I made a list of the essentials, eggs, bread, coffee, cookies, ice cream and a dozen other things. It was the first time in two weeks I wore jeans. They felt weirdly confining compared to my sweat pants. I fitted a surgical mask to the contours of my nose, packed a baggie with sanitary wipes and went to the grocery store yesterday.
I know I said I was going to stay inside but on line ordering of food is back-logged over a week in my area. I didn't want to run that low and I needed my comfort food God knows there is very little other comfort going on here. It was my first trip in ten days.
There were a lot of cars on the road for this area being a hot spot (just north of Detroit). It was 5:00 p.m. The skies were streaked with grey clouds and a light drizzly began to fall as I got out of the Jeep. I wiped down a shopping cart from the parking lot and entered Walmart.
The store was not crowded but there were people shopping, most for food but some seemed to be browsing. About a quarter of the people wore some type of mask. A saw several people shopping in groups of two and three. What is that about? Why increase your families risk? One couple even had a baby with them. There was even a group of six teens aimlessly wandering the household aisles.
Shopping was as solitary an experience as being home. I didn't talk with anyone. Didn't get near anyone. I opened cooler doors with wipes, paid with my phone and wiped my hands constantly.
When I returned to the house, the first thing I did was wash my hands. Then I unpacked my groceries, washed my hands again and sanitized them after for good measure.
It is going to be a long April. I have not been able to convince the Gymnast to leave her quarantine and risk entering mine...at least not yet, but I know her, she gets horny and her toys will eventually not be enough to keep her inside. Till then, I still have five more seasons of Once Upon a Time to watch. I think I will let my hair go grey and grow out a beard. If I am going to be a hermit. I should look like a hermit.
I went to the store today, too. Dog food. That's the only thing I really worry about. As I walked through the door, an older woman in front of me handed me some sanitary wipes. We smiled at each other and then had a little laugh. Just because life has become very cautious, doesn't mean you can't share a smile.
ReplyDeleteThat will be my last trip to the store for the month. We will see how things go once April is over. They are projecting things will peak in Michigan April 10.
DeleteYep Mr.... It's going to be a long, long, April
ReplyDeleteStay safe Tommy.
DeleteIce cream and cookies - this is why I like essential American shopping!
ReplyDeleteFirst trip in ten days is fine - you won’t be infectious now.
Glad you are feeling better.
Grow it all out and watch everything you can - by that time it will all be over.
I don't think so. I think this is going to be a low level risk even after things die down. It won't really be over until they have a vaccine.
DeleteSo funny - my family shopping list is so different!
ReplyDeleteWe don't buy eggs (we only eat the ones laid by our hens, so very few in the near future after the dog attack), let alone ice cream!
Mostly we stock on many different types of flour, dried beans, and yes, chocolate and Nespresso coffee capsules. Oh, and sparkling bottled water - that is something we literally cannot live without.
Yeast has become an issue - store have run out of it weeks ago (which proves that half of the country cooks the same way I do). We have to keep our own yeast alive and growing - and this sounds like an Amish thing even to me.
stay safe!
I wouldn't know how to keep yeast alive and I have never make bread from scratch. Cooking for one is a lot different. If I make a large pot of soup or chili it lasts for days. I eat a lot of beans in place of meat but I have a store of them.
Deletebeing a hermit ain't all bad, I'm a monk, it's fun! join the club, my friend, come, come inside our monastery, hehe
ReplyDeleteNo thank you. I feel like offering one of those out of work prostitutes in Europe room and board instead :).
DeleteLast week I put an order for curbside grocery pickup, I'm going in a couple hours to pickup, but I doubt they will have everything I ordered. I went to Costco 2 weekends ago to stock up on cat food, as that was causing me a lot of stress, and they had a lot of stuff, but no eggs. I can live off eggs, I wish we had hens so bad.
ReplyDeleteTexas is supposed to get real bad come the end of the month, I'm glad to hear that you are not infected, especially since I've heard a lot of dire situations coming out of your area. Enjoy the hermit life for now, and the stretchy pants that come with!
A lot of people are sick here. A lot of people still not taking it seriously and still many of us who don't know if we had it or not.
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