The Virus: We are doing okay… :)

Hey WordPress family,

How are you doing during this harrowing virus pandemic? You’ve been on my mind, I’ve wondered how you’re doing. Weirdly I’m not panicked… worried a little but not having anxiety attacks. So, are you okay? Drop me a reply and let me know?

So far, we’re doing okay. Mom is diabetic and 72, I’ve recently been diagnosed with asthma and turned 50. (ERG!) I’m the only driver in the house so it falls on me to be the one to go out and get the groceries. We don’t go out anymore… but when I did this is what we found.

Last week just after my birthday things were calm in my small town. There was toilet paper for everyone, food on the shelves, napkins, hand sanitizer, paper towels. I bought a few groceries enough to last a couple of weeks, maybe a month if needed. Not because of the virus fears, but because of money worries. I figured it would give me time to get a job. Not sure why I was optimistic about that, hasn’t amounted to much so far but yeah I was hopeful.

We went to a local store, on the 12th and we had no problem finding toilet paper and we got 2 packs one for each bathroom. (3 people living here) There wasn’t a lot on the shelves but we weren’t alarmed, this particular store usually didn’t have a large variety anyway. I got some staples: ground beef, a really good deal on some steaks (I got like 15 NY strip for roughly $30.) I got some chicken thighs and some veggies, mashed potatoes, and other things to prep meals like chili, tacos, stew, soup, spaghetti, and other stuff. Sensible foods. I only spent about $80 in total, so a reasonable amount for 3.

We had a lot to do, my sister was in a ceremony for the honor society and we were viewing it online. Mom gets some food through a program here for senior citizens (we pick up for her, my aunt and another lady) and then she decided she wanted to go to the local food bank. They gave us an entire bag of over-ripening bananas for banana bread or nut muffins…  stopped by the library and headed home after dropping off the food for the others and went home.

Later that night, we decided we needed nuts for the banana bread and with the growing fears all around us about the virus we didn’t want to risk exposing mom to a crowd on Friday (payday for a lot of people). We headed to the local Walmart around 12:30 am and I was shocked and horrified by what we found. Empty shelves. No toilet tissue, no napkins, no paper towels, no kleenex, no canned goods, no rice, no mac and cheese, no chicken breasts, very little meat in the cases hardly any cheese, eggs, bread or packaged lunchmeats.

I got the few things I needed, but since I was shocked I worried so I added a few more groceries to my cart. I bought a roast, canned tomatoes, and paste (to make soups) I ended up buying another $50 worth of staples. I’m so glad I did! The aisles as of yesterday are still bare nearly a week later. People are still hoarding food and panicking.

I am thankful that I got the things I need although the toilet tissue thing is getting to be worrisome. I’ll address that in another post.

I took pictures.
The water aisle:

The rice and dry food:

Toilet paper/Paper towel and Kleenex.