Most of you probably didn't notice that last week, I went on a much-deserved vacation. My original vacation plans of attending a reunion in Scottsdale, Ariz. were unfortunately changed, thanks to that annoying COVID thing that just won't seem to go away. I starting to think that Mr. COVID had far exceeded his allotted 15 minutes of fame.
With vacation time already scheduled and a plane ticket already paid for, it seemed easy enough to merely shift plans from one desert southwest town to another. So, after a few clicks on the computer, I had a new vacation destination, Las Vegas. Throughout the early days of the summer, I eagerly watched in hopes that Las Vegas would open back up. Many of the casinos and restaurants did open their doors earlier in the summer, much to my relief. There was a slight catch, though. Everyone was required to wear a mask. Now, I won't try to get into the debate of whether or not these masks really do help keep the COVID boogeyman away. It seems to make some people feel better if other folks are covering their faces. I can understand that. I see a lot of faces from time to time that I wish would remain covered, even without the current COVID-craze. But, regardless of whatever personal thoughts I may have on the mask issue, the rules are the rules. One thing you learn rather quickly in Vegas is that you play by the house rules, or you don't play at all. So, I wore my mask for most of the time I was there. The welcome exception to that was when I was eating in a restaurant or while I was outside by the pool. I did keep the mask on for the most part while I was walking along the strip. That was because, it was on the strip that one would encounter the most crowded situations. Any other time, it was pretty easy to keep a "social distance" from other people. I must say, after a while, I kind of got used to wearing it. The most difficult part was whenever I had to speak to someone, I felt as if I were shouting. Even then, it was difficult to make myself understood.
Next summer, my plan is to return to the original destination of Scottsdale, Ariz., for a rescheduled reunion. I feel confident that by that time, the requirement to wear a mask will have long since subsided. I hope so, anyway. It would be a shame to have to cover this face for two summers in a row, don't you think?