Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1254473
W hat day is it? As I wake up to the weird new pandemic world every morning, I have to think about the day ahead and what my mission will be. Do I go to the gro- cery store to hunt and gather what have become elusive products? Timing is everything, and when I find something like toilet paper, it's like hitting the jackpot. So much has happened since our last issue published in February. All of our lives have been altered to a new reality which carries a lot of uncertainty and angst. As you will read in the following pages of this magazine, many of our businesses are still here for you and waiting to re-open and serve you in any way they can. The financial impact of the coronavirus is devastating to so many of us, but hopefully we can all figure out a way to suppor t each other and find a path forward. I read a funny thing online which said something to the effect of, "Government acknowledges UFOs and aliens, and nobody cares." It's so true; many things that have hap- pened seem so insignificant as com- pared to the cause and effect of COVID-19. Although we have had to shelter- in-place over the last couple months, life goes on. We adjust to the new reality, while some things happen that make the situ- ation even tougher. For instance, I had to put my dog down a few weeks ago. It was so odd to be standing in the parking lot of my veterinarian's office having the discussion with my vet regarding options for my doggie-boy Diezel. Both of us were wearing masks and came to the same dire conclusion about what would be best for Diezel. He lived 16 years, and as all of you know, we usually outlive our pets, but what they give us in unconditional love and joy is so special. It's not all bad though. It can't be all gloom and doom. Many families are able to connect more as they are forced to spend time together and help each other. To me, this is a planetary reset. Nature is healing. This time is showing us some positive things that will force needed change. That is a good thing. My wife Kelli is really good at list-making and projects, so keeping busy is not a problem. For our family and many others, spring cleaning has never been so thorough. Gardening has become more popular than ever. I had to haul a load of stuff to the County dump in Marina and waited in a line of cars 40 deep. There are lots of people with the same idea. My family wanted to make some positive impact on others in our neighborhood. My wife and kids are good artists and one day decided to take chalk and draw art and positive mes- sages on the sidewalks surrounding our house. They made a beautifully illustrated hopscotch game right in front of our kitchen windows and it was fun to see the reactions of people out walking when they hit our end of the block. They would photograph the messages, smile and play hopscotch. That made me smile. A really touching moment came every time our neighbor, Bernadette, who has been walking our neighborhood for years passed by with her walker. Each time she got to the game, she smiled with a sparkle in her eyes and tried her best to hop; though unsuccessful, she had fun trying. Having two teenage kids stuck at home has not been easy. Our dogs and cats have never been happier though. I like being home, but under these circumstances, I would much rather be going into the office and dining in my favorite restaurants and having the options to be home when I choose. I know we all are looking forward to moving forward and resuming some sense of normalcy. The Zoom parties and drive-by celebrations are all part of this new reality but hopefully we can get back to connecting in person very soon. Speaking of celebrations, we want to a wish a very happy birthday to local hero Clint Eastwood, who turns 90 a day before this issue hits the streets. To our readers and advertisers: we remain committed to putting out interesting content and offering a high-quality product that our readers can continue to enjoy and our adver- tisers can utilize to market and brand. We deeply appreciate the support of our community and know that we can do this! Stay safe, sane and healthy! 38 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 PUBLISHER'S NOTE S T E V E S N I D E R The Zoom parties and drive-by celebrations are all part of this new reality but hopefully we can get back to connecting in person very soon. Life in the Twilight Zone