FIRST-TIME ACTIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC

There's a first time for everything, they say, and I certainly did a few of those first-time things during the pandemic.

• I need to have an eye test to renew my driver license.  Silly me, I looked up the local DMV (Department of Motor Vehicle) address on Google Map and just drove there.  The DMV office is on the same street block with a police precinct.  The entrance to the block had a police sawhorse with a policeman stationed.  I thought maybe it was to keep protesters away from the precinct.  Maybe it was, but the policeman told me DMV wasn't opened yet.  The next Phase, whenever that is.  Doh, I should have called first.  I ended up having my eye test done at a local pharmacy.  Quick and painless, I was asked to put on my near-sighted glasses then read one line off the chart.  That's it, $20 please.  Not free like the DMV, but I sure saved a ton of time.  If I have my choice, I would rather save the money.
• Drive-thru anything is such a necessary evil.  When I was working as a field technician, there were days when I had to rush from one visit to another.  Only in those circumstances would I consider a fast-food drive-thru.  Such a waste of gasoline, burning away and polluting the environment while the vehicles wait for their turn at the order microphone then again at the pickup/pay-up window.  Sadly, we are living in a certainly interesting time and I found myself a few times recently using the drive-thru of some Chick-fil-A's.  The entire service area was closed, no restroom, no Starbuck's, just the Chick.  Not too long ago I even used a bank drive-thru, to deposit a check.  I did use the bank's app once or twice, but in this particular case I wanted to make sure the check got deposited without any issues.
• I have my share of buying stuff online but it's almost always because the item in question isn't available in the physical store.  Or the store has so few options.  My work shoes are a few years old so I need to replace them.  Ah, but the shoe-stores are not considered Essential so they were not open the last time I tried to visit one.  They would open the following week, I believe, at which time I was no longer working.  I try not to go outside unless it's for grocery or for work.  So mail-order it was.  Luckily, I know my shoe size and there was one retail store I recall joining their mailing list to receive whatever discount I got at the time.  Free shipping for members, too.  The only thing that wasn't good is that I forgot to use the $10 discount code.  Argh, I know someone who would return some item that cost just 25 cents to buy it again at half that price, but I won't be that person.  Maybe I'll buy another pair and remember to use the code this time.