Odds and ends

Gallery

Posted on by

Found on Pinterest

My concentration isn’t great this week although I’m reading a book for the first time in months. Hopefully there will be a decision on our election soon and some sort of life can return. In the meantime here are a couple of observations.

I hate hand sanitizer. I always have. Given the choice I’d rather wash my hands than use it. Life is different now and the few times I need to pick up something, I use it multiple times. I have it in my car and I use it at stores. It’s getting to the point where if I don’t have that sticky feel on my hands they don’t feel clean. There’s something wrong with that.

My nose is sensitive to smells. I swear I can smell anything. Maybe I have a dog nose that could sniff out drugs. Sometimes it’s a problem. With the shelves so bare, I’ve been reduced to buying what’s available rather than what I like. The sanitizer I have is “citrus.” When I looked at that (it was the only choice) I thought how bad can it be? Very bad. It was eaten by a monkey first, then harvested and made into sanitizer. The worst thing is I’m getting used to the smell and it’s normal now. Longing for the good old fashioned unscented or very gently scented.

On my last grocery trip, the cleaning supply shelves were again bare. No toilet bowl cleaner in sight. What do people do with that other than clean toilets? There were so many bare shelves which I haven’t seen in months that I wondered if people knew something I didn’t.

Gas prices are up. When we went into lockdown in March, they dropped way down to prices we hadn’t seen in years. Many years. No one was going anywhere so there was no run on gasoline. All that seems to have changed. Either people are back to their normal driving habits or the large companies have figured out a way to run the prices back up. Oh yes they can. Produce less. Make it less available. All sorts of things up their sleeves.

Every family has one, sometimes more. I taught the beloved husband how to block on Facebook. Gone are the conspiracy theorists, the folks who wear tin foil hats to ward off aliens and those who spew negativity. Life is better without them.

If we hang in there long enough, life will return to something we can call normal. Maybe. No promises though.

61 thoughts on “Odds and ends”

  1. I spent a lot of time in October getting in food and miscellaneous items for the entire Winter – it was a lot of work and I took one weekend day each weekend to get it done, sometimes twice in a day to expedite the process. The incidence of restricting items has really increased the last few weeks. I may never find, let alone buy, the Bounty jumbo-sized paper towels again as they don’t even have a spot on the shelf for them anymore – replaced are a lot of no-brand single rolls. The Bounty rolls I saw the last time were skinny and 8 rolls for $19.99 – are they kidding!! Those skinny rolls? I went with Brawny in “tear squares” as they looked worthwhile and was happy to come home with those because they had a limit on them. They were $6.49 – SMH. There were limits on lots of things – happily, not on peanuts.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • We decided yesterday to do a “hoarding run” this coming week. That will make me part of the problem but this is nuts. I’m not sure why shortages happen now. As far as I know manufacturing plants are open and delivery trucks are running. I’ll probably order an extra case of cat food too. When the shutdown happened in March, the Chewy delivery changed from overnight to 7 days. We have one of their warehouses locally (within an hour) but my shipments were coming from Texas.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply ↓

      • I remember you mentioned in a post the problem with Chewy. I don’t blame you ordering extra. When I had my canaries, I always stocked up on their food and treats just like I do for myself. My mom and I did this for years, so I didn’t really feel like a hoarder, though I seized on the store finally having the regular Scott 1,000 TP (recommended by the plumber) and bought many multipacks … but not at the grocery store … I got them at CVS when I got my flu shot!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply ↓

  3. Our shelves are kind of bare right now too. We were wondering if maybe people were hoarding a little bit in case of election unrest? We have also noticed somewhat higher gas prices, but we are driving so little right now that we are only filling up once a month or so, so it hasn’t hit us too hard as of yet. Stay safe and stay sane!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  4. Hi, Kate – I haven’t noticed empty grocery shelves yet. Hopefully, they stay away and your shelves fill up again soon.
    Oh, and I love hand sanitizer — always have. The great thing about that is that I already had lots of bottles of it on hand when we began lockdown. And I had masks too (it helps that I previously lived in China).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  5. I have had a few days where I’ve felt very teary thinking of how we are adjusting to changes as though they are permanent in our lives, and sometimes I think they just might be. I never thought before that my not-so-sensitive nose might actually be a blessing!

    I walked away from Facebook entirely. I couldn’t block enough people fast enough. LOL! I do miss it sometimes, but not enough to return. I found myself wanting to permanently block some people from my life. That speaks more to my weakness than theirs, but I’m just being honest! 😢

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I am so surprised so many commenters don’t like hand sanitizer. I never had it even when I worked while everyone seemed to carry it in their purse. I do use it now just not at home. I’d rather wash my hands if I can.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  7. I don’t use hand sanitizer very often but I dislike it so much when I do. I haven’t noticed empty shelves but we don’t go in the larger local grocery stores. I guess this second (or, is it the third?) wave has freaked some people out. The ones who were caught short last time are determined not to let it happen this time, I suppose.

    I’ve blocked a few people on FB and I probably won’t unblock them after the election is settled. None of them were who I’d call good friends anyway.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  8. I also hate the hand sanitizer, as the smell gets to me. I finally found an in scented spray hand sanitizer at the health food store. I can stand and also spray my cell phone if needed. I look forward to the day I don’t have to use it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  10. I had not seen any shortages here until yesterday when we bought groceries. On the news I heard that some items were being limited again (briskets, among them!). Alas, no toilet paper or paper towels! A bad sign for sure. We ordered from Walmart which works for us.

    I don’t like hand sanitizers either but use them when out. Now it has become routine.

    Books take me away from it all! Let’s just get through the vote counting however long it takes, have a winner declared and go on about our business.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  11. Funny you should mention toilet cleaners. I noticed some time ago that the ‘duck’ and gels weren’t available, neither were the spray cleaners. A soon as they were back on the shelves I bought a couple. The blue one was quite nice, so I went to get another. Nope….. only lemon, so I got one anyway and it was OK. Then I got one every time I did a main shop. They’re scarce again. As is washing up liquid……………………

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I’m thinking next time I see them, I’ll pick up a few. Sometimes they have limits. You just never know what they will be out of. There was no bleach or bleach items either. Hand soap comes and goes. Sometimes they have a nice selection and sometimes it’s just the ones that nobody likes. We make do with what we have on hand. We have a lot of vinegar which makes a good cleaner.

      Like

      Reply ↓

      • We’ve seen this with bleaches too. I put things on my list and make a mental note of what is out of stock. The hand soap we liked disappeared completely so we looked for an alternative before using our last bar. That was a year ago and they are now back on the shelves at twice the price. Salt has been something else that was low on stock and you could only get the small boxes rather than a plastic container. I’ve got a couple in reserve now.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓

  12. I am not hardly using hand sanitizer. I just wash my hands a lot, a whole lot. I am glad I dumped the Book of Face a long time ago. No TV for me, I keep my buds in and listen to music and watch Tinykittens so I can’t hear the TV. I told SSNS I didn’t want to know anything until IT was over.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  14. We are having great weather so I’m focusing on that . . . to the exclusion of everything else, included the “tin foil hat peeps” who remain under Trump’s spell ~> I think they are close kin to the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  15. The hand sanitizer makes my skin break out and the dry up and crack. My hands have been a mess for months. I try to just go to the bathroom and wash rather than use it but often times that is just me being a vector so I can do the thing that is convenient to me. There’s a sanitizer next to the time clock. If I go to the bathroom to wash before and after instead of just using the sanitizer I’m going to touch at least two surfaces.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I’ve tried using the store sanitizer at my grocery store after I check out but I found that one to be even stickier. Just don’t like the feel. My hands are getting dry too and will only get worse over the winter.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  16. I bought some hand sanitizer for the cars, and it said it had aloe in it. I’m thinking, well, that sounds good. Not so much. It’s like described above in that your hands are sticky and you can’t get rid of it without good old soap and water. I’ve been watching the local news and catching headlines here and there. It’s all I can take because regardless of the outcome, the numbers show that we’re not headed for a cohesive society any time soon. Add the politics and current events to the Covid to the ‘golden years’ and you really have a challenge for us retirees. The sun is shining today so I’m focusing on that. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I’ve avoided the TV news for a week now. Our local station has a guy (I think he’s the traffic guy) whose viewpoint is very out there. I don’t know why they let him do editorials occasionally. It’s a huge turnoff. I miss the state news station because there was always good information and weather and mostly no national news. That came on afterward. The commercials were driving me crazy and I haven’t gone back yet.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  17. Kate, I use an alcohol-based spray on my hands, to avoid that sticky feeling. You can sometimes find it at the dollar store or the grocery store, in little purse size sprays. I’ts unscented too and drys very quickly. I wear vinyl gloves when grocery shopping, and they are the only thing I’ve noticed are in short supply here, mostly because of all the flu shots being done. I bought an extra box of disposable masks just to stock up, and because Health Canada says we should be wearing 3 ply masks now. I’ve been glued to the TV for your election results.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I saw that Bath and Body is selling spray sanitizer. That’s the first I’ve seen of it. It’s been mostly in short supply here and when you find it there is no choice. I have gloves but I don’t use for grocery shopping anymore. I did for the first three months and still use them for filling up my gas tank. Haven’t watched TV in a week. By the time this is over I may be weaned off of it.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  18. “eaten by a monkey first, then harvested and made into sanitizer.”

    LOLOLOL – on my Kate, I don’t know if it’s sleep deprivation or just the anxiety of the last few days, or what, but man, I laughed way more than I probably should have at that line.

    Have you had this happen yet? You go to the store, you take your dose of sanitizer, which happens to be located next to a display of packaged bagels. On sale. Oh, hey, I like bagels. So, before the sanitizer is thoroughly dried, you pick up a couple packages and put ’em in your basket. It’s only when you get to the checkout that you notice that your hands are covered in the purple ink that used to be on the bagel wrapper but transferred to your fingers and palms.

    Good times, good times.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • That hasn’t happened to me but I have smelled my hand sanitizer on my cup of coffee. Not in the coffee but on the outside. Yuk! With this sanitizer it takes a lot of washing to get the smell off. No virus could stand that.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓

  19. I reduced various folks to acquaintance level on FB years ago. But one friend refuses to do that. She says she likes to know what crazy theories the white supremacist Trumpers will throw out next. And she was perhaps my only friend who was thoroughly convinced Trump would win in 2016. Not employing the block button enables her to screenshot various commentary in order to prove to other folks that no, a certain person is, not, in fact, okay and yes, their child is probably spewing racist epithets and bullying another parent’s child.

    I would be fighting all day with people, but she’s got a point about knowing your enemy.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  20. I have not noticed any empty shelves yet but all non essential shops have closed. Apparently beer is essential but not stationery. I struggled to get a birthday card for my two year old granddaughter this morning. We have lots of hand sanitiser and face masks this time. I hope you get a president soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

    • I hear you are in lockdown again. Numbers are rising over here. People are weary of so much — election, covid — they aren’t being as careful as they were and everyone is staying inside. Not good.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  21. Hello Kate, I just wanted to reassure you that you are not alone in your feelings. The photo took me aback for a minute because I couldn’t figure out if it was a turd or a wrinkled Hersey’s Kiss – later it registered that it is actually a tinfoil hat! I can relate to so much of what you said because I too have a sensitive nose and absolutely hate using hand sanitizer so I just don’t unless forced to at a store entrance. ( I wash my hands instead whenever possible.) My level of distraction is up, my dry eyes issues have kicked up in a big way….probably due to stress and lack of good sleep and I have found my concentration is not what it was. I am usually a big e-book reader but my stats for this year are WAY down simply because I can’t seem to focus my mind. To add to an already miserable year, I have been watching the election chaos from Toronto Canada and feeling so stressed and I simply cannot imagine the level of anxiety for you being in Pennsylvania right in the thick of things. In my case I have not had to block any crazies on Facebook or unfriend anyone because the people in my personal echo-chamber all seem to be sane and not believing in any wild conspiracy theories. Everyone I’ve spoken to just wants peace and harmony to descend on America once again and we’ve all got our fingers crossed for a good outcome……for America and by extension, the rest of the world. May the force be with you!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

    • Thanks. I haven’t watched the news since last Thursday. I see headlines on the local paper and that’s enough for me. I long ago blocked any crazies on my FB. That’s my happy spot with lots of cat pictures! Peace and harmony and the ability to live your life is what most people want. Fingers crossed for that.

      Like

      Reply ↓

  24. I have ahand sanitizer what says absinthe… I dislike it too… I don’t want to end like van gogh … uhuh… you are right… it’s better to sort out those people who bring negative energy and anger to us… it needs too much of our power we need for better things

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you're thinking!