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How is everyone surviving the pandemic?

The longer we are into this, the less that I even notice.

There are essentially 3 things that I have gotten my feathers ruffled over.

1. Last night, I went out to get an ice cream from an ice cream stand. The young gent that was standing there taking the orders at the walk up window writes my order down and then asks for my name. I look at him with a puzzled look and asked "why?" The young gent started saying something about tracking covid and I asked him in a hushed voice if someone working there had it in a tone acting like I was not trying to alarm anyone. He said of course not, so I said to him in that case, it doesn't matter what my name is.

He said that he was informed by the health department to ask, so I relented and told him my name was Benjamin. After he wrote that, he asked for my last name and I told him it was Dover.

I guess the young guy caught on that that old joke (Ben Dover) because about half way through writing the last name down on the ticket he said "shit" and stopped writing and just went and got my ice cream cone like he should have done in the first place.

2. About 2 weeks ago, my mother in law called me and asked if I would go pick up her cholesterol medicine from the clinic pharmacy. So, I said sure and when I walked into the double door and entered the building, there was a young nurse and the clinic administrator there in front of me with a line of 2 people in front of me taking their temperature and stuff as they came into the building. So, during all this, I stood in line and waited my turn and when I got up to the desk, I refused to let her take my temp. I told the administrator that I was only there to pick up my MIL prescription when she told me that they had to check for covid before allowing anyone to go inside.

This is where it got real interesting. I told her first off, if someone had covid that everyone that went into the building had the likelihood of contracting the illness because 1. we were already inside the building before being checked and 2. everyone had to pull the door open to get inside. And I said furthermore, if you have had even a rudimentary course in communicable diseases then she should know that by allowing the young nurse or intern to check everyone in front of me while failing to have her sterilize the equipment after rubbing it all over everyones face who had came in all day in front of me who may have possibly had it, that alone makes me refuse to let her rub that sickness all over my face too especially when I am not here for a medical evaluation and only wanted my MIL's med's.

At this point, the people behind me were all like "damn-he's right-they're not wiping it off" and the administrator looked like she filled up her pants in her own excrement and she told me that she would just have the pharmacist bring out the prescription and hand it off to me on the sidewalk.

She knew I was right, and the people standing in line behind me did too so I don't know if they have changed their policy about that by now or not, but just because I might look dumb, doesn't mean I don't have any sense at all.

The other thing I am not abiding by is the directional aisles at the grocery store. Most everyone else isn't either. I'm not walking around the store 4 times trying to get everything on my list.

This stuff is as retarded as you let it be.
Regarding the sterilizing of equipment...when I drove bus for the mass transit, our nurse was administering flu shots. The guy in front of me, and no one else saw it, turned around and started to leave. Asked (by the boss who was at the end of the line) why a supervisor would weenie out and not get the shot, the supervisor said, "I will get the f'n shot when that nurse uses a new needle and swab." Yep. Reusing them because in her opinion it saved money and the alcohol kills whatever may be on the equipment. I ducked out with him.
 
There's an old saying that we've met the enemy and they are us!

Couple of observations from our most recent trip to town for provisions and supplies.

Grocery store has one way signs on the floor for each aisle which 90% of the folks are ignoring but even more stupid at the end of aisles near the checkout registers they have X marks on floor for people to line up for checkout. Yes, obvious to most everyone other than management - the one way aisles are blocked by people with carts and kids standing in line to check out. So if you're still shopping everyone just makes a u-turn. Just stupid!

Stopped at a big box store, initials HD, for some pipe fittings and they have only one entrance open and have two workers standing by the door counting people coming in. Both workers have masks on but down around their chins and are standing side by side talking. Noticed that the majority of workers had masks somewhere on their faces but could be anywhere including on their hats. As we left, through a designated single exit, another worker was counting folks leaving. As you know HDs are big stores and half the aisles were totally empty, including anyone who works there. To top off our shopping experience they only had two manned registers open plus four self checkout ones. The guy trying to oversee the four self checkouts was busier than a one armed paper hanger trying to show people how to make the machine work and dealing with items that doht scan right. Lines about four deep for checkout including folks with lumber carts. Whole place was utter chaos.

Stopped at another big box store, starts with a L and ends with a "owes", and every entrance was open including the garden center. No people counters or management traffic cops directing you where you couldn't go. Everyone going about business as normal. Registers in garden center, contractor entrance and front all open, no lines, no wait .

And the bottomline - these big box stores are about 3 miles from each other!

Seems everyone is making up their own rules. Mostly without thinking. And without regard for the customer.

One last observation - all three stores we visited had help wanted signs near the front door! Full-time, part-time, any time. So if anyone wants to work there are jobs available.

Regards
 
It's tough to get legal help here right now, but no problem at all if you hire illegals or hire people who employ illegals.
You hear a lot about welfare cheating, and it happens, but my experience is that the illegals coming to my town aren't coming to find welfare. They'd get it far easier in the big city to the west. Why bother?

When you see them they are painting and mowing, and pruning and picking. They are changing tires and washing cars, and collecting trash, and basically doing all the jobs I wouldn't do for a living unless I was freakin desperate.

Please forgive me, those of you who have mowed and washed cars and changed tires and greased old trucks for a living. When I was young I did such things as well. I was lucky that in America, people can rise above poverty.

If we conquer the hearts and wallets of the western hemisphere and bring them under our influence, culture, and alignment, we could probably diminish Asia in the western market. What happens now is Japan builds Toyotas in Mexico and imports them thru SanDiego. China ships us motorcycles at disposable prices because they overproduced.

People in Asia didn't make enough money to buy all those motorcycles. Or bicycles. They scrapped about $1bn in bicycles because they were unneeded in cities where probably everyone already bought a cheap motorcycle.
 
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This is a tiny bit of a pile 50' tall and about 6 acres. It's not the only one I saw on BBC news.
And now it will grow. Bicycle sharing is a bust in the age of Corona. This pic is a pile 90% yellow bikes. There are similar piles of bikes in other colors. Fallout of the transport-sharing wars.
 
@Ernst, our nearest L-OWES (2 counties over) is doing like your H-De pot.

My wife stopped in there after a dr appointment because it was on the way home to buy a rocking chair for the porch.

She said after she finally was admitted into the store, and got someone to tell her where they were at, she rounded the corner of the aisle where the cash registers were and she said there was at least a dozen people lined up waiting to be checked out at every register (yes, both of them).

She said she may never shop at L-OWES again and she left the rocking chair sitting in middle of the aisle where she got tired of waiting because she said she wasn't going to waste any more of her time trying to tidy up the place after herself.
 
LOL ... I've done similar stuff. I walked out and left a cart of stuff at Lowes because they were taking forever with service counter business at the checkouts. Grrr.....newbies!

When we go to the grocery, they make people stand outside until somebody leaves, but the aisles inside aren't crowded.

EXCEPT the checkout stands and in the produce dept. Half the people they let in jamb up the produce dept, getting in each other's way, and taking a long time to figure out that there's no more Ambrosia apples or organic iceberg.

Since 4 other aisles intersect the produce, I snipe thru there without the cart each time and manage to avoid the cart jambs and slowpokes.

Checkout times have doubled because of missing staff, malingering, whatever...
 
I shop for groceries most of the time at ALDI stores. If they are out of something I need, I go across the road to WalMart. Walmart isn't so much fun but ALDI is pretty fast. Checkers toss everything in a cart and you bag it yourself. Walmart is slow because I tag it and bag it myself. But, no lines in front of in back of me crowding. It is a tossup which is better. I use them oth. WalMart has good beer prices. Aldi has lower prices on everything else.

This may change, but the Chinese restaurant is smack between ALDI and WalMart. I am not sure if I trust it there anymore. They only hire Chinese, and there are always new personnel. I hope I am not being paranoid for nothing. I love Chinese food.
 
We have been going to the same Chinese restaurant for 30 years. I wasn't actually missing it until you said that.
The same Chinese lady has run the front the whole time. It's right next to the 2nd best Japanese place around, and in between is the local fireman's pub. We haven't been to a restaurant in 2 mos now.

OTOH I have been cooking up a storm.
 
We have been going to the same Chinese restaurant for 30 years. I wasn't actually missing it until you said that.
The same Chinese lady has run the front the whole time. It's right next to the 2nd best Japanese place around, and in between is the local fireman's pub. We haven't been to a restaurant in 2 mos now.

OTOH I have been cooking up a storm.

Cadd, my cooking skills have improved since staying home for so long. My bathroom scale has started to groan when I walk into the bathroom. I think I will get some stir fry veggies and rice and some shrimp next time I go to the store. I need to learn a few Chinese dishes. I had a cookbook once, Madam Wong's Chinese Cookbook: 101 Ways To Wok Your Dog. It had some great seafood recipes.
 
We have started to get back to a scaled down version of normal. Going to different stores and what have you. We don't frequent restaurants much so that has not affected us. Our governor and Mayor for the most part handled this ordeal with restraint.
 
@hombre243
I would be getting fat, but I've had way too much work to do at home.
I have 3 more gates to hang and a roof over the dog kennel to raise.

After this AM's trip to Lowes, I'm already toast. It's just past noon, but I will wait 'til twilight to carry on outdoors, as it's heading for 100F again today.
 
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@hombre243
I would be getting fat, but I've had way too much work to do at home.
I have 3 more gates to hang and a roof over the dog kennel to raise.

After this AM's trip to Lowes, I'm already toast. It's just past noon, but I will wait 'til twilight to carry on outdoors, as it's heading for 100F again today.

Exercise is the key. I have been more active and hope to turn it up a bit every time I go out. But last night, my knee snapped and I can barely walk. I have a heavy brace on it and it helps, so, today I picked up my first 357/38/9mm Taurus revolver. Tomorrow I will try hard to take it with me to do some fishin in an area remote enough that I can pop off a few rounds. I like it...it fits like a glove.
 
In in a very high risk category for getting dead if I get the COVID, so .... I've been telecommuting now for nearly three months, no end in sight. My employer is very kind and generous.

I am at a med high risk. That is limiting enough for me. I don't take chances and only occasionally join the crowds. I have some small shops where i can get most of my foods and stay away from people. I am glad I retired. My last 3 main jobs were driving a city bus...full all the time...; Drove a charter bus, drove food deliveries to elderly housing complexes, and lastly, drove paratransit buses all over. Some people were sick and heading to Iowa City hospitals and some went shopping all day. No way to avoid the ill. I'm glad you have a good boss. Stay safe.
 
Sorry I’ve been off grid. Been dealing with some health issues lately. But news is I’m gonna live. Dealing with some gastro stuff.

otherwise family is safe, fed and I still been working
Good to hear from you WM. Hope your gastro troubles...uh...pass. Lol...I know what it’s like man. Was hospitalized for that ‘crap’ many years ago. Glad you and the family are healthy.
 
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Been doing some pandemic stress relief shopping....the best method of social distancing I could think of...LOL!

Picked it up earlier this week. New on/off-road rippers going on Tuesday. Lower engine guards/crash bars are on order.
 
Not a lot has changed for me besides the Wife working from home.

Been around people before, not a fan so I`ve practiced self distancing for years...

"I ain't got an ounce of goodwill in me, and that's a fact. I hate everybody. I'm a cantankerous old man, and I know it. I like myself better'n anyone I ever met, that's how come I took this job - to be alone with me!" -McCoy / Strother Martin in Rooster Cogburn
 
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