Down The Pub?
... not after midday today, you won't be...!
The Government has announced that all clubs, pubs, restaurants, cafés, theatres, cinemas & what they vaguely refer to as "non-essential services" will be closed from midday - enforceable by the thin blue line. Food places will still provide take-away & home-delivery, shopping centres will still be open, so people can still panic-buy at the supermarkets, only now the bottle shops will be hit by the thirsty hordes as well. Fortunately, I don't think there'll be much of a run on my 2 favourite things - Guinness & single malt scotch whiskey - one because it's unpopular & an acquired taste, the other because it can be a bit pricey, even for the Zombie Apocalypse Preppers
I bought coffee & something for breakfast in the local shopping centre food court this morning & the barista told me the food court seating area will be closed today as well, so I imagine this will be the case everywhere - lots of people eating in their cars, or while walking - giving the pigeons & seagulls a boom time in scraps... Gymnasiums will also be closed, so watch out for an increase in jogging traffic!
Schools in New South Wales are officially still open, but the State Premier is "encouraging" people to leave their children at home, where online learning will be available. I know a couple of teachers, at least one of whom will be quite pleased about the reduction in class numbers, if only for her mental health...
So, I haven't actually set foot in a pub, club, or cinema for quite a while, but there's something vaguely comforting about knowing the option was there - which I didn't even realise until the news that I can't go there any more. In reality, of course, this won't affect my life that much, based on usual behaviours, but it does add to the developing siege mentality that's taking hold everywhere. On the plus side, the drive to work on a Monday morning was an absolute breeze, compared to what it's like on a 'normal' day. Because, of course, Debtors Prison is still open, providing the essential service of fleecing people for flooring. Though I wonder for how long... & whether the business will be able to access some of the Government support packages to stay afloat (& pay me!!), or if it will be me who has to access the newly improved 'Newstart Allowance' - which is marketing-speak for unemployment benefit payments... Apparently that will be set at $1,100 per fortnight, for the duration - which is significantly less than what I normally earn, so fingers, legs & eyes crossed it doesn't come to that...
The Government has announced that all clubs, pubs, restaurants, cafés, theatres, cinemas & what they vaguely refer to as "non-essential services" will be closed from midday - enforceable by the thin blue line. Food places will still provide take-away & home-delivery, shopping centres will still be open, so people can still panic-buy at the supermarkets, only now the bottle shops will be hit by the thirsty hordes as well. Fortunately, I don't think there'll be much of a run on my 2 favourite things - Guinness & single malt scotch whiskey - one because it's unpopular & an acquired taste, the other because it can be a bit pricey, even for the Zombie Apocalypse Preppers
I bought coffee & something for breakfast in the local shopping centre food court this morning & the barista told me the food court seating area will be closed today as well, so I imagine this will be the case everywhere - lots of people eating in their cars, or while walking - giving the pigeons & seagulls a boom time in scraps... Gymnasiums will also be closed, so watch out for an increase in jogging traffic!
Schools in New South Wales are officially still open, but the State Premier is "encouraging" people to leave their children at home, where online learning will be available. I know a couple of teachers, at least one of whom will be quite pleased about the reduction in class numbers, if only for her mental health...
So, I haven't actually set foot in a pub, club, or cinema for quite a while, but there's something vaguely comforting about knowing the option was there - which I didn't even realise until the news that I can't go there any more. In reality, of course, this won't affect my life that much, based on usual behaviours, but it does add to the developing siege mentality that's taking hold everywhere. On the plus side, the drive to work on a Monday morning was an absolute breeze, compared to what it's like on a 'normal' day. Because, of course, Debtors Prison is still open, providing the essential service of fleecing people for flooring. Though I wonder for how long... & whether the business will be able to access some of the Government support packages to stay afloat (& pay me!!), or if it will be me who has to access the newly improved 'Newstart Allowance' - which is marketing-speak for unemployment benefit payments... Apparently that will be set at $1,100 per fortnight, for the duration - which is significantly less than what I normally earn, so fingers, legs & eyes crossed it doesn't come to that...