Thoughts from inside Phase 2 as Snohomish County reopens

What was life like in Pierce and Snohomish Counties over the weekend after both counties moved into Phase 2 around noon on Friday?

Snohomish, Pierce Counties approved for Phase 2 of reopening

The announcement blew through my social media almost immediately, and my phone exploded with messages. People were ready to head out of their homes.

A lot of businesses were not ready to open, even with the Phase 2 announcement, so there were limited places to go on Friday. As you would imagine, hair and nail salons were inundated. Most were not yet open. Those that were had already scheduled appointments out for weeks.

Only one of my favorite chain haircut locations was open in the county. It had a five-hour waiting list for most of the weekend. I chose to hang out for a few more days.

Restaurants that had been doing a brisk takeout business were ready to switch to Phase 2. My social media feed was full of pictures of nice meals on plates and pint glasses full of beer, a sure sign that people were inside restaurants.

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I hit two restaurants over the weekend. There were waits out the door for tables since they were operating at half-capacity, but it just felt great to get out and have a meal.

Phase 2 also came in time for several high schools to expand their virtual or drive-by graduations. My son Tommy was able to get out of the car and actually get his diploma cover and yearbook. He was also able to hang with friends in small groups after. That was a pleasant surprise.

I also noticed that mask-wearing was down. No one inside the restaurants I hit had masks. The staff did. The patrons did not, and there was less mask-wearing in public places.

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