Since the COVID-19 closures started in March we haven't taken any vacations and Holly hasn't run any races. Our trip to China (for Dave's 50th) in May/June was canceled and shutdowns caused us to cancel the substitute trip to Japan. Holly's spring race (a marathon in Fort Collins, CO) was canceled as well as the Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon. With the current state of affairs we canceled our 25th anniversary celebration in Jamaica in November.
Add to all this an extended work furlough for Dave and Holly have reduced salary periods and week-long furloughs a few months......
Boating was a great activity to get us out of the house, but COVID-19 changed the dynamics of the Chain o' Lakes. People decided boating was a great escape and there are a lot more boats on the water, and a lot of inexperienced new boaters. Tuesday evenings became the best time to go out. In our part of Northern Illinois no one followed social distancing or mask guidelines so the lakeside bars became risky options. We resorted to take-out and patronizing the few restaurants that were following the guidelines.
Boredom gave birth to the idea of having an At-Home Beerfest. Since we usually do a global beer celebration (Beers from Around the World) for the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, and they did not happen this year, we came up with a more localized version. Basically Dave assembled a mix-a-six at the beer store of brews we've never tried before. Hopefully this brings a few minutes of fun into your day.
