Roll Call ...

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Here we are in the days before Memorial Day Weekend, and the world is beginning to open up just a little.  I saw on the news yesterday that Italy is attempting to get back to some semblance of normal, and people were shown being nearly giddy at the sense of freedom they were experiencing for the first time in two months.  

I'm curious how things are going elsewhere, if anyone is venturing out as the stores and restaurants begin to open for business.  Hopefully the small businesses that have been forced into closing can still survive.  I have a good friend who has been hanging onto a thread during this, and was rewarded by a kindness from her landlord to be given free rent for as long as it takes.  The benefit of owning a building allows for this sort of graciousness, and one hopes that it is more common than we know.

Personally, my own employer, Pier 1 Imports, was already in Chapter 11 bankruptcy when this started, and as of a few days ago had announced stores won't be re-opening until at least June 1.  They need to be able to open at least 50% of the stores before considering a definite date.  So, more time to figure out my next step to develop my own brand.  I see Etsy in my future.

Tell us then, what's the status in your area?  

Comments

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Good luck with Etsy!

Much the same in New Zealand. The shops and libraries are telling each customer to write down a whole list of contact information every time we use them.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

We're all going to be craving simplicity in our daily lives. It's amazing how much more difficult it seems to shop when the shelves aren't quite as full. It's a little disorienting.
Stay well, and don't neglect to share the love with kitty :D

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

Samantha sends purrs back. Best wishes to you and to Precious!

And a hug of consolation.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Precious thinks the kitties need their own community so they can keep in touch... paw waving to Samantha😸

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

So I'm in NJ the number two hotspot in the U.S. I have taught synchronous online classes all semester. All non-essential businesses are closed but you can get take-out at some local fast food, pizza parlors, Chinese and Japanese takeout places. Also big stores that sell food and food marts are open. my local deli is open. Malls and theaters are still closed.

We all have to wear masks in public. Roads and highways are fairly empty since many working from home. Bus service to NYC is on hiatus.

The curve is going down, especially in the north part of the state [I am in the middle] The governor is opening slowly with lots of pressure to approve seasonal businesses, beaches and boardwalks. NJ has a big Shore culture. So the beaches are opening Memorial Day weekend but not the boardwalks. My son works for an amusement pier in the summer and they don't know when they'll open but it looks like mid-June.

I haven't really been out of the house since March except maybe four times ---three for food pickup and once for gas.

We'll be heading to the Shore house early next month where there's been tension between year the much fewer round residents and the second home owners [like me] and the tourists.

Worst is the nursing homes and assisted living which have been heavily hit by Covid 19.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

I'm sure it will be a relief to have a change of scenery. The beach sounds fabulous, I hope you get to really enjoy it.

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Great! I asked Bob Short from Inner Circle on FB too. We need one or two more to get a sense of where we are as a fandom.

I'm thinking 2 pm EST on Saturday.

We're going to keep the link private though so we don't get hacked by anyone from outside. Apparently it happened to Bond fans last week when they held a great together.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Sounds good. The Command was made for times like this😉

[leethet.livejournal.com]

Pier One was basically my #1 aspirational store for many many years. I loved nearly EVERYTHING in that place and could only rarely afford even the smallest tchotchke. I'm sorry to hear it's not doing well. I hope you come out of this OK.


Me, I'm skatin'. My employer, HUGE AEROSPACE COMPANY, is taking the first tentative forays into considering maybe letting some people go back in (some people, of course, never stopped, because you can't replace a fuel pump remotely). Conveniently, my department is planned to be the last to go in because we've cruised through this whole remote thing, aside from a few early bumps, with colors flying. I'm not the only one hoping that this means more of us will be able to work remotely more often with less pushback from the corporate muckity mucks (our actual boss, dear man that he is, is totally OK with it, but the corporation is snotty and fossilized about it). When I think about the reputation our group has for advanced thinking, this medieval attitude toward e-work is embarrassing.

My loved ones are all doing OK although a good friend's elderly mother passed away from COVID complications, in a nursing home (surprise). So as far as I'm concerned this could go on forever (except, obviously, for the harm it's doing to so many people).

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

We got the news today, the company will officially be done by late fall. I hate it, Pier 1 is an iconic American retailer, and to lose it is a bit of a cultural tragedy. Our customer base is extremely loyal, people are going to weep over this one.
And I'll be out of a job, so... I'm not planning on searching out something new, not at this stage of the game. I'll continue to work on developing a brand and selling myself, er.. my art.
I hope you get to stay home. I have friends who are campaigning for the same thing, to be able to work from home. At least part time, that eases the stress of commuting and whatever else an office can do to you. I've never actually done office related anything, so... I wish you well.