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On another note we took the truck down to Newport News to the Indian dealer down there and then came back 60 through Williamsburg, VA. Essentially a ghost town. I've never seen it like that and I don't know how they'll survive. Busch Gardens....dead. Colonial Williamsburg....dead. The 60 strip....dead. The Pottery more dead than usual. If this don't kill them nothing will.
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No doubt some are suffering, or will be. We can do something though, and it could be considered trivial, but may help. I went to the local Safeway on my B-day, posted the following on my FakeBook page. Take it for what it's worth, perhaps it'll hit a cord for some of you that know a server or service person. Flip them a twenty 'just because'.
(quote)
Birthday, I can be a jerk if I want. Went shopping, Safeway, store was reasonably stocked. Head of lettuce, tonic water, and some other chit. New 'roving' employee spraying and wiping handles, sneeze guards at checkout lanes, markers on floor for safe distancing at checkout.
I was #2 for checkout, customer on the runway was just finishing up. #1 for checkout sneezed into his left hand, Dora (cashier) noticed and shoved the sanitizer bottle to him. I'm on final, my goods on conveyor, wheels now down.
Dora and I chat as I slip my chip card into the terminal and punch in $60 cash back. Dora scans and bags, I grab the bags and put in my cart. Receipt prints out, Dora places an assortment of folding money in her palm, rips the receipt off the printer, folds it, places it on the stack of bills, and tops it off with two Monopoly cards.
Here's where "jerk" comes in. Dora extends her hand with the paperwork, I reach around the sneeze guard and gently place my thumb and first finger between the receipt and tickets, leaving only the bills in her palm. Her smile changes to "deer in the headlight". I say "that's for you, perhaps you'd like to share it with your friends on the front line". Still "deer in the headlight", but her eyes are now tearing up.
Social distancing and all, I KNEW we couldn't exchange a handshake/fist bump, much less a hug. Dora did too. I beat a hasty exit to avoid stepping in a pile of tears, I said I'd see them in a couple of weeks, and thanks.
The one time I loved being a jerk, I'd like to think some of my friends can be jerks too, if they want.
(end quote)
Rick