LET US EAT CAKE

“I hate to say this,” I announced to Mike this morning, “but we could probably use more toilet paper.”

So, after yoga, we went to Walmart, where the shelves were bare of TP, disinfectants, flour, etc. I think it was an eye-opener to Mike, who sorta felt all of this virus scare was happening elsewhere. I picked up a package of paper towels, some chicken broth, herbal tea, baking chips (very important), several boxes of cereal, etc., and we checked out.

“Now, take me to Albertsons,” I said. I got several loaves of bread, eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese – you know, the stuff I buy at Albertsons. AND -- one 4-roll package of store brand toilet paper.That should give us enough for the duration.

“I have never seen such interest in toilet paper,” laughed the cashier. I provided that Walmart is out. “So is Costco,” she said, “and we’re almost out.” After lunch we went to Winco where the TP shelves were also empty.

I admit that in the last couple of years, I’ve let my pandemic readiness slip, but we do have food and supplies, and when I go to the store, I pick up a few boxed or canned goods for a future need that seems to be immanent. Cake mixes on sale appeal to me, so we can always eat cake if push comes to shove. Our meals might not be nutritionally sound, but we won't starve.

And why is it we aren’t going to the store anyway? Are we afraid of catching the virus? Are we afraid of each other now? Or, are we afraid we’re going to be sick and won’t be able to leave the bed, let alone the house?

As for non-edibles, I have plenty of hand soap, cleaners, and disinfectants. (I like to buy cleaning supplies but hate to use them; hence, I already have those on hand.)

I used to have hand sanitizer – and maybe I still do on the farm where water is occasionally unavailable. The recipe for making my own with rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel is online, and I could do that. Yes, it IS odd to have aloe vera gel on hand, but we needed it for some reason a few years ago, and I actually remembered and found it. They say we should use hand sanitizer sparingly, though, because it also destroys the good microbes that live on our hands. Hmmm. And in the event we need face masks, there’s always my old bras.

I’m a practicing homebody, so I don’t worry too much about contagion. We’re thinking about escaping to the farm some time soon, but although it’s looking more like spring, it’s still cold, especially in the mornings. We’ll probably make a preparatory day trip next week just to take some stuff and make a list of what we’re going to need.

Mike is wearing a wrist brace now. Physical therapy was postponed to next Tuesday due to the therapist’s illness. He’s sleeping better, I think, but still has occasional soreness. KW