Little shocks

[susandennis]

Yesterday, someone made the very reasonable suggestion that I got to Home Depot to get what I needed. I was shocked. Go into a store? That wasn't for emergency food or medicine? Really? Today I read my LJ friends list which is fed from around the world and, indeed, people are going to shops and doing things that are not 'essential' out in the world, encountering other people and I'm shocked every time.

I want to be clear. I am not judging anyone for how they are handling anything here... Just me. They are all being perfectly reasonable. I'm the one who is not.

None of them are reckless or frivolous but still it is so far out of my realm right now. The idea of going into some place that is now this house or my 5 block morning walk is just foreign to me. And that's just ridiculous. I need to wake my brain up and balance caution with reality. Or I'm going to end up a true agoraphobic.

I think I may start with Costco here in the next few weeks. I have a prescription that I need filled. Instacart will deliver it but that will cost twice the price of the actual prescription. If I needed other Costco stuff, it would be fine, but I don't. So maybe...

Today - well this morning anyway - I'll be on a customer service call with Eero - my router. I have an issue that we spent 3 hours on last Saturday. They found a fix but the fix broke so back on the phone. They do have superior customer service and wonderful people so I really don't mind.

Tonight is my zoom HOA meeting. And in between, who the heck knows. It's supposed to be cool and rainy today but it is 8:30 and the sun is already out. No sign or the promised rain.

Comments

[ellinou.livejournal.com]

Well, the whole world is not in the same situation, and your behaviours in the US should not be assessed for their reasonableness by comparing them to what people in other countries are doing, imo.

[susandennis]

Actually I was trying very carefully not to JUDGE or assess anyone except me.

I'll go back and fix.

[sparky955.livejournal.com]

Until there is an effective vaccine or a treatment that stops the virus progression to life-threatening illness, all behavior outside one’s home and/or property will involve risk.

With this virus, though, because it’s so incredibly communicable, each of us must remember that our actions have the potential to place others at risk.

At 62 with hypertension, I am high risk. There is nothing truly necessary that I can’t have delivered. So, I’ve been home since the day I retired on 2/28. Ohio is beginning to open up; our new case numbers & deaths have plateaued but haven’t dropped markedly. So, still, unless it’s an health emergency — mine or the cats — I plan to stay home because, for me doing otherwise is not work the risk to others.

[roasted-beets.livejournal.com]

If you've been in your home since 2/28, how could you possibly be a risk to anyone?

[becomingkate.livejournal.com]

If you go to Home Depot's website you can make an order and select curbside pickup at your local store. Then you pull into one of the designated parking spaces (it'll have a sign saying Pickup or something) and call the number on the sign. You'll need your order number and name and they might ask for your ID when they bring it out to the car. Be prepared to wait like 20 minutes for them to bring your order out. You can pop your trunk or open the back door and they'll put it right in.

[susandennis]

it was an example. i have no desire to go to home depot even when all is safe :)

[becomingkate.livejournal.com]

Ohh, ok! I hate going in there too, lol.

[mairi-dubh.livejournal.com]

You have to do what's right and safe for you, whatever it is. Not everyone is in an identical situation.

Recently I was speaking with a friend whose "spouse-equivalent" is in a very serious medical situation, treatment for which has compromised that patient's immune system. When I was reminded that the two aren't co-habiting and I expressed some surprise, I was told---gently---that the "spouse-equivalent" needs to avoid apartment buildings, elevators, congestion of population, all of that.
I know these things but, running on overwhelm right now, tend to forget them.

At the same time, I keep a sharp eye out for those people who are behaving in public in ways I consider irresponsible and inconsiderate if not downright reckless, so that I can avoid them.

Finally getting more forgetful, I think.

[dadi.livejournal.com]

Believe me, I would so return to quarantine if I only could.. but here everything is opening and that means I have to work :((((((((( I feel that agoraphobia too... even if I dd a grocery shop a week and some other errands and lots of walks but always in hours where I met nearly no people. I want to barricade myself at homeeee!

[susandennis]

I am lucky in that I have nearly 100% control on not going anywhere :)

[carriea31.livejournal.com]

I think you are doing well to protect yourself. I think it is going to be really hard for some people (myself included) to just feel fine with going out and about, back to normal. It's such a weird situation.

[maju01.livejournal.com]

I feel the same sense of shock when I hear about people casually going into stores, even though I know there are mostly social distancing and mask rules in place. Since my age puts me in a higher risk category, I plan to continue mostly staying at home, going out once a week to buy groceries and ordering other necessities online. I am lucky enough to be able to go out for exercise without having to get too close to other people.

[seattlejo.livejournal.com]

The mindset is interesting, and I see it in my friends too. About 50% are like no way, not going anywhere staying home until at least a month after everything opens.
The other half are less dogmatic and are going out more to places like Home Depot or stopping at Starbucks for Coffee. Because Mike is essential and is still going to work daily, he doesn't see as big of a deal of us breaking quarantine with fire pit Friday. On the other hand my friend Lissa won't go to a different grocery store.

And you and I were not early adopters even in march when we had brunch. It was a little bit about how bad is this going to get.

I say get out, visit an essential place and come home, but by all means keep yourself safe. :)

[susandennis]

One big issue, I think is Mike. Somehow with no science that I know of behind it, his going out everyday gives you a bit of a leg up on the protected side. I know that makes no sense but still... Also you aren't old yet :)

But mostly, I feel your wanting to bust out and get peopled. And that's the opposite of me. I think if I were in your shoes, I'd be out on the edge... masked up, but giving it a push. Me, I'm more of a 'it's a good excuse not to go anywhere!'

[rromantic.livejournal.com]

Oh, that reminds me, I've got a grocery shopping dash in my immediate future. We don't have grocery deliveries over here, although I think the shops missed out on a huge opportunity. They should have used the lockdown time to develop online services. Currently the only thing that delivers is a restaurant pick-up-drop-off service since we're not allowed to pick up our orders ourselves (no curbside deliveries either). Having to leave my house and venture amongst people, even with a mask and a focused shopping list to keep the trip as short as possible, freaks me out completely. But eish... I'm running low on potatoes and cheese, dash must happen!!

[days-unfolding.livejournal.com]

I'm kind of glad that there are no grocery deliveries here because it forces me to go out. Otherwise, I'd probably feel the same as you do. However, my boss asked when I wanted to go back to onsite work and I said, "June," but that's mostly to get a project that we planned done.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

I went to the grocery store earlier this morning and I was sorry I did because some old lady insisted on standing about half an inch away from me on the checkout line. I asked her to back up and she ignored this.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Today we are opening the garden centres :) But not their cafes.

The only big DIY centre on the island has been open on a 'click and collect by appointment' basis throughout the lockdown - if you need to mend your toilet you need to mend it I guess! Or any number of other household problems, presumably.

[susandennis]

EXCELLENT point! I've been quite lucky. No need for a fix I cannot handle. No dental issues. Not anything problems that need outside intervention.

I forgot to be grateful for all that. I'm on that right now.

[hopefulspirit.livejournal.com]

I've been avoiding stores for about two months now. I've had things delivered from Costco a few times and David has brought me groceries so I've managed to stay out of them. I had to get the oil changed in my car last week, I noticed that every woman who was in there wore a mask and none of the men did. They had the chairs in the waiting area spaced apart as well as they could and there was plexiglass at the register, though none of the employees were wearing masks. It's interesting to see how different businesses and people are handling things. I miss retail therapy but I'd rather stay away from the crowds of people for now.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

We aren't doing that either. I go for groceries every two weeks, super early in the morning when the store is most likely to be empty. MFD has gone to the hardware store a couple of times for things he needed to actually do things around the house--and very quick trips they were--in and out. In fact, he ran out the crackers he likes in his lunch and wondered if he should just go pick them up. I was incensed. No, you are not going to the grocery store for ONE THING. So I made a copy cat Ritz cracker recipe. I can't even bring myself to do take-out or delivery of meals yet.

[susandennis]

Ok making Ritz crackers wins. I love that. I have had delivery meals and take out (really pick up) groceries.

Making Ritz Crackers??? QUEEN of stay at home. No contest.

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

We had the announcement yesterday we're moving to Level 2 this Thursday, which means cafes, restaurants and stores will be opening but with social distancing and measures like only seated table service and one waitstaff person per table. I thought people would be gagging to race out, but I've been surprised by the number of people, many of them not in high risk groups, who've said they're going to stay in. I plan to go to the supermarket and fruit and vege store tomorrow, the first time I've been out since late March, just as I'm so sick of the problems with online delivery, as I figure that just as we come out of a higher level of lockdown is the safest time (we currently have about 90 cases which is less than the 106 we had when we went into full lockdown). However, I have no plans to go anywhere else. I'm happy enough at home and I want to see what happens when we loosen restrictions. Also, it's difficult to have a good time in a cafe when you have the threat of death hanging over you, to be honest. I'm more scared of the virus now than when we first went into lockdown.

[susandennis]

Also, it's difficult to have a good time in a cafe when you have the threat of death hanging over you, to be honest.

no shit, sherlock! also really hard to eat through those masks...

[msconduct.livejournal.com]

We're not really doing masks here by the look of it. I wonder though when it will actually feel safe. We've done the hard yards part with the strict lockdown, and I think we all thought it would be better after that, but really it's just the same. Are we going to have to wait until there's a vaccine before going out doesn't feel like a deathtrap?

[susandennis]

Yep. I think so.

[howeird]

It's the monster under the bed syndrome. Instead of doing the science, the gummint and the media are telling you there is an invisible monster under the bed and he will kill you if you get out of bed, or bite your hand off if you reach under the bed to see if he is actually there.

Unfortunately, there is a monster out there, but the powers that be have refused to show you where he is. Instead they trot out the old compound interest statistical analysis to scare you into staying in bed.

You know first hand that the monster isn't everywhere - you saw them abandon that emergency ward at Century Link due to a lack of patients.

But if I had COPD, I would stay away from crowds until there is actual science - universal testing - to show where the monster is and sin't.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

One for other of us has been going to our local Whole Foods a couple of times a week. It hasn't been too crowded, and people have been pretty good about observing the "social distancing" markings in the checkout lines.

Our one attempt to go to a Home Depot was foiled by the fact that, due to their limiting the number of people in the store at a time, there was a line that we estimated would keep us waiting for about half an hour. jwg has been going to our local hardware store fairly regularly (as a matter of fact, he's on his way their as I type).

From everything reliable that I've been able to read, these activities are relatively low-risk as long as people wear masks and don't spend more than a few seconds in close proximity.