Vons today was out of all of the usual things plus something new - frozen and a lot of fresh vegetables.

They're obviously going out of their way to find stock to sell. These are the only carrots they had left - big-o gnarly horse carrots that before today would have been headed to either canners or feed stores.

I haven't been shopping since last week Thursday. I saw almost no one wearing a mask.

My neighbor said she was out yesterday and most people were wearing masks.

What a difference a week makes.

I went shopping today for the first time in a good while. I too saw many shoppers wearing masks (amazing how one can recognize friends only by the eyes and other cues).

Dismayed by shop personnel who were NOT wearing masks (two pharmacy's staff among them!). I always asked if they weren't worried. The responses invariably were kind of shrugs, of the que sera sera variety.

I was pleased to learn at Trader Joe's that the staff are NOT under pressure not to wear masks as I read in the New York Times. (Anyone else read that article - about tension on this account, between the owner and underlings?). Also something about their lobbying for unionizing and hazard pay.

I wore the N95 kind of mask I discovered I had a few left from a deck sanding/staining crew I put together years ago (goggles too!). I tried to draw a smile on it with a permanent marker but it didn't work.

(Just sprayed it down with an antibacterial when I got home - besides washing all the purchases and shopping bags, before my shower.)

Tomorrow another wipedown of all touching surfaces. I feel I am incubating OCD.

I've changed my mind. I want to wear a mask. I don't sew and I don't know where to buy any. I'm working on it.

The only “out” I’ve been is the pickup window at CVS and the pickup lane at Walmart. I keep alcohol and paper towels in the car. I don’t even roll my window down at Walmart.

If I go into a store, I’ll be wearing a mask. I would have been even before the CDC said so. It seemed pretty f****** obvious to me.

I've noticed a lot more people out for walks. Lots of couples holding hands. Families seem to be doing more stuff together. Activities at home. Walks in the neighborhood.

Oh, and the new shortage is.....jigsaw puzzles. I noticed the prices had increased substantially and a lot of puzzles were out of stock. Turns out many puzzle factories were either closed or short staffed due to COVID.

Who would have thought it?

I just swapped 4 jigsaw puzzles with a neighbor via Nextdoor.

quote:

I've noticed a lot more people out for walks.

Same in our neighborhood. And until it got so hot, one of those couples was us. But no more, it's way to hot for me.

I have been exercising in the basement (not hot!) but I look forward to fall and being outside more.

Here's a more recent change we've noticed: we are actually seeing more and more people wearing masks and wearing them properly.

May this be a trend that continues!!!

Two local Home Depots are out of garden hoses.

Who hoards garden hoses?

Drought? End of season? Maybe not so much the second one where you live....