Things seemed a bit quieter yesterday. I popped out in the afternoon to pick up some skin care supplies and checkout the grocery store situation.
Thankfully not a lot of people were out so it seems that they are taking the shelter-in-place order seriously. The grocery store was eerily quiet for a Sunday. The shelves were still pretty bare, but a few staples had been “stocked”. And by stocked, I mean there were two or three of certain items on the shelf. I was able to pick up a carton of eggs, 2% milk (there was no skim or 1%), off brand mac & cheese, crackers, pasta sauce and a frozen pizza. It took me 4 days to get the basics. Patience is the name of the game these days!
I did notice an increased police presence while I was out. That’s unusual for this neighborhood. There were squad cars parked a few blocks a part and one in the grocery store parking lot.
Gov. Pritzker issued a shelter in place order that went into effect Saturday at 5:00 pm and goes through April 7th. This means that all non-essential business must shut down and residents should stay home. It sounds a lot scarier than it is. The list of businesses that can still operate is broad and people are allowed to leave their homes to get supplies, take care of family, friends or pets, engage in outdoor activities like walking, running, hiking, etc. (no playgrounds though!), and going to the doctor.
Bike shops are considered essential businesses.My local independent books store.Front doors to the Neo-Futurist Theatre. Playgrounds are closed.
I hope you’re staying safe and healthy and 6 feet away from people. This won’t last forever.
I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few things for lunch. I was running low on bread and cashew butter and I’d been eating PB&J (well, CB&J) sandwiches all week. I’d also been having CB&J toast in the mornings. It’s one of my comfort foods and frankly, I think we all need some comfort food right now.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that there was no bread. I headed to the pasta aisle thinking if I couldn’t have my CB&J, I’d settle for my other favorite – mac & cheese. I wasn’t too excited because I was at Whole Foods and Whole Foods would NEVER carry my beloved Kraft Mac & Cheese. I’d have to get their organic, non-GMO, quinoa super special mac and cheese (blah, but beggars can’t be choosers). But there wasn’t any of that either. In fact, there was no pasta at all. The shelves were completely bare.
I started going up and down each aisle, curious to see what else the store was out of. It would have been easier to make a list of what was left.
I left the store a little annoyed, but not worried or panicked. I figured that I’d just make my own bread. Thank God I learned how to make it years ago when I went through that phase of not eating food with preservatives (I know, I kinda want to punch old me t00).
Tonight I went to the Jewel after work to pick up whole wheat flour and brown sugar so I could make bread this weekend. This time I was dismayed to find that there was no flour or sugar of any kind. NONE. Again, I went up and down the aisles out of morbid curiosity. The store didn’t have ANY basics – no eggs, milk, flour, yeast (YEAST! When was the last time a grocery store sold out of yeast?!), sugar, bread, dried beans, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, canned goods like veggies and beans, (although they did have a few cans of stewed tomatoes, which validates my opinion that stewed tomatoes are disgusting), butter, etc. There were no frozen pizzas, frozen vegetables, or TV dinners.
Since I couldn’t buy basic food, I bought ALLLLL the wine and the weird snacks that no one else wants. So really, I think I’m the winner here.
These aren’t half bad. They were the only thing left in the snack aisle.
Tell me how you’re handling the pandemic. Are there food shortages? Are you drinking wine for breakfast? Do you have toilet paper or have you resorted to using paper towels?
Cheers, Bec
P.S. Randy bought a bidet because there’s no toilet paper in Chicago. I don’t know why, but this makes me laugh. I have a feeling he’s going to have the last laugh on this one though…..
I’ve started and abandoned several posts about what’s going on in the world right now, but I’m struggling with making sense of everything. Sometimes things seem normal and at other times things seem so completely surreal.
Right now the biggest change for me is that I have to work from home so I have a new coworker. She’s super chatty and doesn’t take the hint that I don’t have time to socialize.
I apologize to my coworkers and clients for my delayed response. As you can see, I was indisposed.
I can’t really reach my computer, but as long as she’s comfortable…..She doesn’t get cuter than this.She wants to be held, but I need to work.If my hand isn’t being used to pet her, its being used as pillow.Did you need something?
