They always say “It’s Five o’ Clock somewhere”. Well, last night at Five o’ Clock, we participated in our first virtual Happy Hour. I have to say, while it may not have been perfect, it was pretty fun. Ten of us were on line, making the most of it.

There were jokes told, old friends, new friends, updates on the Corona Virus, rumors, awkward moments, people that disappeared for a few minutes, and lots of laughs. In other words, it was pretty much like a regular happy hour, other than hugs and handshakes.

Drinks? Yes, people shared what they were having. Everything from Bubly, to seltzer, beer, wine, sangria, Negronis, and my Manhattan. As with a regular happy hour, conversation ebbed and flowed. I think I detected people going for refills, and a couple of folk moved from outside to inside, but otherwise, not tons of movement “around the room”.

One difference from a regular Happy Hour? There were at least four dogs present.

The whole thing lasted an hour. It started around five, and ended about six, when people started dropping off to go make dinner. All in all, it was a great time. There’s another one scheduled for next Friday – I think we’ll be there. Self isolation is going to continue for a while, and this is a nice addition to our routine.

My advice? Live life exuberantly, no matter what that means at a particular juncture in time. With the Corona Virus happening, maybe it’s time to get just a little bit creative. What say you?

Addendum:

Special thanks to Laura Jackson and Virginia Jackson for organizing the Happy Hour – it truly was perfect!

We used Zoom software/app to connect….