Out And About
Except for a
few short ¼ mile jaunts to the mail box and back, I left the house for the
first time in five weeks today. I did
drive to the hardware store yesterday for a new propane tank, but that store
was only opened from 8 to 1. I got there
at 1:15.
Today I went
with Mrs. C to Costco, Shoprite, the bank and the hardware store. It was different for sure.
In these
difficult times (apparently
in these difficult times, all discussions need to start with “In theses
difficult times”) a
shopping trip is a bit different.
Costco as
always was very well run. We went on
Wednesday as Mrs. C figured it would be less crowded than Tuesday. Costco is open to seniors Tue. Wed. and
Thursday from 8 to 10. Mrs. C figured
seniors would be panicked after the weekend and Wednesday would be less
crowded. She was probably right. We only waited a few minutes to get in.
It was
interesting shopping without dodging carts and shoppers who don’t realize they
are not the only people in the store. If
there was a backup, a simple cough cleared the way (That was a joke, I would not do that).
It seems
masks are pretty easy to come by now as Mrs. C and I were the only ones with
home made cover. I did get a little bothered
by the few that had the extra good N95 masks.
I’m sure they had a smug look under those surgical grade masks. I guess they were just “special.”
Then there
was the one guy at Shoprite who had no mask.
He had a scarf that got him in, but then he took it off. I was not really worried about catching
anything from the old dude he has probably been in quarantine for several
weeks, it is just a “What the F*ck thing” to me. Him I might have faked coughed at.
Then there
was the guy who was shopping in his pajama bottoms with a matching scarf as a
mask. Damn I wish I got a picture of
that! I could not wrap my head around
someone who would be so casual as to shop in his pajama bottoms yet fashion
aware enough to have a matching scarf as a mask.
That’s it
for the Cranky’s, we are stocked up enough for three more weeks. I hope the world will begin to open sooner
than that, it is so sad seeing all the shops and stores closed. Sooner or later people without money and
small businesses shutting down for good will hurt as much or more than this
virus.
Even if the
world open up soon, I will stay tight a bit longer. I may try the golf course. Social distancing should be easy there. I spend a lot of time in the woods looking
for my ball, that should be pretty safe.
Stay safe
everyone, and wash your hands in these difficult times that is very important.
Oh yeah, and
we are all in this together, us and every bank, insurance company, car dealer
etc. that can’t sell anything; they are all in this with us. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.
I’ve seen some crazy $#|+ out there the few times I’ve crawled out of my crib. I don’t count the long walks as getting out since we don’t do anything else.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I admit we are out and about more than we probably should be but we are social distancing and definitely social isolating from family that don't live with us, so basically its just me, the dog, and the hubby. We essentially go to the store every couple of days and take a car ride pretty much daily for a couple of hours (heck gas is dirt cheap, might as well take advantage of it). Its 50% on who wears masks. We have some but forget to bring them with us. I know.......
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Wal-Mart is where we go most often and I realized today after waiting in a line to get in that they necessarily were not limiting how many people were in the store but they were limiting the masses from going in at the same time and then congregating by the carts to get one, etc. They let the shoppers in one at a time (or whoever is shopping together, i.e. hubby and me) and then they wait until we get our cart and go inside the main part of the store and then the next shopper can come in, etc. All carts are sanitized inside the store and if you try to bring a cart in from the lot they take it away from you and tell you to get one already sanitized (saw it for the shopper in front of me). All employees are very polite and so is the public waiting to get in.
People aren't socially distancing inside the store as well as they should. People still come too close to each other while going down aisles.
Elective surgeries get to start here in Arizona come May 1st. Governor hasn't said what he is going to do about the stay at home order that expires April 30th. Public protests have happened and several more are planned. I joined several Facebook groups who are a bit militant to get Arizona Reopened. I have no desire (well maybe a tiny bit) to go and demonstrate and attend a protest but I want to be informed with what people are saying and thinking and planning so I can be better prepared to watch out for the violence I believe is heading our way if things don't ease up a bit.
After seeing a report of a pork processing plant being shut down because of the virus, I may or may not have gone to the store today and stocked up a bit on chicken and beef......just saying.
I'm so tired of the news I don't watch it any more. I need to socially distance myself from Facebook but just can't quite do that now.
I am glad your and Mrs. C's shopping adventure was successful today!
Our golf courses are still opened (most of them). Looking at who is playing I'm not sure much social distancing is going on with the groups though I have yet to see where 2 are in a golf cart. Usually just one.
Here is what gets me. Lady next door to us Ubers all the time (as a passenger). How can you socially distance in a car (she does go to the back seat but I'm not talking a big car, I'm taking 4 door average size sedan).
Obviously I have lots of thoughts about this subject and lots of time to write a novel comment (not to be confused with the novel coronavirus).
Off to pet Winslow.
betty
Some of us had the N95 masks from a long time ago. Me I painted an old Jeep CJ7 back in 2001 and had forgotten that I had a couple of them squirreled away in the garage until this pandemic stuff took off. They sure are not new and certainly not all that clean, but I figure they will work better than a pair of pajamas or a scarf wrapped around my head ;-). I have a feeling more than a few people had them out in the garage and remembered them.
ReplyDeleteI do have to agree that is it funny going into town. We haven't left the hill too much since March 6th and when we do things have changed a lot each time. But I gotta admit WalMart's curbside pickup up heah works pretty great. Get a pickup time, order what you want then when they ping the phone you take off and it is ready and in less than 3-4 minutes you are out of there. Sam's Club there is a line but it goes quick and people have been pretty good.
Glad you are still doing good. :-)
Lol, yes at least the emails from every business who has my email address have slowed down on telling me we are all in this together. You have really been staying in! I usually walk at least 2-3 miles a day and it improves my mood.
ReplyDeleteAs each day goes by, the traffic picks up more and more. People are tired of being home and are doing anything to get out. One grocery worker said he sees the exact same people come in every day for two-three items, they just want to get out of the house.
ReplyDeleteI like what messymimi said, I think I may start doing the same, buying a couple items a day vs. weekly trips to the store. It's been too easy for me to come up with excuses to not shave & just stay home. I'm glad you got out today Joe, didn't know you've been home for 5 weeks. The golfing sounds like a great idea too :)
ReplyDeleteI go to my local Woolie's every day for the newspaper, but only do other shopping when absolutely necessary, and I'll be continuing that even when the stores are open and operating normally again. I've learned what I can do without and might as well keep doing without those unnecessary things. Might even save a few dollars.
ReplyDeleteI wish you had a picture of the pajama mask dude! You should be okay on the golf course. Lots of flowing fresh air. Unless you think the virus might hang around you in a cloud like Charlie Brown's friend PigPen.
ReplyDeleteYour outings are interesting. Surely you can’t get in trouble on a golf course.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that outings are more amusing than they used to be. Probably a good thing, eh?
ReplyDelete"In these difficult times" I think we should all help each other. I went to visit an elderly lady yesterday and I asked her whether she wanted anything from the supermarket. She wanted quite a few items. So I also gave her my shopping list. No point the two of us going to the shops!
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Our hospital just gave us the news that our hours are being cut, no pay raises this year, no matching the funds to our pensions. We did so much to prepare for the Covid surge that never happened that now we're broke. So I guess nice guys really do finish last. On the bright side they may start elective surgery soon. That's because that's where the money is. Can you tell I'm over it? Oh, the folks you described wearing PJs to the store probably just came to the facility where I'm screening patients! At least they had bottoms on!
ReplyDeleteIt's true. Shopping now days is an adventure. Certainly no longer a routine event. The thing I noticed the most was the silence. For some reason, no one was talking. If couples talked, it was in a very hushed tone. No employees joked around and no one asked where the peanut butter was. The anonymous masked strangers just floated about with darting suspicious eyes above the masks. Even the "Have a nice day" from my checker was so muffled by the mask I barely heard it. A little spooky. I kept looking around for Stephen King.
ReplyDeleteWe go to the post office to pick up our mail Monday through Friday and wear our masks. Hubby goes to Costco every three weeks and you'd better get there early if you want to get in in the first wave. Only 200 at a time. They are well organized though. Hubby and I got to Raley's (grocery store) every Monday and we wear our masks there too. We're doing our part to be as safe as possible and to be kind to others we're around.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and weekend, Joe. 😎
I have a friend in Phoenix who went to Costco one day and was waiting at the front of the line to get in when an employee came out and said, "who needs toilet paper". My friend said he did, the employee tossed a package in his cart and then said, "That's it, folks, no more toilet paper." I asked the friend if he got a lot of dirty looks from the other shoppers.
ReplyDeleteWe’ve been to COSTCO once during this situation but almost everyone had masks and kept a safe distance.
ReplyDeleteWe haven’t been in Walmart in 6 weeks. We do the order online and then let them load it in the back.
It’s a different workout there.
i can relate though i am not outside more dear Joe
ReplyDeletei found this update intriguing as you are master of telling stories :)))
i chuckled over mention of guy with matching mask ,how nice fashion can make it's way into even worst ,yea we should keep spirit high :)
i agree that being unemployed is going to hurt more than virus ,no doubt,our govt is unable to think of solution for this terrifying problem ,hopping for good new with prayers for all !
stay healthy and as blessed as you are always my friend!