UNDER COVID, PT. 31: THE BEGINNING OF THE END (UNTIL FLU SEASON)

Everybody hating the Mayor? Yup, that's normal.

 

 

You might have heard some loose talk to the effect that New York is "getting back to normal." I'm not sure what this means. What seems to fit the definition of normal to you: low crime or the recent explosion of shootings and robberies? Relatively empty streets or the return of traffic jams? Paying $5.99 for a streaming movie in the quiet of your home, or looking forward to the time of dropping $15-$20 per ticket with an audience who seems to have mistaken the theater for a barnyard?

Who was that masked couple?

A couple of weeks ago, we made our own stab at normal by having our first outdoor, parking space lunch at Caffe Buon Gusto on East 77th Street. (Just so you don't get the wrong idea, I didn't promise a plug for a free meal, although I'm sorry I didn't think of it at the time.)

Unlike the early days of COVID-inspired al-fresco dining, restaurants have put up walls and covers to at least try to make the experience a little more fancy. Call it sheltering & dining in place.

They must have known I was coming.

 

 We made a point of going to a restaurant on an east-west street rather than the north-south avenues, which have more vehicular and pedestrian traffic. And this being a workday, there were fewer patrons. Like none.

Because it was a pleasant summer afternoon, we could kid ourselves into thinking we were on vacation. It was our first restaurant lunch in five months, almost to the day. I had forgotten what it was like to have someone cook and serve a meal, then clean up afterwards. For my wife, however, it was business as usual.

Words fail me. Wait, no they don't. This is crap.

Indoor dining still isn't happening, though, and may not return until there's a vaccine -- that is, if Mayor Bill de Blasio gets his way. He's also preventing gyms from re-opening before September 2, although museums have the OK to return next week. 

The Museum of Modern Art is the first to announce it will open on Monday, although at 25% capacity and through reservations only. And if you've seen their collection, you'd have reservations, too.

A/k/a "Kevin Goes Back to Show Business."

It wasn't until yesterday morning that I personally felt the hope that the shutdown was finally ending. That was when I received a text from a casting agency asking if I was available from September 8 through the 22 to work on the series that was originally scheduled for March.

They remembered me! See, baby, they want me again! I knew they'd come crawling back eventually!

Well, not exactly. I'm not officially booked this time around like I was before. As a follow-up text explained, We have let production know you are available. We are in the process of gauging who/how many people we will be able to use in the scene based on Covid safety protocols. 

Let's examine the pros and cons. Pro: According to what I've read, studio shoots will allow up to 100 people (including crew), so that gives me a chance. 

Con: I'm at the tipping-point, age-wise. They might want to stick with younger people. And since the role is a surgeon who spends most if not the entire time wearing a surgical mask, they could go for someone younger, and no one would notice.

Pro: They wanted me for the part before, so why not now? 

Con: See above con. I hope I'm not getting conned.

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