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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnyone noticing minor changes/problems in daily life?
Sorry, these problems PALE in comparison to those people with the virus, but I am noticing some other small changes in this Post-Covid world. The Grocery Store will not allow you to use your reusable grocery bags and they will not recycle pop cans until further notice. The Store is barely able to keep up restocking shelves for this small town.
And, for a while I had a clogged toilet and was about to call a plumber. I was able to get it unplugged, but will plumbers be able to make house calls during the Covid Quarantine?
Anyone else facing new minor issues? I'm left wondering if we will ever return to normal.
rzemanfl
(29,568 posts)Mike 03
(16,616 posts)of comparing notes, Walmart and Amazon's usual two-day shipping is delayed a few days. In the case of Amazon, I'm choosing to have items delivered a week out anyway because nothing I'm ordering is urgent. But the last time I placed an order, they are understandably no longer promising two day shipping.
For fun I checked toilet paper on Walmart's site. They offer TP from third party vendors at ridiculous prices, like $72 for a twelve pack of TP.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)I haven't needed to order anything Post Covid. I've been panic baking and will need to order baking supplies soon.
panader0
(25,816 posts)It's not over, it's just getting started.
Merlot
(9,696 posts)on the day it was supposed to be ready - today. To many orders, not enough shoppers. But they were kind enough to tell me that I could go to the store and pic up everything myself.
I was trying to stay home for 2 weeks, but now have no fresh produce. NOt sure how good or healthy it is to go with out veggies.
cilla4progress
(24,766 posts)just about to head out for a produce run. We will wear disposable gloves and our N-95 masks which we have for forest fire smoke which we get often...I know...don't even go there...
Start to thinking about foraging the woods around here!
Probably hit a liquor store.
I am wondering if we can reuse the masks?
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)That'll reduce your forest fires, doncha' know?
panader0
(25,816 posts)SoCalNative
(4,613 posts)everyone's Prime membership fees then.
atreides1
(16,093 posts)If they were...they would have said something by now!
jimfields33
(15,948 posts)First this is an emergency. Second you have so much more then just shipping. You have a ton of entertainment options that is also included.
dansolo
(5,376 posts)If you need to restock supplies for your pets, plan on it taking a few extra days.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)that's a good thing. I'm being forced to work from home. I've had two fairly common prescriptions delayed becasue the pharmacy couldnt get them in-stock, I cant shop at Walmart at 4-6 AM when I'd like, the funeral of a life long friend is being skipped, and church (an important part of my life) is closed down tun the end of March, when it will be re-evaluated.
I'm trying to keep things in perspective. I've been hard-core about self-quarantining, and so far, my family and I are seeminingly safe. My employer is letting me work from home and made the commitment for us all to ride this out. So far, none of my extended family has gotten sick. And I am talking daily to my elderly parents, up from my once every 7-10 days rotation. So, we are reconnecting.
And the big thing that I'm most gratefel for is that even though COVID-19 appears to be aggressively contageious, its mortality is pretty low. It could be so much highter, like MERS and Ebola.
We are going to be hunkered down for a while. I want to try and enjoy the forced slowdown.
Blecht
(3,803 posts)but your story mirrors mine. Working from home. Important (to me and my family) events canceled. My children experiencing extreme stress.
This has been anything but minor for us. And it's going to get worse.
Nay
(12,051 posts)miles away, and I cannot go to her to help and comfort her.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)That will be a real worry for the foreseeable future.
VarryOn
(2,343 posts)when I suggested I didnt as many pain killers as I had been taking due to a knew migraine prophylactic (YAY!), he said "let's wait on that." You might want to create a small stockpile just in case things go to hell.
He's probably not the only doctor recommennding that.
LisaL
(44,974 posts)hlthe2b
(102,357 posts)and forget peanut butter. Long gone.
Besides the fact that even though you plan ahead, pre-purchase enough dog food for 8 weeks from the big box store, wait to get your email to "allow" you to come pick up 5 days later-- ONLY to receive an email last night that they had CANCELED your order (it was in stock when I purchased at Sam's--clearly they aren't pulling pre-ordered merchandise from the shelves).
Yeah, small potatoes in the long run. So far I am healthy and grateful.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)Hope you can find your dog babies some chow.
hlthe2b
(102,357 posts)Aristus
(66,462 posts)When I come home every day, I have to strip down, shower, and get into clean clothes before I greet my wife. My hands are chapped and raw from constant hand-washing. Two showers a day, even under lukewarm water, are drying out the rest of my body.
My wife and I hold seasons tickets for a number of Seattle's cultural offerings; everything has been canceled until further notice.
I'm fine with all of this if it means reducing exposure, illness, and death.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)Thanks for your efforts.
hlthe2b
(102,357 posts)washer, Leaving shoes outside at the front door. Keeping all stethoscopes and other needed medical equipment in a series of individual baggies so that I can alcohol or Clorox wipe inside and out multiple times to avoid contamination. (Don't get me started about "disposable" ones--they are worthless). A special biohazard bag in the car for gloves and masks. Alcohol wipes at the front door and in the car to catch the hands and face in case I get that impossible itch. Sterile saline there and in my bag just in case I may have rubbed eyes unconsciously. And when you are tired, hungry and thirsty, it is sooo hard to remember to "be in the moment" so you don't forget something and contaminate yourself.
And damn. I am so dehydrated nowadays because I don't have enough masks to allow me to regularly swap them out so, I don't drink or eat at all until I get home. At least I don't have to go to the bathroom--another real trial right now.
And we are just at the start. sigh...
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)hlthe2b
(102,357 posts)so, there is that.
hunter
(38,326 posts)She also has one for her car.
I don't touch anything in the bins without taking precautions.
Everyone in her clinic sixty years and older has been sent home for their own safety.
Masks are being rationed, no more than one a day. So are gloves.
She's already seeing the first storm clouds of this hurricane.
Years ago when we were both big city science teachers we used to watch M.A.S.H. in the evening to decompress, pour some wine, laugh about the day.
Now I can easily imagine my wife is away working and living in hospital tents while I'm home alone with the dogs.
Shit is getting real.
mercuryblues
(14,537 posts)wash your hands with that. Put some Vaseline on them at bed time. Even olive oil will work. If you want to protect the sheets, put socks on your hands.
cilla4progress
(24,766 posts)you are doing goddess' (or whatever spiritual immanence works for you!) work!!!
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Oil or moisturizer The few hours you are not using sanitizer or washing are at night
Btw is this true about the virus , dry hand exposure ? Dyk ?
Aristus
(66,462 posts)I recommend it to my patients as a moisturizer; it's formulated for baby skin, so it's nice and gentle.
Well, the coronavirus causes respiratory illness, so I don't think getting it under the skin due to dry cracked hands is necessarily a problem. But other organisms that are not harmful anywhere else can become pathogenic if they get under the skin.
Your hands and nails are covered with strep and staph, and as long as they're on the outside, it's perfectly fine; it's normal skin flora, you want it to be there; it keeps bad bacteria away. But if it gets under the skin, boom, secondary infection. That's why scratching an itch can be bad for you.
My dad was a surgical nurse. Decades of daily scrubbing with harsh surgical soap left his hands red and rough in a way that no moisturizer could fix...
getagrip_already
(14,837 posts)She does a lot of service work for organizations in Haiti, and ALL of that has been halted. Between a level 4 alert (a don not travel level) in Haiti itself due to local unrest, the virus, and flight cancellations nothing is happening and she is frustrated.
She also does a lot of community work and is on several town boards, plus the local rotary, and all meetings have been cancelled.
Then she had a trip to Uzbekistan canceled because of the virus.
She is not a happy camper these days. I'm an introvert by nature and none of this affects me, but she is going to go postal if I'm not careful.
So yeah, first world problems, but some people like to live in the real world among their own kind.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)and they are voiceless. So sad.
Aquaria
(1,076 posts)Look, I'm sure you're a clean person who takes care of your reusable bags, but not everyone does that. I've seen customers with bags that are kinda disgusting, never washed after years of weekly use.
Since grocers can't know when you washed your bags, and won't insult you by asking, it's easier to ban them until further notice, to be on the safe side.
The plastic bags at the store are made by machines and get little or no human contact of any kind until they're opened to put your stuff in them.
For now, using the plastic bags will be the best policy, to protect people who have to come into contact with hundreds of customers a day.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)Don't think they will be taking them back at the recycling boxes either. Guess I will start having to make plarn with them and crochet mats and sandals with them.
https://pandercraft.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/plarn-saving-sealife-from-grocery-bags-first-guest-post/
Aquaria
(1,076 posts)Don't worry about your reusable bags. If you can't wash them and they're canvas or some other porous material, they'll be fine after a week or two. You could spray them down with Lysol to speed up the process, but, honestly, by the time this is over, they'll be fine to use again.
You don't have to waste them over this awful virus. I'm keeping mine tucked away until I can use them again. Most of mine, I can wash or wipe down, so bonus.
matt819
(10,749 posts)I went to our town's recycling station (the dump) yesterday. Until further notice, you can only recycle cans, as these go into an outside bin. Cardboard, paper, plastic and glass - which go inside and have to be handled, however briefly, by staff - are not being accepted and should be tossed into the compactor. Or you can hang on to your recyclables until they take it again. I'm going to hold onto the stuff and also check other recycling options, though maybe they'll have the same policies now?
Minor.
I'm refinancing my house, and the appraiser won't come in the house and will only do a walk-around. I think the appraisal thing is hogwash, as the comps are always not quite comparable, and they end up using the town's tax appraisal. But not having him come in the house is great.
Minor.
UPS delivery guy came and went as fast as he could. Dropped the delivery off. No talking, no contact.
Minor, and, actually, probably an improvement.
I've been able to use my reusable bags at the grocery store, but I haven't been in a couple of days, and that may now be different.
That's about it for now.
customerserviceguy
(25,183 posts)are probably working their butts off right now.
Aquaria
(1,076 posts)My life hasn't changed.
My husband works at a grocery store, so all of the CV-19 exposure risks, and all of the customers pissed off about the empty shelves on top of that.
But he's a super-laidback guy, so it doesn't get to him all that much. I worry about him, though, for both unselfish and selfish reasons. The unselfish? I don't want anything to happen to him because I love him, he's the best person I know, and he doesn't deserve to suffer or die. Not yet.
But the selfish reason is that if something were to happen to him, I'd have to go live with my mother, because I can't support myself anymore. I'm able to work, but no one will hire me post-cancer at my age. It totally sucks that I have nowhere else to turn because I'm discriminated against over something that I beat. I gave up looking for work, because even when I pounded pavements and submitted resumes all over, I never got a call back. Not one. Women pushing 60 have it hard enough getting work, but with cancer in the mix? Go ahead and kill yourself, because nobody will touch you.
So I'm essentially helpless about supporting myself without my husband until I qualify for SS. Hence why I would have to live with my 80 y/o mother.
I love my mom, she's my best friend, but there's a reason I live 300 miles away from her. It's called peace of mind. We are not suited for close quarters, and never have been.
These are the things that make me a little batty about COVID-19..
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)is that, as this virus makes me realise how close to the edge of survival I live, it also makes me appreciate how much I love and depend on my family and DU friends.
duforsure
(11,885 posts)Its aggravating to have to turn the channel more , or miss more important shows on .
samnsara
(17,635 posts)...and tomorrow we will go to the dump, to the vet to get dog meds and we may drop a car off at the tire place to get our snow tires removed. Those are pretty empty places.
What I have noticed is a surprising lack of urgency I normally feel. I am a vendor at the Farmers Market so I spend a lot of my spare time trying to get my crafts together..... but since I'm pretty darned sure the Markets wont be happening I dont feel the stress of HAVING to get stuff done for it....or the guilt of choosing to watch a movie instead. Its kind of refreshing ( for now)...
blaze
(6,373 posts)So flats and low tread.... rotating tires is low on the list
https://www.discounttire.com/customer-safety
snowybirdie
(5,234 posts)It was delivered today. It was left on the first floor of our building. We live on the second! FedEx man didn't want to get too close, I guess. Now I can look at my new freezer sitting in the sidewalk below my balcony. Yipee!
cagefreesoylentgreen
(838 posts)I have a water filter attachment on my kitchen sink, and the filters require replacement every year. Mine arent due for replacement until August but I figured it might be a smart idea to stock up on spare filters in advance. I got down to my filter supplier and discovered I wasnt the only one with that idea.
samnsara
(17,635 posts)...dozens of those dang reusable bags.
Croney
(4,670 posts)Here in Mass. we are wiping down everything we touch, staying home as much as we can, and trying to help our struggling communities. My sister in Missouri went to her gym and used the treadmill yesterday.
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,789 posts)With her husband and girls, 9 and 7, to Arizonza. So what if cancelling the eesort, fetal car, flight from Minneapolis. This virus will kill children .
A friend of mine has the virus and he is scared shitless. He is in his early 30's.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I always get my Charmin to at Costco. Well, I went twice and they were out. So I went to walmart and found the exact same thing except the amount of tp in the package. I read the package thoroughly to make sure it was actually the same and it said it was. Got home opened into put someon the roller. Well, the to is not as wide, it was so thick I had a hard time getting it into the roller, it is rough, and it sure as hell not 2 ply.
Is this something that Walmart always does or just started or is this what Charmin does to walmart or they just started it?
I guess my simple questionis is if this is COVID-19 practice or common practice?
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Lesser product to be sold at a lower price. They have a lot of sway because of quantity
One older case vaguely remembered was some push back from kraft cheese . Walmart wanted them to use a portion of the process that is usually skimmed off the top and discarded to make slices or something and kraft said it would not
So no links but yes I think its common
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I think some of the name brand clothing they have are the ones that had flaws that kept them from going to places like Nordstroms.
I used to work for a place that sorts and packaged produce. I learned there are three lines. One for the Safeway and such places, one for walmart and lower brand like western family and then the stuff used for animal feed and fertilizer. I tell you, the stuff for walmart and such looked pretty bad. I got talked to in the beginning because I was putting stuff meant for Walmart and such in the feed and fertilizer line. How in the hell was I supposed to know? They did not look that different from each other!
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Absolutely no choice except the second tier items for those areas now unless they travel I have seen in docs about Walmart moving in to areas where completion drops out
also of course the people who can only afford it or limited $ store items the only option.
and terrible the areas with only convenience stores who may not have the lower bulk quality but high prices limited items and little produce
I dont shop at Walmart but I have been at ones and I really dont see that much of a bargain but maybe Im not looking for the same things like soda and cookies - items where they make their own brands.
I have also been in Costco their quality may be high but I told my friend I could get that cheaper elsewhere and dont need to buy 6 of something to do it or wait in a long line
so its different with everyone
Some have choices they make and some are just stuck by location or income or both
Doreen
(11,686 posts)Safeway, Walmart, and a place called Shop-n-kart. Each has stuff I prefer but I try my best to not shop walmart.
They actually do have a few thing that are a good deal. Their Tidy Cat cat litter is the best price of anywhere. Nothing wrong with getting something from Walmart that gets shit on.
JCMach1
(27,572 posts)There is no warranty coverage, or parts from Asia at this point.
Lowe's and Home Depot have delivery backed up til April.
Luckily I found a small, local Mexican American owned scratch and dent place. Bought and delivered the same day...
Shop local folks... Those guys will be hurting.
Totally Tunsie
(10,885 posts)He and his family are to move to Sweden in June, but all the preparations are being shelved temporarily. They were to fly over Saturday for a house-hunting trip and a visit to the International School, and all that is, of course, cancelled.
They planned to move while the kids were out of school for the summer; however, they're not sure if that will be possible now. Timing the listing/sale of their current home is becoming a puzzle, and the stock market losses aren't favorable for house selling.
totodeinhere
(13,059 posts)And I'm afraid it will only get worse as more and more people stay at home and use the Internet.
Lancero
(3,013 posts)H2O Man
(73,605 posts)I see it in my children and extended family. But I've been a hermit for many years, so no real changes for me beyond spending a little more time on the phone.
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)Compared to what some people are going through, it is nothing. I already work from home. My gym closed indefinitely, so I am working out at home. No haircut for the forseeable future, for social distancing sake. I'm a guy, and I like my hair is little longer on top, what's left of it, but when it gets too shaggy I'll just shave it off myself. Been there done that. Stores out of a lot of stuff, but ordering for pickup. My one on one with my boss Monday has been moved to a phone call. The main annoyance is people yapping it up that this is just cold or flu and a hoax or whatever. They are willlfully ignorant and j hate willful ignorance.
Chainfire
(17,636 posts)from the outside world. What I see, I see on this or another screen. I will not leave my property for at least a month. It is not difficult for me as I am a bit of a loner anyway. Life is certainly not "normal" so that causes some anxiety; I will try to forgive myself for that. The only way for isolation to work is to make it as absolute as possible. The only thing coming to me from the outside is mail and I am handling it like it was radioactive.
Anyone who isn't seeing changes in their daily lives or their lifestyles are damn fools.
My wife is far more socially active than I am, so I can see that she is getting a little restless already, but she is smart and tough and we will get through this. If we get too stir crazy, both of our vehicles are full of gas, so we can go for a drive. Hopefully the virus isn't fast enough to run down a car. I suspect that I could also speed down the road with impunity.
My wife and I, like many others, have lot to lose if I get this virus, we are both in the age group that is taking the biggest hit and we both have conditions that would complicate treatment, especially if the hospitals are having to make triage decisions because of limited resources. When the hospitals become overburdened they will have to make hard decisions. It would be right to let me die if it freed up resources to save a 30 year old. C'est la guerre. I would have to try to take it like a man. It would have been safer for us to have contracted the virus two weeks ago than two weeks from now. At this time I see it as my own responsibility to protect my health. If I succumb, I will follow Jimmy Buffet's philosophy, "Its my own damn fault." I am not fatalistic, and I am still cheering myself on!
As far as your plumbing issue, I can tell you, that as a retired plumber, I would not be jeopardizing my and my families health by going house to house doing routine calls. If you are having problems, be careful of what you flush. Furthermore, as someone who is taking this seriously, I would not want someone who is going house to house doing calls in my house at this time. I am going through a similar problem, my AC is trying to fritz out on me, but I will just tough it out until this too shall pass.
So, yes, even from an isolated position I am seeing changes.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)I'm thinking about ordering a porta potty in case someone in the family has plumbing problems. Hope they are not already sold out.
I am also pretty stoic about getting this virus. I am following all quarantine protocol, but as Eckert Tolle writes, "Even the Sun will go out". In the meantime, I am still enjoying watching Sunrise and Sunset each day.
Cheers.
projectiboga
(53 posts)If there isn't cloth, a toy or tree roots clogging the drain system, you can always get a toilet unstuck with a bucket, plunger, some liquid soap and effort.
Fill a bucket with hot water. add soap once full. get bucket ready to dump into toilet. Flush toilet and then chase the end of the flush with hot water.
Often the clog is up high in the trap and the extra, warm soapy water will all help to clear. then the plunger with the extra water in the bowl can loosen the clog too.
Broken pipes, heat and hot water system failures will be another issue. Plumbers, and HIVAC techs will be working on actual emergencies.
Best wishes.
sagesnow
(2,824 posts)I will keep that in mind.
ansible
(1,718 posts)Here's an example of one, but the one I used was much bigger because the clog was in the sewage pipes outside the house. Home Depot and Lowes sells them. If you're short on money and feel confident enough for DIY jobs try it, plumbers are NOT cheap and you'll lose quite a bit of money.