Dining out during COVID

We had our babysitter schedule to relieve us for a few hours today. Yes, we started doing that again.

Kaitlin and I took off to a house we’re finishing up a light rehab on next week. We had to measure space for appliances and just check out overall progress. My guys cracked open a locked door in the basement that we’d assumed was a small closet. Turns out it was at least a 200 square foot room that was being used as an old grow room (yes, weed).

It’s a nasty mess, and another one of those things you just don’t plan for. Less learned… if there’s a lock on a door, get it open and find out what’s behind it ASAP!

So after that we headed to Seva, an awesome vegan restaurant in Detroit that we’d visited a couple times pre-COVID. I was a bit freaked out about the whole thing, but agreed to give it a go. We haven’t been out to eat at all since probably February, and we’ve only done takeout I think twice.

We sat outside, well away from any other tables. All the wait staff had masks on. But I still couldn’t get over the fact that tables weren’t disinfected between turns and I didn’t like the idea of eating anything with my hands.

Initially, it was hard to enjoy myself but I got over it and we had a good time.

I have a hard time wrapping my head around what’s “right” and not. I get people need to make a living, and everyone needs to balance their own risk reward. I also get that the mental toll of being locked down or holed up is real. We’ve felt it plenty.

Ultimately, I felt for the waitstaff. While they have masks on, their patrons don’t. They’re literally risking their lives. We left a 50% tip, dropped by another home we may be looking at buying, and headed home.

I’m not sure I’ll be jumping at the chance to go out again, but it was a nice change of pace.