Friday, March 20, 2020

Reconnaisance




   





      (Visual proof of the inferiority of okra, the only vegetable I will not eat. 

      Rejected even in a pandemic.)





  Our beaches are closed. I’ve learned that the measure was less about the virus and more about discouraging a wave of alcohol-fueled springbreakers from storming over to our side of the state from Daytona, etc.

          And when my husband came home from the Wawa (ridiculously named convenience store) to report that they’d shrinkwrapped their outside tables to prevent use, I knew we were in for the long haul.

I skipped my morning walk to hotfoot it to the grocery store instead. I figured if there was going to be anything there, it would more likely be first thing in the day. We’re really in fine shape here, but I was getting low on fruits and vegetables, and who doesn’t love a scouting mission?

          The store was out of wipes for the cart, so a gentleman organizing the carriage pointed to three he’d herded together. “Those are clean. I just wiped them.”

          The sections for chicken or beef – thin to bare. Check.

          Bread limited to two loaves per purchase – Fine, didn’t need any.

          No toilet paper, sanitizer of any kind, paper towels -  No surprise there.

          But no liquid dishwasher liquid? Was that the breaking point? Did my fellow shoppers resolve, “I may be eating pasta for three days straight, but I’m not washing the dishes by hand afterwards, dammit!”

          Shopping decisions of today. Three kinds of fish (freezer), vegetables with staying power, assorted basics, plus chips and cookies because we just deserve them.

          And one of the most civilized things about Florida – wine in the supermarket.

          Two bottles – check.

          Those, plus the lottery tickets I bought and we’re all set.   

8 comments:

  1. It seems that shops are similarly denuded the world over. Okra is a rarity here, and I don't think I have ever eaten it. I do mourn the absence of tomatoes and potatoes though. I was lucky and scooped up some spuds on my last shopping mission.

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  2. Ha ha, apart from the food items, paper towel, cat foot, etc. I made sure to buy two (yes, two) boxes of wine. If I was going to be stuck in my house having to listen to financial reports all day long, I was going to have wine. You made me laugh with the okra picture!

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  3. The shelves will be refilled. Where are the hoarders putting it all. To the garage roof.

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    1. Here in Adelaide one (ONE!) company reported selling 79 chest freezers in one day, that's where a lot of stuff is stashed. Food anyway.

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  4. I breezed in and out of my local supermarket this morning, needing to buy only the newspaper. I used to get that delivered, but neighbours would nick it off my front steps, so now I go out each day to get it at the shops. I ignored the shelves completely, I have enough to see me through, unless this thing lasts a lot longer.

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  5. They are now saying two months like this. It's surreal. We seem to have plenty of food in the stores, with only a few items unavailable, like TP and hand sanitizer.

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  6. I hope you win the lottery. SOMEONE needs some good luck right about now!

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  7. thanks for the laugh though I do like okra. when I went last Monday no fresh vegetables except for beets and bok choy.

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