A few weeks ago, my kids and I were having breakfast at the Sunrise Country Waffles, when my daughter looks over at the jelly basket. Suddenly she gets a big smile on her face and looks at me and her brother holding up a Smucker's grape jelly and says, "Mother Smucker," and repeats "Mother Smucker, Mother Smucker," over and over again. I will never be able to use that jelly again.
Ok, so now, with us all spending all our time together and getting on each other's nerves, things have gotten out of control. Kids know they can get away with things at home they can’t get away with at school, and since they aren’t at school it gets a little scary. At dinner last night my son got upset and used the other "Mother" phrase. He tried to explain that my wife and I were both MF’s, and we were not able to get him calmed down. As he was ranting (understand special needs kids have a difficult time containing their emotions), I was thinking about how wonderful this time will be with our darling children.
Folks, we have no idea how long this coronavirus is going to disrupt all of our lives. The problem is this can literally go on for a year. The vaccine is that far off and no other drugs so far have proven to consistently help people. So, I am looking at possibly opening for takeout and delivery only. All orders would be prepaid either by an app called ChowNow or by phone orders where customers would pay for their order over the phone with a credit card. We would not take cash so there would be very little interaction with anybody. We would bring it to you at the door or your car. First, we need to be safe, for everybody, but if we end up being closed for say three months and then customers are afraid to come out for another six months, then that could cause more damage than any SBA loan can ever pay for. If we do this we will offer regular meals, with a smaller menu. We will offer pies and cookies to be preordered. We would also offer refrigerated meals that you could reheat, like lasagna, meatloaf, and enchiladas. If we did this we would try it at FlapJacks first and if it works we would try it at Country Waffles. I haven’t decided for sure but I will send out an email if I can get this done, and if I can find any employees who want to come back to work.
We will get through this, then again if I have to spend 6 months with my children, who knows?
Mar 23 - 29
Social distancing is definitely the most logical solution to combat the coronavirus right now but when it puts you and your children in the same home for what may be months, it resembles something closer to a horror story. Imagine the Chucky doll that sneaks up behind you, but not with a knife but an electric guitar and plays BAD hard rock for the entire morning. Or, Freddie Krueger coming up to you and starts asking you questions about which is the best guitar pick to use and continues it for 3 days. We will survive, but my brain won’t. So when we finally get through this, please just kindly just say simple things to me and please don’t ask me any questions.
Folks, I went ahead and closed all three locations. I just didn’t feel comfortable exposing my employees and customers to something we cannot see. I feel that we will be closed for at least several weeks, but at this time, we have no idea. We may come back with some form of to-go orders that involve new technologies, but only when I feel comfortable. I kind of feel this is my fault. Someone asked me last year after we got open after the fire "what do you think will happen next?", and I said, "probably the plague."
Mar 16 - 22
This Covid-19 virus has gotten all of us near fanatical paranoia. So I have spent the last few days binge watching every “zombie apocalyptic” movie ever made. I now feel that I have a workable solution to all of this. First of all we must learn sign language, I will explain in a moment. Next at the front door of each restaurant I will have a stack of crosses. You know, the kind that scare away vampires. Next we will have glass bell helmets like Sandy’s from “ Sponge Bob Square Pants” (by the way if you study Sponge Bob you would see he predicted the Coronavirus almost 20 years ago). With these round helmets it is hard to have verbal conversations, that is why we need to learn American Sign Language, ASL. Now we will be able to proceed with our normal lives. Of course we will have to convert all our specials into smoothies, but that is a small price to pay for survival.
OK, folks we are trying our best to make sure no one gets sick. My email the other day discouraging patrons from coming in seems to be working and if we are not too busy and customers have space about them I think we can get by. Again, please stay home if you feel ill. I feel for all of us who have allergies, and have to constantly explain, “No, really it is just an allergy.”
We will laugh about this one day, it might be in heaven or hell but we will laugh about this.
Mar 9 - 15
This is what it is like to have a son who is on the autistic spectrum.
Dad, I need a guitar. I found one on Amazon
Son, you have 10 guitars, you don’t need another guitar.
Dad, you don’t understand, I need this guitar.
Son, you have every guitar imaginable
DAD, YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND. I NEED THIS GUITAR.
Son, why do you need this guitar?
Dad, you wouldn’t understand.
Ok son, we will look into it.
When dad, when will we look into it?
When we have time.
We have time now dad.
No not now.
When, dad?
Tomorrow, we will look into it tomorrow.
Tomorrow, right dad?
Yes, tomorrow.
Dad, when are we going to look into my new guitar?
Tomorrow.
Tomorrow, dad?
Yes, definitely, tomorrow.
We are going to look into my guitar tomorrow, right dad?
Absolutely, tomorrow.
Ok, so we are going to look into it tomorrow, right dad.
Yes.
Dad, what time tomorrow are we going to look into it?
As soon as I get home from work.
We could do it before you go to work.
I get up awful early and it would be easier if we do it when I get home.
Ok, dad, we will do it when you get home tomorrow. Right dad?
Yes, son, we will do it when I get home from work tomorrow.
When you get home from work tomorrow, right dad?
Yes, when I get home from work.
So, tomorrow when you get home from work, right?
Yes.
You know dad, I could get up real early and we could do it before you go to work.
No no no, that would be too much trouble, we will just do it when I get home tomorrow.
Ok, dad, when you get home tomorrow.
Yes, when I get home tomorrow.
Tomorrow, right dad?
Yes, tomorrow.
You know dad, we will have time after dinner tonight, can we do it then dad?
Son, do you have it pulled up on Amazon?
Yes, dad. All you have to do is hit this button.
Ok then, Done. It is ordered and we don’t need to discuss it any more.
Great dad, when will it get here?
Will it be here tomorrow.? Will it be here early? What if the truck breaks down on the way?
Dad, what do we do then?
And some of you may wonder why I planted my own vineyard.