Almost Normal

I've often said that I was only going to visit a restaurant or pub patio when it was safe enough for me to hug my friends—assuming that my friends were receptive to a hug.

Of course, I've been able to hug DW throughout this pandemic—assuming that she's receptive to one—but on Sunday, 16 days after receiving our second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, we finally felt comfortable enough to hit up a patio.

In fact, this past four-day long weekend felt almost normal.

Last Friday evening, we invited my parents to join us in our backyard, and it was the first time in about a year and a half that I was able to hug them. They had received their second injection nearly a month earlier. The last time that DW and I had gone so long without hugging my folks, it was because we were gone for just over a year, living in South Korea.

On Saturday, DW and I met up with some long-time friends, who had also received their second jab on the same day that we had. The four of us did a 50-kilometre bike ride, and we were able to ride two-abreast, only a couple of feet apart. And as we reached Manotick, we decided to stop at a café for a coffee and snack, before riding the final 10 kms of our route.

At the café, we wore our masks as we ordered our treats (of course), but we were able to take our purchases to a table, outside, where no one was near us, and we removed our masks while we sat and enjoyed our food and drinks.

This was the first time that DW and I had sat on a patio, so close to friends, since the start of the pandemic.

It felt normal.

No kayak parking.

On Sunday, DW and I took our kayaks to the Ottawa River, across from the National Gallery, to paddle under Parliament Hill and to the Rideau Falls (more on this paddle, later this week). After our trek, we decided to hit up another patio to get something to eat and we settled on Mill Street Brew Pub.

I haven't been at this pub in many years (maybe five?), which in itself was a surprise, considering that for years after its opening, I would patronize the place at least once a week.

As always, the pub was very organized, with a reception outside the front doors, and a QRC that we scanned to check in with a contact name and phone number. We were taken directly to one of their many patios, remaining outside, and were seated well away from other patrons. Once seated, we could remove our masks.

To further encourage minimal touching, we scanned another QRC at the table, which took us to their menu. We shared a sandwich and sweet potato fries: DW enjoyed a half-pint, while I stuck to ice water. It was ironic that we chose a brew pub, even though I'm not drinking alcohol in July.

It felt normal, or rather, almost normal. We still put masks back on when we got up from our table, and we didn't go inside the restaurant, but enjoying food on a patio was something that felt vaguely familiar and long overdue.

I'm not quite ready to return to socializing on a patio. While DW and I enjoyed our meal, there was a pang of anxiety that I've had since the pandemic started, whenever I'm near people. I still maintain that I'm not ready to make this a thing until it's safe to hug my friends.

I won't sit at a table with anyone who isn't fully vaccinated. Until we're all in the same position, I'm going to stay cautious. But cautiously optimistic.

We're almost normal. We're still in the tunnel, but daylight is shining through. I hope that in a short time, we can all step out of the darkness.