Reduced hours a good thing
Jeter and Judge making it great to be a Yankee fan
By Ken Tingley
We’ve all been adjusting our routines when it comes to shopping and eating out.
Just recently, my local pharmacy announced it would be closed on Saturday and Sunday. It already closes briefly during the middle of the day for lunch. Then, it announced it would be closed on Friday, too.
The worker shortage is changing the way stores and restaurants do business. There is no way you dare leave the house anymore on a Monday or Tuesday without checking to see if the business you are visiting is open.
We have to plan better.
We cannot procrastinate and leave things to the last minute.
But this is a good thing.
A few years ago, I protested loudly when the big-box department stores expanded its big Black Friday sales to begin on Thanksgiving Day. I complained they were taking things too far and that every family deserved to have the opportunity to be together for Thanksgiving dinner.
When I was a teenager growing up in Connecticut, the state rolled back the blue laws and allowed the supermarket I worked at to be open on Sunday mornings. Of course, that was only the beginning and led to expected 24-hour grocery shopping.
That is not necessary.
I’m hoping one of the results of the recent worker shortage is that stores and restaurants cut back on their hours and days of operation. That will allow workers in the service industry to have more times with their families.
And the rest of us can plan our shopping accordingly.
Jeter and Judge
The New York Yankees are a large part of any summer for me. I’ve always said that the Yankee radio broadcasts are my soundtrack of summer. I love sitting outside on the patio and just listening to sounds of the game.
It has been especially fun this year because, not only are the Yankees in first place with the best record in baseball, but Aaron Judge is having one of those magical historic seasons where he has a chance to hit 60 home runs without steroids.
ESPN has also been showing a multi-part documentary on the career of Hall of Famer Derek Jeter called “The Captain.”
The documentary is closer to a love letter to Jeter’s career than a close examination of his life, but what has been so satisfying for a Yankee fan like myself is to hear candid interviews with Jeter. The Yankee shortstop was notorious for being absurdly politically correct so he never caused any controversy.
“The Captain” reveals a lot about Jeter’s relationships, his early family life and what he was really thinking during his career.
There is another new episode on Thursday.
SOOP promo
If politics has gotten you down and you needed a little inspiration, you might want to consider my story: “Roy McDonald: Profile in Courage.” It’s been a decade since McDonald changed his mind about same-sex marriage in New York and cast one of the deciding votes to make it legal.
Something or Other Publishing, which published my first book, included the story in an anthology of short stories it plans to publish in December.
To order a copy and celebrate Sen. Roy McDonald’s moment of courage, you can preorder from SOOP.
August already
It’s usually about this time of year that many of us lament how fast the summer is going and how we haven’t had a chance to do all the things we wanted to do.
We all need a summer bucket list. Whether it’s spending a day at the track, swimming in Lake George or going for a hike in the Adirondacks, it isn’t going to happen unless you plan for it.
Make a list, then get out your calendar because you’ve only got eight weekend days left this summer to get out and do your favorite things.
ATF scores again
I’ve seen all three of the Adirondack Theater Festival shows this summer and it has delivered quality entertainment again.
The most recent show “Last Stop on Market Street” is one of those works in progress. There were only three performances so my expectations were not high.
Despite that, I enjoyed this show the most with its high-energy dancing and singing as an autistic boy works through a visit with his grandmother in the city.
That is a very good point.
Cutting hours for a bakery or non-emergency type of business is fine. I had a severe toothache a few Saturdays ago in the early evening and couldn't find a pharmacy that was open to have the Dr. call in antibiotics and pain medication. That was a very bad night. :(