Random 5 for March 22 – Taxes, hair, old, coffee, spring

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Happy dance! – I finished my taxes (several days before they extended the deadline). As always there were a few glitches in the software that I had to work through but it’s history for another year. #donedonedone #don’tcareifit’sextended

We are in a lockdown – Non-essential business (and there is an excel spreadsheet that defines it) are closed. The first day of the closures was my semi-annual haircut. Hair salons are non-essential (so says the semi-bald governor). I’m looking like a wooly mammoth these days. “They say” that in another month we will know what color everyone’s hair is! Fortunately I always hoard Lady Clairol in my closet! #getoutthehats

I’m an elder! – Yes, that is scary. This past week one of the younger relatives contacted my brother and me. She volunteered to help us in any way she can. Pick up food or supplies, etc. It was so nice of her to do that but it made me realize that I’m among the elders in the family. I still feel like I did when I was 30 and I’m not convinced I’ve matured much since then but it is what it is. Fortunately, we are healthy. For now. #wonderifthatincludescleaningthegarage #margaritastogo

Closures – Food places are in a tricky place. Restaurants are closed for inside dining but they can provide curbside takeout. My local Starbucks is doing drive-through only. Every morning I wonder if they will be open. I’ve been grateful that there are employees willing to work. Hats off to healthcare workers, food store staff, emergency personnel and all others who HAVE to work through this. You are appreciated and admired. My veterinarian has set up a system for sick pets that involves no people contact. During times like this, my cats ALWAYS get sick. #needmochalatte

Spring for sure – I posted about it before but we are having an early spring. Temperatures are ranging from seasonal to above seasonal to way above seasonal. That has resulted in the early blooming of many things, including the trees. Mother Nature (who is not always a great mom) is soothing us with sunshine and flowers. #teammothernature

So how was your week? Stay safe!

 

97 thoughts on “Random 5 for March 22 – Taxes, hair, old, coffee, spring”

  1. Could we borrow your Mother Nature for a while. Ours is playing mind games with us. Spring one day, snow the next, apricot trees blossoming and then the blossoms freezing and falling off two days later. Sahara dust blowing one day, pollen the next, and snowflakes the day after. And in the middle of all this: an effing earthquake. Mom seems mad.

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  2. It figures – the one time people are home and bored and have time to do taxes – they extend filing period! (But good to have done anyway.)
    I’m the youngest of my generation and laughingly called/emailed to check on the “old folks”. It is funny. So far the youngsters, several on front lines in hospitals are OK. We’re all telling them we’re all staying inside and not to worry about us, but to take care of themselves.
    4 counties around here are in stay home restriction except for essential work…which apparently includes lawn crews – while sitting in the patio, among the birds’ singing there’s still leaf blowers or mowers. Don’t know if our guys will show up or not – we’ve used them for years and years. I think with our tiny yard and the fact that we’ve recommended him to so many people who are now customers, we are a kind of charity case. The mower broke before our last move and he charged so little (trying to get started) we’ve just stayed with him. (and know the grandson now). It’s my luxury – it’s too darn hot here June-Oct….we now hand out gatorade to them each week. We mailed a month’s check last week – just in case – want them to stay safe and not worry about income.
    It’s 90+ here – far too hot, the ground cracking, and the dog is beginning to wilt early.
    This year will be one for the books. (and

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    • 90 degrees! Yikes! Today we are hovering in the 40s, damp and dreary. Lawn maintenance companies are considered essential here. Maybe because they don’t interact with anyone except the one other worker. It is one for the books for sure!

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  3. Sadly I too am in that same age demographic despite not feeling like I belong to that herd. Denver is also in non-essential services shut-down mode with my only ventures out for dog walks and an occasional trip for the elusive rolls of TP (which I still haven’t found which makes me think people in the Rocky Mountains crap far more than other people). My daughter in Texas called yesterday saying she scored at her local Costco and would send some. Bless my children. I could have murdered them on more than one occasion while they were growing up but both of them have matured into loving and wonderful humans. #feelingtotallyblessed

    Stay safe, keep smiling and enjoy the antics of your always entertaining cats.

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  4. As I’m reading this, it’s snowing outside and there is a fresh layer of snow on the ground. Sigh.

    It was kind of humbling to realize that I was one of those seniors considered at risk. When and how did that happen?

    Hope you have a good week, Kate.

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    • I know! How did I become an elder? I have two brothers who are almost 20 years older than me and I was lumped in with them. I was very grateful for the offer though. My husband’s kids live across the country so there really is no one to help us out if we needed it but friends. It’s good to know the younger folks are thinking of us. (But still, when did I become an elder????)

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  5. Our schools closed on Friday and vulnerable people have been told to stay indoors. Ì did sneak out for a walk this morning. My son who lives in London cut his flat mates hair. She seems to like it. There does seem to be more food in the shops. I hope people will stop panic buying and people are definitely being friendlier. I hope we wake up and it is all over.

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  6. Life isn’t much different for us since we are homebodies. My haircut was tomorrow, my salon shut down Saturday. Doesn’t worry me much, I have to wear a visor or ball cap every day because of the sun. Might be interesting to see what my short hair looks like grown out. I use the scissors here and there. Grocery supplies have improved since many have left. We are ordering take out from our favorite places. It’s so weird because sitting on the lanai in the afternoon, it’s like nothing scary is even happening. But then SSNS turns on the TV or I get on my laptop and the reality of it is all there. We have not used the senior hours for the stores… too peopley. Jerry ventures out in the afternoons when needed after the run on everything in the morning. Things are usually restocked by then. Take care, Kate.

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    • Sounds like you are in good shape. Our stores are odd. This past weekend I got the best tomatoes I’ve had in a long time along with fresh parsley. Butter on the other hand was rationed. All paper goods are gone even tissues and wipes. It’s interesting to see what people deem critical. I bought frozen vegetables which I expected to be sold out. Every time we go to the grocery store, it’s an adventure. I can made do with a what we have mostly and my husband wants to get Chinese takeout to support our local restaurants. I received an email from our favorite Mexican restaurant pleading (nicely) for people to get take out. I just hope they can weather this.

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  8. A lot of the nonessential business are closed here as well, and we are on shelter-in-place. Fortunately DH and I can work from home OK, so that is working out. Still trying to figure out how we are going to do a lot of things we need to do – like get a haircut, which I also need to do!

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  9. We are not on shelter in place yet thankfully. We are jumping 200 to 250 cases a day though. Our hair/nail/tanning salons bit the dust yesterday just a few weeks before a highlights/haircut appointment. I don’t go in the Winter as I wear a hat all Winter anyway and am here by myself … so I just get those wiry gray strands in my light brown hair, not a skunk look so that is not too bad, but bad enough. I have long layered hair and I guess I will trim the bottom and it will look it too. 🙂

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      • Well I need to cut mine on the ends and no bangs thankfully (otherwise, I’d look like what my parents did to me for years as a kid). We now have what our governor is referring to as a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order as of midnight tonight for three weeks. We can go to grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and get gas and takeout food. We can still walk in parks and Metroparks are waiving fees. So, I’ll get my daily walk for now – don’t know about work since essentially non-essential businesses are closed. My boss is a labor lawyer for management, so does a lot of phone or e-mail advice and can research online as his labor law research books are now all online. It will be interesting at any rate.

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  10. I’ve been doing grocery pickup at the local QFC. It’s working rather well. Not everything is available, but they’ve done a good job choosing my produce. I pay online, make an appointment, park in their special place, and call from t here to tell them I’m ready for my pickup. Pretty slick.

    My friends and relatives are calling more often than usual, and my granddaughter texts me every day. I tried Skype today on my phone. I still can’t get it set up properly on my laptop. I wasted a bunch of time on it this afternoon–finally got so frustrated that I quit.

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    • Sounds like you are good. Yesterday I checked my pasta supply and it’s low. I buy it by the case (8 packs) normally. I can make a meal with pasta and very little else. Haven’t tried the grocery pick-ups. I will do that if I need to.

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      • Knowing that the pickup slots get filled up, I decided to order early for my next grocery pickup. I guess pickup is getting too popular because all the slots were full, and they referred me to “delivery.” There’s a $10 delivery fee, but since I have a fever, I decided I’d better do that.

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  11. We just signed up for a CSA delivery service so, hopefully, we will be able to get a regular supply of fruits and vegetables, as well as a few other items they offer like eggs. I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but I think this thing will go on for a while. No hair and nail maintenance for a while, but I feel even more sorry for those providers who have lost their income.

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  12. Maybe tomorrow I’ll see if we have everything ready to do taxes. Good for you for finishing. I don’t know whether our hair cutting places have closed. I’m glad David, John, and I went for haircuts a week ago.

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  14. After hearing that my vet has reduced hours and not there weekends I decided to order two more cases of food. When I got to the doors the other day they were locked and no one is allowed in. They passed the food out the door and told me to go home and pay over the phone. They are still caring for animals if you need a vet, but the people have to wait outside.

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  15. Taxes have been sent in, everything is shut down, I, too, can shop ‘early,’ and I hope this self containment can bring an end to this sooner rather than later because I’m not sure how long we can all cope with this. Stay safe, and we have snow coming tomorrow too. 🙂

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  16. Wouldn’t it be great if they had trucks that could spray say Lysol and kill the virus, the same way they spray for mosquitoes? Keep your windows closed and wait til the mist has settled and perhaps we would be done with this sooner????? I know not realistic. But, wishful none the less.

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  17. The place that I go for haircuts has closed down but they set up a curbside pickup for women who get their hair colored with whatever formula they use. Crazy stuff.
    We’ve pretty much decided to stay in. We go for walks in the neighborhood and rides but one of my daughters has picked up a few things for us. we stocked up last week anticipating this might happen but its still a crazy experience. The weather was nice so I could so some yard work which made life feel normal. Take care and stay well.

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  19. Hi, Kate – Age is a funny thing. I am often on the wrong side of it. Our local grocery store has now dedicated 7 am – 8 am for seniors only to shop. Try as I may, I could not find a definition of “senior” on their site (I’m 61). At 7 am Friday morning, I arrived at my grocery store to pick up a few items. I retained my 6 foot distancing. At the checkout stand, the man in the next line pointed to me and loudly said to his cashier “I thought this hour was reserved for SENIORS only”. I looked around to see if there was anyone else he could be pointed to. Not sure if I should be complimented, frustrated, or relegate myself to “regular” shopping hours! 😀

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    • Complimented! A few weeks ago I had a couple stop me to ask a question. They were in their 60s and younger than me. They explained that they were old for the technology. When I told them how old I was they wouldn’t believe it. It made my day but then again no one was accusing me of breaking protocol. In our area, senior is 60.

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  20. We just received our taxes back in the mail yesterday – I haven’t opened them yet. 😬
    Businesses have shut down here too. I now realize how much we go out to eat. Guess I will have to start cooking. Stay safe, Kate!

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  21. Send some sunshine and spring up here to Canada…they are forecasting a bit of snow tonight. I would feel so much better about this shelter in place thing if I could sit on my front porch with a book and read.

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  22. Kudos on the taxes getting done. Ours are finished also, with a refund received already also. I’m glad that’s behind us. Funny about hair salons being “non-essential.” I guess that makes sense, though I feel for those who depend on providing that service for their livelihood. I bet there’ll be a kind of black market of these kinds of things now. – Marty

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  24. I have not started my taxes (other than collecting forms, etc.) so the extension might come in handy as I continue to find “better things to do.” 😛

    BFF is rebuilding our back deck . . . so that’s keeping him occupied.

    Every time I think about going to Publix to pick up a few things, I decide to postpone the trip. The fewer trips the better.

    Our beaches are closed but our neighborhood pool is open . . . as long as we congregate there en masse.

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  25. I was just talking about Lady Clairol this morning. I was wondering if there’s going to be a run on it. I don’t use it preferring to be gronde [gray + blonde] but for those who are working hard to keep the gray at bay, these are going to be difficult times. Hats will solve the situation for only so long.

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  26. HI Kate – We’re in pretty much the same position as you now. Offers for outside help should be treated with caution because it is our understanding that the effects of COVID-19 are not felt until around 10-14 days. That means that somebody who feels fine could well be carrying it .. and therefore spreading it. In the context of accepting outside help, my question to myself would be “Are they likely to be more careful than me when shopping? What are the chances that they are already a carrier of it?”

    Hopefully we can all heave great sighs of relief in a few weeks time … although I somehow doubt it will be defeated that quickly. 🙂

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    • Helpers delivering to the porch where you can wipe products with a sanitizing cloth should be safe. Some people have to rely on help because they cannot go themselves. Fortunately we are still good. We used latex gloves on our last trip.

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  27. It was beautiful yesterday, all flowers and sunshine. The fruit trees are blooming and so is the bougainvillea. The kid could go outside and kick the soccer ball.

    The rain clouds are back today, though. How I wish we’d had our usual February rain instead of now, during quarantine. On the other hard, we definitely appreciate our sunshine more.

    We don’t have a partying lifestyle, but I really miss meeting my girlfriends for lunch and dinner. There’s way too much testosterone underfoot at home these days.

    Luckily, no one is sick yet.

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    • We don’t have a very active social life but I miss my routines. The people at the gym and walking group. Occasional lunches and dinners with friends. I am grateful we are healthy and also that I have pets. They have provided a lot of amusement and are enjoying the extra attention. I also worry that people who get ill without the virus (heart attacks, strokes) won’t have the attention needed to help them early.

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  28. Hi, Enjoyed the post. We aren’t in lockdown YET but sure it won’t be long. We are trying to stay positive with video phone calls, exercising, reading, gardening, cooking, etc. I like to go on woodland walks so hope lockdown allows that? Possibly not? Thanks for an entertaining post. Xxx

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  29. Doing the vet thing is quite different at the moment, but I’m glad they are keeping themselves as safe as possible. When Hannah went to the Emergency Vet Thursday night, they call you for info, come to get the cat, and then the doctor actually came out to talk to us, from a reasonable distance, while we were in our car. Discharge info all given over the phone when we got there, and they brought Hannah out quickly and popped her in our carrier in the back seat. I am grateful that they are available, and happy to do my part to help them stay safe.

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    • That’s how they are doing it here too. Of course Mollie had a crisis on Friday so I had to call Saturday. My regular vet is only open mornings but we have two good (but busy) emergency vets nearby. Mollie is much better so I don’t know if it was just a bad day or if the new med is helping. Time will tell. It may be less stressful for Hannah to be back with you than at a vet in a cage with lots of activity going on.

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      • I hope Mollie is doing okay! And Hannah actually enjoyed all the people and activity at the emergency vet I think – and they loved her. So I’ve put Animal Planet on for her to keep her company.

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        • Hard to say with Mollie. She is back to varying her nap spots based on the sun. That’s a return to routine. I firmly believe that there is some underlying issue that they are not finding. Unfortunately the next test would require sedation. I may revisit that if I’m not feeling comfortable about she’s doing.

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  30. Things are pretty well shut down here – other than the grocery with a (insert big laugh here) Senior Hour in place – why the big laugh? This morning was my first encounter during Senior Hour and I saw at least six non-seniors shopping AND even though fully stocked shelves were promised there STILL was no TP and very little FOOD. Oh well….life goes on it seems one TP square at a time. Taxes will be done Monday – amazing that tax preparers work no matter what’s going on in the world. I’m sure there will be masks, hand sanitizers and maybe social distancing with the preparers and clients – might make for a lot of yelling in the room and so much for privacy! HAHA We have early Spring here too….makes me wonder what Summer is going to be like when we already have some days in the 80s. EEEK. Stay safe…………and happy.

    Hugs, Pam

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    • Because of a weird series of events I’ve had to be up and dressed early several times this week. The “up” part isn’t as hard as the fully washed and dressed before 7 part. When I saw about senior hours, the time is from 7 to 8 a.m. More up and early. We opted to get there yesterday around 8:15 and did OK. Didn’t get everything but got enough. Cans of tuna were rationed to one a family. That was good enough for me but I was surprised. Things that were 2 to a family last week are 1 to a family this week. In the end it will make people come out more often. I have a good supply of eggs and you can do a lot with them. I’m more worried about cat food. I get mine from chewy and they are out of everything I order. I have one very finicky cat who only eats one flavor or one brand. We’ll see how that goes. My autoship isn’t due for 2 more weeks so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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  31. They are closing non-essentials here as well. Of course being in the Redneck South, the state liquor stores will still have carry out. Speaking of supplies, I need to make sure I have enough Spaghetti to make it through.

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    • Oddly there was a run on gun and ammunition before the lockdown and now those stores are seeking an exemption as “essential.” It’s been an eye opener as to what people consider essential. Definitely on spaghetti. I’d be very cranky if I ran out of pasta!

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