The Winter of Our Discontent

It is March of 2020.  Winter is slowly slithering away, spring is waiting to jump out and bloom.  But there's a pall over the country.  It's called the Coronavirus.  No one should leave their homes.  No one can go to work.  We all need to stay 6 feet apart.  I made a well thought out trip to the grocery store.  I had my gloves and my wipes and was ready to be as careful as possible.  When I got to the store, there was a bunch of people standing outside, alone.  I thought, "well, that's odd, these people are waiting for their partners/friends to come out of the store.  But no.  It was a line.  A line of people waiting to go into the grocery store. 6 feet apart.  A store employee was manning the door, shouting instructions as though she was a TSA worker.  "Shoes off, computers out, etc. etc. " Her shouts were " Only 5 people in the store at a time.  You can only buy 2 items.  If you want to buy lemons and if someone else is buying lemons, don't look at the lemons, wait and go back to buy the lemons when they move on. "  Wait.  2 items at a time?  Total?  I play the part of the bad guy and say "2 items total?"  and she says, "oh no, 2 of each item."  " 2 bottles of white wine?  Or 2 bottles of Chardonnay?"  Of course, I don't say that.  I say "you mean if I want two boxes of noodles I can't buy any other boxes of noodles?"  She answered "no, 2  of the exact same item. " I swear everyone in line took a deep breath.  Because, as a white wine drinker, I am usually "ABC"  (anything but chardonnay) but in an emergency, I will down the Chardonnay.  I shopped quickly, bought a lot of frozen food that I have no room for and don't even know if I like (but followed the 2 item limit, because I am basically a rule follower).  I went home and noticed the mail had come, so I quickly wiped down the mailbox and handle and anything else they may have touched, bring the groceries in the house, and collapse.  This is hard work, this social distancing and cleaning and being afraid of everything.  It is not my nature.  I am much less careful, much more apt to hug and chat, and I really am not a fan of not being near anyone.  I pour myself a glass of wine, and sit alone in my sunroom, and watch my neighbors walking their dogs with proper social distancing.  The only thing I know to do at this point is put a bowl of dog bones out for all those lucky dogs that are getting so many more walks than normal, and watch.  And observe.  And hope.  Hope for better days for us all.

I'm a Cold Mess