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Lightening the Mood: Fight in Wal Mart

I had to think for a minute... lightning, lightening (isn't that for hair?). Again, I'm not exactly college material.

But what's up with the toilet paper hoarding? My wife went to Wally World to get the essentials, beer and wine, and strolled down the toilet paper/paper towel aisle to find two women squabbling over six 4-roll packs. Apparently one of the women was going to hoard them all and the other confronted her. Mary swooped in and grabbed one of the packs without a word from either of them. As she scurried away she heard their voices rise with profanity. Yes, the "B-word" and much worse.

I've read the reports over the years about fights breaking out at box stores, and near riots over Black Friday items like big screen TVs or toys. I'm sorry but I find it hilarious.

My friends, the veneer of civility is much thinner than we care to admit.

Any good coronavirus-related stories, panic or otherwise?

Posted by
141 posts

I have been wondering what people in other countries feel the need to stock up on that isn’t essential for the situation? Is TP hoarding a US phenomenon or is its absence a universal fear?

Although, I have to admit— I already have my own hoard of TP acquired long before COVID... I come from a family of paranoid semi-preppers, so have always stashed emergency supplies, which for me include toilet paper and chocolate...

Posted by
4614 posts

Chocolate-good idea, I missed stocking that supply.

Posted by
15678 posts

Mike, this is cracking me up:

My wife went to Wally World to get the essentials, beer and wine...

EEK! Now I'm worried about the state of our liquor cabinet!

Went to the market (not Wally World) yesterday for ingredients to make casseroles from an abundance of meat in the freezer. The TP aisle was empty as was the section of antibacterial ANYTHING. Fortunately, I'd snagged a couple of needed (really!) bog-roll packs earlier in the week so we're good there. I've just had dental surgery and on an enforced soft diet for a few months so loaded up on soup and pasta but completely forgot about the booze cupboard!

Posted by
1336 posts

Not sure whether to laugh or cry. Someone stole the hand sanitizer at a nearby physical therapist’s office.

Posted by
11052 posts

The TP boarding apps rly is happening all over the world. I heard a psychologist explain that once the idea started to horde tp, people felt that by buying them, they taking an action that was helpful no matter whether it was necessary or not.

Posted by
982 posts

I just landed in the Midwest on a flight from Florida yesterday and knowing that we only have a couple of options for grocery stores in our small home town and with friends telling us how there was no sanitizer or toilet paper, we stopped at a Dollar Store on our way home. Now this Dollar store was in the middle of literally no-where. To our surprise, It had plenty of toilet paper and sanitizer wipes. Checking out, the cashier noticed my British accent, she was a little curious about how we had found the store and seemed surprised we were buying so much toilet paper and sanitizers. I don't think we had thought about how we were going to stuff it all in the car. Our little chevy cruise was already full of luggage so we had to jam the rolls and sanitizers into every crevice we could find. Then the trunk wouldn't close - we had broken the mechanism - so we went back into the store to get duck tape. We had to duck tape the trunk shut. We laughed all the way home about how crazy we looked.

Margaret

Posted by
3961 posts

BigMikeWestByGodVirginia,
Thanks for this. I think we all need some humor to get through this crisis. We were at Costco this week. Yes, the shelves are empty of paper products. What we did observe was the increase of Liquor in shopping carts. ;)

Posted by
245 posts

Apparently, Australia really did have a shortage because their TP came from China, and there was a factory shut-down for a while because of Coronavirus.

It's a sign of worry and anxiety, even if misplaced, and I agree that people just want to do something. And I agree that you never know where'll you'll find some - I ordered some recently from Staples (because I needed something useful and easy to store that would take me up to the free shipping level).

I recently was at home for about 2 weeks because I was sick, and I realized that it's a good thing that I generally keep a well-stocked larder: I've used up most of my pasta, tetra-paks of chicken stock, canned tomatoes, jarred tomato sauce, and jarred apple sauce. I'm out of frozen fruit, and almost out of frozen veg, and I had to get Amazon to deliver me more Kleenex and honey.

Posted by
11247 posts

Ooh, Kathy, liquor store run!! Good idea. We have wine and grappa, but medicinal Scotch could be useful. Freezer is stuffed with soups and we did a TJs run on our way home from the airport. After 10 nights away the fresh food is nonexistent at ours, There was an amused sense of hoarder mentality there, but good-natured at this point.

Traffic was weirdly light today although schools were in session (all are closed starting Monday through end of month). Living in a tourist town, we usually see a lot of Friday traffic and it is not happening. Tough for the tourism industry as next week is spring break and that fills us up, usually.

Our Whale Watching Spoken Here docent program for spring break has been cancelled but I don’t believe the whales will know.

Hubby has always stockpiled his meds so we can travel at a moment’s notice. His advance prep is a source of amusement as he rigorously maintains his inventory but he’s beaming as his discipline pays off.

Not sure if I am going to “miss” going to the gym... We are definitely not going there for awhile!

Posted by
4255 posts

My daughter and I started stocking up 2 weeks ago, since we didn't have the 14 days of supplies that emergency personnel recommend that we always keep on hand. Our first priority was cat supplies so they won't eat us. Plus tornado season is coming. We keep thinking of other things we need-hand lotion to help with all the hand washing is our newest addition. A friend and I went to Walmart together just to see what they might have that we needed-we were bonding on a hoarding trip. I plan to return the library books I'm finished with tomorrow morning so that others can check them out, if the library is still open. My previously full schedule for this Sat-Tue is emptying rapidly-haven't heard yet about the Bridal tea I'm helping with tomorrow or the gym.

Posted by
13 posts

My local Walmart was out of flour this evening. I didn't need any, was down that aisle for something else and noticed the empty shelves. Who hordes flour? Why?

Posted by
141 posts

Regarding flour: My husbands first response when I told him I’ll be teleworking as of today was “yay fresh bread”... That’s how I kept myself occupied through the furlough last year— baking and watching the Great British baking show, which inspired my soon to be canceled trip to England next month. So I have 4lbs of flour on my counter right now. Next to the chocolate. And some recently stocked wine.

Posted by
245 posts

Who hordes flour? Why?

That's pretty smart, assuming one can bake, because from flour you can cook all sorts of things rather than stocking up on them: bread, pastry (for meat pies), pizza dough, and biscuits for regular meals, and desserts for keeping your spirits up, whether it's date bread, cookies, or brownies.

Great Thread!
I think it's all a conspiracy by large corporations who have paid-off government officials in order to sell cleaners and toilet paper and corona virus test kits! Plus, a major boost in online sales as folks stay home. (Amazon is behind this!)
I understand precautions, but I think corona virus fears are getting overblown. I think some fear liability issues. I have never seen this kind of response to any disease before in the USA.

Posted by
1028 posts

I guess you could say I hoarded flour in the past, only because I stopped baking and it languished in the pantry. Tried to use it in Christmas cookies last year. Trust me, you do not want to hoard flour. The cookies went straight into the trash. Old flour tastes awful. So use it within six months or pitch it. Now my wine cellar is a different story...

Posted by
3217 posts

Thanks BMWBGV for giving me an opportunity to brag about my husband. Today, I was on the phone with a friend from Denver, who was regaling me with stories of people buying up all the toilet paper in local stores, only to sell it on ebay. That's when my husband stuck his head the room to tell me he was going to Randall's. I told him to pick up some toilet paper!

A few hours later, I asked him if he remembered to pick up any toilet paper. His response was, "No. We don't need any". He's right - we have enough, and by the time we run out, this madness, if not the epidemic, will [hopefully] be over.

Posted by
275 posts

There has been toilet paper hoarding here in Australia, and it has been going on for the last 2 weeks. There has also been hoarding of things like pasta and rice. 2 women even got charged by police here in Sydney for fighting in a supermarket over toilet paper. See the link below.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-08/coronavirus-toilet-paper-fight-at-woolworths-leads-to-charges/12037046

One thing I have learned is that we actually do have toilet paper manufacturing here in Australia, but I do not know if it is enough to cover all of our needs.

Posted by
3941 posts

In our family, we tell a great story about my husband’s 85 year old tiny grandmother during some crisis about 35 years ago. One of the family was visiting and for some reason opened a cupboard in the bathroom way up high - only to discover a mountain of toilet paper. When asked about it, her reply was “Well I had to get it before the hoarders!” I guess we come by it honestly......

I walked over to my grocery store tonight to get some chips and wound up with a bottle of wine to go with them.

Posted by
3514 posts

I accidentally ordered an enormous amount of toilet paper from Target a couple months ago when it was on sale for delivery. I mis read the count per package and ended up with 360 rolls! Was going to take it back, but never got to it. Guess it was a good thing after all that I didn't read clearly because now that is the last thing I have to worry about.

I also bought a couple of the 14 day Mountain House dehydrated meal packages from Amazon because I had planned on doing a lot of wilderness camping this spring (and the price was very low at the time). Even though it is not the best food, it is food. Might actually come in handy now.

My meds are well back stocked too. I won't need a refill on anything till June. I refilled often last year because I knew I was changing insurance and the new policy is not as generous in what it covers.

As long as the water and electricity stay on (no reason it won't), things will not be too bad for me. I guess I can go 3 months hunkered down with everything I have unintentionally stockpiled before I need to start worrying.

But I think that by mid week next week things should start getting more normal in the grocery stores. Everyone will still have plenty of the hoarded stuff and stocks will be replenished. Will everything be full on the shelves? Probably not, but even today when I went to pick up a few essentials there was enough food on the shelves at the store I chose. Not necessarily exactly what I wanted (brands, flavors, and so on) but I managed to get enough of the fresh foods I needed that I will not be missing anything. I had to eat my ice cream while waiting to check out because the line was nearly 90 minutes long.

Posted by
5470 posts

Who hordes flour? Why?

Me! But not exactly hoarding. I only bought one extra bag of bread flour. I need it for pizza and bread.

Posted by
11247 posts

Sun-Baked, “overblown”would not be applied to Italy where it is full on crisis. We are a week to ten days behind them. Maybe our awareness will spare us if we truly isolate ourselves. Naïveté May be our downfall, humor may prevent us from going mad,

Posted by
1394 posts

Yes, I went to the grocery store today just to see the sights (and to NOT buy TP because keep a decent stock.)
Cala is right, you have to supply the pets as well. I heard a nice young woman in Walgreens inquire after vinyl gloves because her hands were chapped from cleaning. I bought 6 pounds of shredded cheese and 2 jars of peanut butter

Posted by
153 posts

Walmart is getting so crowded that they are adding a 2nd cashier.

Posted by
5697 posts

Went to Safeway this morning for $5/dozen Friday doughnuts -- knew we were in trouble when there were NO parking spaces. Walking in, someone coming out told us to plan on an hour in line. They were out of canned tuna and bagged potatoes, running low on canned chili and soup and eggs. (Lots of toilet paper, but it was still in cases at the front, not stocked on the shelves.)
But everyone was calm and courteous -- no fighting, no cutting in line even through the lines went all the way to the back of the store.
Our best move -- when we got about 5 carts from the front, I ran back and picked up the ice cream so it didn't have time to melt.

Posted by
310 posts

Walmart is getting so crowded that they are adding a 2nd cashier.

It happened at the local Safeway this week though. 1 cashier. 6 self serve check outs & 1 helper. Limit 15 items. One woman had a full shopping cart. Because the one lane was packed. I almost turned around. But bought a slice of cake conviently placed in the line for self serve. Hey...they enabled me. Don't judge

Posted by
11027 posts

Walmart is getting so crowded that they are adding a 2nd cashier.

It happened at the local Safeway this week though. 1 cashier. 6 self serve check outs & 1 helper.

Cashiers -- Quarantined at home?

Posted by
5239 posts

Toilet paper panic buying is happening in the UK as well along with dried pasta and tinned tomatoes. The bread aisles will be next but usually the white bread goes first, anything seeded or "weird" is the last to go. Plenty of dried pulses, flour and yeast so if it becomes apocalyptic at least I can be certain that those items will still be available.

Posted by
971 posts

Here in Denmark people are also hoarding toilet paper, but the main item for hoarders is yeast. We've seen yeast hoarding before, back in the 90's there was a general strike and people where hoarding yeast back then as well. Also we have a word for hoarders, we call them hamsters, and the verb for hoarding is hamstring.
As soon as the Prime Minister announced that the public sector would be closing down for two weeks, this Wednesday, people flooded to the stores. Mind you, no one is under lockdown, the stores are still open and are receiving fresh deliveries. It's schools, daycare's and universities that are shutting down and all non essential public sector workers are being sent home, but everyone is free to leave their homes.
Personally I did some extra shopping last night and I plan to do some extra runs to the store to fill up on non-essentials during the weekend and fill the freezer with stews and soup. But that's not because i fear that the shops will run out. It's because my wife is a nurse, so she is working overtime at the hospital and I am forced to work from home and watch my toddler as well, so I will be working early mornings and evenings. We just don't have the time to shop and cook during the week. I also expect my wife to catch the corona from her work at some point and pass it on to us, so there is no harm in being prepared.

Posted by
10117 posts

Sister-in-law got home to Vienna, Austria two days ago. Not a potato, onion or roll of TP to be found anywhere.

Posted by
1174 posts

No one goes to Walmart in our town. It's too crowded..... Sorry, couldn't resist

Posted by
537 posts

I went to Publix yesterday because I needed a few things, including toilet paper. There was some left, but no lysol wipes or in the bottle. Guess I'll clean the old-fashioned way with soap and water. I'm not an alarmist, or a hoarder, but am starting to feel the concern. I admit I bought some extra bread and tuna "just in case". This is similar to preparing for a hurricane (I live in Florida), but more scary in a way. Guess if I don't need supplies for self-isolating, I'll be ready for hurricane season on June 1. Keep Calm and Carry On.

Posted by
2942 posts

Pros: not as many people at the gym, liquor store fully stocked, extra time to exercise and read; movie theaters enforcing 50 percent capacity so you aren't jammed in there like sardines near the toilet in economy. Just remember to reserve a seat in advance online.

Cons: nobody inspiring like Churchill or FDR to rally the troops, making your own hand sanitizer from vodka, rubbing alcohol, and something else, and no March Madness! The best part of March is college basketball and baseball. It's really rather dreary, but I'll adhere to our family motto dating back to the 16th century: "Never despair." Inspiring, huh? Oh, and having to cancel trips and in many cases losing money in the process. Dry hands.

Posted by
2942 posts

What is up with the TP? C'mon! There is zero supply chain issue here.

In America it used to be a panic about bread and milk. What is it in Europe by country? Like maybe yams and onions in Austria?

Posted by
10177 posts

I was at Target two days ago and noticed there wasn't a single roll of toilet paper in the TP aisle. I went grocery shopping at 7:00 yesterday morning in an attempt to avoid too many people. Plenty of others had the same idea. I didn't go down the aisle with TP, but apparently they had some. How do I know? When checking out the customer at the checkstand next to me was yelling at an employee. He demanded to know his full name in order to lodge a complaint against him. Wow, what could this guy have done that would warrant the abuse he was receiving? The store (and I've seen the same thing at other stores) is limiting people to one package (not roll, package) of TP per customer. The customer apparently thought this shouldn't apply to him. Geez dude, just take your groceries out to your car and go back in for another package of TP if it's that important. I haven't seen hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, etc. in stores for a couple of weeks.

Posted by
111 posts

Walmart and Target have been cleaned out. Our Big Lots has plenty of everything. I guess it never occurred to the locals to go to Big Lots.

Posted by
449 posts

Just back from the local supermarket here - Sainsburys. Its way more busy than a usual Saturday. And zero TP. I really don't get why everyones fixated on TP. But, because you know it runs out quickly, if any is around you just have to buy another packet when you see it - just in case. And no hand sanitizer - none for a week or two.

Have just bought a few things in case we end up quarantined/sick for 2 weeks. Of course everyone else is doing the same thing, so canned goods, baked beans shelves fast running out. And some pizzas and bread to stick in the freezer. Doing the alcohol shop tomorrow.

Its really difficult to know where sensible ends and when paranoia is setting in.

And TP seems to be an international problem.

Posted by
6265 posts

My husband reminded me last night about "Polish necklaces."

Back in the early 1980s, we lived in Poland for a few years. In fact, we got there just a few months before martial law was declared. (I'll skip the history lesson.) The university where we taught shut down, almost all public events were cancelled, movie theaters shut down, and only military themed movies and the news were shown on TV. (The newscasters were dressed in military uniforms. It was hilarious, at least to those of us who were foreign visitors.)

And of course, many consumer goods disappeared from the shelves. They had been in short supply before, but now...

Anyway, as you might expect, one of the items hardest to find was toilet paper. But every now and then, a store somewhere in town would get a shipment. Word spread like wildfire, and people rushed to get some. Now, the toilet paper was sold by the unwrapped roll, not in packages of 2, 4, 12. So people would get as many rolls as they could, run a string through the cores, and carry them by draping them around their necks.

Polish necklaces. True story.

Posted by
15678 posts

...making your own hand sanitizer from vodka

That's just sad and wrong. Waste of good vodka. Everclear, on the other hand...

We went out for a pint or two late yesterday afternoon and the bar of choice (in a Mexican restaurant) was PACKED! The vast majority of customers looked to be 50 or older, and a mighty fine time was being had by all. Other than the waitperson mopping down tables with a powerful bleach solution (phew!) no sign of viral alarm.

We have heard that there has been stealing of TP from restaurant and other public restrooms. Tsk-tsk.

Posted by
8376 posts

Its not an original idea, but a nicely wrapped roll of TP can be a thoughtful birthday present right now.

Posted by
5697 posts

Big Mike, I like your family motto of "Never despair." I am descended from the Drummond clan whose motto is "Gang warily" and I will.

Posted by
4255 posts

Mark, lucky you to be counting on electricity. It only takes one bad thunderstorm or tornado to take ours out and this time, there will probably not be out of state crews to help in the restoration of power.

Alternative products - good ol' bar soap, camping toilet paper sold in camping section of Wal-Mart in packets - not rolls. Dawn dishwashing soap or other.

I am so glad I live in a semi-rural area at this time. I read the above posts about check-out lines, sold-out items, etc.. Around here - we are still working, etc.. Our schools shut down for the next two weeks (one week was Spring-Break anyway). Major events are cancelled.

I think just taking a few basic precautions and chilling out is in order. High-risk folks like my elderly in-laws need to use personal judgement and just spend more time at home. (not easy, considering my MIL has severe dementia and wants to go out a lot)
Car accidents kill far more citizens in the USA (about 55,000 a year). Yet, no one is advocating restrictions on driving.
I wish our government would take a more regional approach rather than a "blanket over all" approach.

Posted by
7049 posts

Car accidents kill far more citizens in the USA (about 55,000 a year).
Yet, no one is advocating restrictions on driving.

Classic case of "whataboutism". Yes, a virus for which no one has immunity, is brand new, and which can overwhelm the global health care system is just like a car, for which there is a myriad of built-in safety features and requires competence to operate (and does have restrictions based on ability to drive safely, licensing requirements, etc). Wow. That's quite an analogy.

I wish our government would take a more regional approach rather than
a "blanket over all" approach.

We have a federalist system with 3 levels of government. States and localities are already adapting measures based on local conditions. Seattle is doing things differently than Alaska. The Federal government sets broad guidelines, re-adjusts regulations, and doles out vast amounts of money and technical support. Travel is global, airports are global, companies are global - some approaches like travel bans have to be global, not regional.

Posted by
245 posts

Car accidents kill far more citizens in the USA (about 55,000 a year). Yet, no one is advocating restrictions on driving.

Right, because they're totally different things. If thousands of people died per year eating apples, it would make no sense to restrict people from eating oranges.......however that's not what's going on here.

This is a communicable disease that spreads very easily and which is so new that no one has any immunity. It's fatality rate is about 10 x that of the seasonal flu but, more importantly, even "mild" cases can put a dent in someone's finances, put a person in the hospital, and has the risk of overwhelming health care facilities. And because it's not just a local issue (like car accidents, which happen locally), it affects people around the country and around the world.....and that will cause business losses to almost any service industry that involves face-to-face interaction or long distance travel. As people get ill, they're not going shopping, enjoying a meal out, or visiting their relatives over the long weekend.

Posted by
2942 posts

Restaurant parking lots look sparsely populated, especially those with buffets.

When I'm bored I do things like play a bad song on my cell phone and then place it in a room Mary is occupying. Recently, that was "Steal Away" by Robert Dupree. She gamely tried to ignore it to deny me any satisfaction before saying, "that's enough" and turning it off. She made it through half the song.

Posted by
3514 posts

cala, Living in Houston most of my life, I am very aware of losing electricity during hurricane season. Never fun when it happens, and would even be less so now since the entire world is stressed instead of my just little corner. As you say, repair crews from surrounding states is highly unlikely to arrive no matter how much the need is for the foreseeable future. I am in Colorado right now and even though there can be blizzards as late as mid May here, nothing is predicted in the long range forecasts being very serious. I say electricity and water should not go out because of that. Of course the unexpected could happen any minute now. I guess I should go find some extra propane for the grill so I do at least have a source of heat to warm the bottled water up when I get to those backpacker meals.

Posted by
10177 posts

We took my developmentally disabled brother out to lunch today. I didn't really want to go, but it was so important to him. He wanted to go to Macaroni Grill. We arrived about noon and we were their first customers of the day. We were seated at a booth. A few minutes later they sat another party at the booth directly next to ours. Why? The entire restaurant was empty. Of course I politely said something. They didn't move them, but they did create space between the few other groups that came in. What is so difficult about the concept of social distancing?

Posted by
2942 posts

Andrea, you make a really good point. Why? Local movie theaters are capped at 50 percent capacity, so if someone sat right beside me I'd wonder what they were thinking, if at all. I don't know. It's a mystery. Maybe easier on the wait staff.

Edit: All establishments other than grocery, pharmacy, and gas stations could be closing. That means no liquor store. People, prioritize and stock up. Consider this a warning.

Posted by
10177 posts

Typically they group people for the convenience of the waitstaff, but these are not normal times. I don't think it's asking too much to seat people no more closely than every other booth. You're only talking a few extra steps. I understand that it's a difficult job. I was a server at a couple of restaurants in my youth, so long ago we were called waitresses. There were only three parties in the main dining room and two parties in the bar. This was on a Saturday. They were not overworked. They did separate everyone else after I said something.

Posted by
1394 posts

Stan, spinning off of yr suggestion that wrapped Tp would make a nice gift rt now, we have a church auction next week and I'm thinking of making a basket of toilet paper, rubber gloves and hand sanitizer just to see how much $$ we might raise

Posted by
6265 posts

Once again, I owe folks on this Forum a "thank you." I had to go to the store yesterday to pick up a couple of items, and remembered some comments here about hoarding flour. So since I bake (I never buy bread unless we're traveling), and since I just opened my last sack of flour, I thought I'd better check. Sure enough, the shelves were almost empty. Luckily, there were still a few bags left of the (more expensive) brand I usually buy. So I took one. But I did also grab an extra bottle of olive oil; you never know what the next hoarded item will be!

Oh, and to answer a problem someone mentioned upthread, if you store flour (and other grain products) in the freezer, they will keep for a very long time. Also yeast - I buy yeast in 8 ounce packages (much cheaper than the little packets) and keep it in the freezer.

So I'm set, for a while at least! Especially since I also stocked up on wine while I was out. You never know what the next hoarded item will be...

Posted by
3217 posts

I don't love everything about Texas (As a native I can say that!), but a huge perk of living in Texas is the H-E-B grocery chain. This morning the paper towel/kleenex/toilet paper aisle at the Randalls[Safeway] near my house was empty except for 3 boxes of kleenex. I heard the manager tell another customer that they were completely out of "everything" and had no idea when they were getting any more.

Same story at Walmart. As I walked in, I asked the greeter if they had any toilet paper. She smiled coyly, and told me to "look and see". That would have been lame even if they actually had any, but especially so since they were completely out of most paper goods. And no - I didn't say anything to the greeter on my way out, except for "In case anybody else asks, you're completely out of toilet paper".

So I made the 15 minute drive to the closest H-E-B. It had been open for 15 minutes and was already packed. But they were prepared for the crowds and had put quantity limits on the most sought-after items. Plenty of everything for everybody.

Posted by
4614 posts

Jane, thanks for the reminder to keep the wine frig stocked. Cheers!

Posted by
4255 posts

doric B you could also make the Polish necklaces with toilet paper and one roll makes a nice bracelet.

Posted by
1279 posts

My cousin, who is ever so creative with his drinks, is making a Quarantini tonight!

Posted by
1056 posts

Re: Polish necklaces — Jane, last week during my Wroclaw, Poland “Dwarves and Communism “ tour, the tour guide mentioned that during communist times a very thoughtful gift that was difficult to obtain was toilet paper. And my Polish hosts also mentioned Polish necklaces.

And concerning the advice to stock up on wine while shopping — This morning I went to my local grocery at 6 AM when they open, in an effort to avoid crowds, since I had just returned from Poland and have no fresh food in my refrigerator. The woman ahead of me in line had a shopping cart full of bottles of wine. She was upset to hear that the supermarket was not allowed to sell an alcohol before 7 AM. She asked if they would keep the wine for her at customer service because “They were sold out of this brand when I was here last time and I really need this.” Made me smile. Once I got home I realized that I, too, was out of wine except for a bottle of sparkling wine (not my favorite). I suppose I’ll have to stick with drinking tea and water for the next two weeks as I self-isolate after returning from Europe...

Posted by
11027 posts

For the sequestered wine lovers, check this out----https://www.vinesse.com/

I have had at least two airlines send promos for this with bountiful mileage accrual. Check and see if you can get you vitamin c drink and build your mileage account :-)

Posted by
739 posts

I guess in some respects I would be called a hoarder.
I have slowly over the last 2 months been building up my stock of pretty much everything.
I have a mostly stocked large freezer. I have stocked my pantry and have about 15lbs of flower. But I bake a lot and make bread so I normally have about 10 lbs (bread and other baked goods tend to use different types of flower so I keep two types).

I had let my supplies dwindle so I needed to get my supplies back in order. That being said my father is in the high risk group because of age and illness so we are isolating as much as possible.

The problem is a lot of folks don’t keep much in house anymore. I know of one lady that had 2 rolls of TP in her whole house and she has 3 bathrooms. Personally I buy more TP whenever I get down to one spare roll per bathroom (at the latest) as I don’t like running around the house looking for it when I need it and run out in a bathroom.... 🙂

Posted by
1394 posts

Yes, Doug, I too have borderline hoarder tendencies learned from my parents who were each the youngest child in large families during the depression. One year ago there was flooding when the Missouri river went out of bounds in Iowa and Nebraska & I donated most of my paper goods and cleaning supplies .
However, I rebuilt in the last year and am in good shape for a month or longer now
I sorted my coffee by "best by date"...
like a true addict I had it squirreled a
way in 3 places

I have 20 twelve oz packages of coffee.
I'm not counting t p rolls

Posted by
2666 posts

Wow Doric and Doug. My hubby and I were just talking that we have no reason so stock up and only need to buy fresh dairy and produce. We almost always have enough in the pantry and freezer to last at least a month if not two. Not too many years ago when we still worked we bought 200 cans of soup on sale cheap. My hubby used to eat a can of soup everyday for lunch so he bought a year’s worth.

Posted by
416 posts

Walmart is getting so crowded that they are adding a 2nd cashier

Too funny.

And, anybody who needs 350 rolls of toilet paper for a 2 week quarantine, has bigger problems than a virus.

Posted by
245 posts

I just got back from the grocery store, and it was interesting to see what there was and wasn't left on the shelves. Interesting, the only thing I looked for that there was absolutely none of was kleenex and flour. They were almost out of canned veg and beans, tomato/spaghetti sauce, oil, sugar, cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, crackers, big bags of potatoes (>10 lb), sparkling water, bottles of lemon juice, and oil. All the house-brand potato chips were gone, but there was still lots of the Lays brands. Lots of beef, but not a lot of pork or chicken. The lemon juice really threw me - I guess people are getting sick and want some at home? A personal hankering for lemonade? Some other use for lemon juice I'm not aware of?

Posted by
2942 posts

From CNN:

An Oregon police department is asking residents to stop calling 911 because they've run out of toilet paper

Only in America!

Posted by
11027 posts

Doric,
Love the toilet paper church fund raiser idea! Bet it will be a hot item!

Unfortunately the function was canceled due to the 'no gatherings over 50 people' edict

On the bright side, for the next few months you do not have to worry about your trees being the target of a TP prank

Posted by
1394 posts

Joe, yup, we made that decision today tho actual bidders are about a core group of 30, so we would have been below the. Cut off
Committee chair Is checking with auctioneer for may dates.

I can't explain the lemon juice but my own shopping has included wine, instant mashed potatoes and tart gummy worms

Doric, Joe32, and Judy of Westland -
All of you are making me laugh! Thanks for your comments. Doric8 - I find the purchase of 6 lb.s of shredded cheese interesting. Mac-N-Cheese or Nachos for church fund raiser? Joe32 - in a few days, I WANT someone to TP my house. I have toilet paper now. But, it's become such a hot commodity that it is hard to get. Bring it on!

Posted by
915 posts

At Safeway yesterday:
No bread, hot dog or hamburger buns, no ground beef, no bananas, no TP, very few eggs left, and the boxed pasta shelves were almost empty. And, hey, they were completely out of those choc-covered pretzels I had my eye on earlier in the week! Plenty of apples, seafood, potato chips, juice and dairy. Bought some chocolate chips but forgot to check the flour situation (have some at home). I’ll have to make chili or Manwich when the beef comes back in. Hot dogs went in the freezer until buns are back in. Tonight, steamed shrimp and rotini for supper.

Posted by
2942 posts

There was plenty of Hamburger Helper and Tuna Helper, so we loaded up on that. There was no meat, but the Hamburger Helper was just fine by itself.

Rotini? I don't even know what the heck that is.

Some of you folks eat real fancy. Give me a beer and a hot dog, and then pull my finger.

Posted by
3514 posts

Mike, Some of us are being forced to eat fancier due to what is available or not. I had lobster for 4 meals because that was the only thing my local Kroger had in the meat department! They had some hamburger and lunch meats today, but it went fast.

No problem finding breads at my local Kroger. Plenty of almost all of it. Same with chips. Produce is also fully stocked. Safeway had lots of beers, but not much else other than vegan products.

Posted by
11027 posts

lobster.... was the only thing my local Kroger had in the meat department!

Probably lots of TP in the store as well... its in the pet supplies aisle.... everyone is looking in the wrong place!

Posted by
2111 posts

The lemon juice question got me curious, so I Googled:

16 Surprising Uses for Lemon Juice Around Your Home

Polish Pots, Pans, and Hardware.
Remove Stains From Marble Countertops.
Descale Coffee Makers and Tea Kettles.
Remove Stains From Dishes and Storage Containers.
Kill Bacteria on Cutting Boards and Wooden Utensils.
Clean and Remove Odors From Microwave.
Deodorize the Garbage Disposal.
Get Rid of Yellow Underarm Stains.

..............so guessing people may be using it as a dish detergent (hand-washing) substitute....ala Lemon Joy. Or to clean counter-tops?
or maybe for laundry use beyond the item mentioned above? Or to make good ole lemon bar cookies (in case they run out of chocolate)? I do have to admit to tossing a few extra bags of dark chocolate chips into my grocery cart -- call it a stress aid :)

Local news reported that Kroger said people have been buying 5 times as much as usual!!! Once people run out of storage space, I am guessing it will subside a bit (maybe). I had started picking up about 8-10 canned items each time I shopped over the past 3-4 weeks, and I typically grocery shop 3-4 times a week (we eat a LOT of fresh fruits and veggies). Interestingly, other than bananas (and oddly potatoes), the fresh produce area seemed reasonably stocked on recent trips (so far).

For those who shop at Kroger, you will appreciate the humor. I told my husband that we have so many fuel points, the transaction device at the pump next time may actually issue us a money credit (just kidding, as that would NOT happen), but a free fill-up is likely with gas/diesel prices having dropped significantly.

Posted by
2281 posts

hey hey big mike
rotini: two-inch lengths of thick screw-like pasta, used a lot for that "fancy" pasta salad haha
went to my local safeway yesterday, gonna try new recipe with chicken thighs. was so dumbfounded that no fresh chicken anywhere, walked around couple of bunkers adjusting glasses, did i miss something. bought 2#bag of shrimp for $10 and my annual ritual corn beef.
the condiment, beans, canned meat, rice, aisle almost empty, no pasta or paper products. booze aisle no problems, got what i needed. saw a short video of a safeway in san francisco, a few out of contol shoppers knocking down shelves, throwing wine bottles across aisles, sceaming and yelling in hysteria. stop, take a breathe, relax, be kind to workers, not their fault. next just the shut and lock doors, go to 7-11
@joe32F next to kitty litter!
aloha

Posted by
915 posts

And the reason I have TP is because I stocked up on paper goods from Kroger the last time I was in Richmond! Always taking advantage of cheaper prices and cheap gas anytime I’m out of northern Virginia. I grew up with Kroger and miss not having one nearby.

Big Mike, rotini is just fancy pants spaghetti! ;)

Posted by
2942 posts

Mark, nothing wrong with eating high on the hog if the opportunity presents itself.

Princess Purple: We have this restaurant in Charleston, WV called Fazio's. Google it. A lot of Italian and Sicilians emigrated to West Virginia in the early 20 century, and we are certainly the beneficiaries. Nobody believes me when I say the best Italian food outside of Tuscany is in West by God Virginia! We have also mastered the art of pepperoni rolls.

Posted by
1394 posts

Sun baked, the cheese is for home consumption... 3 two pound bags w sell by dates in june
.. one may eventually find it's way to freeze, but I'm trying really hard to eat all of the mysterious tubs of leftovers therein first.
Shreadded cheese layered with cooked pasta, canned mushrooms and red sauce and pepperoni baked until bubbly is some serious comfort food... in st Louis it would be muscacholi, a much sadder version would be what the hot lunch school cooks of my iowa childhood called Goulash.... sorry Hungarians.
And yes, refried beans, flour tortillas, salsa and cheese will be more comfort food.
Ok, adding oranges to next shopping list before ricketts and scurvy show up. oooh, and eggs. Scrambled eggs and cheese!

Posted by
11507 posts

Wish I could post photos here - our stores have aisles that look like communist Russian 1980 lol

I’ve also had lots of extra stuff - I’ve always joked if there is a an apocalypse then come to my house -

However I am still finding this surreal .

Went to store early this am ( 8 am ) to buy 3 potatoes for a family I cook for - and the store was so busy ( unusual ) - cashier told me when she arrived at 6:45 for the 7 am opening - there was a line outside - !!!

Posted by
275 posts

So far, the panic buying over here has been for non-perishable items such as toilet paper, pasta, and rice. Some canned foods are running low but not run out. I still see plenty of fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. When I went to my local shopping mall on Saturday, the queues in the supermarket were crazy. When I visited a greengrocer and a butcher in the very same shopping centre on the same day, everything was normal. Queues were normal, and levels of stock were normal.

Posted by
1542 posts

Pfff. Scientists and medical experts, what do they know? The medicine shelves at my local supermarkets are full to the brim. Paper products and hand sanitisers which do not work, that’s what we need more of. To boost my immune system, I’ve become addicted to the recipes in a recent publication, ‘Cooking with Recycled Paper and Disinfectants’, created by the cleaning staff at Johnny Hopkinson University in Bucktooth Ridge, Tennessee. Here are a few of my favourite recipes (a feast fit for a king, I can imagine many of you licking your lips):-

Zeek’s Creamy Pulp Bisque (page 11).

Proud Mary’s Potato and Paper Pie (page 43). When preparing ingredients, sing or hum Toilet Rollin’ On The River.

Lavinia’s Roasted Peanuts and Paper Towel in Pine-Sol Dressing (page 67).

Earl Bigelow’s Sticky Tallow Pudding (page 89). For a creamier texture, reduce candle wax by 2 tablespoons and replace with vegetable oil. Garnish with tiny bits of dry angel hair pasta and a dollop of your favourite hand sanitiser.

Caleb’s Kleenex Compote (page 95).

NOTA BENE: 1) DO NOT add any butter, salt or sugar to the recipes, as I mistakenly did at the beginning. Use of any disturbs the delicate balance of flavours and reduces the many health benefits. 2) If on a strict diet, use 1-ply in recipes calling for 2 or 3-ply.

Three weeks and counting, feeling good, so the recipes must work, and I have a lot of faith in the good people at Johnny Hopkinson - many years ago I used their famous (and famously expensive) hair restorer. It was Don Rickles himself who compared my maginificent combover to the wing of a Marabou Stork.

Posted by
11027 posts

It Is obvious Gundersen got the good hand sanitizer, i.e., the 90% alcohol stuff, not the wimpy 65% variety

Posted by
2111 posts

Last night my sister sent me a screen shot of a neighborhood posting.

Person could not find eggs anywhere, and she was willing to barter toilet paper for eggs.....while also stating she could not believe she was posting such. Hey, I want that lady on my team!!!

My husband, who has the habit of looking at the currency exchange rates each morning in the paper, even though we are not currently traveling, quickly quipped: "What's the exchange rate?"

I could not help but think about the family lore that will be passed down to future generations: "Joey, I remember back in 2020 when your grandmother traded some toilet paper with the Jones family over on Maple Street, so she could get some eggs to make my birthday cake that year."

Sad frightening times, but we gotta find some humor to get us through all this.

Another post going around is the photo of the homemade bidet.......old lawn chair with the seat section removed and then a yard sprinkler under where the seat would go. Okay, maybe only in Tennessee.................... Let's hope it does NOT come to that!!!

Stay safe, ya'll.

When things get crazy or stressful - I tell myself that life in the USA is still far better than many places on Earth. I am grateful to be an American. We live with many advantages that others don't have. Electricity most of the time. Food, phone, housing, public education, minimum wage, charities, etc..

Doric8 - add hashbrown casserole to your comfort food list with your shredded cheese.
Loved the lobster and vegan food comments above. The things we must "endure!"

Posted by
5470 posts

Another post going around is the photo of the homemade bidet.......old lawn chair with the seat section removed and then a yard sprinkler under where the seat would go. Okay, maybe only in Tennessee.................... Let's hope it does NOT come to that!!!

I don’t know. ... there is a long and animated discussion about toilet paper hoarding on my neighborhood’s nextdoor site. It includes recommendations on installing bidets, detailed descriptions on how one actually uses a bidet, and a discussion on whether toilet paper or a bidet is more environmentally friendly. It is all just a bit of too much information.

Posted by
1394 posts

Sun , I kid you not, the mysterious leftovers I thawed for tonight was hashbrown casserole!!! I should be vlogging this.... some still photos as it thaws and ongoing guesses as to what it is..... about 4 more Containers of Mystery to go!!!

Posted by
344 posts

Try entering The Ballad of Dunny Roll into your browser.

We are laughing at ourselves.

Regards Ron

Posted by
6265 posts

We need a freezer and fridge mystery packet thread.

In the last week we've thawed out spinach-artichoke lasagna (left over from Christmas; I made it for my vegetarian niece;) tamales (made by a woman at our church;) and something that turned out to be trimmings from a slab of spareribs. I roasted it on high heat with root vegetables and olive oil and it was amazing.

Now, I'm going to have to tackle that stack of packages of venison that I know has been in the freezer for way too long.

Posted by
2596 posts

I live alone so don't cook much, but the urge to make a vegetarian lasagna or butternut squash, kale, white bean and leftover Christmas ham soup to share with my parents seems to be an impossible dream right now. As long as I can find fresh veggies for salads and other basics I am fine, and 12 big bags of peanuts stashed for feeding my backyard murder of crows...plus a well-stocked wine shelf and plenty of beer and I am ever so glad to have some bottles of palinka to assuage my epic disappointment over missing my annual May trip to Budapest.

My little town has put out hand sanitizing stations all over the downtown and yesterday someone reported on FB that they saw people filling their own jars with it :(

Posted by
5239 posts

I've checked my freezer and I have a wealth of dried rabbit ears, dried cows ears, chicken heads, pigs testicles, chicken feet, beef spleen, lambs lung and a bag full of day old chicks. My dog loves it all but the kids aren't so keen.

Posted by
15678 posts

....in st Louis it would be muscacholi, a much sadder version would be
what the hot lunch school cooks of my iowa childhood called Goulash...

Doric, we must be roughly from the same era 'cause I grew up with Iowa hot lunch "goulash" too! It was an even sadder version than what you described 'cause ours didn't have any cheese, just macaroni, canned tomatoes and some ground-up mystery meat.

I made Tater Tot Hot Dish on Monday 'cause we had all the stuff. Hadn't had that staple of Wed. night church potlucks since Hector was a pup.

Posted by
2942 posts

JC, you should try Rocky Mountain oysters. It's great for the libido, at least that's what my friend says.

tater tots... way too many carbs

Posted by
3961 posts

@Big MikeWestByGodVirginia,

Got to thinking. WV may be an alternative if Sicily is still a no go this fall. I am always searching for the best Arancini. Now that would be "Almost Heaven." Oh, and stay safe at Wallys World. ;J

Posted by
4255 posts

Maybe all those guns being sold in AL are so people can put meat on the table? (One can always hope) Turkey season starts today.

Posted by
5239 posts

JC, you should try Rocky Mountain oysters.

I'll pass on that thanks. Anything that needs to hide behind a name rather than be upfront about what it really is deserves caution.

Reminds me of the time my wife and I were on honeymoon in Vietnam. We went on a tour that included a traditional lunch in a village and amongst the plethora of dishes was a plate of pork meatballs. My wife, not being particularly good at identifying meat, asked me discreetly what they were and I told her that they were horse testicles. She believed me and was aghast as I tucked in.

Posted by
2281 posts

hey hey
@big mike LOL we call them cowboy caviar. sauteed or deep fried.
tater tots was maybe the only kind of potatoes available.
heard from a friend working at the store, stocker hid some TP down the pet food aisle near the kitty litter and kept it a secret!!, walking into back rooms thinking stores are hoarding items, reducing hours so shelves get stocked at night without interruption. open at 7am people start lining up at 5am to get in store first.
@janis don't forget to try the pepperoni rolls big mike talks about.
aloha

Posted by
11027 posts

in st Louis it would be muscacholi,

mostaccioli? Looks like Penne, but smooth surface.

Posted by
3514 posts

I have a wealth of dried rabbit ears, dried cows ears, chicken heads, pigs testicles, chicken feet, beef spleen, lambs lung and a bag full of day old chicks.

Sounds like the makings of a fine stew.

Posted by
1394 posts

Joe, you are correct, I went w the 1st thing spell check offered.

Kathy, yup, that's iowa hot lunch Goulash.... seasoned with.... salt.
Fortified us to gather around the one TV and watch the moon launch.

Now you have me craving tater tot casserole

Posted by
11027 posts

I've checked my freezer and I have a wealth of dried rabbit ears, dried cows ears, chicken heads, pigs testicles, chicken feet, beef spleen, lambs lung and a bag full of day old chicks. My dog loves it all but the kids aren't so keen.

JC, please let go of my ankle and cease dragging me across the floor

Posted by
6265 posts

They're called "prairie oysters" here. And yes, I have tried them. And no, I don't need to try them again. Watching my mother-in-law rip into them, with grease dripping down her chin, was enough for me. Should I mention she was married seven times?

Posted by
2942 posts

President Emmanuel Macron ordered French residents to stay at home from Tuesday except for essential excursions such as going to the doctor, walking the dog, or going for a solitary run, and banned any gatherings.

But news reports have shown groups of people strolling in parks and the one-metre (three feet) safe inter-personal distance has been frequently ignored.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner accused people of underestimating the risk, telling Europe 1 radio: "There are people who think they are modern-day heroes by breaking the rules while they are in fact idiots."

Posted by
3961 posts

@Jane, your story is the “winner of the day!” What a vision. I haven’t stopped laughing. You made my day! ;J

Posted by
2281 posts

hey hey jane
totally agree with janis, laughing so much
was your mother-in-law from OK?

aloha

Posted by
6265 posts

Hey, Janis; How're ya doing?

No, Princess, She was Texan all the way!

Posted by
2942 posts

JC, you might like some hillbilly stew like maw-maw made:

2 raccoons, deboned (should be about 5 lbs.)
1 pound venison
½ lb. fatback or salt pork, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup flour
1 bag baby carrots
2 bags peeled pearl onions
1 lb. white mushroom caps

Low carbs, high protein.

Posted by
5239 posts

Thanks Mike, in the absence of raccoons can I assume that badger will suffice?

Posted by
10177 posts

Badger is more flavorful than raccoon. Go for it!

Posted by
6265 posts

I can't imagine maw-maw using "baby carrots" or "pearl onions."

Venison does make a great stew. And fried squirrel is pretty tasty, too.

Posted by
2942 posts

Badger is good if hunted in season and fully grown. Reminds me of pork chops if done right. We grew all kinds of different onions, carrots, and tomatoes. Vegetables were never in shortage fresh or canned. I'll admit the ketchup she made was not very good.

Squirrel is hit or miss. I've never had it without a lot of fixins.

Posted by
7277 posts

“JC, you should try Rocky Mountain oysters.

I'll pass on that thanks. Anything that needs to hide behind a name rather than be upfront about what it really is deserves caution”

So, JC, if you’d steer clear of sliced bull testicles (a/k/a Rocky Mtn. Oysters), just because of the creative name, then I presume British classics like Toad-In-The-Hole, Bubble and Squeak, Haggis, and Trifle would also be off-limits ?

Posted by
7277 posts

Regarding the toilet paper stockpiling, which seemed weird when I heard about it happening in the USA while in London last week, and that it was also happening in Europe as well, it sounded unnecessary and unexplainable. I mean, with an illness with the main symptoms being Fever, Dry Cough, and Shortness of Breath, where does diarrhea fit into the concern?

Posted by
5239 posts

Cyn, it's all about descriptives. Rocky Mountain Oysters could easily be referred to as fried testicles. Haggis is a much simpler way of describing sheeps pluck chopped with oatmeal and spices stuffed in a sheeps stomach or trifle referred to as sponge fingers soaked in sherry, covered with layers of jelly, custard and cream.

I guess it all boils down to a name to simplify the ingredients or a name to disguise the ingredients.

Posted by
7277 posts

when you’re 1,200 miles from the nearest ocean, a little culinary humor was invented by somebody, and the name stuck. There’s been no attempt, ever, to trick someone into eating something with the name. No shell has to be cracked. And there are people who actually don’t savor actual oysters!

So, “bull balls,” if you prefer. It’s interesting that, unlike steaks, there’s been no marketing scheme to promote Angus testicles as being superior to, and therefore more expensive, than Hereford or other breeds. Wagyu beef is massaged for tenderness, so Wagyu testicles would need to be, um, massaged?!?

Posted by
7277 posts

But the Toad-in-the-Hole, thing . . . would be simpler and more honest to say “banger in bread.”

But it wouldn’t be actual bread, so that brings up something else - what has Yorkshire Pudding to with pudding, in any sense of that word?

Posted by
5239 posts

Cyn, I'm not actually offended by the terms given or the history, it's all a bit lighthearted. Personally I have no desire to eat testicles of any sort but I respect other people's desire to.

As someone who dices and dehydrates testicles for dog treats I can assure you that the creamy residue left behind would test Anthony Bourdain.

Posted by
7277 posts

Hmm, so dogs lick theirs, but eat a bull’s. 😋

’ll grant you, though, that no market or pub will ever offer “Essex Testes.”

Posted by
5239 posts

But the Toad-in-the-Hole, thing . . . would be simpler and more honest to say “banger in bread.”

But it wouldn’t be actual bread, so that brings up something else - what has Yorkshire Pudding to with pudding, in any sense of that word?

Toad In The Hole has nothing to do with bread, it's sausages cooked in a batter similar to a Yorkshire pudding. The pudding element comes from the tradition of serving a batter mix with jam, this was a cheap and effective means to stretch out limited ingredients. Serve a limited dinner but bulk out on a desert of cheap Yorkshire pudding and jam.

Posted by
2942 posts

It's certainly no sin to be Cyn.

Jane, well done ma'am. Well done.

Here’s a Bangers and Mash recipe, provided courtesy of Keith Richards. Yes, Keith Richards.

First off, find a butcher who makes his sausages fresh.
Fry up the mixture of onions and bacon and seasoning.
Get the spuds on the boil with a dash of vinegar, some chopped onions and salt to taste. Chuck in some peas with the spuds, (Throw in some chopped carrots, too, if you like.) Now we’re talking.
Now, you have a choice of grilling or boiling your bangers or frying. Throw them on low heat with the simmering bacon and onions (or in the cold pan, as a TV lady once said, and add the onions and bacon in a bit) and let the fuckers rock gently, turning every few minutes.
Mash yer spuds and whatever.
Bangers are now fat free (as possible).
Gravy if desired.
HP sauce, every man to his own.

Posted by
6265 posts

Thanks, BigMike. there's a meat processor in a small town about 30 miles from us who makes wonderful sausages, including bangers. I may have to make an "essential" trip up there.

No HM sauce though.

Posted by
7277 posts

OK, so regarding possible revised names for Toad in the Hole, and still semi-alliterative, then, “Banger in Batter.”

Regarding original topic, coronavirus-stories:

Just returned from a 12-day London trip. Longest trip devoted specifically to that wonderful place. Some observations:

People on the street, and at Heathrow Airport on departure, wearing medical masks, covering their mouth but not their nose. Why a mask, then?

Second day, Sunday, March 8, final day of a special “Troy” exhibition at the British Museum. Fabulous artifacts and displays, almost all from the Museum’s own collection, but it was absolutely packed with people. No distancing, as none was being suggested, and it was tough to get close to many objects, or to read the single, tiny descriptive cards at many displays. Aggravating crowd, of which we were a part!

But on later days at other institutions, the crowd had thinned to almost no one - an exceptional Hockney show at the National Portrait Gallery, an enormous Picasso show at the Royal Academy of Arts, and a Titian show (7 incredible paintings, tiny attendance) at the National Gallery. As our vacation continued, it was just a few people and all the art - wonderful and sad at the same time. And now, museums have closed for the time being.

And John Soane’s museum - no queue to get in, very few people inside, but it was still a confusing maze inside even without being packed with a maximum admittance. The Tube was another matter . . . a virtually confrontational rugby scrum ordeal, especially during rush hour, until the last couple of days. The morning we left London, things were thinning considerably. Rebecca, the marvelous woman who worked breakfast at our B&B said that day was the first time she’d gotten a seat on the morning Bakerloo Line in months! Again, wonderful and sad at the same time.

Posted by
189 posts

I found this website (which you have no doubt heard of by now) where you can type in the current number of toilet paper rolls you have with your household member details and it tells you how long it will last. Ours would last for 3 months even with our normal stash of only 18 rolls.

Try it out: https://howmuchtoiletpaper.com

Posted by
456 posts

Ok, so I'm not a hoarder but I do like to take advantage of sales during holidays and other times (especially when you also get those extra gas points to help get you to 1000 points and $1/gallon off ... paid .58 cents a gallon the other day after my discount ... thanks OPEC) ... I have always caught $#@% about how full the pantry and freezer are ... well, no more ... now I'm the frigging hero ... and I did that tp estimator a few days ago ... wife and I have enough for about 340 days.

Posted by
1394 posts

DQ, I hate to tell you but my stock piles are courtesy of my Hyvee grocery store. Ebery week various items are listed as gas savers.
And a "good " one dollar purchase comes w one point, (which translates to one cent per gallon at the pump) sometimes more, sometimes less, and there are various times that you can get bonus points, so if I'm
really savvy $300 in groceries
means $3.00 off a gallon of gas....
and toilet paper and coffee, yogurt
and frozen pizza have been frequent gas savers.
Move to Iowa
Come for the groceries
stay for the dang Cold Winters.