By Eric W. Schoen
So what’s the ‘New Norm?’ This is a question many are asking as we wait for a vaccine for Covid-19 to be available not only in this country but in the world. Is it safe to blow out the candles on a birthday cake anymore? How can we perform this function safely?
Buying one of those little battery operated beach fans and using the devise to extinguish the candles? Taking a piece of heavy paper and waving it back and forth until the candles are out. Will we have to use candles that do not burn. Or will a person’s age simply be written in frosting on the cake as everyone sings the Happy Birthday song?
Buying a bathing suit. That’s a challenge for many women out there. I went with a friend to Lord and Taylor’s recently as they we’re having their big 40% off swimsuit sale. Only problem was the fitting rooms were closed. So how is one to try on a swimming suit (unless one has a perfect body) with a closed fitting room.
With men trying on a shirt you can kind of sneak in a corner, take your shirt off and try on the shirt. If you are smart and shopping for anything other than a t-shirt you will wear a light cotton t-shirt on your shopping trip so you can throw the shirt you are considering over it and make your decision.
Not so easy with a woman’s bathing suit. It is a garment that needs to be tried on and compared for proper sizing. My friend wanted several suits and ended up taking home 9 garments, $1000 retail, $600 at 40% off to try on simply because the fitting room was closed.
Now let’s take a look at this scenario. If the garments were tried on in a fitting room after selection they would be packed up and brought home. Years ago, bathing suits for men and women were not allowed to be returned after purchase.
The ‘New Norm?’ My friend knew approximately what size she was, each brand fitting differently. At that price and with Lord and Taylor quality, she brought home 9 pieces to try on. $1000 worth of suits, $600 at 40% off. It ended up that 2 suits fit so she had to return 7 pieces, approximately $850 retail to the store. Those 7 pieces sat ‘quarantined’ for 3 days until they were returned to the selling floor, unable to be purchased by another shopper.
Is this nuts?No, the lady in the bathing suit department said this was common, with woman buying dressy gowns taking even more home to try on. Does it make any sense. Those garments are wrapped up, put in a bag, leave the store, may sit in someone’s home for several days (possibly 2 weeks as is their return policy on bathing suits) and who knows what they are exposed to. They are returned, hung on a rack marked, quarantined with a date before they are put back on the floor for sale.
Grandma had it right. She would never allow us to wear our shoes in the house, keeping them outside the apartment door on a tray. Who knows what was picked up outside during our walk. When we went to leave it was the old slip your foot back into the shoe routine fixing the socks and laces when we got back to the car.
The Governor made some announcements what we can and can’t do during the pandemic. I love karaoke and watching others step up to the mic some singing perfectly and some, well they weren’t in Luciano Pavarottl’s class. Just the fun of listening to our friend’s sing, a couple of drinks under the belt quite often bought smiles to everyones faces. No more karaoke!
You don’t see It around these parts a lot but the game of darts is out. This one for the life of me I don’t get. How can the game of darts spread coronavirus?
Now I must admit I haven’t played darts that many times in my life, but you throw the dart, it hits the bullseye or the area around it or drops to the group with points being scored where ever the darts land.
Dancing in a bar and comedy shows are all illegal. Dancing cheek to cheek I can understand, but comedy shows? Why can’t we put up a piece of plexiglass in front of the comedian with a microphone, sterilized between each use like the cleaning of a microphone, headset and table are in the radio studio at WVOX 1460 A.M. where I broadcast from.
Corn hole can not be played. What prey tell is corn hole.? Corn hole is a lawn game in which players take turns throwing 16 ounce bags of corn kernels at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the board scores 1 point. Guess it must be popular somewhere in New York State.
Halloween is a holiday no more. Children will be lucky if they can gather with small groups of friends to celebrate. Big family gatherings. You have to check to see what state every one is coming from to see if quarantining is necessary. Can the older folks mingle with the young ones. Better keep the mask on just to be sure!
So what will the ‘NEW NORMAL’ be like? Basically it’s a game of common sense. Stay tuned. In the interim be careful. One day this will all be over and we will be back to normal, we pray.
HOT TOPICS: ABSENTEE VOTING: Governor Cuomo is letting all voters vote by absentee Ballot. He is directing all Boards of Elections to notify voters of the dates to apply for absentee ballots, registration and postmark dates for the absentee ballots. Why not do what he did in the primary? Include an absentee ballot application in the mailing With postage on it.
This makes it easier for the voters to do due their civic duty in the middle of a pandemic. You are not getting an absentee ballot automatically you must apply for one and it is sent to you. I don’t think Donald Trump would have a problem with that process. We want to keep our Board of Elections Staffers and voters safe and sound!
WHERE IS YPIE? Yonkers will not have enough computers for all students to distance learn come September. The district claims it will have xeroxed materials for those without computers. New York City got a half million iPads to students in a month. Where is YPIE, an organization set up to provide the district with things it cannot afford above and beyond what government can provide in this crisis? Yes, they do good work in college preparation. The president of the Yonkers Board of Education told me YPIE changed their organizational mission from when they were created. They should be using the thousands of dollars they raise for more computers for needy Yonkers Public School Students, and their leadership, some of the top leaders in the corporate world should be breaking down corporate doors to get computers so our kids can learn. How can you go to college if you can’t finish your studies cause you don’t have a computer?
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
