I had not sat down inside or outside a Fresno business for nine months. Until…
Yep. I broke down and went to the new (still improving) beer garden setup at Zack’s Brewing in Downtown Fresno.
I had a couple beers along with some tri-tip.
It’s looking good, the beer is still awesome, food was great and it all felt weird.
I sat outside and away from everyone. Wore a mask except to drink and eat. I felt safe enough.
But I didn’t have to go. I could have stayed home. This is what I have done this whole Pandemic: Getting takeout & delivery. No inside or even parking lot seating, for me.
But I broke, had some beers and got some flack for it on Facebook with a reminder of how things are going out there:
I can’t say disagree with the flack. But I wanted to support a friend’s business and have a Birthday Beer.
Zack’s and Tioga are making things as safe as possible and I was thirsty for an hour of normalcy.
We have all made our Corona choices somewhere. A tasty beverage on a nice Sunday afternoon broke me.
Fresno is about to “open up” because…[really I’m just too exhausted to get into it and you probably are too].
Above is a picture I took yesterday of the cantina from Casa Corona (no relation) at Bullard & West. In the times before COVID 19, it was always packed (even with its crap beer selection – OHHH sick burn).
It is a fun and lively bar, even with the lack of craft beer (burn #2), and it will be nice to see it return… I guess. You won’t see me sitting down inside a bar or restaurant any time soon, but if you need this in your life right now, have at it. Enjoy that freedom to acquire the COVID.
But yeah, anyway, I will miss it. The quiet.
I will miss sitting outside and not hearing much traffic at night. I will miss riding and walking around the neighborhood with few vehicles to contend with.
Empty parking lots. Less smog. More people walking. Enjoying their front porch. Bikers. Runners. I will miss it. I will miss the quiet.
One of the few fun bi-products of this nightmare that we are experiencing is a trend that elementary school staffs have started. The trend of School Parades.
The staff of an elementary school organizes a “parade” of staff cars to tour through the neighborhood that the school serves. Working best when giving a heads up to the parents, or maybe just sorta surprising the neighborhood since everyone should be home anyway.
As the staff drives through the neighborhood, they honk and have banners on the cars “Hi kids! It’s Miss Wilson!” “I miss you!”.
The kids come out to their front porch (maybe with their own banners), get to wave to the school staff and maybe their teacher as they drive by their house or apartment.
It’s a fun little break to the form of hell we currently live in.
I can tell you, as a dad of a grade-school kid who I thought would love not having to go to school… even she misses it. These kids are starving for any kind of bright light or fun change to their day. So these parades are kinda rad.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have a job that is “essential services” and it can not be done from home. So I’m out there in the mess almost everyday (you probably should stay away from me).
While out in the soup (The Soup is what I like to call going out in the world now – “outside the gates” if you are a Walking Dead fan) on Friday I witnessed Fresno Unified’s Olmos Elementary’s parade through the neighborhood. I choked up.
I have no tie to Olmos, no real reason to get emotional or anything, but I did.
Maybe it’s because I have not stopped to process anything going on right now and this was the first time. Maybe it was from being a dad. Maybe it was the joy the kids were experiencing and knowing how much they miss their school life. Maybe it’s because I’m a total cry-er at joyful events (please don’t look at me during weddings or while watching the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team beat the Russians).
Whatever reason it was, I had to compose myself. Here is one that FUSD’s Susan B Anthony did:
This trend is not without a little controversy though.
Not every school is into it. Feeling being, it might look bad being out there when we are telling everyone to stay home. And, well, what about large apartment complexes? That could easily spill into a gathering of kids that would not be gathering otherwise.
I get this take. I am a big believer of the staying at home model. I am not here to second guess. The school principles know better how to handle these things and adjust it to their school’s neighborhood.
I am just here to tell you, seeing one in person, it was fun. I would encourage schools that have not done it yet, to try it. Make it as big a deal (while being safe) as you can.
Speaking of fun things during this dark time, Fresno Unified Superintendent, Bob Nelson, has been awesome through this and has even gotten a little bit of national attention for his reading and ukulele videos:
So this is life now, eh? Battling Fresnans at Save Mart (or for you crazy people, Costco) for bread.
Actually, I have been surprised by how nice everyone has been out there in Fresno. I guess when you go through a shared experience like this, people get nicer.
As a homebody, an introverted and awkward person, that has to push and motivate themselves to even meet up with friends that I want to be around, you would think this new world of being socially distant, not meeting up with people and staying away from groups, would be kinda awesome.
Honestly, for me, it sort of is.
WAIT WAIT, don’t hate me. If everyone else’s life was the same; healthy, their business was untouched, jobs secure, THEN this would be the life I dream of.
Stay at home with my family? Play video games? Wander around my backyard, look up at the clouds, write, binge Star Wars content, develop a playlist on Spotify, trick-out my patio? Do all the things I always want to do but never make the time for? Yes, I’m here for that content.
All while feeling like I’m “doing good” (even if I don’t actually do any of those things and put them off like I always do).
Feeling good about myself instead of my normal feeling of dread and guilt that I’m not meeting friends for a thing, or going Downtown for ArtHop or an event, or going to get my tires rotated or some crap thing that I beat myself up for not doing ALL THE FUCKING TIME.
*deep breath*
Getting takeout now feels… good? As long as places stay up and running.
I hope everyone can weather this. The number of businesses that are affected are too many to count. It’s not just the food-related industry. But what the hell am I talking about here, you don’t need me to tell you this.
Most of the places I use for beer have delivery or pickup now. I used Pine & Palm’s “drive-thru” service this week and picked up some crowlers. I’ll be trying out Tioga’s delivery service this weekend. Hopefully, Zack’s Brewing will be able to do the same soon. Most of my craft beer places are at least setting up pickup options. I plan on taking full advantage.
This is all we can do, right? Takeout and tip higher than normal. Save up money to hella support when we are on the other side of this. No matter if it’s a food-related business or not.
I am fortunate to have a job that is not affected by this (income-wise), at least not yet. Unfortunate that I still have to go out and do it. Props to all my new brothers and sisters in the Essential Services Industry.
Staying at home sounds better than ever, but even I will be glad to be amongst groups of Fresnans again, someday… on occasion.
For now, all we can do is support the places we use (in the safest way we can) and hope they will be there when this is over. Keep your head up gaze at the clouds and stay safe, Fresno.
