Small Talk: The Polygamous Cul-de-Sac

[TurtlePower]

Yay New Mexico......maybe (this is my state). We have not re-opened fully and I suppose we'll see if the trend changes:

https://www.covidexitstrategy.org

[Kbo]

I haven't been out of the house in a month, and it's been starting to wear on me.  I took today off work and we went to Costco.  I've been hearing that if you don't go at opening, it's been pretty quiet.  Maybe so, but not today!  There was people everywhere, and they were making very little effort to social distance.  It was virtually impossible to stay 6 feet from other people.  I didn't like it at all, and all I could think was, please don't let us undo all the staying at home with one trip to Costco 😒.  Unless the virus slows down significantly, I think we're going to bite the bullet and use Instacart.  At least the gas we got was cheap--I'm in WA state that has some of the highest gas tax in the country, and we paid $1.97 a gallon.  

They just announced that our county could move to Stage 2 (which opens restaurants and stores with limited capacity, hair salons, etc. at 9:30 this morning.  We passed my nail shop at noon and it was already packed.  I get it, I want a pedicure too, but it's going to take a few weeks without significant increases in cases before I'll go  in there.  Thankfully my hairdresser works on her own, and I got an appointment for Tuesday to get my hair cut and colored--I can't wait!  I know there's a small risk there, but after being in Costco today it's like what's one more person?

Edited May 23, 2020 by Kbo

[suomi]

Your quarantine experience, reviewed like a hotel

We asked our readers and staff to review their homes like a vacation. Their parodies did not disappoint.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2020/05/15/your-quarantine-experience-reviewed-like-hotel/

The ratings range from one-star to five-star and the mentions of pets and children are consistently amusing.

Most importantly, the dog is highly nonjudgmental. We try to ignore daily taunting from the cat. 

[AZChristian]

10 hours ago, Kbo said:

I haven't been out of the house in a month, and it's been starting to wear on me.  I took today off work and we went to Costco.  I've been hearing that if you don't go at opening, it's been pretty quiet.  Maybe so, but not today!  There was people everywhere, and they were making very little effort to social distance.  It was virtually impossible to stay 6 feet from other people.  

Our local Costco is ALWAYS like that.  We are in an area where "snowbirds" come for the winter months, and we refuse to even go into our local Costco while they're here.  We have a couple of other Costcos within 20 miles that don't seem to be as crowded.  The only thing I HAVE to have from Costco is their coffee beans.  We make "half-caff" by mixing regular coffee with decaf coffee.  As soon as the shortages started, we ordered five bags of each, delivered to our house.

Sam's is ALWAYS easier to get into and out of here.  Plus, with the Scan & Go, we don't even have to go to a cash register there, unless we're buying liquor.

[DakotaJustice]

Anyone who goes to Costco right now should get a medal. As it turns out, I'm due for a visit - my mom doesn't have one nearby and she MUST have their Kirkland Albacore Tuna. Costco won't ship it to her area. So I buy a few packages, and have my sister UPS them to her. 

PS I'm now hooked on the tuna, as well! 

[xwordfanatik]

34 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

Anyone who goes to Costco right now should get a medal. As it turns out, I'm due for a visit - my mom doesn't have one nearby and she MUST have their Kirkland Albacore Tuna. Costco won't ship it to her area. So I buy a few packages, and have my sister UPS them to her. 

PS I'm now hooked on the tuna, as well! 

I like the same tuna, and fortunately had bought some in February.  It's less salty than the other brands.  My mother wouldn't buy anything but albacore, and I'm the same way.

Instacart is very worth getting, IMO.  My last delivery was great.  No thick-sliced bacon for Mr. Xword, but no big dill.  I'll be ordering this coming week.  I have a Schwan's delivery coming Tuesday, and I'm trying new things there.  It's been good thus far.

[AZChristian]

2 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

Instacart is very worth getting, IMO.  My last delivery was great.  No thick-sliced bacon for Mr. Xword, but no big dill.  I'll be ordering this coming week.  I have a Schwan's delivery coming Tuesday, and I'm trying new things there.  It's been good thus far.

We've been using the Walmart curbside pickup and have been amazed as to how smoothly it goes.  We also found out that Total Wine & More does online ordering/curbside pickup, too!!!

The libraries are now doing it as well, so at least we know we're not going to die of starvation, wine withdrawal, or boredom.

[DakotaJustice]

29 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

I like the same tuna, and fortunately had bought some in February.  It's less salty than the other brands.  My mother wouldn't buy anything but albacore, and I'm the same way.

Instacart is very worth getting, IMO.  My last delivery was great.  No thick-sliced bacon for Mr. Xword, but no big dill.  I'll be ordering this coming week.  I have a Schwan's delivery coming Tuesday, and I'm trying new things there.  It's been good thus far.

My niece works for Instacart corporate in SF. Thank you! I've had good experiences with them as well. Better than Safeway's delivery. My tip: don't have fish delivered by Safeway. Actually don't buy fish at Safeway. 

25 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

We've been using the Walmart curbside pickup and have been amazed as to how smoothly it goes.  We also found out that Total Wine & More does online ordering/curbside pickup, too!!!

The libraries are now doing it as well, so at least we know we're not going to die of starvation, wine withdrawal, or boredom.

I can't recommend the Internet Archive highly enough. Tons of books and other fun items there including the entire Prelinger Library. I just finished re-reading Judith Krantz'  Princess Daisy and the Scruples series. Trashy but fun! And free!

Edited May 23, 2020 by DakotaJustice

[DakotaJustice]

This has absolutely nothing to do with Covid, but I'm obsessed with this little video and still nursing a giant crush on the young Darren McGavin. Ah, the 1950's and those dream kitchen Formica countertops. 

 

[Twopper]

21 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

For anyone who enjoys podcasts and would appreciate a scientific discussion about the virus, there is a great podcast which is hosted by three virologists. Its been around for years (they have over 600 episodes), but shifted to exclusively discussing coronavirus in January.  Its called This Week in Virology - https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/     While some of the scientific information goes over my head at times, its become my preferred source for staying up to date on the virus. Its enjoyable to listen to - they all have nice voices and a sense of humor, so its serious without being dry and boring.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.  We used to listen to crime podcasts at dinner.  I think the only ones that weren't were those on You Must Remember This which is fascinating if you are interested in old Hollywood.

I went to a farmer's market today to acquire a watermelon for Monday and some eggs; I think because of the extra baking I am doing we are going through eggs and butter faster than ever.  It was a little too early for the really good peaches, I think.  Also I went later in the morning because one of the vendors specializes in lunch items so she arrives later, and I wanted to buy some camp stew for Monday as well.  Also got corn, tomatoes, and spring onions.  Probably 2/3rds of people were masked, although not all of them were worn properly.  There were plexi glass type partitions between some vendors and buyers.   I will say that here in the southeast wearing a mask outdoors is going to feel very hot.  

We have detailed instructions for starting to have Mass again.  The first few will be outdoor ones fairly early where everyone can spread out.  Not sure when we will be inside again but a significant portion of parishioners have summer houses at the beach, lake, and/or mountains so  the Masses over the summer are not usually that crowded.

Stay safe everyone, and keep at least 6 feet away from me in all the forums and wear your mask and gloves when you type.

 

[TurtlePower]

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Our local Costco is ALWAYS like that.  We are in an area where "snowbirds" come for the winter months, and we refuse to even go into our local Costco while they're here.  We have a couple of other Costcos within 20 miles that don't seem to be as crowded.  The only thing I HAVE to have from Costco is their coffee beans.  We make "half-caff" by mixing regular coffee with decaf coffee.  As soon as the shortages started, we ordered five bags of each, delivered to our house.

Sam's is ALWAYS easier to get into and out of here.  Plus, with the Scan & Go, we don't even have to go to a cash register there, unless we're buying liquor.

My friend tried to take me to a Costco once and I had a full on meltdown (Las Vegas). It was awful, and it was like that EVERY DAY. We do Sams and also use the scan and go (so much easier). 

Some days I just can’t take it. People don’t abide by the 6 foot rule and railroad me right out of a space instead of waiting patiently (like I had to). I get pushed out and then have to circle back around, only to get pushed out again. So I give up and just leave, utterly disconnected and overwhelmed. Strange thing is I’ll stand up for others, but not myself. 

[Adiba]

7 minutes ago, TurtlePower said:

My friend tried to take me to a Costco once and I had a full on meltdown (Las Vegas). It was awful, and it was like that EVERY DAY. We do Sams and also use the scan and go (so much easier). 

Some days I just can’t take it. People don’t abide by the 6 foot rule and railroad me right out of a space instead of waiting patiently (like I had to). I get pushed out and then have to circle back around, only to get pushed out again. So I give up and just leave, utterly disconnected and overwhelmed. Strange thing is I’ll stand up for others, but not myself. 

I have to go to the grocery store today and I’m already felling claustrophobic before I even go. I get sweaty and itchy when anxious as well, so the temptation to scratch my face and nose increases when wearing a mask 😷.

I never like people too close to me anyway in the store even before this, so I rush toget my things and get out, invariably forgetting something 🤷‍♀️.

 

[Kohola3]

I feel like my area is being visited by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  First, of course, the pandemic is creeping steadily into my area of NE Michigan brought here by the summer tourists all flocking in without masks thinking they are free to do so since we don't have many cases up here.  Second, the devastating floods in the area with roads closed or washed out and Midland under 9 feet of water when two dams broke.

And now a record setting hatch of midges that look like large mosquitoes, luckily do not bite but have no problems flying into your mouth, nose, and ears as soon as you set foot outside.  Their swarms are so large that they are showing up on radar and look like smoke in the air.  My entire house is covered with them.  And I cannot get the dog to go out in the yard without chasing her through the house and dragging her out the door on a leash.  Just enough already!

[suomi]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

And now a record setting hatch of midges that look like large mosquitoes, luckily do not bite but have no problems flying into your mouth, nose, and ears as soon as you set foot outside. 

My hell, I can't even imagine. I vote with the dog! 

My cousin is a fire chief about 30 miles from the flooding and has been called on to assist and is good about keeping me posted. He is exhausted, as so many are.

Michigan is a beautiful state but some things about it just ain't right. Such as, the state bird being the mosquito.

My dad was a proud first generation (Finnish) American who was born in dah U.P. in Eben Junction and grew up in Gwinn. Most of his people are Yoopers, in Negaunee and Ishpeming.

I met them for the first time at a family reunion that was held at a camp near Crystal Falls. When we were still in Negaunee the aunties said we had to go blueberry picking so we could have blueberry pancakes the next morning. 

That sounded like a most excellent idea and I took (ineffective) measures by doubling my usual dose of liquid vitamin B1 and headed to the woods, to my doom. My fresh blood immediately registered and a reconnaissance squadron flew in for a closer look. I wish they had only looked. Maybe they were B1-deficient.

The worst of the numerous bites was on the arch of my foot and it swelled up like I was walking on a golfball cut in half. The itching was intense during the week of the reunion and pretty much for the rest of the summer after I got home to SoCal.

The swelling eventually went away but I still was aware of a "seed" where the bite was and I had to be careful when putting on shoes because that seed had an attitude. 

The following summer I was working in the yard and I stepped on something that stroked my arch and woke up the seed. It said "I'm baaaack" and swelled and itched like hell for a week.

So yeah, something about Michigan just ain't right. 

[Kohola3]

Yeah, those Yoopers are tough cookies!  We trolls have our challenges but if you live in the UP you are pretty much on your own against the elements. 

But, oh, those pasties!

Edited May 23, 2020 by Kohola3

[suomi]

I make pasties quite often, it's my #1 comfort food. Thank goodness for yoga pants.

 

[xwordfanatik]

54 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Yeah, those Yoopers are tough cookies!  We trolls have our challenges but if you live in the UP you are pretty much on your own against the elements. 

But, oh, those pasties!

Two questions for @suomi and @Kohola3:

Suomi, is B1 a preventative for bug bites?  I didn't know that, if true.

Kohola, WTH are pasties, other than what exotic dancers wear on their boobs?

 

[suomi]

I think he and I define good news differently. 

"The good news is both the clients and the hairstylists were masked" at the time of exposure, he said.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/missouri-hair-stylist-with-coronavirus-worked-while-symptomatic-exposed-dozens-of-clients/ar-BB14tUu5?li=BBnb7Kz

[Kohola3]

18 minutes ago, xwordfanatik said:

Kohola, WTH are pasties, other than what exotic dancers wear on their boobs?

The Cornish pasty (pronounced pass-tee, not paste-ee) arrived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the 1840s when miners immigrated to the area to mine for minerals.  The Finns and Italians that followed learned to make the sturdy meat pies that could be taken down into the mines in tin buckets. The pies were usually whatever root vegetables were available (although almost always rutabaga although the Finns preferred carrots) plus meat wrapped in pastry dough and baked ahead so that they could easily be eaten by hand.  They are traditionally a semi-circle and that's how you'll find them even today.

Nowadays there are all kinds of variations with all kinds of meat.  I like mine with gravy as they can be a little dry.

If you visit the UP and what to order one make sure you pronounce it correctly!  Trust me, you'll hear about it, eh?  Yoopers are like that.

[suomi]

My grandpa had what amounted to a subsistence farm and also worked in the iron ore mines to support 14 children. He carried his warm, fresh pasties inside his shirt while he walked to the mine in the morning and kept them there until lunchtime, which provided some warmth for him and for his pies.

My recipe is 50/50 ground beef/ground pork, potato, onion and rutabaga. And pepper. I top with butter instead of gravy. And a glass of icy cold milk. Yum!

re the liquid B1, it helped me. (Well. until Michigan). But we know today that it has more to do with your natural body chemistry (blood type O and lactic acid level are a couple factors). Beer drinkers may be more attractive.

The theory was that secreted thiamine repels and that levels beyond what your diet provides would put you over the top.

I started taking it during the '60s and used it for 30 years because our old school pharmacist had been selling it for decades. Local outdoor enthusiasts swore by it and began their dosing during the last few weeks of Spring.

Edited May 24, 2020 by suomi
clarity

[Kohola3]

5 minutes ago, suomi said:

My recipe is 50/50 ground beef/ground pork, potato, onion and rutabaga. And pepper. I top with butter instead of gravy. And a glass of icy cold milk. Yum!

I figured with your name you'd have a recipe!

[Pickleinthemiddle]

4 hours ago, suomi said:

My hell, I can't even imagine. I vote with the dog! 

My cousin is a fire chief about 30 miles from the flooding and has been called on to assist and is good about keeping me posted. He is exhausted, as so many are.

Michigan is a beautiful state but some things about it just ain't right. Such as, the state bird being the mosquito.

My dad was a proud first generation (Finnish) American who was born in dah U.P. in Eben Junction and grew up in Gwinn. Most of his people are Yoopers, in Negaunee and Ishpeming.

I met them for the first time at a family reunion that was held at a camp near Crystal Falls. When we were still in Negaunee the aunties said we had to go blueberry picking so we could have blueberry pancakes the next morning. 

That sounded like a most excellent idea and I took (ineffective) measures by doubling my usual dose of liquid vitamin B1 and headed to the woods, to my doom. My fresh blood immediately registered and a reconnaissance squadron flew in for a closer look. I wish they had only looked. Maybe they were B1-deficient.

The worst of the numerous bites was on the arch of my foot and it swelled up like I was walking on a golfball cut in half. The itching was intense during the week of the reunion and pretty much for the rest of the summer after I got home to SoCal.

The swelling eventually went away but I still was aware of a "seed" where the bite was and I had to be careful when putting on shoes because that seed had an attitude. 

The following summer I was working in the yard and I stepped on something that stroked my arch and woke up the seed. It said "I'm baaaack" and swelled and itched like hell for a week.

So yeah, something about Michigan just ain't right. 

You are just like me.  As a small child I would scratch them so bad they would just keep getting bigger and infected.  My mom would finally have to put some ichthammol salve on them and cover with a large band-aid.  Once she went to pull of the band-aid the next day and the contents of the bite area sprayed everywhere.  I loved being outside, but dreaded getting mosquito bites.  I know use the johnsons baby lotion in the green bottle and haven't been bitten in a while.

[Yeah No]

23 hours ago, Kbo said:

I haven't been out of the house in a month, and it's been starting to wear on me.  I took today off work and we went to Costco.  I've been hearing that if you don't go at opening, it's been pretty quiet.  Maybe so, but not today!  There was people everywhere, and they were making very little effort to social distance.  It was virtually impossible to stay 6 feet from other people.  I didn't like it at all, and all I could think was, please don't let us undo all the staying at home with one trip to Costco 😒.  Unless the virus slows down significantly, I think we're going to bite the bullet and use Instacart.  At least the gas we got was cheap--I'm in WA state that has some of the highest gas tax in the country, and we paid $1.97 a gallon.  

I've been hearing stories like this about Costco from people in my area too.  We actually did an Instacart order a few days ago from Costco and it went flawlessly.  We even got a roast chicken!  I've been branching out to different stores on Insta. lately and really enjoying it.  I already recognize some of the delivery people from previous orders.  Shocking is how many of them are driving not-so-inexpensive vehicles, like the guy in his beautiful BMW and today a woman in a very recent Ford Explorer.  Our experience with Instacart has been amazing.  The shoppers have been very good.  I am going to continue to use them even after this pandemic madness (hopefully) subsides for those times when I just don't feel like shopping or I have too much else to do.

I'm thinking I might go one day early because they're opening all stores early for seniors over 60 and those with at risk conditions from 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. on weekdays.  If the parking lot looks too full I'll make a judgment call.

Other than that pretty much all the Costco blogs say that the best time to go is on weekdays between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. and this advice never failed me before the pandemic.  Things are a little different now so I wonder if it's still true.

 

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

The Cornish pasty (pronounced pass-tee, not paste-ee) arrived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the 1840s when miners immigrated to the area to mine for minerals.  The Finns and Italians that followed learned to make the sturdy meat pies that could be taken down into the mines in tin buckets. The pies were usually whatever root vegetables were available (although almost always rutabaga although the Finns preferred carrots) plus meat wrapped in pastry dough and baked ahead so that they could easily be eaten by hand.  They are traditionally a semi-circle and that's how you'll find them even today.

The first time I had a Cornish pasty was courtesy of Myers of Keswick, a little store in lower Manhattan that my mother and I loved for its traditional UK delicacies, many of them store made.  We would get them and pork pies by the box full and eat them for dinner.  Same for the bangers and of course the wonderful teas, which now I can get at my local supermarket.

My mother was a gifted cook but her specialty was French and Italian food given her love of Julia Child and her Sicilian heritage.  She became a huge Anglophile as a result of growing up in Montreal in the 20's and 30's.  She attended the school that taught classes in English which had mostly British and Scottish teachers.

Myers has been there for over 30 years.  I remember when they opened, we knew the original owners.  It's a piece of the "old" NY that is becoming rarer these days.  I check in on it online every once in a while just to make sure it's still there.  Right now they've closed down because of the pandemic but say they will return.  Thank goodness, I think I would break down in tears if I knew they were shutting down for good.

I don't think I've even been in Manhattan in over a year.  It's sad, but a lot of what I loved about Manhattan has been steadily disappearing.  My husband who traveled there at least a few days a week as a limo. driver complained about it all the time.  He and my best friend tell me it's not the same place it once was.  That's very sad because we never started to feel that way until around 7 years ago or so.  The changes have been so rapid and disturbing in the past few years that I can't bring myself to face them anymore.  I used to follow a blog entitled "Jeremiah's Vanishing New York", but it got so upsetting for me that I had to stop reading it a few years ago.  All this weekend they're running a "Sex and the City" marathon on E! that we caught some of today and all I could do was feel nostalgic for what now feels like a much quainter NYC that doesn't exist anymore.  And now the pandemic will only make more of it change and disappear at an even more alarming and disturbing rate.

Right now Jeremiah is pushing for commercial rent forgiveness, otherwise the city will face a devastation in the form of massive business failures of all the small stores and restaurants, many of which are still closed and will be for a while.  I know that he was pushing for commercial rent regulation YEARS ago, but that never happened.  That would have been a good thing to have right now.  In many ways NYC is in big, deep trouble and unless there is some huge movement to offer rent forgiveness and other special aid, it could really get ugly and bad, especially in Manhattan before this is all over.

On a happier note, my husband got his small business loan deposit this week so at least we'll be able to survive for the next few to several months or so.

[TurtlePower]

14 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

The Cornish pasty (pronounced pass-tee, not paste-ee) arrived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the 1840s when miners immigrated to the area to mine for minerals.  The Finns and Italians that followed learned to make the sturdy meat pies that could be taken down into the mines in tin buckets. The pies were usually whatever root vegetables were available (although almost always rutabaga although the Finns preferred carrots) plus meat wrapped in pastry dough and baked ahead so that they could easily be eaten by hand.  They are traditionally a semi-circle and that's how you'll find them even today.

Nowadays there are all kinds of variations with all kinds of meat.  I like mine with gravy as they can be a little dry.

If you visit the UP and what to order one make sure you pronounce it correctly!  Trust me, you'll hear about it, eh?  Yoopers are like that.

I have a yooper friend who had to explain pasties to me when we worked in Yosemite. He brought them up to base camp one week and they are good! Kinda like a Michigan version of a burrito work lunch (stuff in a soft shell). 

Speaking of, I miss burritos and street tacos. I hate being celiac sometimes. Gf version are shitty tasting and just fall apart.  Why can’t they make the “bread” taste good? It’s like it’s bad on purpose! I don’t eat it often but when I do, it’d be nice if I didn’t waste $5 on something just to spit it out. 

[Yeah No]

This should be some promising news regarding Covid-19:

South Korean Study Shows No Evidence Recovered Covid Patients can Infect Others

Coronavirus patients who seem to catch COVID-19 twice aren’t infectious 2nd time

What Do We Now Know about Covid 19 and Can you Get it Twice?

Of course this knowledge is changing all the time and anything that starts with "no evidence" is just "as of right now", but it appears that the people so far who have tested positive twice have not been known to infect others, also they think that some or all of the results happened because of some lingering effects in the lungs after one infection that can produce a second false positive result.  So keep your fingers crossed!

Edited May 24, 2020 by Yeah No

[Nysha]

Does your body chemistry change with age? For the first 45 years of my life every mosquito and flea within a 5 mile radius would come to feast on me no matter how much I coated my body with off. The bites would swell and itch forever. For the last 10 years, I might get one or two bites a year and while they still itch, they don't swell. 

[Absolom]

3 minutes ago, Nysha said:

Does your body chemistry change with age? For the first 45 years of my life every mosquito and flea within a 5 mile radius would come to feast on me no matter how much I coated my body with off. The bites would swell and itch forever. For the last 10 years, I might get one or two bites a year and while they still itch, they don't swell.

It must.  As a kid I got the fewest bites in the family and they went away rapidly.  As I've gotten older, I get bitten when no one else does and they swell, itch, and look horrible. 

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Absolom said:

It must.  As a kid I got the fewest bites in the family and they went away rapidly.  As I've gotten older, I get bitten when no one else does and they swell, itch, and look horrible. 

I've always been the one that gets bitten when no one else does and I still am, so it hasn't changed yet for me.

[Teafortwo]

A woman in my circle of friends lives in Las Vegas. She posted on FB she attended a party on Friday, an outdoor lunch in the backyard of a friend. 11 women, smooshed together for group photos. One pic, all in masks; the next - same group, no masks. Yesterday (Sat.) she flew to PA to see her new great-granddaughter. I.just.can't.with. people.  

I know I'm pretty repetitive here so thanks all for putting up with my appalled venting.

In other news, I'm thinking of moving to Rockland County, an area on the West side of the Hudson near lots of hiking trails. I found what looks like the perfect house, on a half acre within a mile of a supermarket. I would have to transform myself into someone who can deal with lawn care, weeding, tree care etc, and I would have to learn to take care of the lovely herb/flower/maybe vegetable garden but I would have room to start fostering cats and kittens which I would really love. My fantasy is to do this and build an instagram business out of it (I know, I know, Mariah, Madison etc.) -- but foster cats/kittens instagrams are super popular. Especially the ones that just focus on the animals, with almost no photos/videos of any humans. The trick is learning filming/editing techniques and telling the animals' story in such a way that they start to become individuals that followers can relate to/get drawn into. I would have to sell my apartment to afford it but...well, I can dream. 

I could foster one cat in my small apt. but it would be very hard given my allergies which have gone untreated since Feb. However, my allergist has a satellite office two miles from the Rockland house and it is walk-in at a small strip mall rather than a high-rise office building. The house looks so perfect and so green and just SPACE to be outside and a couple of extra bedrooms that could be kitten rooms (and an office for my former work from home job if the company ever can resume business.) Winters would be hard but.... And I could have a dog! I would get a nice large rescue pup (my ideal would be a standard poodle/weimaraner mix).

I'm writing this as a person who has been outside just a handful of times in the past month since returning from the beach (a community that is about to be overrun with summer renters/2nd homeowners from Philly/NYC etc.)

Thanks for reading this far in my late-night ramblings.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Teafortwo
typos

[Kyanight]

 

1 hour ago, Teafortwo said:

Thanks for reading this far in my late-night ramblings.

I think it's a beautiful dream - and the best part about it is that it's ATTAINABLE!!   It sounds worth pursuing, to me!

I cannot foster kitties.  Once they step a paw in my door, they are mine. 

I like standard poodles - nice dogs.

The concept of owning an apartment is so foreign to me.  You can only rent them here.  But you can buy a Condo, and I would imagine it's similar.

[suomi]

Teafortwo, if we're taking a vote I say follow your dream. 

[Teafortwo]

On 5/20/2020 at 1:37 PM, sharkerbaby said:

do all those old timey things, grow much of my own food, including herbs, chickens for eggs and medicinals, preserve and can most of my produce

I would love to learn how to do these things, how to raise and care for chickens and put up preserves (in glass jars, not cans - I'm too neurotic to trust myself to do canning properly). But wow. And you can do carpentry too. I don't even know how to garden. I owned a house (second home) for a short time 23 years ago, and there were huge vines growing up around the trees. I had to hire someone to get rid of them. I had to have rehabbing done on the cedar shingles (a neighbor did a beautiful job) and have someone install a chimney cap because squirrels were living in the chimney. I gave up eventually and rented out the house to a younger woman who had been in the military and knew how to build things. She worked as a contractor. I ran back to the city and fell in love with a guy who was even less handy than I, and sold the house in a couple more years. Of course this was before YouTube where you can learn how to do (almost) anything.

[Teafortwo]

42 minutes ago, Kyanight said:

The concept of owning an apartment is so foreign to me.  You can only rent them here.  But you can buy a Condo, and I would imagine it's similar.

NYC has condos, we just call them apartments. Condos are real estate, bought and sold as such. A quirk of NYC is co-op apartments. They are similar to condos, except that instead of being classified as real estate, you purchase shares in a cooperative coorporation.  Although you own the shares, you are considered a "lessee" and the co-op corp is the "lessor." Typically there are more rules in co-ops than in condos; for example, most condos allow unlimited renting if you decide to move but don't want to sell. Most co-ops have strict rules on subletting your apartment - i.e. you have to live there for 2 years before you can rent, then you can only rent for a certain period before you have to live there again. My building allows a limited number of sublets - if there are too many and someone wants to sell, the banks will not lend to the new buyer. The percentage of owner-occupied to renter-occupied got stricter after the 2008 housing/banking crisis.

Co-ops have a Board of Directors that are elected annually (but often perpetually). The Board interviews prospective buyers and can reject them without having to give a reason. I was on my co-op's Board for 10 years and we rejected one woman because we just didn't like her personality. We didn't want her as a neighbor. The seller was very pissed, of course, and panicked that he wouldn't be able to afford to move. Within a couple of weeks he got another offer that was 15% higher and the deal went through. He never thanked us though.

All this sounds pretty horrible to non-NYers and those who own houses I am sure but in the best-case scenario it offers some protection to the building as a whole, which is especially important in older buildings with plumbing problems, vermin, need to install new windows, refurbish chimney stack, resurface roof, fix exterior brickwork front and back, replace hot water heaters, fix boiler, repair intercom, purchase new washing machines etc. Everyone needs to, well, co-operate when these fixes need to be done. One year we had to break through the drywall in every single back apartment in order to repair and line the chimney. It was just insane and those owners were on the hook for drywall and paint after it was over. We got it done because everyone agreed to go along with it. 

[Rabbit Hutch]

A Covid update? Well, let's see.  Since coming home unexpectedly in Mid-March (being in Florida right before their quarantine restrictions), I've gotten into furniture renovation!  I've about 11 pieces of furniture that I wanted to repair and refresh, so I used the time to watch a bunch of U-Tube videos to teach myself the basics, and then I got busy.  I'm now finishing up with #7, and though the mistakes are MANY, I'm quite proud of my pieces.  🙃  

I also reintroduced myself to the stove and made my first homemade chicken pot pie, Chile rellenos  (my favorite Mexican dish), and bought not 1 but 2 Instant Pots;  one for small portions, and one for freezing bulk meals for the road.  TBH, I bought the smaller one first, realized it wasn't big enough and HAD to buy the 2nd, but it's worked out really well.  😉

Quite to my surprise, my furniture did come in!  😍 Happily, all the pieces were in perfect condition. Kinda of glad for the furniture store owners, too,  as they are a mom and pop shop and I love being able to help out the local economy, especially during this time.

It's difficult for me to be in one place for such a long time, as I was also in the hospital for an unexpected but quick stint back in January, and then stayed home from that til March 1st. However, DH is coming in for hometime, and I'm planning to be OTR the first week in June.  DH says that 4-wheeler traffic has crept back up to about 75% since May 1st, as the nation struggles with when and how to ramp up through the various stages of reopening.  

I've frozen a bunch of meals for us to eat on the truck, due to restaurant closures and our personal fears. Truckers reported that some areas have little for them to eat, but we're prepared. We have gloves, masks, and soap, and a little bit of sanitizer.  No one has much sanitizer, but the company was finally able to get some to give to the truckers, and we're grateful.  We've water a plenty, vitamin C and D, but one gets plenty of vitamin D on a truck, jumping in and out all day.  We've also have our Lysol spray for those truckstop shower times!  😛

We learned recently that our large trucking company has had only 7 cases of COVID, and I'm extremely happy about that, considering where DH has been running, lately. 😷 They're running him ragged, but we're glad that he is healthy, and with 30 million folks out of work, that he's working.  I honestly thought he would be furloughed by now.  

Holy cow, this Corona update has turned into a novella! 😏 However, after looking over what I've reported I realize how lucky that we've been during this time. We came through unscathed, and for that I'm grateful. What the future holds for us I don't know, but for now, gratitude is our attitude.  🙏

 

[Absolom]

You could check online for hand sanitizer.  I was able to order a large bottle of hand sanitizer from Walmart online.  Amazon sometimes has reasonable prices plus Walmart stores are beginning to have it in stock especially the smaller bottles.

[Roslyn]

5 hours ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

I've frozen a bunch of meals for us to eat on the truck, due to restaurant closures and our personal fears. Truckers reported that some areas have little for them to eat, but we're prepared. We have gloves, masks, and soap, and a little bit of sanitizer.  No one has much sanitizer, but the company was finally able to get some to give to the truckers, and we're grateful.  We've water a plenty, vitamin C and D, but one gets plenty of vitamin D on a truck, jumping in and out all day.  We've also have our Lysol spray for those truckstop shower times!  😛

 

At the beginning of this I made my own "wipes" by taking a package of wet wipes and cutting it open to dry out the cloths.  Then I put them into a heavy duty plastic bag and re-hydrated them with rubbing alcohol.  I keep these in the car to wipe my hands and handles/steering wheel etc.

[ChristmasJones]

7 hours ago, Rabbit Hutch said:

 

It's difficult for me to be in one place for such a long time, as I was also in the hospital for an unexpected but quick stint back in January, and then stayed home from that til March 1st. However, DH is coming in for hometime, and I'm planning to be OTR the first week in June.  DH says that 4-wheeler traffic has crept back up to about 75% since May 1st, as the nation struggles with when and how to ramp up through the various stages of reopening.  

I've frozen a bunch of meals for us to eat on the truck, due to restaurant closures and our personal fears. Truckers reported that some areas have little for them to eat, but we're prepared. We have gloves, masks, and soap, and a little bit of sanitizer.  No one has much sanitizer, but the company was finally able to get some to give to the truckers, and we're grateful.  We've water a plenty, vitamin C and D, but one gets plenty of vitamin D on a truck, jumping in and out all day.  We've also have our Lysol spray for those truckstop shower times!  😛

We learned recently that our large trucking company has had only 7 cases of COVID, and I'm extremely happy about that, considering where DH has been running, lately. 😷 They're running him ragged, but we're glad that he is healthy, and with 30 million folks out of work, that he's working.  I honestly thought he would be furloughed by now.  

 

Have you by chance listened to the podcast Over the Road? Its by a long-haul trucker and each episode explores various aspects of that profession and culture.  https://www.overtheroad.fm/   

I've enjoyed it.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by ChristmasJones

[ChristmasJones]

My local Kroger-owned grocery store was very busy today.  For the most part, people were doing their best to socially distance. I'd say about 90% of people in the store had a mask on. I saw two people wearing theirs pulled below their nose though.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

8 hours ago, Absolom said:

You could check online for hand sanitizer.  I was able to order a large bottle of hand sanitizer from Walmart online.  Amazon sometimes has reasonable prices plus Walmart stores are beginning to have it in stock especially the smaller bottles.

While in my local Kroger I was going through the health section and saw two side counters full of what looked like Gin or Vodka 🤣.  Low and behold it was hand sanitizer.  It was a liquid, it was not mixed with a gel.  But i only paid $9.00 for 1 liter.  A few weeks back I paid the same price for 6 ounces at the local 7-11.  

I lucked out with my shopping today.  Found disinfecting wipes, and lysol spray, it was a limit of one of each.

[sharkerbaby]

33 minutes ago, Pickleinthemiddle said:

While in my local Kroger I was going through the health section and saw two side counters full of what looked like Gin or Vodka 🤣.  Low and behold it was hand sanitizer.  It was a liquid, it was not mixed with a gel.  But i only paid $9.00 for 1 liter.  A few weeks back I paid the same price for 6 ounces at the local 7-11.  

I lucked out with my shopping today.  Found disinfecting wipes, and lysol spray, it was a limit of one of each.

My cousins have a distillery and converted their lines to make hand sanitizer sometime in early April.  It's been hugely successful and has helped supply their region.  If they were to add a gelling agent, it would lower the concentrations below WHO recommendations to combat the corona virus.

Since they generally run alcohol, their bottling is provisioned for their brand bottles so that's what their hand sanitizer is bottled in as well.

Edited May 26, 2020 by sharkerbaby

[Gramto6]

Last time I was out, a couple of weeks ago, I found a liter bottle of Distillery Antiseptic Hand Rub. I put some in a small spray bottle for the car and another in a larger spray bottle for at home. I hope I can get another bottle when I go out this week. I think it is wonderful that these companies changed their direction to meet the needs of the public.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Gramto6
typo

[Kohola3]

42 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

I put some in a small spray bottle for the car and another in a larger spray bottle for at home.

Great idea. It's a little hard to use when it's a liquid. I manage to pour it all over the place and end up with very little on my hands.

[Yeah No]

20 hours ago, Teafortwo said:

NYC has condos, we just call them apartments. Condos are real estate, bought and sold as such. A quirk of NYC is co-op apartments. They are similar to condos, except that instead of being classified as real estate, you purchase shares in a cooperative coorporation.  Although you own the shares, you are considered a "lessee" and the co-op corp is the "lessor." Typically there are more rules in co-ops than in condos; for example, most condos allow unlimited renting if you decide to move but don't want to sell. Most co-ops have strict rules on subletting your apartment - i.e. you have to live there for 2 years before you can rent, then you can only rent for a certain period before you have to live there again. My building allows a limited number of sublets - if there are too many and someone wants to sell, the banks will not lend to the new buyer. The percentage of owner-occupied to renter-occupied got stricter after the 2008 housing/banking crisis.

Co-ops have a Board of Directors that are elected annually (but often perpetually). The Board interviews prospective buyers and can reject them without having to give a reason. I was on my co-op's Board for 10 years and we rejected one woman because we just didn't like her personality. We didn't want her as a neighbor. The seller was very pissed, of course, and panicked that he wouldn't be able to afford to move. Within a couple of weeks he got another offer that was 15% higher and the deal went through. He never thanked us though.

All this sounds pretty horrible to non-NYers and those who own houses I am sure but in the best-case scenario it offers some protection to the building as a whole, which is especially important in older buildings with plumbing problems, vermin, need to install new windows, refurbish chimney stack, resurface roof, fix exterior brickwork front and back, replace hot water heaters, fix boiler, repair intercom, purchase new washing machines etc. Everyone needs to, well, co-operate when these fixes need to be done. One year we had to break through the drywall in every single back apartment in order to repair and line the chimney. It was just insane and those owners were on the hook for drywall and paint after it was over. We got it done because everyone agreed to go along with it. 

Tea, I don't know if you were reading this thread just after my 92 year old father in NYC died in April of Covid-19.  I was unable to go down there to be with him in the hospital when he was sick for obvious reasons.  I had to have his body cremated - his remains are still at the funeral home on upper Broadway in the Bronx waiting for me to be up to going down there to get them.  Dad and I had no other family left so it's just me and my husband. 

Anyway, I've posted before about my father having signed his Bronx co-op apartment over to me years ago.  I now own it and must pay the $1,000 in maintenance every month until I can go down there to deal with getting the place cleared out and selling it.  I don't know how long that's going to take and it threatens to bankrupt me.  My father only left a small bank account which will pay the maintenance for several months but that's it.  My husband and I are making zero money right now and living on pandemic relief money.  He owns his own limo. and there is no work right now because there is no international travel.  Even if there was he would not want to potentially expose himself to the virus.  I don't have the money or the ability to manage any kind of renovation project from 100 miles away especially with pandemic worries, plus I worry that no one will want to buy the apartment in its present condition, which isn't good.  It needs a complete and total renovation in every way.  Then too I worry about the board turning down prospective buyers if they are not intending to inhabit the apartment (I know how they get hung up on that), and it's not inhabitable in its present condition.  So I am right in the middle of a very bad situation with this place and haven't yet been up to dealing with it.  Even if the place were fixed up right now it wouldn't be worth all that much because it's in the Bronx and I worry that when all is said and done I will actually end up breaking even with it or losing money.

I know all about the horrors of co-op ownership, the board aggravations, plus all of the usual garbage like special assessments.  Then there was shutting down the one and only elevator in a 6 story building for months while it was being replaced and having to take my father (then 90) in to live with me and my husband in CT during that time because of course his apartment was 6 stories up. 

My father was the president of his co-op board for many years.  He retired from that about 15 years ago.  When he was in charge he ran a very tight ship as they used to say,  back when the world was a kinder, gentler place.  Now the management company of the building acts like the building's boss and the sheepish owners and board let themselves be bullied by them.  I have not acted like they can bully me but that doesn't stop them from trying at every step of the way.  It's like they go out of their way to make everything a complete nightmare from start to finish.  My father always used to say that the management company worked for US, not the other way around.  But today things are different, and not better, IMHO.  My father lived in that building from the day it opened in 1974.  I moved in with my parents then myself.  I was 15 years old.  It was originally a rental but went co-op back in the '80s when a lot of buildings in NY converted.

Anyway, if you have any kind of advice for me in my situation, do share as I really need some from someone that understands my situation right now.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Yeah No

[Rabbit Hutch]

19 hours ago, Absolom said:

You could check online for hand sanitizer.  I was able to order a large bottle of hand sanitizer from Walmart online.  Amazon sometimes has reasonable prices plus Walmart stores are beginning to have it in stock especially the smaller bottles.

Thanks, I'll check it out.  😊

15 hours ago, Roslyn said:

At the beginning of this I made my own "wipes" by taking a package of wet wipes and cutting it open to dry out the cloths.  Then I put them into a heavy duty plastic bag and re-hydrated them with rubbing alcohol.  I keep these in the car to wipe my hands and handles/steering wheel etc.

What a great idea!  I buy those Assurance adult wash wipes like there's no tomorrow for the truck, anyway, so that would be perfect for our needs.  Thanks!

13 hours ago, ChristmasJones said:

Have you by chance listened to the podcast Over the Road? Its by a long-haul trucker and each episode explores various aspects of that profession and culture.  https://www.overtheroad.fm/   

I've enjoyed it.

 

 

No, I haven't.  I've been looking to expand my podcast selection so I'll give this one a listen.  I've been watching an awful lot of You-Tubers' videos on trucking, rv-ing, and even backcountry skiing, I miss the the road so much.  😞  Yep, I just love the smell of diesel in the mornin!!! ☺

BTW, love your avatar. 

 

[laurakaye]

On 5/22/2020 at 2:38 PM, Kohola3 said:

This is a resort town in MI and they need to make their entire profit in 3-4 months so it will be interesting to see how many are still around next year.  We all have our favorites and mine has been closed all along. 

We've been visiting the same northern Michigan town in mid-July for the past 25 years.  At this point it's what I think about when I'm feeling low - I go to my "happy place" and picture myself on the beach with a book and a glass of wine.  Time will tell if we can still go this year, and what it will look like.  I am cautiously optimistic.

 

On 5/23/2020 at 2:35 PM, Adiba said:

I have to go to the grocery store today and I’m already felling claustrophobic before I even go. I get sweaty and itchy when anxious as well, so the temptation to scratch my face and nose increases when wearing a mask 😷.

I cannot count the stupid, impulsive purchases I have made at the grocery store since March.  It's a combination of just wanting to get my stuff and get out of there, stress-eating new things because why not (this is how I ended up with a very large bag of white cheddar popcorn that my family of three could not even finish in a week so the remainder went to the squirrels), buying stupid things that cost too much like candles because gosh darn it, I like candles, and why shouldn't I treat myself, after all - it's not like I can go to Yankee Candle and smell stuff anymore! - and buying lots of fresh fruit thinking I am going to make delicious things and then being too tired/stressed/over it to bother...which is so Janelle-like, I scare myself sometimes.

Basically grocery shopping has gone from regular weekly drudgery to anxiety-inducing weekly drudgery.

 

15 hours ago, sharkerbaby said:

My cousins have a distillery and converted their lines to make hand sanitizer sometime in early April.  It's been hugely successful and has helped supply their region.  If they were to add a gelling agent, it would lower the concentrations below WHO recommendations to combat the corona virus.

Since they generally run alcohol, their bottling is provisioned for their brand bottles so that's what their hand sanitizer is bottled in as well.

Several local breweries in lower Michigan have been doing this as well and when those businesses open back up, I plan to give them as much business as I can.  Although I have not needed to buy sanitizer from those places, I appreciate the calming fact that if we do need some, there are places we can get it.  It's a small but important thing to file away in my overtaxed brain.

[Meowwww]

Check your local distilleries!  Two local ones here are making hand sanitizer.  It comes in a plain 750ml whiskey bottle.  Ours charges 10 bucks for that big bottle.  I bought two, mixed it 2/3 sanitizer with 1/3 aloe (pure) and have a ton of bottles of sanitizer.  And a bottle and a half left of the straight sanitizer.  It went a really long way. 

[sharkerbaby]

1 hour ago, Meowwww said:

Check your local distilleries!  Two local ones here are making hand sanitizer.  It comes in a plain 750ml whiskey bottle.  Ours charges 10 bucks for that big bottle.  I bought two, mixed it 2/3 sanitizer with 1/3 aloe (pure) and have a ton of bottles of sanitizer.  And a bottle and a half left of the straight sanitizer.  It went a really long way. 

Just as a thought to consider, adding that volume of an inactive ingredient has dramatically diluted the effectiveness of the solution.  Can't remember for absolute certain but I believe the WHO recommends minimum of 70% concentration for the active ingredient.  Even if the hand sanitize was 100% alcohol (and I can pretty much guarantee it was not) adding 1/3 aloe brought the concentration down to 66%.

And I say this as one who is a bit of a skeptic, as I so recently pointed out at length.  Just want to pass along something to think about for those who want to be sure they are following published safety and health guidelines.

[Absolom]

CDC recommendation:

Quote

Cleaning hands at key times with soap and water or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to those around you.

 

[sharkerbaby]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

CDC recommendation:

Cleaning hands at key times with soap and water or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to those around you.

Thanks.  I was mistaken the recommendation does require 60% concentration of ethanol (it's 70% if isopropanol). 

As I had mentioned the  formulation does not reach the consumer at 100% ethanol and is in all likelihood produced using the WHO forumlation as the FDA has provided for in it's "Policy for Temporary Compounding of Certain Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Products During the Public Health Emergency Immediately in Effect Guidance for Industry".  Specifically, this policy indicates the formulation should be:

"3. The hand sanitizer is compounded according to the following formula consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations: 

a. Alcohol (ethanol) (formulated to 80%, volume/volume (v/v)) in an aqueous solution; or Isopropyl Alcohol (formulated to 75%, v/v) in an aqueous solution. 
b. Glycerin (glycerol) (1.45% v/v).
c. Hydrogen peroxide (0.125% v/v).
d. Sterile distilled water or boiled cold water.

The compounder does not add other active or inactive ingredients, such as ingredients to improve the smell or taste due to the risk of accidental ingestion in children. Different or additional ingredients may impact the quality and potency of the product."

So the final product concentration is ~80% active ingredient, diluting that by 33% brings the final concentration to ~52.8%

 

ETA:  If anyone really wants to get into the weeds, here is the actual WHO guide for hand sanitizer production.  Specifically since we are talking drinking alcohol distilleries here they would in all likelihood be following "formulation 1" as that uses product from their core business.  Guide to Local Production: WHO-recommended Handrub Formulations

ETA Part 2:  I only know this because as I mentioned earlier, my cousins own a distillery so I have been privy to some of the considerations that went into deciding to switch to hand sanitizer production.  And in fact they originally decided against it and declined to produce the product despite being approached by high profile entities.  Once the FDA temporarily eased their oversight and enforcement of the standard regulations, the door was opened for production.

Edited May 27, 2020 by sharkerbaby