Dining Out Less?
Dec. 13th, 2022 10:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerAs news about the tripledemic has been growing for a few weeks I've considered what changes I can/should make in my own routines. I can't mask up.... I've never actually masked down! All year I've continued to wear my mask in indoors public spaces. I'm one of the few still doing that, even here in politically progressive Silicon Valley. And I've continued to avoid crowded indoors spaces. I don't visit bars or clubs; I don't attend concerts, plays, or sports games. I try even to avoid restaurants when they're packed.
Restaurants are one place where I can further reduce my risk.... by going less often. But how often is less? Before the pandemic I dined out frequently, averaging maybe 13 times per week. When the pandemic officially became a thing in March 2020 I was able to pivot hard on that, not dining out at all, not even getting take-out food, for several weeks. Later in the year I started dining out again once a week, then twice, and so on. As the pandemic situation loosened up in May 2021 with vaccinations freely available and restrictions mostly gone, not to mention good weather meaning I could sit outside at many of my usual restaurants, I resumed dining out more frequently. I never went all the way back up to the 13/week level— which is perfectly fine, since eating at home is better in numerous ways— but I have kind of settled in at the level of 8-9/week.
So, yes, I can dine out less often than 8-9 times per week. I'm not switching to zero; that's too hard of a pivot. But I can drop by, say, 2-3 per week without feeling like I'm denying myself the pleasure of dining out.
Restaurants are one place where I can further reduce my risk.... by going less often. But how often is less? Before the pandemic I dined out frequently, averaging maybe 13 times per week. When the pandemic officially became a thing in March 2020 I was able to pivot hard on that, not dining out at all, not even getting take-out food, for several weeks. Later in the year I started dining out again once a week, then twice, and so on. As the pandemic situation loosened up in May 2021 with vaccinations freely available and restrictions mostly gone, not to mention good weather meaning I could sit outside at many of my usual restaurants, I resumed dining out more frequently. I never went all the way back up to the 13/week level— which is perfectly fine, since eating at home is better in numerous ways— but I have kind of settled in at the level of 8-9/week.
So, yes, I can dine out less often than 8-9 times per week. I'm not switching to zero; that's too hard of a pivot. But I can drop by, say, 2-3 per week without feeling like I'm denying myself the pleasure of dining out.
