Life is like a rollercoaster. It’s full of ups, downs, twists, and turns. Sometimes it’s fun and sometimes it’s not. There’s solace in knowing we’re all in this together … all in for a heck of a ride … a ride called life. Besides, how boring would it be if it was continuous smooth sailing? After all, couldn’t we all use a little excitement in our lives from time to time? But please, just not too much excitement, huh! Yeah, life has been a little too exciting lately and not in a good way. I’m sure you can agree!
I’ve always been entertained by a good rollercoaster ride at an amusement park despite my propensity for motion sickness. Rollercoasters usually don’t make me sick. However, don’t put me on a tilt-a-whirl. I guarantee motion sickness will rear its ugly head by that spinning dizzying motion, and let’s not even talk about the rolling of a sailboat. 🤢 Nope, no tilt-a-whirls or sailing for this gal. Did I ever tell you guys during my first day on the job as a Flight Attendant, I threw up eleven times? Ah, not a day I’d care to repeat, but those tales are for another day.
Today, let’s talk about viruses … okay, not just any virus … the Coronavirus aka COVID-19 and its nauseating, dizzying effect on everyday life.
Dealing with a Pandemic
Illness of any kind isn’t fun, but add in the emotion of fear, and you’re dealing with a whole different animal. So many ups, downs, twists, and turns! Fear makes people panic and act and do things out of character. I understand the importance of getting ahead of the spread of this virus (it’s serious stuff) and containing it as much as possible is very critical. I truly do understand the importance!
And even though we are dealing with extreme matters and doing our part by practicing good hygiene and social distancing, I fail to understand the sudden hoarding of products specifically toilet paper. I guess the fear of running out of TP is on everyone’s mind 💩
Finding humor in a non-humorous moment
Due to the rush and hoarding of toilet paper, most of us are seeing a shortage. Store shelves are void of this precious commodity and many (me included) are afraid of running out. There’s a couple of local grocery stores here in Phoenix, Arizona that are offering seniors (65 and older) their own special time to shop; from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday mornings.
Taking full advantage of my husband’s old age 🤫, this past Wednesday I kicked him out of bed and loaded him into my little red truck before 5:00 a.m. I bribed him with the promise of a pastry! It was a dark, cold, drizzly morning. I was on a mission … a toilet paper mission. We stood in line outside the store in the drizzling rain with all the other seniors waiting for the doors to open.
Shopping crowds – so much for social distancing! At exactly 5:00 a.m. we were given entrance. Initially, it seemed very calm and civilized until a few folks broke from the crowd into a gentle sprint. Clearly, they weren’t interested in grabbing a shopping cart but were focused on one thing … toilet paper.
Not one to be outrun by an oxygen tank totting eighty-year-old, Al’s 6’3″+ frame with long legs quickly outstepped his competition and took the lead.
Being one of the first to snag the largest package of toilet paper from the top shelf, Al quickly handed it off to me and then proceeded to help his sprinting competitor. Al’s height and large stature, in comparison to the other senior shoppers, drew attention.
Shortly after helping the oxygen totting gentleman, a frail woman taped Al with her cane and said, “Hey Sonny, can you grab me a package?” Next thing you know, Al was helping hand out packages of toilet paper and in just a few minutes the once well-stocked shelves were once again bare.
Several of us lingered near the aisle and looked at the barren shelves while holding our allotted one package of TP like a trophy and just shook our heads amusingly. “This is crazy”, several folks commented while another said, “I never imagined I would ever see anything like this in my lifetime”.
After our toilet paper mission was accomplished, Al and I picked up a few more staples and with our shopping cart less than half full, we paid for our purchases and headed to the truck. It was still dark, rainy, and cold, but in the truck, we each had a thermal container filled with hot coffee waiting accompanied by a newly purchased fresh pastry as a reward for a job well done.
After a few gulps of steaming coffee, we looked at each other and laughed. Al said, “I never thought I’d go grocery shopping at 5:00 in the morning, let alone have a good time doing so”. Al was thanked numerous times by folks who clearly could not have reached the top shelf or been able to bend over easily to pull from the bottom shelf. What an interesting morning, indeed!
RV Life
I’ll admit, I was relieved to snag that large package of toilet paper. I wasn’t feeling so confident two days earlier. You see, after living in the RV (less than 300 square feet) for the past seven years, I’ve developed a routine of sorts. Most RV refrigerator-freezers need to be defrosted routinely. I usually defrost mine about every three months and knowing this, I allow our frozen food supply to dwindle regularly. And with only a 6 cubic foot refrigerator, I’ve increased my Tetris skills drastically. Tetris skills are a prerequisite for RV living.
Likewise, when it comes to keeping our little home on wheels (aka RV) organized and clean. I like to use up our provisions before restocking and I take full advantage of poorly stocked RV shelves and a near-empty fridge to clean, reorganize, and strategically plan out the restocking.
I promise you won’t find any packaged or canned food items in our RV that are close to the expiration date. I couldn’t promise that when we lived in our large custom sticks and bricks home with a huge walk-in pantry. My daughter loved pointing out the expired dates on some of the food items that I’d accumulated.
Yeah, when you have more room than you need, things get overlooked, but not so in our RV 5th wheel where storage space is a precious commodity.
With all that said, I was in the low on supplies process for some thorough spring cleaning when the coronavirus hit. I knew COVID-19 was serious, but I never anticipated the fear factor leading to barren shelves at the stores.
Fortunately, we still had three rolls of toilet paper and enough food for at least a couple of weeks. So, I didn’t panic … until I went to Walmart to pick up just a few things. I was smacked in the face with a new reality. I found myself asking, “What if we run out of toilet paper?”
I love my neighbors! It was a beautiful morning in the neighborhood and while my neighbor and I were chit-chatting about this new way of life, she informed me that she was so glad she stocked up on TP from Costco before this whole hoopla began. My ears perked up! Did she say she had lots of toilet paper? Before she could get out another sentence, I asked if I could buy a few rolls of TP from her. My urgency was knowing the fact that they decided to head back to their home in Michigan early and would be leaving soon. So, I didn’t feel I had time to waste.
“Of course”, she responded, “Isn’t that what neighbors do … help each other out?” She refused to take any money for the three rolls of toilet paper which didn’t sit well with me. So I gave her a bottle of hand soap from Bath & Body Works (I love their pump hand soaps). Yep, life has resorted to bartering for toilet paper. Talk about some interesting twists, turns, and ups and downs!
Stocked up
Well, after a few excursions to various stores, my cupboards are full, the fridge and freezer are full, and we pretty much have everything we need for the next month with the exception of fresh fruits and veggies which seem to be in adequate supply at the grocery stores … for now, anyway.
Adding a little levity
So what does one do in the event of no toilet paper? Use Bounce dryer sheets for a wrinkle-free, fresh-smelling bum that’ll put a bounce in your step! Okay, I’m only kidding. It won’t take the wrinkles out of your bum 🤣
Let’s try and stay positive knowing this too shall pass. Sending good vibes and well wishes your way!
How are you dealing with current life?
(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support ❤)
Bounce Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets, Outdoor Fresh
Cottonelle FreshCare Wipes
Bath and Body Works Summer Collection – Foaming Hand Soaps
Live Laugh RV 
nice post
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😂😂😂
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There aren’t a lot of retired folk here in Greenville, SC making Monday morning a good shopping day. Tortillas are hard to find though.
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When we visit northern WI, we find Tortillas aren’t in abundance when life is normal 🤣. Always fun visiting different parts of the country and noticing cultural differences in the stores.
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Haha….😂 The toilet paper story is so funny! Thankfully there is no such panic-buying here in our state – Maharashtra, India. Everything is locked down though essentials are open. Hope you are fine. Take care! 🙂
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I think the rush on toilet paper may be over, and folks have moved onto to other things to hoard. Life sure is crazy right now. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. Stay safe and healthy over there!
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These are certainly crazy times!! We got lucky (maybe) in that we still have the apartment we temporarily rented to get Mike through his rotator cuff surgery. Unfortunately, we were beginning to move back into the Oliver to return to our RV life!! I felt like I was standing in the middle of the road wondering if I should go forward to the Oliver or turn around and go back to the apartment. We both decided the woods and fresh air might be a safer place to be. So I am beginning to work us back to our life!!
I am glad you guys are hunkered down safely!! Take care!!
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Looks like you found a beautiful and quiet spot to ride out this thing at least for a little while. Sure is a crazy world right now and I have concerns as to how things will look in six months. I hope all the out of work folks find employment and I hope your son is doing ok. My kids are fine and working from home. They usually work one or two days from home anyway. So this is just an extension.
You guys stay healthy and enjoy that fresh air!
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Historians are going to talk about this for a long long time. Just before our last trip I ran the home freezer down and cleaned out the dead peas etc. We sailed blissfully off into the wide blue yonder only to be hit with this. Whoops! I must say it was embarrassing trying to restock the freezer without looking like crazed hoarders. Stay safe and healthy. And thanks for the laugh, we need it.
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Yesterday, I bought three large containers of coffee making me look like I was hoarding, but in reality, I was shopping for three separate households. So, I can totally relate to your shopping excursion. Glad I could provide a chuckle. We could all use a little laughter in our lives right now. Stay safe!
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Al was so kind to help everyone…I’m one of those (under 5 ft. tall) always looking for someone to reach something for me on the top shelf. Our markets have early hours for seniors but our whole Florida town is almost all seniors so that doesn’t help here. 😁 Stay safe.
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Haha … you can imagine, Phoenix has its own pockets of senior communities in the same boat as FL. Fortunately, the TP is staying on the shelves a little longer and now the hoarding has moved onto other items. We’re well provisioned for awhile other than fresh produce and fruits which seem to be staying stocked … for now anyway. Stay healthy!
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Glad you have a hunkering place and a good supply of tushie tissue! Surreal times, for sure. Stay safe and cool!
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Yeah, we’re glad we have a place to stay as long as we need to. Takes some of the stress out of life right now. Guess all of our travel plans to WI are currently in the air, huh! Even though we’ll be on private property in WI, we’ll wait to travel until all the social distancing/shelter-in-place has lifted. After all, that’s what we’re supposed to do. It might get a little hot in Phx but that’s what A/C is for … and it’s a dry heat 🤣🔥
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Hi Ingrid!
I had to smile when you mentioned your fridge and freezer and having food for several weeks before shopping and then buying a massive pack of toilet paper. Haha. None of that would ever fit in our Zesty. Before the COVID-19, during, or after. Like you, we empty fridge and cupboards before shopping and we were pretty much empty by the time we stocked up again. This was after most people had been piling their carts and hoarding for days, so we thought we’d be fine.
In general, between a few of our favorite stores, we managed to buy enough food for a week (fresh produce doesn’t seem to be an issue and is what we eat most), but couldn’t find paper towel. We only needed one roll, as ours was almost gone after my spring cleaning. It took us multiple days and store visits (and cueing in line at Aldi) to buy our two-pack of paper towel. We can manage for weeks now.
Speaking of toilet paper. We had 3 extra rolls last week, before shopping, and figured we’d be totally fine. And, we are. These rolls will last at least another month. No panic. I don’t know what people do with all those rolls… So, out of curiosity, why did you buy so much TP (in the store and from your neighbor)? Is that part the fear factor? 🙂
I find it so interesting how people who have an entire, comfortable house, that probably already is pretty full with provisions, feel the need to go overboard, while stores remain open anyway. I’d understand if they’re worried about catching the virus and plan to stay home for multiple weeks without shopping. But, I find it hard to believe that these people won’t come out of the house to shop again a week later…
Oh well. I promise I’ll try to remain positive about human behavior and their being spoiled of always getting what they wanted in the past, never needing to compromise. 🙂
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Most Americans do not know how to live minimally and many space out shopping visits by weeks at a time. The very opposite of Europeans who shop frequently.
Why we bought a large package of TP … My daughter and son (two separate households) asked us to look for TP since they were running low. Once we found some, I did return the 3 rolls of TP to the neighbor. So in short, we were shopping for 3 different households and not just our own.
Life is definitely interesting these days and I’m looking forward to it returning to normal soon!
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Hear, hear! Yes, let’s hope everything returns to normal soon. We are most affected by not being able to sightsee and all the campgrounds closing down, even the free ones. Plus, we still have to find our first bottle of hand sanitizer or wipes! 🙂
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Loved this post, I needed some humor today. We have a bit of a flea problem in our house so we are doing serious cleaning every single day, everything gets vacuumed, washed, and the cats get baths. I don’t even know how this happened but it did. We have lived in this house for over a decade and never had a flea problem, must be all the rain. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that this was a great post and read and as always I LOVE your photographs, just amazing. So glad you found some toilet paper, what a mess a panic society can bring. I hope toilet paper starts showing up again the normal way.
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Thank you. I find myself having more patience these days to wait and capture images of bees. Perhaps that’s because my calendar isn’t full with a list of things to do.
Oh yuck! I’ve had to deal with fleas a couple of times many years ago and it’s not fun. Both times it was due to dogs and we’d have to keep them bathed and then bomb the house with those spray canisters 3 weeks apart (I think). Good luck and stay healthy!
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My youngest daughter seems to love finding very expired food items on our shelves and posting photos on line.
Things get left in the pantry and forgotten for years.
I’m trying to clean out the pantry now and refill when we make our supply runs to the grocery store.
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Haha! I guess I’m not the only one with expired products and a daughter who likes making fun of it. Thank goodness we didn’t have social media back then or I know my daughter would’ve definitely posted online. Now that we live in the RV, I have no choice with the limited space but to stay on top of our provisions and take inventory regularly … not a bad thing. Thanks for stopping by and commenting 😊
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How about $7.25 for a roll of RV toilet paper! It was highway robbery at the KOA. She must have been happy to have taken me in for I did say it was a miracle they had the last toilet paper in the whole city. The stores are still unstocked since our arrival but we managed to get some essentials for day to day living. We had been to four stores since our arrival and we are shocked we come out of there with over a hundred worth of groceries, really unheard of!
Anyhow, like you we will be camping in place until it gets hotter or until Covid19 gets out of our country.
Stay well.
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Yeah, we really don’t want to stay in Phoenix past the 1st of June, but we will depending on how this virus plays out. I don’t think we’ll have a problem in AZ much longer due to the heat. It should be getting too warm for this flu-like virus. Fingers crossed anyway!
We now have plenty of TP to last us the next 6 months 🤣 Let me know if I need to ship you any! Hope we can get together with you guys before we head to WI, but we both know all our plans are in the air. At least we both have places to hunker down. Stay healthy and happy!
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I know what you mean by depleting your stockpile. We will be heading back to Canada sometime in the next six weeks. All the guests we had thought were coming to visit – aren’t. On the one hand, we should be using up the food in the freezer. On the other hand, that seems counter-intuitive under these new circumstances!
When we lived in the Middle East, the supply boat for certain goods only came in a few times a year. When it arrived, people would stock up – often with far more than they would ever use before the boat arrived again. I quickly learned who was hoarding – so if I wanted a bag of chocolate chips, say, I might have to convince the person who wanted some Hellman’s mayonnaise, to trade a certain amount of sugar with the person who had extra ketchup… and so it went until I had finally completed the circle that saw my bottle of something land in the hands of the person who had traded something else for my chocolate chips… toilet paper was never in short supply…
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Hi Margy, I’m so surprised you didn’t head back to Canada sooner. With all those changes, Canadian RVers were heading back in droves over the past couple of weeks. Sounds like you’re well versed in bartering skills. I’m sure that was an experience living in the Middle East. Enjoy our beautiful weather and wildflowers before it gets too hot. 😊🌵🌸
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We’ll stay in Arizona until the end of April if our insurance coverage doesn’t get cut off. It is much more pleasant to self-distance in warm Arizona than snowy Alberta!
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Love how Al pitched in to help everyone get their ration of TP! I often have to ask someone to reach stuff on the top shelves in grocery stores because those shelves are too danged tall for someone 5’3″!! If no one is around I have to stand on the bottom shelf to reach the top shelf, and that could end up badly, LOL.
Anyway, glad you guys are in a safe place to ride this out. Crazy times, indeed. We’re still hoping we’ll be able to get to Michigan for the summer, but who knows? We’re hunkered down in Florida and grateful to be here, but I don’t really like to think about Florida in July and August. Stay healthy!
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We’re seeing more good in people than bad during this challenging time. I’m glad you guys have a place to hunker down until this blows over. I know it’s putting our future travels into question, but I’m hopeful neither of us will need to endure a ‘hot’ summer. Stay safe and healthy and hope to see you in MI 😃
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Nice humorous post Ingrid. We went to Sam’s Club a few weeks ago and got a big pkg of toilet paper and we are officially hunkered down as of today. Even with the extra TP, I’m wondering if I should plant a couple of rows of corn just in case we run out and need the cobs.
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Hahaha! Ah, the visual 🤣 Let’s hope life doesn’t resort to wiping our bums with a corn cob. The good news is, we plan on spending our summer in WI with family and there are lots of cornfields there 😏
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Al is a good sport to help the others get their TP at 5 am! I am trading lettuce sprouts for sour dough bread with a neighbor…bartering should be lots of fun as long as it doesn’t last more than 6 months!!
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I’m with you, bartering for goods is novel for a spell, but the fun will soon wear off. Let’s hope this is over sooner rather than later. Sending positive karma your way 😊
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Hi Ingrid, I reclicked the follow button since even though I have been following you, your posts were not showing up. This has happened a few times on other sites. Possibly a quirky thing on my site.
You said it well. This is definitely a ride of a lifetime. The Ferris wheel makes me very nauseated. You are right about the emotion of fear brings out the worst in people.
They have started the senior shopping times here. I am 63, so I don’t know where I fit in. My husband is 70 although he seems to get hit harder with colds and flus and best that he doesn’t shop right now.
Your Al is amazing on how he helped everyone out. You remind me how it is good to have a partner right now, even to laugh and share. Your RV life is more unique with storage space a precious commodity. Good to know about the Bath and Body Works soaps for future shopping.
Thank you for the good vibes. Your Spring photos are stunning! An amazing capture of the bee. Stay healthy and I look forward to continued sharing.
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I’ve had that happen to me with sites I thought I was already following. WordPress gets all quirky when they do updates. 🧐 You and your husband are similar in age to Al and me although Al and I are 10 years apart. During our travels over the past several years, his added age has come in handy 😁
Without a calendar filled, I seem to have more time (and patience) to photograph bees on wildflowers. There are some ups (although not many) to life slowing down. I’m looking forward to life returning to normal soon.
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Isn’t bartering great? 👏
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
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Yep, it has been fun seeing neighbors swap products.
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I don’t get the toilet paper thing. Why doesn’t everyone just use water and wash like they do in all Asian countries? If I was going to stock up it would be with something useful, like wine and chocolate!
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Hey, I’m with you … chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. And since I’m not a big wine drinker, I’m stocked up on tequila and limes 🍹🍹🍹
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That’s more like it!
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Yes, crazy times, indeed! Don’t you just love a guy with long arms. Rick is not nearly as tall but he does have long arms…perfect for when mine just can’t reach something.
Your photography keeps getting better and better…all of them are gorgeous!
And I think I’d try a damp paper towel before dryer sheets…besides, I don’t have any wrinkles! 🙂
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Thank you so much for the kind comment regarding my photos. I really appreciate that. Yes, it does help to have a tall husband and his added years have also come in handy… snicker. And nice to know you don’t suffer from wrinkles like the rest of us aging boomers 🤣🤣🤣
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😀 😀
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Loved the funny story and your beautiful pictures. I can’t quite pick a favorite. The church bell tower with cloudy sky perhaps. I imagine more than one somebodies have a basement filled from floor to ceiling with TP. When will the hoarding end?
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Thank you Linda! I’m with you and wondering when the hoarding will end, but I think that it’s all about fear and uncertainty. I’m glad we have a place to stay and wait this out. We won’t head to Al’s sister in WI until this virus stuff is behind us. We want to make sure that it’s safe to travel. In the meantime, I think I’ll focus on photography 😀
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I took my camera with me when we walked yesterday. Unfortunately my card was in my computer. Oh well. Next time.
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Mission Impossible: TP. Haha I’m going to go verify dryer sheets don’t help with wrinkles.
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I’d love a full report on your dryer sheet research!
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As you know it has changed our immediate plans and we’ll see what it does to our summer. For now, we can hang out at GW until 5/22 with no problem if they open back up we may have an issue but we’ll jiggle with the jello then. 244 miles tomorrow and we’re off the road for a while. As for tp, we’re stocked up, had some before this all happened and scored a large roll last week, so now if my folks need some I can send them some. Bounty has been my issue and soon I’ll need more tissues, guess I need to snag a senior and head to the store or get there an hour early, which is what I did to get some paper towels and also scored the tp. Crazy times, highways were mainly truckers and CA plates heading east. Our freezer is stocked and Dave will soon be fishing, we’ve never spent April at GW so shall be a new experience for us. Stay safe!!
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Crazy times indeed! Most everything here at the RV Park is locked except for the main building. Folks are still playing Pickleball and Bocce. They restricted the hours in the laundry room causing a line and a packed room 😒 Isn’t that counterintuitive? Where’s the social distancing? Not wanting any part of that, I took my laundry to Ashton’s place. While doing laundry, I got to enjoy a little mother/daughter time. So no complaints.
This should be baby bird season down there… I think. You’ll need to let me know. Might be fun for Dave to photograph. Stay safe and glad you have a place to hang until this blows over … which might be longer than we’d like.
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Ingrid I felt as if I was right there in the store with you and Al. How wonderful that he could help so many seniors that day. A few weeks ago, long before the toilet paper quest was a thing, Dave returned from shopping with 50 rolls. I looked at him like he had lost his marbles. now retired he is always looking for a good deal. “They were on sale” he explained. Well it turns out he was a clever shopper. We are pretty stocked up.
Take care of yourselves and may the shopping experience settle down in the weeks and months ahead.
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Things are day to day here. I’ve gone to the store one day and am able to pick up what I need while other days I’m not as lucky. Glad to hear you guys are well stocked on that TP. This is one time I am truly missing a bigger fridge and more storage. I find myself hitting the store a little more frequently for a bag of food here and there. And I’m wearing my gloves that I use for staining/painting. Crazy times!
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Loved your post Ingrid! The visual of you getting Left Brain up puts a smile on our faces.
Stay warm, well, and give Al many elbow bumps!
Dick and Steph
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So glad to hear you guys made it home safely. We’ll talk soon!
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Hello friend, good to see you here. We are self quarantined, day 7. We had food from walmart delivered yesterday, got about half of it. we have 7 rolls of toilet paper… i guess that’s ok. ?? Never paid much attention how much we go through to tell you the truth! Looks like we will all be at home for quite awhile, but there is a lot to do here, it could take a month to clear the weeds from our property alone! Ha ha. Take care & be safe.
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Nice to hear from you Amy. I can imagine your weed problem with all the rain we’ve received this winter. Crazy winter, crazy times! I was looking forward to going to Junk in the Trunk at the end of April, but alas, canceled. Hope you’re not going stare crazy and working on some fun craft projects.
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We are in self isolation (3rd day of 14) as we just returned from Arizona to Canada. After being gone for 6 months, our RV was empty of food, our daughter got some essentials, which did not include TP, but we have about 5 rolls left and lots of baby wipes, so I don’t feel stressed. I hope that the one thing we all take away from this is that it’s not just about us. Have compassion and caring for your neighbour, treasure small things and family. Put old grudges behind you. Let’s all have a fresh start
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Fortunately, we personally have experienced the good in people during this challenging time, but we know others who have seen the ugliness in other locales. I love your outlook and agree – a fresh start and compassion. Glad you returned to Canada safely and your daughter was able to help out with supplies. 😊
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OMG, Ingrid, I read your account of your TP outing and Hans and I just roared with laughter. I’m still not sure what the fascination is with TP. The day before the California lockdown, I hopped on Costco and Amazon websites to grab coffee and dogfood. Costco’s site crashed after it informed me the dog food was sold out. What a world! By the way, we closed on our property this week. More about that later…we were supposed to drive to Spokane next Friday to check it out, so Hans could see it, but that’s been postponed. Glad you both are healthy and doing well!
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Glad my tale could provide a little laughter. Coffee? Thanks for reminding me that I should pick some up. I wouldn’t want to run out of my morning beverage. Congrats on the lot purchase. Too bad you won’t be able to head up to WA anytime soon. I’m sure by mid summer you can schedule that trip. Take care!
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Thanks for a chuckle this morning. And thank you to Al for helping all those people out. I’m one of those people who goes to Sam’s every couple of months to stock up on toilet paper and paper towels and other essentials. My cupboards were almost bare when we made a trip to Sam’s to restock. There were only a few cases of toilet paper left. It was the first time I had seen the toilet paper shortage first hand. A couple of days ago one grocery store had just gotten a shipment and people were grabbing it before it made it to the shelves. I’m learning how much we really take little things like that for granted! We’re doing well here with enough food for awhile. Stay safe!
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You’re welcome Beth. During challenging times like this, we try to do our part as well as find humor in the everyday. As a society, I thing we do take a lot of things for granted. I know I’m guilty. Hopefully, when things turn around, there are lessons learned by all. Glad you have plenty of supplies to hold you over for awhile. 😊
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Hi, Ingrid – This post created great visuals. My biggest takeaway? The kindness of generosity of neighbours. May this always continue! Stay safe.
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Thank you Donna and I couldn’t agree more! We love our community. Wishing you continued good health during these trying times.
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Limited space in an RV makes things rough from storage to social distancing. It’s nuts. We always have lots of food and stuff on hand, but Costco has been out of kitty food for two weeks now. I had to buy a different brand at PetsMart. I’m sure the kitties will like it, but I’ll have to see if any of them throw it up. It had been a lot of trying different foods before I found that the all the kitties keep the Kirtland brand cat food down.
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You are so right Tim … nuts! Changing food on our furry family members can present another interesting challenge on top of everything else going on. Hopefully the kitties do well along with you and your wife during this crazy time.
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The bee and the flowers is an awesome shot and snickering cause I know what you really said about the dryer sheets! hehehehe
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Amazing how much patience I have to watch and photograph bees when my day isn’t full. I’ll be taking a stroll again tomorrow for a little more wildflower photography … if it doesn’t rain.
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So funny about Al’s height, as I’ve experienced the same with my 6 foot frame. Your first day story reminds me of a Delta Connection flight I took once. The lone flight attended was in her seat that backed up to the cockpit. As we taxied to the end of the runway, she started looking grey. Off came the seatbelt and she sprinted to the restroom at the back. Before the plane could take off, she was on the intercom to the pilot. We taxied back to the terminal and she was replaced. It took a few hours, with the paperwork and all, but it was the look on her face as she sprinted aft that I’ll never forget. 😳
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I’d like to say that Delta story is funny (it is) but it isn’t. I feel her pain. Fortunately, my frequent runs to the lav didn’t impact my job performance. Seemed to always happen on the decent when we were cleaning up and most of our work was over until landing.
Hope you and Diane have a nice place to stay put until all this virus stuff blows over. We’ll wait here in Phx before heading to WI to make sure it’s safe to travel.
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Good morning, Ingrid,
here, we’re still well stocked up on everything, toilet paper included. But then with a big house and enough freezer space it’s easy. Oh, don’t get the wrong idea that we store toilet paper in our freezer 😀 As to shopping, our local supermarket has shortened business hours fro 8 to 8 in order to give their helpers more tie to restock the shelves. I’ve not bee there after that to see how things are – if there are lines, too. There’s no such thing as special times for seniors. Btw, I don’t think people will stay far enough away from each other if there are lines, and definitely not, if anyone starts a run. We took the opportunity last week to buy all the necessary items from our supermarket online. Things will be left at your door. So there’s no personal contact. The run on that service was so great that the delivery will only be this coming Saturday. Well, we do have enough for that time and more.
On a lighter note: a friend of mine from Germany – where there’s also a run on toilet paper – commented: “I can’t understand why they hoard so much of it. It tastes so bland!” 😀 To which, naughty as I am, replied, “But only before you use it!” 😀
And that reminds me of a joke from long ago, a practical instruction how you can get by with just one piece of toilet paper at a time. Maybe I’ll publish that on my blog! 😉
Well, it’s certainly a difficult situation for all for us, but let’s not despair.
Take best of care, and stay healthy,
Pit
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Oh my … your toilet paper comment is too funny! Since I really like doing my own grocery shopping, it’s difficult for me to do it online, but I will if I have to because I don’t intend to stand in line again. That goes against everything we’re being told to do regarding social distancing. Definitely counterintuitive. Wishing you and Mary continued good health during this scary time.😊
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Thanks for your wishes, Ingrid, and all the best to you and yours, too,
Pit
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Oh Ingrid, thank you so much for the laugh this morning! As I sit here enjoying my coffee, I am picturing Al sprinting through the grocery store after his TP! Thankfully, my husband lives by the motto, be prepared. He stocked us up awhile back, not hoarding stocked us up, but should keep our bums clean from some days to come!😂
It’s a crazy world at the moment! Stay safe & well my friend 😘
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Thank you Lynn and I’m glad I could provide a little chuckle this morning. This is a time where I’m truly missing the certainty and space of a regular home. 😊
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I was just thinking about you a few days ago, wondering what life was like for you all right now. Your story about the grocery store made me laugh out loud! Glad he is nimble enough to get to it first! Height comes in handy sometimes!!
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I married Al because of his height … well, I guess he has other attractive features that drew me to him, but for today, it was all about height 😆 Yeah, life is a little crazy and uncertain right now. I’m assuming your trip to Phoenix is canceled because this virus thing is expected to continue at least another month maybe two or more, which that in itself is a stressful thought. Stay healthy!
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