We swung by a hotel lobby bar on the way home from work, for research purposes, and also a glass of wine. It was empty. People are either sick and in self-imposed quarantine (good), or healthy but scared (bad). This is really hard on businesses. My favorite wine bar has been closed for days now because people are scared to go outside. Which, again, is fine, no matter if it’s warranted or not. Healthy people can meet, sick people shouldn’t, it’s pretty simple, although trusting people to know what’s what maybe isn’t.

Anyway, at times like these, try to support your local businesses. They’re in trouble, and a many will have to close. The hotel we visited will surely get through this – it’s part of a large chain, and the big ones are always taken care of – but the same can’t be said for everyone. Maybe this is a good time to rent that restaurant for your birthday party next year?