Photo by Unsplash user waldemarbrandt67w
This week we learned that California will be phasing out gas-powered cars by 2035. Every time I switch cars, which is not often, I try to make sure it’s more fuel efficient than the previous one. But price matters, too. Do you plan on getting an electric vehicle for your next car?
With the election less than two months away on November 3rd, due to Covid-19, “every registered voter in California will receive a vote-by-mail ballot in the General Election”. I recently received the official voter information guide which you can view here and am planning on voting by mail. How do you plan to vote, by mail or in person?
If someone asked me before last week to pick any decade to live in San Francisco I would have probably chosen the 1960s for obvious reasons. Janis Joplin being one of them. Then I started reading Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love by David Talbot. I had no idea that the Manson Family, Jim Jones and the Symbionese Liberation Army were based in San Francisco. Not to mention the Zebra murders and the Zodiac killer. Those took place in the ’70s but the downward turn started in the late 60’s. I don’t think I could hack it. I’d probably last through 1967.
If you could choose any decade to live in San Francisco, which decade would you choose?
Photo by Unsplash user CDC
This week we learned that a COVID-19 vaccine may be available as early November. Some have said the timeline has been politicized for obvious reasons, and it will only be available to essential workers initially. That being said, if you have the opportunity to get vaccinated this year, will you? Or will you wait until next year to see if there is an increased risk for developing a disorder such as Guillain-Barré syndrome like what happened with the 1976 swine flu vaccine?
With people staying home these days, I’ve noticed that nurseries are becoming quite popular. Do you have a vegetable garden? How long have you had one for? I bought garden soil for my planters but promptly killed most of my seedlings before they even had a chance. One of these days I’ll figure out how to grow vegetables.
Photo by Flickr user benagain_photo
Months into the coronavirus pandemic and one thing I always appreciated was being able to take a nature walk on nearby trails to clear my mind. Or sit outside reading a book. Thanks to the recent fires I can’t even do that. So I’m stuck at home where even the inside air isn’t all that great. How are you handling these twin disasters? What do you think the next calamity to strike the Bay Area will be?
Photo by Unsplash user guipetri
There are so many beauty salons in Contra Costa and around the world. Due to COVID-19 it must be really hard on employees. Do you miss going to salons? Is there anything we can do to support our local salons?
From an email:
I am a hairdresser in Contra Costa County. [The salon owner] has been informed by all landlords that there will be NO rent forgiveness for the past 4 months and will need to find a way to pay the back rent or they will need to find another use for those spaces. She did receive 1 round of financial relief from the CARES act which covered 1 month. We are still not allowed to work. No one in our local or state government is standing up for us.
As I was strolling in downtown Walnut Creek recently, I spotted this giant butterfly art piece right where Forever 21 used to be. It turns out this is from the same artist who made one of the painted pianos last year. Check out the artist, Ally McKay’s Insta page here. I think I’m most inspired when I don’t expect to see artwork in public. It lightens my mood especially in these times wearing a mask. How does public art inspire you?
Thanks to a reader for sending word that Coffee Shop, which opened a couple of years ago in Danville, has closed. Not surprising considering that only outdoor dining is permitted these days. Do you miss hanging out at a cafe while sipping a cafe latte? Or have you gotten used to making coffee at home? Have you upgraded your coffee making process? Bought a frother? I’m a tea drinker and brew mostly the same teas, in the same way as before. Maybe it’s time to find something new to drink while at home.
With the Covid-19 pandemic coming back in full force, do you plan on traveling anywhere this summer? The CDC offers travel considerations to make people aware of various scenarios and how best to protect yourselves when traveling.