[JayEll]

Glad to hear it, Dagmar!

Things won't be "normal" in the U.S. for quite a while yet. Or rather, there will be a "new normal." Today I'm venturing out to the grocery store, but during more regular hours. The shelves are starting to be stocked again, so there is no rush to be first in the door. Besides, the one day I went early last week, there was a line of 50 people waiting, trying to stay 6 feet apart. Sorta. And they said this was an improvement!

Our dishwasher has finally given up. This is a major downer. The kitchen floor was redone after it had been installed (it's built in), and we will probably have to cut out part of the floor to get it out and put a new one in, and then replace the floor. Alas, it's a laminate wood floor! So we must save the pieces we take out.

Not sure that anyone is doing in-home installation at the moment, however...

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

Bummer about the dishwasher, JayEll. But at least hand washing the dishes will thoroughly clean your hands I have never had a dishwasher in my tiny kitchen. I'd miss my microwave, though, if it stopped working.

I'm making a lot of progress with my landscaping because there are fewer interruptions. My county has 17.5 cases per 100K people. So not too bad, but when I shop I do take every precaution. The younger people are not very considerate about the distance rules.

[Mudpie]

I'm getting the first of the permanent economic fallout as a result of the virus now. Client is getting a big salary reduction and is probably going to fire me. She's calling it a "budget adjustment". SIGH

Dagmar

[JayEll]

So sorry, Dagmar! May your other clients continue to use your services!

Howlin, once you have a dishwasher, you'll never want to go back. I have hated washing dishes all my life. Fortunately, my partner does not mind doing it, but that leads to my feeling guilty. What I found surprising is how little water modern dishwashers use. Anyway, it looks like installation will have to wait, so there's nothing to be done about it now.

I have some outside chores to do today.

We are trying to keep trips to the grocery store down to once a week or less. There are a few non-critical items we're almost out of, but I can't stand the thought of going to the store every day early just in hopes of finding them.

[Mudpie]

I am literally rationing the bread now as DH went on a bender last night and ate most of this week's sandwich bread. I am going to get more on my weekly trip but he's not going to have a sandwich on Wed. If we run out of something we wait until the shopping trip. I haven't had any hard and fast rules about our household until now but I'm firm on this one. I'm taking the risk of going into contact with a whole bunch of people who largely still can't seem to grasp social distancing. So I'm going once a week.

Dagmar

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

I'm with you on shopping very infrequently, Dagmar. I see that some of the stores are implementing one-way aisles, which will help. And they are monitoring the number of people in the store at one time. Good ideas, but I think standing in a line is a big problem too. Even if you stand apart, you are sharing the same air as you slowly move forward in the line. Just like how one smoker can be detected by everyone in a line, that's how I think of the virus spreading. Luckily for me, I found a couple of N95 masks in my workshop. They are used, so I can't donate them, but DH and I will wear them.

The hiking area where I chastised the large group has been closed now. I have several "secret" places I can still go where I won't see any people, but the recent storm in Calif has lowered the snow levels again, so it will be hit and miss on hiking trails for a while.

[Mudpie]

Alice I'm not too worried about the line outside the store, as long as there is no one sneezing or coughing. I have resisted wearing the mask (hubby found 4 in his painting kit which we are saving in case we get sick) so far but I'm going to cave for the morale of the store employees. Hubby looked up and made a couple of masks from shop towels and elastic bands - he's a clever one - and gave me 2. They won't stop anything from getting to me but will maybe give the cashiers some illusion of comfort.

One of my worries is that, once people start wearing masks, they will stop social distancing altogether. I have a very impassive stern face that I can put on and that stops people cold but it's useless with a mask covering it.

I'm glad you still have places to hike. I find I need to be outside a lot now and I'm managing due to having the dogs with me and knowing where all the less frequented green spaces are located. I'm also preferring the cool rainy weather as that keeps a lot of people indoors. But summer is coming. No idea what we'll all do then.

One step at a time.

Dagmar

[BillBlueEyes]

Dagmar,

The Boston Globe ran an article this morning about a dog walker who lost a couple of customers due to the lock down. But, she got a couple of new ones - both nurses! Hope your business is as fortunate.

Everyone

Hope you are all locked down and healthy. We are minimally leaving home; made it ten days between the last grocery shopping trip. But it's hard to get bananas and lettuce that last ten days.

Everyone is trying to minimize going out and avoiding contact. We left a jigsaw puzzle in a brown paper bag on our front porch for our adult DS to pick up. Got a text beforehand, "Can you also put a small onion in the bag?" Whatever it takes.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by BillBlueEyes

Dagmar,

The Boston Globe ran an article this morning about a dog walker who lost a couple of customers due to the lock down. But, she got a couple of new ones - both nurses! Hope your business is as fortunate.

Everyone

Hope you are all locked down and healthy. We are minimally leaving home; made it ten days between the last grocery shopping trip. But it's hard to get bananas and lettuce that last ten days.

Everyone is trying to minimize going out and avoiding contact. We left a jigsaw puzzle in a brown paper bag on our front porch for our adult DS to pick up. Got a text beforehand, "Can you also put a small onion in the bag?" Whatever it takes.

Glad to hear you and your DW are doing OK Bill.

I'm happy to keep the clients I have. All my new business has been through referrals for the last couple of years and I imagine this will continue after the lockdowns end. My DH has a salaried job with benefits and he's working - support for essential services - so we will probably be OK for the rest of this year.

Stay well everyone!

Dagmar

[Mudpie]

Happy Easter
Everyone!

[Mudpie]

I've lost about 2 lbs. of the "cookie bloat" - :. Meeting the new golden retriever puppy today - "Kofi".

Dagmar

[JayEll]

Another long week ahead... only cancelled appointments in the day planner...

I'm staying with the intermittent fasting plan, but it is getting harder because of stress. I tend to want to go back to eating in the evening more.

Things are good here. We aren't sick, and we don't know anyone who is. Days go by slowly.

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

Here too, things are good. We don't know anyone who is sick. DH continues to golf and I continue to find people-free places to hike. Gardening takes up most of my day, because I'm in a race against the hot weather.

JayEll, I find it harder to stick to my plan also.

[Shannon in ATL]

We're okay here. I know a few people sick, but none critical so far. Lots of employees are struggling, as our restaurants are closed. Homeschooling the kid is beating me down. One foot in front of the other.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by Shannon in ATL

We're okay here. I know a few people sick, but none critical so far. Lots of employees are struggling, as our restaurants are closed. Homeschooling the kid is beating me down. One foot in front of the other.

Yeah that's all we can do - one foot in front of the other. I'm resigned to "summer being cancelled" here. At least both DH and I aren't sick, we have work, and we are stockpiling some food and medications and PPE so that when we get sick we can cope for the 14 days or whatever. Beyond that I really don't know what's going to happen. If the US goes down so does Canada. Trying to not think about next winter or about losing my house or all those other things that come to mind at 2:30 a.m.

Dagmar