Shopping

Ho' Foods--They're still entitled assholes. Lot of real medical grade equipment going to waste here. I shouldn't sneer. After all, I shopped here too. I can't really say, "Yes, but I'm different." No matter how much I wish I were.

Other transactions (not today)--Farm stand. Pizza. Bagels (OK, this one today. I AM an entitled asshole. Bagels during a crisis. Then Whole Foods.) Every purchase orchestrated and sneaky as a drug deal.

Seabra--A chain of two stores, I think, and really deserves a special post of its own. Almost as beloved as Ocean State Job Lot. Here, what's important is: Small, very small, for a supermarket. Portuguese and Hispanic roots (as in 80-packs of tortillas, which are Nick's staple, and Victor Gedes olive oil). And very East Bay. Which is why they are kind. And the cashier says, at large, "I'm only here for a seven-hour shift. Nobody should thank me. Somebody should be thanking the nurses. God bless you, hon." (And it's pronounced See-AH-bra, not SEE-bra--a cruise essential)

Purple dinosaur--Those cotton masks, they get, well--damp. Makes me think of germs--and were they musty???? Suddenly paranoid, I boiled the bejesus out of all of them when I got home. Mae Jainschigg's magnificent shower curtain was not colorfast under these conditions. Dinosaurs affected. In a good way, I think.

Masks II

I spent all day sewing masks. 2 in the garbage, because they were the easy-peasy square kind that you can run up in 10 minutes, if you're not me. One was too bulky. I added a middle layer of flannel, which Nick read was more effective than straight calico (And I believe him, because he does his reading). The next too small. The same simple rectangle, and yet...I probably could have got the third one juuuuust right. But ... I went on line and discovered an insanely complicated (for a mask) Japanese (of course) pattern. And made 6--three for Nick, three for me. Because Nick says (he's never stops) you need to wash after each use. I will confine myself more conscientiously now, so as not to have to do this chore.

Searching for suitable scraps to contribute to the effort, we found two pairs of old--clean. clean.--cotton boxers. They the memento drawer for least 15 years tucked in a drawer because of sentimental value--one was printed with skeletons, one with little green dinosaurs. Guess whose? And guess who now has skeleton and little green dinosaur masks? Sentimental myself, I dug up my Mae Jainschigg’s (my late and beloved mother-in-law—a woman of dramatic tastes) old shower curtain--a splendid purple with huge red and yellow Mughal flowers. Didn't want to be girly, but great weave for the purpose. And having run out of flannel (some cleaning rags were not pristine), Nick donated one of his lined lumberjack flannel shirts, so they're quite manly on the inside.

I would send a picture, but I'm not up to that yet. I hate sewing.

Masks

I know there are some people who question whether masks really work in preventing the spread of covid. Yes. Absolutely. Yes they do. I do not speak as a medical authority but an observer. Even if masks are only partially effective in blocking the virus, I've noticed that when you wear one, people stay away from you.

One of my most treasured possessions in NYC was a pair of those "Patient Belongings" plastic bags that you get when you're release from the hospital (street clothes, wallet, slippers, where's my watch?). One night, I left my mother-in-law's apt laden with Chinese food and I-don't-know-what packed into these bags and was bemused, and then extremely amused, then thrilled when I realized that people were avoiding me. A full car, but a seat to myself, seats on either side. I started using them quite a lot. Worked like a charm.

So. masks. Use 'em, people. You'll be astonished at the difference.

To continue with the Job Lot theme. For those of you who are curious about the Job Lot herring run, see reference photo. (Also, if you don't have a mask, people will stay away from you if you eat them for breakfast. I know this for a fact.)

Isn't it ironic?

And yes, Alanis Morisette, I actually know what that means.

This is the DEVELOPMENT mentioned in the previous post, and some additions to earlier comments.

Good news/Bad news. Not a joke. Really good news/Really bad news.

Good news: Nick went down into the basement for who-knows-what (more wine, probably), but just came back up clutching seven new respiratory masks, seemingly unworn. Four are green. Three are official n95s.. In their packaging.

Bad news: They've been down there at least 14 years (last real work we ever did on the house). The new green masks are printed with a warning that they not for reuse and unsafe anything but dust. OK, no green masks. And then…Packaging or not, it looks like mice have managed to pee on the n95s.

On the inappropriate good news side (for comedy purposes only), we now have a choice: Covid? or Hanta?

On the very bad news side: I don't think we can give these away to people who might really need them.

And this leads back to the nature walk thing--an even better view than mine from my friend, an ER doc:

You know, there are two groups where I get insanely angry in a second.

ONE, are these entitled throngs who always seem to be laughing?  I have so far stopped myself from saying "YOU won't get a vent - and YOU....", though I actually long to do that.

TWO, are the people in 95's in the grocery, especially IF THEY'RE WEARING THEM WRONG—not fit to face, wearing BELOW the nose.  I have so far stopped myself from ripping them off. 

More important than my own take, is the responders' medical angle in rage (I know other ER docs)--I never thought of the triage possibility that doctors hold in their hands (must also be enraging--in the imagination--to know that you have the power and can't use it). Or the n95 abuse, but again made aware not only of waste of resources in general but resources on the undeserving.

That's the real crux of the feeling--living with the sense, in your face (literally, too), every day, that some people are undeserving. As in, in the actual moment of rage, I really DO want ordinary (not political) people to die or get sick without medical attention. In contemplation, I simply wouldn't mind. I think I am not an evil person. But not sure, and this is depressing.

I am sorry that I seem to have brought this around to me.

On the flip side, people doing the right thing--Job Lot again (and thanks again to my ER friend):

https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/COVID-19-ceo-message

So even if you don't like the quality of the bird seed, support Job Lot if you can.

Nature Walk #3

Sorry--I can't stop. I was going to finish and save this for tomorrow, but there has been a DEVELOPMENT, and for some reason, I have to send this out first.

So today I persuaded Nick to come out for a walk. We chosen nearby Vernon Street--picturesque if you like your walks poker-straight on a respectable-shabby-outskirts kind of through street. Its charm is that it leads to our local Ocean State Job Lot. Which Nick deems safer than the bike path. Well, we needed canned herring and oatmeal. And plastic tubs for all the books (another day, since it would be a rant and a distraction).

And there is nature, Job Lot—style.

I know the assortment of fats has already been touched on, but it turns out I took a much better photograph than the one I sent from Nick.) 

It's just another love song to Ocean State Job Lot.

Spring

To continue the walk thing. Still low tide.

This whole area, being unclaimed and reclaimed (what an annoying word) salt marshes, is dotted with osprey platforms (in the middle of fields, at the Mobil transfer station, and of course along the bike path). Previous post, observed on March 26, they were all empty. Next day, the 27th...

All of them (well, the 4 I could see along the path). These were just the ones I could focus my camera on.

Better than egrets.