Some of my corona images/memes

I've been collecting pictures. Some funny, some stupid, some who knows what. I thought I'd share a few with you here.

Squirrel in a bag on Winnie's deck. He could care less about self-isolation, but a nurse friend of mine saw this and suggested the squirrel had better protective gear than she did!

Some beauty while I was walking outside. Violets bring some normalcy to life. 

I put on my pants today is an award a lot of us are trying hard to win these days. Another friend mentioned that in the evening, she took off her daytime PJs and put on her nighttime PJs. Yep, that's about right. 

Nothing to do with coronavirus, but cracked me up. 

Borrowed from a group on Facebook. They say this whole thing started with someone eating a bat. Who knows? 

Speaks for itself with all the crazies in the grocery store these days. 

Willie always calls BS when he sees it. 

Another fun one. 

Dog is pissed. NOT. 

We'd all like to know, but we're a patient people. We can wait. 

And a classic from Twilight Zone.

Now times grocery buying

For a long time now, I've dissed the concept of having someone grocery shop for me. I just thought it was the stupidest thing ever. And now, I eat those words. Is that a pun that I am talking about groceries and I also eat the words? Anyway.

Food Lion has had a sign about home delivery in front of there store for a minute, so I thought I'd give them a go. I am done with going out to stores by now. Food Lion felt like I was doing the order on their site, but it's tied into InstaCart (IC), for whom the shoppers actually work. It's like Uber - an order comes in and they see a list of potential shopping gigs on the app, and boom, you're paired with a shopper. In the beginning, the Food Lion site was not well synched with the IC site and it was very frustrating to make the order. It was unable to be edited, etc. But, it was paid for and tip was given at the same time for no contact delivery.

When it's your turn, you get a text saying that Zane (our shopper for the purposes of naming a shopper) has begun your shopping trip. And you can text back! So, that first time, Zane would tell me what they were out of and what he could substitute for items. I was worried about having no control, but the back and forth made me feel like part of the process. Eventually, I got a text telling me my shopper was done. The shopper brought items to the porch and I told them I'd take care of it from there.

The second time I used delivery was with Publix, also through IC. They are limiting items in a bit of an odd way, so some things were not available in the quantity I needed. I get it, but Ravioli in a can? Again, the shopper was super communicative, but the groceries were more expensive and less available. This second time, though, I opted in for free delivery for a month for $9.99 that will renew every month, but can be canceled at any time.

Here's a good, though long and super detailed, video about what to do when you get stuff delivered.

Fast forward to today. Fill-in groceries from Food Lion. They've fixed their web site and it's synching with IC just fine. You can chat with the shopper through the site or through the app (IC app). I think hoarding may be getting better - Food Lion had toilet paper. It wasn't my brand, but who cares? 

When the guy arrived, I kept my distance. I had on gloves and had a pocketful of alcohol wipes. I took the bags in (wiped the door knob after using it) and proceeded to wipe each item with wipes and putting them in a clean space. When the cleaning was done, Winnie and I put stuff away. Afterward, I wiped down the counter where the bags had been. 

So, that's shopping for now with this frickin virus in the world.  Winnie got news that an old, very good friend at one time passed away last night. Not sure if it's the virus or not, but it's maddening. John Prine is probably going to die from this mess. This world changing event is so odd and from time to time, it's hard to make sense of it all.

G'night. 

My dog is a wimp, and other social-distancing stuff

Today, Richard and I took Abbey to the Warhill area to walk again today. After about a mile of dodging other people and enjoying the warm weather and sun, she was pooped! LOL Here we are, olds, and she's so out of shape that the walk wears her out. We added another halfish mile and called it a day.

I woke up this morning and stayed in bed till 10. I just didn't want to get up. I was mostly awake and had taken Abbey out at 6. She wasn't interested in getting up either at this point. So, we played the sleep/wake game for a couple hours and finally got up. I just wasn't feeling it. No spunk at all. I had planned on making breakfast when Richard got back from Richmond, brunch really. He got back really quickly, so I started sausage. Then I got to thinking that we needed those potatoes I had planned on frying up with left over baked potatoes. At that point, I went ahead and got out the eggs to fry. I wasn't into it, but I got it all made and it was delicious.

Since the walk, I've done my pill box and vacuumed the dining room, as well as set up a fan since it's going to get extra warm today. Winnie is cooking on the old grill tonight (hot dogs). I ordered a gas grill to play with and it should be here any time. Toys are good right now while we're isolating.

I'm sure there's more happening today, but feet up and internet cruising works for me. I have Wyatt Earp on demand and Richard is sitting next to me relaxing too. Go us!

As seen on Facebook:

God bless the internet and a world of creative people!

Conspiracy theories - Corona style

The conspiracy theories are pretty amazing with this one. I'm gonna see if I can pin this post to the top so I can keep adding to it.

For today - I introduce to you the Stop5GNow movement. It's on Twitter and on Facebook, and I'm sure there are web sites devoted to the theory that the upgrade to 5G and the cell towers are messing with us. Boom, coronavirus. Here's a link to a story showing the misinformation regarding Stop5GNow. Feel free to drop theories that you're finding. 

Weekending - Covid-19 style

I have to admit, I'm becoming increasingly careful, bordering on paranoid. I'm gloving up, leaving packages outside for 24 hours, and just being super vigilant. So much so that I brought into the house the boxes of toilet paper that had been delivered here last week - porch pirates, you know.

It's Saturday. That means sleeping a little late, making a little something for breakfast, and extended coffee break. For color, I broke down cardboard boxes for recycling, collected trash from around the house, and Richard and I went to the convenience center (our county's term for the small dump). While there, the attendant saw my empty Charmin boxes and said, "Did you really have toilet paper in those boxes?" By virtue of the fact that she noticed my boxes, I know I did the right thing bringing them in earlier. LOL After Richard dumped the trash and I did the recycling, I grabbed a wipe. Richard mentioned we didn't touch anything other than what we brought with us and I asked for a wipe anyway. He used it too. I then took it and wiped off interior parts of his truck. Take that, germs!

Then it was time for planting radishes and some target shooting. Winnie and Richard and I took out the small guns and went plink, plink, plink. I really want to be more comfortable with my small carry gun. At one point, Richard suggested I get into the actual range of the target that I would be in if I was defending myself. Closer to the target, I shot flawlessly. Boom! I know I'm a good shot, but today, I felt like an accomplished shot and am good with my gun.

Naptime and then more time on the deck with Richard, just enjoying the weather and the birds. I did get a little bit of walking done today, but more so, got functional activity.

We ordered Pizza Hut. I read their site and their precautions and decided to go for it. We set out a plastic bag on the counter for the pizza box. For the desserts, Winnie gloved up and we put them in our own containers and threw away what they came in without contact. We opted for no contact delivery and the guy opened a folding chair on our front porch and slid our boxes out of his carrier into that chair. Bravo, Pizza Hut guy. I didn't see him, but Winnie confirmed that he was wearing gloves. Cleanup was just as cautious as setup, and we all washed up. Winnie cleaned the counter with a wipe (we're going to do that every day regardless of the number of times we wash it with a sponge.

Overall, it's been a busy enough day to keep us occupied. Now it's time for a cup of coffee and television. 

Gas - corona style

Posted this on FB early this afternoon:

Donna Gettings Apperson

6 hrs · 

Getting gas quarantine style. Get your debit card out and have it at the ready. Put on the one glove you have in the car. Get a wipe ready for when you get back in the car. Touch the keypad with the gloved hand. Scan the key fob for your discount with the ungloved hand. Answer a lot of questions on the keypad with the gloved hand. Open the gas cap on the car and put the damned gas in the damned car with the damned gloved hand. Put the nozzle back and repeat process for closing gas cap. Tell the damned machine you don't need a frickin receipt with the frickin gloved hand.

Oh, you're not done yet.

Open the car door with either damned hand at this point. Sit. Drop the frickin key frickin fob in your lap. Take off the glove the way they taught you when you worked at the hospital 40 frickin years ago. Put it in the present trash bag. Get the preset wipe and first wipe hands. Wipe them a lot. Wipe the outside door handle. Wipe the inside door handle. Wipe the steering wheel. Wipe the key fob. Wipe the shifter knob. Wipe the damned dog while you're at it cause she's in the car watching you trying to figure out what else you need to wipe. Oh yeah, wipe the debit card.

Don't put the wipe in the trash till it's dry. Wipe anything that's not moving and some things that are.

What I'm saying is that there are a lot of steps to getting gas that didn't use to be there. A lot of fuckin steps. I hope I don't need gas again.

P.S. I wasn't even close to another person, but the ones I could see were also wearing gloves. Good going, gas needers.

Groceries, quarantine style

Everything will be okay, but it's a little frustrating to order groceries. I never in my life thought I'd have groceries delivered, and here I am, doing just that.

Food Lion is not fully synced with InstaCart and that makes it hard to make changes. I wanted to cancel the order this morning and see no way on the site or the app to do it, so I called. At first, my wait time was 57 minutes, then 33, then 26 (about 20 minutes later), and then it went back up to 50+ minutes. It was at that point that I said fuck it, and decided if I have duplicate items, so be it.

Publix is better tied in with the system. I did an order with them, but it won't be here till Monday. Again, it'll be okay.

My doctor advised me via email to not go out, so even though I'm tempted to go get my stuff myself safely, I'm not going to.

The house is getting a tiny bit smaller, but not much. I'm more concerned about Allison not going out than I am with the situation here. I am also a bit concerned by Tom, but I can't get any information out of him. Ronnie and Stephen are going out way too much, but that's up to them. We're all doing this our own way.

Symptoms and how to spend the time.

Posted this on FB:

How we do it here in Croaker Adjacent:

Baking.
Bird and squirrel watching.
Walking with the dog.
Turning off the news.
Watching old westerns on demand on StarzEncore.
Cooking from scratch.
Keeping up with kids via text and Facetime.
Shopping online - okay, trying to curb that one.
Grocery delivery by Instacart.
Not opening boxes that are delivered for 24 hours.
Trying to read (not as successful as before the isolation chit)
Playing online games.
Exercising with Amazon Prime videos.
Sewing.
Painting rocks.
Listening to music. Today is Hoyt Axton day. Tomorrow is Ray Charles day.
Social media for a hoot and a holler.
Winnie's doing yoga and puzzles and some of the above too.
Richard's is doing what he does. He's still working, but it's a safe situation.

The other night, I was having some gastrointestinal symptoms, well actually all day 2 days ago. The first thing I thought was bad grapes. Then later, I was convinced that it was the first sign of covid-19. I emailed my doctor and he suggested to continue self-isolation and quarantine practices and that diarrhea is generally a part of a larger melange of symptoms. I'm sure it was the grapes as there's no further effect. 

I am washing fabric for Anna's baby quilt today. I should be able to get started on it soon. Until then, I have denim strips to sew and Wyatt Earp to watch. I realized I could watch all the westerns on StarzEncore on demand. That's a lot of watching for me!

Banana bread has been made and taste tested. Yumtastic. Richard left to go to Ronnie's to pick up chicken and pie crusts. There will be quiche in our future. I had broccoli delivered yesterday and still have a ton of cheese and eggs. Plus, they can be frozen for later. 

I get very frustrated, more than I should, every time Trump comes on television, so I'm leaving it off for the most part unless it's a western or something planned. He's not an effective leader and does not instill one iota of confidence in me. He appears to be more concerned with business than people. I know there's a line that needs to be kept in check, but it's people that count. Argh. 

And that's self-isolation for today. 

Self-isolation continues

I have gone out a few times, with gloves and wipes, but at the moment, I'm done. My son bought chicken for me. I'll drive to Richmond tomorrow to get it and will freeze it when I get home. He put it in a separate refrigerator for me. I will also get gas - with gloves. This is just so fucked up.

Still cooking from scratch where I can and have a delivery from Publix coming today. My Whole Foods delivery was canceled (I had only ordered chicken). I have Food Lion coming tomorrowish. I'll get what I can.

I truly believe the worst is yet to come. I hear an asswipe legislator suggesting that seniors should die to make room for the young. That's paraphrased, but it's unforgivable.

I've been looking for things to do with eggs and quiche it is. Ronnie got me some pie crusts and I'll make and freeze them. I have a couple bananas that I'll make banana bread out of. I made it already and it was pretty good.

Maybe I'll make a cake:

In the end, we in this house will keep living as best we can. In my opinion, it's the time to take care of ourselves and keep moving. I'm at high risk because of diabetes. Winnie is at high risk because of COPD. Richard is still going to work. I can't stop him. He's being super careful. My kids are handling this in their individual ways. I have no clue what comes next.

Social distancing, that's what's for life. 

Letter to my daughter

Understandably, my daughter is having a tough time with this isolation, uncertainty, and potential illness and death all the way around. We Face Timed earlier and I feel like I didn't really address her concerns. So, I wrote her a letter:

"Thoughts :)
Inbox
x
Family
x

Donna Gettings Apperson <dgapperson@gmail.com>
10:02 PM (24 minutes ago)
to Allison

Hi there,

I am not discounting your feelings and totally understand the depression. Truth be told, I'm a little depressed about the uncertainty of it all and what the future may or may not hold. We have no idea where this is going to go. It's your generation's future in the long run, and how you and your friends handle this isolation and awful situation will set the tone for what comes next.

Dad's parents lived through a depression and did it well. Your dad and I have everything we need and no debt. We'll be okay. You have property here if you need it. In two years, all the land belongs to you and your brothers. That smacks of a real future.

I want you to be safe, but not paranoid. I can't do that for you, but with a little time and getting used to the reality of going out rarely, it will be better.

My way to handle things so far has been:

Listen to a variety of music. I've listened to classical one day, country another day, old rock another day, and on and on. It helps to turn the television off and immerse myself in music.

Puzzle books. I haven't done any yet, but I bought some. You know, the ones with the find the difference pictures in them? I've always loved puzzle books, so I have them for when the weather is better and I can sit outside and do some.

Avoiding news shows. I know I need to keep up, but I get sick of hearing about the virus over and over. I can't stand Trump and won't listen to him.

Social media. Twitter is hilarious. I love it when people call me grandma or say OK Boomer :)

Cleaning. I hate to clean, but I have been doing some because I like the result.

To do list. I make one every day. It always includes what I'm going to cook and do.

Cooking. I'm trying some new stuff. The only shopping I'm doing is the online and twice going out. I got the bread maker out and am going to try that in a week or so. No rush.

Exercise. I'm walking and stretching and Winnie's doing her own thing. Amazon has tons of exercise videos, so does You Tube and Hulu. It's a goal of mine to do something every day. I ordered the gym in a bag for stretching and stuff. I have hand weights, but they don't interest me right now. The stretch bands will help because they're a new toy.

Sewing. Totally not sure if I'll ever sell anything again, but I am sewing Halloween bags and stuff for later.

Naps. I love naps. They take 2 hours out of the day just like that.

Trying to avoid panicking.

Blogging or writing.

It's a process. Staying home and worrying sucks. It sucks big time. And I can't make that any nicer sounding than that.

You are like your grandmother - you're a worrier and always have been. That's part of being you. You can't change a lot of that right now, but you can try to make it a touch easier on yourself.

When all else fails, there are drum solos.

Much love,

Mom"

Take care of each other, people. 

Sewing - quarantine style

UPDATE 04/12/2020 ScrapStitching.com is on hiatus for the moment. Please stop by my Corona blog for information on mask making and current sewing events. 

There's a virus among us that's disrupting the heck out of our lives. If you are self-isolating, and you probably should be, now's a good time to do some sewing.

I'm finishing up UFOs, making Halloween bags, and may make face masks for myself and others (for free!).

The Turban Project has a pattern online and tutorial for a face mask. I know I have a ton of fabric and elastic galore. While you're at it, maybe make a turban or three to donate.

The above is from their web site. 

If you run out of toilet paper or paper towels or other paper products, think of what our elders used - whatever they had. Just don't flush fabric toilet paper if you use it. If you use fabric for your paper towel needs, those can be washed and reused. 

If you sew, I know you have plenty of stuff that you could work on. So get to it! We're all in this together, right? 

Prison body - coronavirus quarantine style

I was listening to Bennington on Sirius yesterday and they were talking about how some people are taking the opportunity to work on their prison body while confined. It hit me as something worth considering. Why not use this time to lift weights and do some extra walking? It certainly is a time that

is the norm. This quarantine is putting us all in a big old pickle. So why not put it to good use? For today, this is the goal.

Eggs - none to be found in my stores. I asked my neighbor (who goes out often) to keep an eye out. I spent a good hour looking for and finding powdered eggs online in case this lasts a while and people keep hoarding. I was texting with Ronnie and mentioned eggs and he said they had 36. As we talked, he mentioned that Kroger had some earlier that day. I asked him to keep an eye out and give me a call if they bought extra. Stephen went out and checked the store and I got a text that said "come and get them." I drove to Richmond and got my eggs, took a walk, and visited for a little bit (at a distance), and headed home. I got a text from my neighbor and they had eggs for me too. So now, I have 5 dozen eggs and powdered eggs on the way. Argh. How does one plan in situations like this? You don't. You simply do what you gotta do and then bake if you have extra eggs, right? That might have to be goal 2 - bake chit.

I've doubled my efforts at staying home. I have dirt to plant things in, seeds to be the things I plant, and oodles of raking to do. I'll do some sewing today as well. My to-do list has the downstairs bathroom on it. Groan. Okay, I'll do it.

P.S. The new hoarded item is dog food. I have 2 bags on the way. Sigh. 

Day 1 of isolating at home again

I went out yesterday. I needed to pick up prescriptions. Okay, I could have done that via the drive-through, but was curious what was going on inside the grocery store. Plus, I needed an onion. I put on gloves and went in. First thing, no onions except a few scraggly looking red ones. I got 2. There were a few bags of salad of several types, so I picked up a couple of those. No bananas, potatoes, regular onions, and barely any of their presliced items. This was Harris Teeter in Lightfoot, by the way.

I didn't look at the meat aisle or the egg/cheese refrigerators. I should have as I now know that eggs are scarce. I walked down a few aisles and, as expected, paper products were gone, water was bought out, and there was, get this, one carton of regular milk. It was skim milk, but it's milk.

The freezer section was stocked relatively well, but soap and wipes and all things hygiene were picked over or gone. I did not go down the pet aisle, but again, maybe I should have as I hear today dog food is being hoarded. I had ordered Abbey's food online as she was out and it was her time.

This shit is just so very strange. As Trevor Noah says, "Is this how we're going to die?" It's freaky. It's hard not to panic when the world is panicking around me.

On another note, though I'm cooking well, I'm eating shit way too much. I am my mother's daughter. Food I have. Pantry, frig, freezer, and garage freezer are all full. And yet, I have a niggling thought in the back of my mind that it's not enough.

I'm not smoking, but boy, do I want to. I won't, but the urge is real. And if we're all going to die, why bother staying quit? See the stupid rationalization/logic that runs through my head?

I have more pot than should be allowed and will keep cooking and baking.

We had groceries delivered last night. As I put them away, I realized it was mostly junk food. 12 cartons of ice cream. No eggs. Richard and Winnie are on an egg hunt today. I sent him out with a cold bag and she went out just to see the world.

That's coronavirus for today. I'm going to sew in a minute. I need to melt down first. 

Day 3ish

It's closing in on the end of the day and I'm getting twitchy. San Francisco has set 24-hour curfews. Holy crap. WTF is happening around here? We're told that if we get sick, it'll be like a cold unless we have other issues that might make it worse. But we're acting like this is a death laden plague. I am ordering groceries on line as a trial run in case we do have curfew.

I'm having some holy shit moments. It's like that commercial where the AA woman is enjoying her sandwich and says she's experiencing some things.

The news can't help but spread a little fear. I'll be glad when we're on the other side of this.

My MO for now is to walk when I can, do some yard work, keep thinking about and working on the garden, cook thoughtfully, and to keep busy as I can (sewing, painting, etc.). 

Self quarantine day 2ish

Today, I'm baking. We're keeping an eye on the news. I'm checking stock to see what meals we have and we're fine. I can see that if we truly quarantine, we're going to run out of some things, but we're in good shape with other items. I went through baking supplies today and made cookies - took time, using up old pantry foods, and making a yummy snack to nibble on for the three of us. I took some next door and it was suggested I not come all the way in as Pat may have been exposed to others who may have been exposed. Doing our best to squash that curve, you know.

I'm not as concerned about me. I have sewing, gardening, cleaning, napping, dog stuff, television, Netflix, Amazon, Pogo, walking, the internet, books, etc., etc., etc. to keep me busy.  Really, that's not much different from my daily life.

What worries me now is when we start getting sick. So many people I know are convinced we will get sick and it will be a matter of degrees. I'm inclined to agree with that. There are so many other people who are living as if nothing is happening (again, we can't see, feel, or hear this crisis), and that concerns me.

This evening, it will be sewing and television. I'm good with that. 

Getting me some of that Corona

Okay, maybe I won't get some Corona as I'm not a big beer person, but it sounded good.

Snow/ice storms and hurricanes - we're used to prepping for those. We make sure we've got food and water, that our clothes are clean as we can't run the washer with the generator, and we've done this a lot. But this virus thing is different. There is nothing to see or feel. The threat is invisible. We can't see that snow falling or the wind blowing the trees at unnatural angles. We don't feel anything when we go out. It's just weird.

What is pretty cool is the sense of humor that is emerging from people I didn't expect it from. We truly are in this together and laughing is important. Google "coronavirus meme" and enjoy. There are some clever folks out there.

Today, though, I went out and bought rocks. If I'm going to be stuck at home, I'm going to have rocks to paint. Other than handing the guy my money, there was no interaction with anyone except the rocks and they don't count. The point is that in order to combat impending cabin fever, I'm trying to make sure I do have activities. I have enough yard work that needs to be done for 10 people. I highly recommend tapping into any hobbies you might have.

Watching LivePD, they're reminding everyone that first responders don't have a choice; they have to be around people. It's a sign of the times that they're telling us to go to the CDC or the Red Cross sites and get facts. In general, it's a nice diversion, though.

The local news has informed us that one person in our county has now died from the virus. They're not offering much in the way of details yet. Close to home for sure.

The unknown, the inability to see this and feel it, the lack of an end time, all adds up to frustration and wondering WTF to do next. And it's worldwide. That's just freaking amazing.

Matt Colvin and Katie Williams, both being skewered on Twitter. He hoarded sanitizer, etc., to sell online at a profit. She is boasting about doing what she wants (going out to restaurants). This is America today.

Colvin in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html
Katie Williams on Twitter: @realkatiejow

Pandemic style

Coronavirus, COVID-19, and whatever else you want to call it - it's making people twitchy. There are so many things I do not understand about society's reaction to the virus.

I figure that you can either go all in and buy up the store and wipes or you can sit back and just let life happen. There are a bunch of middle grounds including staying home, eating in, and just not being in public for a while. One thing is for sure, no one agrees on what we should do, so society is starting to fold in on itself.

Closures to ensure social distancing and little to not contact in groups. Locally and globally, schools are closing, volunteer programs are suspended, concerts will be rescheduled, public places are delaying seasonal openings, and so much more.

Grocery hoarding is everywhere too. I went to the store today and there was no chicken:

no ground beef:

no potatoes (yes, potatoes):

no paper products (toilet paper and paper towels):

I didn't intend to go to the store and be that lady taking pictures here and there, but I was. Ramen was on mostly empty shelves. I almost understand that one. Every checkout aisle was open and there was a line at each.

Live misinformation and real facts are available all day long on the internet, television, radio, and anywhere there is a person talking. We soak it all up like so many sponges, but we're not really sure what to believe and what to let pass us by. Neil deGrasse Tyson implores us to listen to science. Much of what we hear from government leaders doesn't quite go that way and we sometimes walk away knowing less than we did before we started listening.

Conspiracies are every damned where. The best one I heard is that N. Korea sent this virus out some time ago as our "Christmas present." Others involve the left doing something magical along the way so that the right gets infected and Trump doesn't get reelected. Okay, so I simplified that, but you get it, right? And there is at least one that puts the blame squarely on Obama somehow. One delightful observation (not a conspiracy) by a certain generation is that coronavirus is the Boomer Remover, meaning we're all going to die. 

The shit has not yet hit the fan, but depending on what you listen to or watch, it just might. It also might not. This here is pretty damned unprecedented.