Week One
Friday, March 20, 2020
I'm going to call this Week One, as before this week Corona Virus hadn't really had any impact on my life. I mean, I knew it was going on, obviously, it was a concern but I hadn't felt the effects myself.
I work from home so I hadn't noticed the empty streets and roads, or experienced the ransacked supermarket shelves.
When it was announced that the schools were closing was when I realised shit was about to get real.
Then on the same day I had two appointments cancelled until further notice.
Then, today, I had to go to the supermarket to pick up a few bits and pieces. Normally I get food delivered, but you can't get a delivery slot for love nor money at the moment. Ironically this means that in the time of social distancing I'm going to be leaving the house more than ever!
I went to the biggest of my most local supermarkets and it was OK. I got everything I needed and, with a satisfied sigh, headed back to my car.
Then I remembered I'd forgotten to buy cat food.
Instead of going back inside (and, oh, how I now wish I had), I drove to my local co-op. I picked up four boxes of cat food - two poultry, two fish. But when I got to the till, I was treated like I'd just spat in the eye of the woman behind the counter. I was bewildered, she was annoyed, and she loudly asked her colleague if I was allowed to buy four boxes, and then, whilst I stood there cringing, she asked the question over the Tannoy, all in front of a growing queue of people.
Apparently there was a two item maximum - although I'm not sure how I was meant to know this as there was no sign or announcement of any sort. Trying to lighten the mood, I joked that they were different flavours, but she was having none of it. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me, I'd apparently, and unwittingly, made a dreadful faux pas, and was being made to feel like I'd done something truly awful. She was unnecessarily rude, but I guess she probably wasn't having a very good day. I certainly wouldn't want to be working in a shop at the moment.
Anyway, I drove to the other end of the high street where there's a second co-op and purchased two further boxes in there. I'm not stockpiling, I'm just trying to feed my fussy cats, whilst trying to keep the number of times I leave the house in a week to an absolute minimum - isn't that what we've all been told to do?
Anyway, Andy and I have plenty of food, the cats however might have to get used to a diet of crunchies if I can't buy enough to feed them the Purina Gourmet pouches they prefer.
I got home and phoned Andy to tell him the story of my social fail, and laughed at it all. It is a serious situation obviously, but laughing and keeping our sense of humour is how we'll all get through it. Finding the funny in uncertain times has always worked for us before.
I wonder what next week will bring? Surely panic buying can't last for long, after all as a nation we're not eating any more than normal, and only have a limited amount of room to store it. Common sense will prevail... won't it?
I hope you're all OK, and managing to stay safe and sane.
xx
15 comments
It's probably best that you couldn't get a delivery slot, Daniel and Jasmine placed an order a couple of weeks ago yet when it was delivered half of the things they'd ordered were missing. They got no potatoes, no bread, no fresh meat, among other things. And they're having to isolate at they've been in contact with someone who is suspected of having the virus, and Jasmine is in a high risk category, so how else are they supposed to get their shopping? It's absolute madness. I do sympathise having fussy cats, it's not as though they'll eat anything you put in front of them. I know because I used to have one of those, haha.
ReplyDeleteI have got a delivery booked but it's not until next week. I don't expect to receive all my shopping, but I do hope there is cat food! They are so fussy.
DeleteSorry to hear that Daniel and Jasmine are self isolating, and having trouble with food. I hope they have someone willing to go shopping for them?
We have plenty of food if we forgo the traditional idea of what breakfast, lunch, and dinner should actually look like. You never know, we might hit upon a new taste sensation!
I'm hoping that after the initial reaction of 'gather all the food' passes a little normality will return...
xx
Oh dear me, sounds like a right palava. I can sympathise with the ordeal - they made an unnecessary spectacle of it. Wow, your cats are on a right royal banquet!!
ReplyDeleteI braved a quick trip to Tesco earlier, felt immensely grateful to be able to get a cauliflower and packet of chicken fillets. I'm made to feel guilty about buying our normal amount of weekly food - it's not stockpiling, it's just shopping. Surely, it's worse to keep having to make return trips to buy more?. I suspect we may be in it for a while yet. Stay safe. Can you order the cat food from a pet food retailer? just a thought xx
I did feel they made more of it than was actually necessary!
DeleteSocks and Tick are spoilt felines. And I think I will try to find a pet food retailer, cat littler is supposed to be in short supply too (insert eye roll emoji).
You're right about the normal amount of food, and I totally agree that it means we're having to go out more to get what we need, which is obviously completely counter productive - all because 'the few' stockpile and ruin it for the rest of us. I simply don't understand the panic, there isn't a food shortage after all.
Anyway, it'll settle down at some point, we all just need to keep calm.
Take care of yourselves.
xx
That must have been quite embarrassing, Hazel! Glad you got the four boxes in the end, even if you had to visit two different shops. Phoebe is on a special diet, we have to order her food via the vet. Now that I'm thinking of it, I'll ask Jos to make sure to order in time. You never know! I'm hoping that all the hoarding madness passes soon, as it's making the situation even more of a nightmare. And although I'm keeping my blog as light-hearted as possible, I'm thinking of starting a kind of diary to chronicle all that is happening. Do keep safe and sane, Hazel xxx
ReplyDeleteI'm easily embarrassed by such things, but after the fact I could laugh about the ridiculousness of it all.
DeleteI hope you can get Phoebe's food, it's a worry thinking you might not be able to get what they need, humans will eat whatever you put in front of them, especially in these circumstances but pets don't understand the situation.
The panic buying has to slow down soon, people can only store so much, I worry that a lot of this food will end up in landfill because it'll go off before people can eat it all!
I think I'll do a weekly Covid update, just noting the things that I notice and hopefully share the nice stuff that comes from it too - there must be something good in all this.
Take care
xx
I'm expecting a LOT of food to be thrown away soon. There were no potatoes in my local supermarket last weekend and very little fruit. Nobody can actually be eating all of that before it goes off! Today was better. When I went in about 4 members of staff were busy refuelling various shelves. I still couldn't get a tin foil tomatoes though! Luckily I still have 2 tins currently but we use them a lot so I wanted to get one more.
ReplyDeleteI had that thought too, it's just not necessary. The panic buying will ease, it simply has to. The irony is that I used to get my food delivered but I can't get slots anymore so I am now going out more. It's madness.
DeleteTake care Bev
xx
Oh no, how awful, I wouldn't have known where to put myself. Bloody jobsworths!
ReplyDeleteWe stocked up on cat food when we got back from India but realised we were short on cat litter on Thursday. Jon got the last bag in Pets at Home! xxx
I didn't know what to do with myself!
DeleteWe've got enough cat food for a week or so now, hopefully the panic buying will have subsided by then.
Just by chance we have two bags of cat litter, but the thing with that is that when it runs out there'[s isn't a n alternative that you can use. Socks tends to 'go' outside but Tink won't , she comes in, uses the litter tray, then goes back outside. We tried not using the litter tray but she just pooped on the carpet...
xx
Yes, my first thought when I see pictures of shoppers groaning under the weight of a million toilet rolls is where are they keeping it all? I'm trying to be sensible, avoiding recipes that call for tinned tomatoes, and rationing loo roll where I can. We went to Tesco for the NHS 'free hour' on Sunday and it was teeming - no notion of social distancing was or could have happened and the essentials were still gone. I got a few bits and we'll survive for the next few days. Luckily, some local pubs are keeping their suppliers and chefs in work by selling their wares in their pubs and offering takeaway services and home deliveries and we were approached by a man in a van who was selling veg which he would normally have supplied to festivals. Luckily, MOST people are being enterprising and thoughtful and surely a plateau has to come soon?
ReplyDeleteI've realised in the last few weeks how many meals I cook that involve tinned toms and pasta!
DeleteMy Dad went to Tesco early Monday morning and he said it was fine, so maybe, maybe, things are starting to stabilize on the food front? I hope so!
As you say most people are being sensible, I can see how those that aren't can't see how serious this thing is.
Strange times indeed!
Take care, stay safe
xx
I've not been to a proper supermarket for two weeks at least but I did visit our Sainsbury's Local and I couldn't believe the empty freezer shelves. CBC did go to the Coop on Tuesday and got us a bag of sweet potatoes, hot cross buns and one bag of flour. Yes, the food waste is driving me crazy- the thought of it all being chucked out by the greedy people who bought too much! we're working our way through our fresh vegetables. I hope we can get more. xx
ReplyDeleteAnd that must have been so embarassing with the cat food! It's very hard when your cat will only eat one thing!
ReplyDeleteAnd harder still when you have two of them! I was so embarrassed at the time but I can laugh about it now.
Deletexx
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