Yesterday was lovely. We left around 10:30 and it was sunny and beautiful. I’m so glad we left early because it grew overcast in the afternoon. The drive was spectacular. All of the flowering trees in this area are in bloom, the skies were blue with big, fluffy clouds, and the mountains were gorgeous. We were so grateful to be on a drive, going someplace that had nothing to do with groceries or doctors or chores, simply for fun.
You’ll get a kick out of this. We have to travel north on the thruway to get to Rhinebeck. As we got to the entrance/tollbooths, there were signs saying “Don’t Stop.” No one was in the tollbooths. We were dumbfounded. Was there construction going on? Was it a special ‘no tolls’ day? I quickly got out my phone and googled because I saw a sign saying “Coming soon, no cash tolls.”
Well. Apparently there is a new system. When you go through the entrance, a photo is taken of your license plate and the bill is mailed to your address. What the ??? And – here’s the kicker – it’s been in place since last November. FIVE MONTHS. This, more than anything, tells me about the bubble in which we have been living. Oh my heavens.
Anyway, the drive into Rhinebeck was gorgeous and Don kept saying how wonderful it was. We got to the bookstore and easily found a parking space. We double masked and went to the front door. We couldn’t go in the back door. They have a great protocol in place; there is hand sanitizer outside the door, you knock on the door, someone comes to let you in, and you get 20 minutes to explore the shop. But a bookseller said we could stay as long as we wanted to unless there were people waiting outside the door. Then you pay in the back rather than in the front of the shop, and exit out the back door. We scooped up our books pretty quickly, but I tried to take everything in as well. I still felt a little pressure and I couldn’t quite relax as much as I would have pre-COVID, but it was wonderful. Lots of beautiful jigsaw puzzles, by the way. I purchased one, which I’ll share with you another time.
All in all, a great experience but slightly overwhelming. I think I’ll be able to relax more next time I visit.
Then we walked around Rhinebeck.
The Beekman Arms, operating since the early 1700s. It’s the oldest continually operating hotel in the country. They kindly let us use their bathrooms. It’s beautiful inside – the old tavern room is stunning.
Right behind the hotel is the Rhinebeck Antique Center. We got our clock there years ago, as well as my first Maxfield Parrish. It was fun to walk through and look at the booths. I saw several things I liked but didn’t buy anything.
Lots of people out and about, eating outdoors. And far too many people walking around without masks. It’s mind boggling.
Don spied a sign for chocolates and realized that our favorite little shop for chocolates has a branch in Rhinebeck – there are three locations. So we stocked up. They have wonderful sugar-free chocolates for me and sugary chocolates for Don.
All in all, a perfect amount of time spent celebrating our vaccinations.
I’ve decided that masks are great at hiding imperfections and double chins. And, since I’m not going to stop wearing one anytime soon, I’m grateful. Side note: I’ve had makeup on three times in the past week – for the two zoom sessions and this little jaunt.
We were, of course, very tired when we got home. All the preparation; the masks, the hand sanitizer, the wipes, containers of water – all the stimulation; talking to people, scenery, shops – all of it is a lot to handle if you’re not used to it, and we are not.
But oh, what a lovely day it was. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Today and tomorrow we’re getting rain. But yesterday was sunny and warm and beautiful.
Stay safe.
Happy Wednesday.
What a wonderful experience that must have been. The whole story sparks joy (and not the Marie Kondo kind either).
Over here we have been somewhat less constricted than you were – less panicky, too – but as we were in lockdown for much of the time it is a real treat to be able to visit bookshops and thrifth shops again, even if you have to book in advance.
Yes it is. Small pleasures, but ones we’ve been denied for a long time!
Stay safe, Petra.
Sounds like a perfect day. We got a toll road bill like that once. I don’t recall what state we were in. I remember there was no one in the toll booths and we were puzzled by that. We didn’t see any signs to explain it. We were puzzled all over again when we got the bill quite a few weeks later.
Had to laugh about the make up. I can’t remember the last time I bothered.
Stay safe
Well, if someone is going to see me via a camera close up online – I’m wearing makeup. Same as a date. Those times call for a little enhancement. A bra, on the other hand – I can’t remember when I wore one last!
Stay safe, Marilyn.
This is simply fabulous. Wonderful in every way. I love the smiles — I see them in your eyes, if not your mouths and I hope you’ll share some of your finds. I know what you mean about the stimulation of being out when you haven’t been. I felt the same. I still do and am still pretty much at home, but it does get a little better. How odd about the toll booths! Rhinebeck looks like a charming town. I’m sorry, though, that many were foregoing their masks. (Which is why I don’t go out a lot here!)
Thanks for talking me down last night! Honestly, they make those puzzles tight!
Yes, they do, but I like a tight puzzle better than a looser puzzle. You get that wonderful ‘snap’ when it goes into place.
Thanks, Jeanie.
Stay safe!
Thank you for sharing your lovely visit to Rhinebeck, claudia. Ummm, books and chocolates!
The bridges in my area have been using a Fast-trac system for years, where your car has a device that automatically registers that you’ve gone through the lane onto the bridge, and the toll is automatically deducted from your account, which is replenished when it goes under a specific amount. Since the lock down, toll has been collected the way you’ve described for those without the Fast-track device.
Enjoy the new books and puzzle, and the chocolates! Each outing will get easier!
Yes, we have EZ Pass, which is the same kind of thing as Fast Track. It’s not worth the expense for us, and we don’t travel on the Thruway very much.
Thanks, Wendy.
Stay safe!
Sounds like a wonderful day…good to go home tired & happy!!
Yes, it was.
Thanks, Priscilla!
Stay safe.
Glad you had a good day out and about. As you know, we’ve been out and about pretty much this entire pandemic. Restrictions have been much looser here in IL than other states. But yes, it was very strange the first couple of times we went out. You eventually get used to it. Everything has been open here for quite awhile (including indoor dining), but of course, restaurants are following strict protocols (only certain tables opened) and masks must be worn indoors everywhere and social distancing followed.
I’m actually quite happy that we have tough restrictions. I don’t see the point in letting them slide as we’ve seen surges in Michigan, for example, and other states. I’m happy to live within those restrictions. Our ease now is only in the fact that we’ve been fully vaccinated. We’ll still wear masks, etc.
Stay safe, Melanie.
glad you and don had a nice time between the drive and the weather, the conservative safety precautions at oblong, someone letting you use their fancy-sounding facilities, browsing at a favorite store and around a cute little town, chocolate and other purchases …!!!
and you’ve written your own little mystery, haven’t you? :) about which puzzle and books you bought! haha! will wait patiently until you share about the purchases. the main thing is that (except for some un-ease being somewhere you haven’t been for over a year) you and don had a lovely day yesterday.
it does feel strange being somewhere like a bookstore “just for fun” and not for something serious like a doctor’s appointment or necessary like getting groceries. i’ve been going to stores every week for my family and me, and almost every weekday to my job, since the pandemic began and i still feel uneasy going into places. like you, i will be wearing a mask for a long time! especially since i just read again (from a different source) last night that these vaccinations may only be good for six months … and because every day i see lots and lots of people without masks and/or not social-distancing. ugh! still, i am so glad you and don were able to go someplace fun and a favorite place to boot!
well, here, my boss told me that our old boss is retiring in a couple months. she may, too. and they are both wanting me to take his old job … a very big paperwork-and-budgets-and-inspections job … and that my current job will likely either go down to 20 hours a week or may be ended completely. not good for me personally nor for the people we are to serve. sounds like a pretty big change in mission. not good. they are expecting a decision from me soon, but have given me no details about specific duties, pay, etc. if i were to take that other job. i really do not want to do that job. what i know of the duties i could do, but i don’t want to do them. they don’t interest me and would instead add more stress to my life … not needed or wanted! after this many years, i want to quit as a social worker, you know? plus, i really believe in having someone do what i do here. my boss said if i take that big job, i could still do many parts of my already-full-time job too. no … i know better. i know the rules. ugh again.
on a brighter note, it is sunny and clear here like in your photos. i hope to go for a walk when i get home after work and visiting with some family members (from a distance). would do me good.
that toll-booth decision would be good during a pandemic, but it doesn’t sound like a big money-saver after paying for the camera system, having someone look up each license plate and mail you a bill … but what do i know about that? iowa has no toll roads … and the ones i’ve driven on have been easy, slowing down and throwing coins into a big metal basket and then keep on driving …
hope you are having a nice day today and enjoy things from oblong!
kathy in iowa
ps: before the pandemic, i wore makeup … lipstick, a little blush and something to fill in the eyebrows a bit … but haven’t worn any in the last thirteen months except to try a lipstick (once at home) that my sister had and thought i’d like. she was right, of course, but i am saving it for when i don’t have to wear a mask (please, God, let that be sooner than it feels!).
Yesterday, I put on lipstick until I remembered that I’d have a mask on – so it was quickly scrubbed off!
That is a real dilemma about your job and the job they’re offering to you, Kathy. Only you can make that decision, but aren’t you only a few years from retirement? Seems like taking on a management type job would just add to the stress. I’m confused about the hours – 20 hours no matter if you take the other job or no? Or regular hours if you don’t take that job?
Stay safe!
thanks, claudia.
my boss made it sound like my current position will either go to 20 hours a week or be terminated once there’s a new administrator in the middle of this summer, whether i take that big job or not. i don’t know. i would want to talk with the board of directors about the importance of what i do, of having some continuity of staff and services when other things are changing … don’t know if i will get that chance, but will ask for it. of course they don’t owe it to me, but i think after nearly 22 years (as of july 01), i’ve earned and deserve the chance to plead my case and the benefits of having a social worker there.
i have 42 months (yes, i’ve been counting!) to go to get full medicare and social security benefits. retiring earlier could mean a loss up to 20% in social security and i would like to avoid that part … but for turning 63 last month, i am old enough to retire, get most of those benefits and start collecting my pension … if i need to. that part is a relief.
will see … and let you know!
thanks again.
kathy in iowa
Thank you for explaining, Kathy.
xoxo
I am so happy you and Don got to go out and have some fun. My first time in a store just enjoying after my vaccine I felt weird, but i’m a bit more relaxed now. Still masking and all the safety things and wish I could say the same for many of my fellow Athenians. It amazes me how casual so many are about precautions. It is suppose to rain here today. I have a busy weekend with Scout’s birthday tomorrow and party on Sat. She will be 6, wasn’t she just born? Hugs to you and Don. Stay Safe.
She was just a baby! My goodness, time flies. Have a great weekend, Linda.
Stay safe!
How lovely to see photos of your Rhinebeck trip. It looks like my kind of place especially the bookstore. Glad that you and Don had a grand day out. Things are slowly opening up here and I’m going to Waterstones bookstore tomorrow in my lunch break to buy some birthday cards as they have really good ones. I’m certainly not venturing into any other non essential shops. Pubs reopened on Monday but you can only sit outside, most of them also serve food. The thought of al fresco dining at this time of year, no thank you. It was snowing at the weekend and evening temperatures are around freezing point!
Happy Thursday
Lots of people were eating outdoors, but it was a warmish day, Dee Dee.
We have no real desire to dine out – in any form. Partly because, it’s lost its appeal and Don likes to cook, and also because…well, a pandemic.
Stay safe, Dee Dee.
Yay for your adventure! Love all your photos. I am lucky enough to get my first vaccine this Saturday through my work and I am looking forward to being fully vaccinated! So glad you both got to go on a fun day trip. And I love the picture of you both!
Mo
So happy to hear you’re getting the vaccine this week! Congratulations!
Stay safe, Mo.
Day 397 – a day to remember.
You both look so cute.
I am also quite happy for the mask facial makeover. All those zoom calls in my mask – no problem! Hah!
Just curious if the toll booth you passed accepted E-Z Pass.
Gosh darn, you people without masks on the streets of Rhinebeck and elsewhere!!!
Cheers to more days out of the bubble in the future.
It does, but we don’t travel on the Thruway enough to buy an EZ Pass – it would be a waste of money.
Stay safe, Martha.
The bridge in Louisville Ky has done this for years
I received in the mail the one for March and with it was one in 2019
I remember paying that one but didn’t want to go through credit card statements todo it so paid again
I just call and pay on credit card
My son has not gotten his yet
Easier than stopping on lines and paying
Glad your day was great
But not so convenient for those who need to ask directions – and people traveling on the Thruway need that. Or for those toll booth workers who have lost their jobs.
Stay safe, Brenda.
So great! We are tip toeing out and about as well…baby steps. Lots of unmasked people, but also lots that are, so that is good. It will be hard to start doing things again but we are looking forward to the challenge!
So are we, Melissa!
Stay safe.
I love that you had such a fun day being out and about. I just can’t quite get there yet. I agree with you about not caring about going into restaurants. I don’t see the attraction any longer. After a year of eating mostly at home, and in the summer eating outside with friends doing take out from neighborhood establishments, I have no thoughts at all about going back inside. Maybe will have to start with eating outdoors at a restaurant. But with all the noise, and all the people even when outdoors, I truly just don’t see that happening! I find I am moving ahead to a new normal and not back to the old ways. I guess time will tell.
Heck yes to no bra in forever. And for me, probably because of my age, I actually feel more free wearing a mask ~ due to not having to wear makeup and worrying so much about how I look. That seems funny, but it is true for me! Crazy times!!
Looking forward to seeing your treasures! We, too, are cool and cloudy today. But, the grass is green, the trees are budded, the chives and rhubarb are up over 6 inches, and the Perennials are popping out of the ground, and the Hostas we re-planted last year are also coming up. So, we will enjoy those for now. Hope your day is going well, and take care.
Rainy and cool here, with only a high of 48 degrees tomorrow. Then the temps start going back to normal. We’re tired today, after our adventures yesterday, and we’re just hanging out, napping occasionally. I’m currently eating sugar-free apple pie!
Stay safe, Chris!
Claudia — our yesterday was like your today, rainy, cloudy, gloomy–today sunny, tho cool w/some cloud cover–grateful for cooler spring days b/f summer sizzle begins. so glad your excursions were good–I do not nor will I ever understand the phobia re: mask wearing — here in Ky it is a monumental problem– one w/no solution–what is the problem?? I feel masks will be part of our daily lives for a long time. some are on our news whining/complaining about losing freedoms, hating gov control, etc. these little pieces of cloth are that restrictive??? don’t get the argument. glad you had some positive experiences. stay safe and healthy. your makeup only enhances your natural beauty.
I don’t get it either. Well – I do get that that response is the epitome of selfishness. Do they wear a seat belt? Do they take their shoes off when going through the check at the airport?
Stay safe, Linda.
DearClaudia, A beautiful spring day in the Hudson Valley is beyond compare. As for reacclimatizing to society, everyone I’ve talked to finds it unsettling. And a lot of the things we thought we missed, we find that our new quarantine lifestyle suits our evolved taste. We celebrated our adult daughter’s birthday in a restaurant last night, and I am glad that’s over. I prefer our home cooking, and though fully vaccinated in February, I still prefer to social distance. I mean, you can’t ask every other patron if they are vaccinated, can you? And what’s the story on vaccine boosters?
Boosters, I think, will be needed after you’ve been fully vaccinated a year – at least, that’s what Pfizer said the other day. I’ve also heard six months. We’ll have to see. Maybe we’ll have to keep getting inoculated every year, as with the flu?
Stay safe, Leslie.
Getting out and about does feel very odd at first, doesn’t it. There have been a few times when I have left a cafe or shop because I just felt way too close to other people and very uncomfortable. Nonetheless, it is pretty exciting to get outside your own four walls.
Lockdown certainly taught me that my husband and I can be together all day every day for months on end…Our lives before we’re pretty busy, with both of us involved in a few different things in our community. It was good to find out that we still like each other, can either talk or be silent, and can find things to do together.
Just on a bit of a side note: there is some very new Australian research about to be published which shows that masks not only work but we’re absolutely critical in Victoria getting on top of a devastating few months last year. When I read reports of so much mask hesitancy in your country I truly struggle to understand.
I hope you soon have more outings to enjoy!
I struggle to understand it, too. And I don’t have any patience with it. EVERYONE should wear a mask, vaccinated or not.
Thanks, Denise.
Stay safe.
Claudia dear — you have inspired me to call a friend and suggest a drive in the Eastern Missouri countryside next to the Magnificent Missouri River. I’m so happy you enjoyed your outing. Now we realize how precious these moments are, don’t we? Peace, Carolyn
Oh, wonderful! Have a wonderful time, Carolyn!
Stay safe.
Hi Claudia, I’m glad that you and Don had such a lovely day out, but I’m curious as to why after having had your COVID vaccinations and are presumably immune to the virus now, that you feel the need to still wear a mask double at that?
I’m glad you asked. Because of recommendations from the CDC and the variants that are out there and being careful not to infect others. You can be fully inoculated by still carry the Virus. So, without a mask on, you can infect others. The fact is, we still don’t know everything about this virus. The one thing we do know is that it is still infecting people, and it’s mutating into other strains.
From the CDC website:
“COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.
We’re still learning how vaccines will affect the spread of COVID-19. After you’ve been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you should keep taking precautions—like wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces—in public places until we know more.
These recommendations can help you make decisions about daily activities after you are fully vaccinated.”
Also, from the CDC:
“You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Take these precautions whenever you are:
In public
Gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household
Visiting with an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 or who lives with a person at increased risk”
Getting vaccinated is not a Get out of Jail card. We still have responsibilities, to our ourselves and others.
Thanks, Janette.
Thank you for the explanation, Claudia. Vaccinations have only recently started here in South Australia and I have heard no mention of any need to continue to protect yourself after being vaccinated.
You’re most welcome, Janette!
xo
I feel you were very wise to be prepared with all of your ‘supplies’ for the road and the shopping. The vaccinations don’t have 100 percent efficacy and the masking is easy. It’s so important to wear them so as not to infect anybody else when, to my understanding, we can (even as fully-vaccinated people) still be asymptomatic virus carriers (and a real danger to someone who is NOT vaccinated [and there are still too many of those folks out there who are unprotected]).
It’s notable to hear of the one store limiting your time inside but I find it encouraging that there’s continuing care out there to protect staff and customers. We drove by one of the thrifts a couple of days ago and they’re still not accepting donated goods from people’s individual households; there’s a central location for them where all donated items are disinfected/sanitized (and isolated) before they’re distributed to the various retail locations for resale. At the grocery store, you still can’t bring in your own shopping bags. I don’t have a problem with the cautions. The nation is so NOT out of the woods yet with Covid and its variants; just look at Michigan. The news from there is sobering; a return to triage in hospital parking lots because hospitals are nearing capacity again; the hospital staff are frustrated and exhausted and overworked once more; is concerning and so sad. (And a warning, because which states will follow?)
Somewhat relative to what you’re saying about not feeling entirely comfortable with the outing (and the newness of it), I have relatives in another state who finally took the leap for indoor dining at a restaurant. They’d been ‘chomping at the bit’, thought they needed the change from home fare but then regretted going out. Just did not feel at ease being in the enclosed space with other diners; and, I thought this was intriguing, after so many months of cooking at home and thinking they were so weary of it, the restaurant food didn’t taste very good to them. These are folks who used to eat out nearly every single day; they’d had their favorite small cafes and sometimes even the ‘healthier’ fast-food places. Her birthday was yesterday and we asked, “Did you go out?” She said, “Never thought I’d say this, but it’s not worth it; being near maskless people sneezing, laughing, talking loudly at the table while they’re eating; the monetary expense of dining out; the food not tasting as good as we thought we remembered. We stayed home for my birthday and it was perfect; we made a delicious meal. And the piggybank didn’t get robbed. Besides which, we’ve discovered we’re our own best company and entertainment.” I nearly fell out of my chair.
(Now, fairly, although I have my issues with this, a friend joined a group of nine people at a restaurant recently, sitting elbow-to-elbow for the meal; they did eat outside and apparently had a grand time. It’s such an individual ‘thing’; the mindset; the choices.)
What I’m finding for myself is that, different from past months/past year, I’m not feeling a great need to go out and shop or browse. This, in the past, was a compulsion in me that wasn’t positive. It’s like I finally broke a bad habit because it was imposed on me to stay home (home as rehab, go figure). We ate too much fast food/drive-thru/take-out food pre-pandemic; finally, finally, I’m not missing it anymore. The changed behavior is curious. Will it last?
I think I’ll enjoy, in future, a walk thru the local museum for a new exhibit, but it’s a big, wide-open gallery and the building was totally renovated in more recent years (everything was done top drawer so I will assume they have good filtration with their newer central air conditioning; it’s a historical building that was thoughtfully brought into the 21st century) and I always used to anyway go in the time of day, or day of the week, when it wasn’t crowded or noisy. My husband and I seem to be content with the occasional ‘drive’ to just see some of the local world but, you know, it’s okay from my car window except for a stop here and there for a whiff of nature or a view (where you can pick and choose, be distanced from others). At least for now.
When last year, I’d sometimes feel a need to bust out, or when I looked at the house like a prison, I haven’t felt that way for awhile now. I don’t know if concerts, theater visits, sports like a hometown football game, the county fair or even a city council meeting (any group activity) are again in my future; our SoCalif libraries even continue to stay closed for now. Maybe I’m just more anti-social or just can’t go back to that other life (because I was forced to remove myself from it, and the experience hasn’t been all bad); maybe we’ve just, husband and myself, adapted to being retired and content at home, pandemic or not. How much of it is timing?
I think I’m mostly interested to know what travel can eventually be, on a plane or train or ship, in a motel or hotel (and even just ‘on the road’). I do have those in my family who really haven’t ‘changed their ways’ much in the epidemic (have been taking plane trips; road trips). But I can wait (even though ‘time’ isn’t on our side in the later years/senior years).
Anyway, I’m just sorta fascinating by the changes. It’s been enlightening to read about your own experience, Claudia, and that of other readers here on the blog; this re-introduction to the life some of us once had and where we go from here and at what pace.
I read your comment to Don today and he says to tell you he agrees wholeheartedly – especially about dining out.
Stay safe, Vicki!
Certainly having a ‘time’ with my comment; stupid autocorrect in the last paragraph to where “I’m just sorta fascinating” … uh, I know I typed “I’m just sorta FASCINATED”. And then I printed twice. Sorry, Claudia! Gremlins!
xoxo