Comedy
March 2020 will be forever known as the time that life on earth changed and not just for a day or a few days but for forever. In the USA we will often hear about how celebrities and famous athletes are coping. This is not to say they’re not sacrificing or having to cope but what is more important to me are the stories of those who are not part of those elite groups. The playing field has been leveled and now, a good percentage of us, are on the same level. Rich, poor or in-between, we are all figuring this out one day at a time. I first met Arelene in 2015 in the bowling league we are in called LA Gutter Punx. At the time, Arelene had a small bar out here in the San Fernando Valley called Bar One. It was a popular beer and wine bar in North Hollywood/Valley Village and after reaching a milestone, she felt she wanted a change. Fast forward to 2018 and Arelene and her business partners unlocked the doors on a new bar called The Mermaid. This bar is located in downtown Los Angeles in Little Tokyo. The Mermaid is completely different than Bar One and when you walk in, you can really appreciate how fun and unique it is. When the news of the pandemic shutdown was going to happen, everyone felt it would be a couple of weeks. Two weeks turned into just about two and a half months. Arelene shares with me many the emotional roller coaster she's been on since the doors were locked and then opened part time. For more information on The Mermaid, please use the following links: The Mermaid website [https://www.themermaidla.com](https://www.themermaidla.com) The Mermaid on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themermaidla/](https://www.instagram.com/themermaidla/) The Mermaid mailing list [https://mailchi.mp/6e2992fb68f7/mermaidlaupdates](https://mailchi.mp/6e2992fb68f7/mermaidlaupdates) The Mermaid on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/themermaidla/](https://www.facebook.com/themermaidla/) ***This was recorded BEFORE the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, which is why we did not discuss this topic.*** Post-Production by AJ Murillo Recorded May 11, 2020 Edited by Andy Poncherello “Marty’s Got the MRSA” by The Poncherellos (available nowhere)