it’s the same as any play date with people. People play outdoors while masked. When it’s snack time, they sit apart, remove masks, and snack. After snacking, they put on hand sanitizing spray, put mask back on, and play. That’s how people gather together.

the play date was 2 hours with a handful of minutes for snacking. People snack at random speeds and during pandemic it’s faster than what would be usual.

I live in a city with very strict mask rules, including outdoors. every play date is outside - it’s just different than what the press shows for other places.
The only time I’m home, I’ll only be going indoors inside a public space for groceries/food or refueling propane although I recently had to get a light bulb for the kitchen counter and that was an indoor light shop. It’s not the standard lightbulb in a 4-pack but one of those long 24” (??) thin tubes that’s $15 retail yet worth not storing in my house since it would likely break in storage.

Arugula salad
Jasmine rice
panko crusted Dover Sole with lemon and browned butter.

Grilled caprese sandwich on tartine bread
fusilli pasta with Rao’s tomato/basil sauce and grated parm
hummus
assd raw vegetables

iced water

sartori chocolate-covered dried strawberries

I made coq au vin last night. It was scrum-diddly-umptious. The photo doesn't look super great, however. Served with a baguette.


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“Boards” carried out from Postino in Scottsdale last evening:
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Mozzarella, tomato and basil; prosciutto, fig and mascarpone; ricotta, dates and pistachio; buratta, bacon, tomato and arugula

Not shown: sweet 'n spicy pepper jam with goat cheese; brie, apple and fig spread.

great combos!

Break the Fast supper

plus smoked salmon and hot smoked salmon


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Wow. Very interesting. I can't believe they can actually enforce kids wearing masks. Just seems like they will touch their faces all the time to adjust the mask?

Masks are required for everyone over the age of 2 here . I am always impressed when i see really young kids wearing a mask. Meanwhile some adults have hissy fits over wearing them.

Other than when I have been on flights in the past 5 months, I had to wear a mask for the first time today. Mr. Fink and I went to a friend’s mom’s house to help her with some stuff and put on masks out of respect for her. She kept telling us to take them off and not to be silly but Mr. Fink plays in a soccer league a few times a week and our lives are pretty normal (seeing friends, having them over to our place, some travel, restaurants etc) so we just did it for her despite her objections, No hissy fits but man, how do you guys do it? It was just awful. Hot, uncomfortable, chafed my ears. And that was for an hour and a half. I can’t imagine having to wear one all day, every day. And outside? No way. If I had to, of course I would. I am not anti-mask and I know people can and do wear them for hours every day, but am I ever glad I live in a place with low case numbers, no paranoia and no mask requirements other than a few chain stores (Starbucks, etc) where even there, they don’t care. Side note, we stopped at a Starbucks on our way home and I walked in before I remembered (don’t go to SB much). I saw the sign and said I was sorry and I would go back to my car to get it and the guy said don’t bother, no big deal. No one other than the staff were wearing them either, I am guessing because it is impossible to sit and drink coffee with a mask on.

There is only one pub I go to where the staff are being told to wear masks (ironically it's also the only place I go to that has had a covid case) and they all seem to constantly be adjusting the mask. Given they're handling glasses, plates etc It seems like a great way to spread things around rather than stop it. I sort of figure young children will do the same.

I think they are a total PITA but a necessary one. I too think they are hot and uncomfortable but oh well.

Kids are resilient and adjust as needed.

It’s also a rule in sf. There are limited exceptions.

I keep wondering if better masks exist because so many people wear them for 8+ hours a day.

and that’s the case - we have to. Maybe it’s related to population density as well? Masks are required when outdoors although most people remove them when they have a lot of personal space. As bad as our rates are, maybe things would be worse without masks. Plus for outdoor restaurant dining, masks are required. San Francisco lacks indoor dining. I know that I’ll get carryout at times and I still am not ready for any restaurant dining, not even outdoors.

I feel the same way as you, but live in an area with pretty stringent mask requirements. We've definitely been spending more time entertaining at our house or going to friend's houses so we don't have to deal with masks. At restaurants, we're not required to wear them when sitting at the table, so not too bad. But there is a new order that you're supposed to put them on whenever you are interacting with a server now. We've been out to eat 3 times since it went into effect and haven't seen anyone enforcing that -- which is good because it's ridiculous and would kill what little is left of the restaurant industry here now that it's starting to get cold.

Otherwise, I don't mind wearing them in stores, but they are incredibly hot and uncomfortable so I try to minimize how long I'm in a store. No mask outside. We haven't flown since January (I'm going stir crazy) but are contemplating a trip we have booked for end of October. One of our biggest reservations is that from home to hotel, it's about 8 hours of travel time, almost all of which would be wearing a mask.

Hehe, sure sounds like a hissy fit to me! :)

If it's that uncomfortable, get a different mask. I actually like the KN95 one a friend gave me but I also wear homemade ones that my sister in law made and those are fine too. I bought some from Citizens of Humanity. They are the kind that tie behind your head, and that's really annoying...difficult to get on.

My main beef with them is they fog my glasses.