especially if we’re sitting near the door without my mask on and felt odd and shocked when I got outside! This place, tonight…not one mask in sight, except for some people walking in the door.

I walked in with my mask, took it up when I sat next to PSM at the bar, but I have to tell you…the first time I walked to the bathroom, I didn’t wear my mask, and if felt weird, like I was doing something naughty! Imagine that! How times have changed! I walked to the bathroom, mask-less, no one looked at me, no one stopped me, it felt good, but weird.

Based on what the CDC said this week, businesses are at their own discretion to do what they want and I respect that. I will still be walking around with a mask in my pocket, probably for a very long time, until someone tells me I never have to wear one again, I’m not taking any chances, and why argue with what someone else is comfortable with/doing, what is it going to hurt?

I can’t wait to hear what your first experience is like going completely mask-less in an establishment. Oooh!