I'm planning on hitting the grocery store at opening tomorrow. I figure it will be least crowded and best stocked at that point. I need bread, cream, coffee & a few more staples, and I'm almost out of La Croix seltzer, which is my go to drink since I'm not a soda drinker. I'd love to get more rice and beans, but that might be unrealistic. We're still well provided with toilet paper, lol.

Grocery report --

Paper goods still gone, as well as pasta/rice/beans and all non-Rx meds. Cheese aisle now bare as well, along with butter, but other dairy products seemed okay. I'm all right on all of those, but I was able to get needed ground beef and tomato sauce and paste. They're limiting the usuals as well as some meat and chicken. I also picked up a package of tortillas -- they were out last time -- and can make quesadillas 'til the cows come home.

One woman coming out of the store as I was heading in snapped at me, "I hope you aren't looking for anything. It's a joke, just a joke. I thought they were supposed to have trucks coming in and everything would be stocked again. There's nothing in there." I just shrugged. I guess it depends on what you're looking for.

Vermont will be under more strict regulation starting at 5pm tonight. The store will still be taking web orders and delivering them, but that's it from now on.

My husband went to the commissary on base after work last night and brought home groceries so we should be set. I have set up FB Live dates and times for my GS Daisy troop to meeting virtually so we can finish the last four petals we need to complete our uniform. All I have read from the parents is "thank you, (my daughter) is so looking forward to talking with her friends again!" I skipped homeschool today because I just didn't feel like it. We go to pick up the kids stuff from the school on Monday; they are gathering the stuff up and doing curbside service. I think it will hit them then that their days are going to be very different.

Both my library and local public libraries are now hard closed and only ebooks are available from OverDrive. If that isn't a sign from the universe to read my own damn (unread) books, I don't know what is.

The hospital system is in the verge of collapse. Medical staff are so over worked that fear they couldn't go on much longer.

Signs of medical workers asking people to stay home pop up in FB and other social media. "We go to work for you, you stay home for us." Like many people, I stayed at home all day working and watching TV and reading books.

Friends online started to ask what else to do while we are staying home. Not much else to do really.

We've got two confirmed cases in my town now, both people who had recently traveled overseas. The library is finally shut to all but online activities, so I guess these two books I borrowed are just going to live with me late-fee-free for the duration. People still aren't taking social distancing and self-isolation seriously enough and Hubby's about ready to start screaming at people who come into the store and say they're "just browsing."

I'm in a bit of a reading slump again. I've been blaming my usual seasonal allergies and fibro fog, but it's also anxiety. I just can't focus no matter what book I pick up, so I'm going to give up for now and watch a MST3K marathon on Netflix while I play Animal Crossing and try not to forget to feed myself.

We'll stick with this thread for a few more days!

I'm getting ready to go to my home office and check email. I was in the office for some court appearances yesterday afternoon. It was very quiet and everyone was trying to stay at an appropriate distance. The courthouse is basically not allowing people through the doors unless they are a lawyer, a litigant or a victim at this point.

I'm going to need to make a grocery run in the next couple of days. I'll probably do it tomorrow morning at opening time.

I'm looking forward to the Miss Silver buddy read on Saturday!

Thursday update:

Had to make another grocery run to another store (Fry's/Kroger) and was able to pick up a few more essentials. Butter was more than plentiful, cheese adequate. Napkins were the only paper goods in supply, but they seemed to be holding their own. Cleaning supplies just about gone, but not entirely. All meat is pre-packaged; nothing in the butcher department at all. Some pasta, but not much; no beans or rice.

I suspect part of the reason for better supplies is that the winter visitors are starting to leave and head back north. I just hope they haven't left their winter homes well stocked while depriving others of necessities. And worse, the fear of semi-perishables going to waste or a rash of break-ins.

Both stores I usually shop at have been well-stocked with fresh produce. Whether that's because of our proximity to California and Mexico, I don't know, though a lot of the more fragile items -- lettuce, tomatoes -- are Arizona-grown.

Liquor supplies are undiminished. ;-) I don't drink enough to care one way or the other.

Linda - good to hear. My usual monthly amazon paper towel order is apparently going to come through. I seriously DO NOT UNDERSTAND the obsession with buying out all of the cleaning supplies. There is no way that people are going to use them all. I primarily use washable microfiber cloths for cleaning, but we have pets and use paper towels for cleaning up pet messes around our litter box. We've been hoarding the paper towels and will continue to do so. I really don't like to use them anyway. I might see if I can figure out how to make some homemade wipes with a roll of them.

I expect that the beans and rice will come through in a few more weeks. For now, I have enough to get me by although I eat a lot of both. I have enough lentils for another batch of smoked sausage lentil soup and enough beans for a couple batches of spicy chicken and black bean soup. I'm again just thoroughly annoyed with the hoarders.

I'm completely current on my work for the first time in forever and am going to be helping some of my colleagues clean up their backlogs. Working from home is extremely efficient, but also extremely boring and isolated. I think my ideal situation would allow me to WFH 2 days a week to crank through stuff, and then be at the office 3 days a week for court and staffing cases with colleagues.

I've been making sure to get up every hour or so and get outside for some air and take a stroll around my house or down the driveway. It's too easy to just sit and stare at the screen without moving.

Right now I have a batch of mushroom and onion soup with orzo on my stove top for lunch. I have some left over French bread from sandwiches last night, so I'm going to make some Parmesan toasts for dipping, an easy version of French onion soup. I've been doing a terrific job with my no food waste project! It's much easier when I'm home.

Thursday's Update:
I've given up on doing eight hours or so of schooling from home. Now I'm making them do maybe a hour to two hours of work, followed by lots of play (Lego, Playdough) and videos. We go out to get some fresh air in the form of walking the dog or learning a new sport/skill in the yards.

We homeschooled my son for a couple of years while he was transitioning into a different educational program, and the one thing about homeschooling that you don't realize until you do it is that it is WAY more efficient than school. The transitions from subject to subject, the lines to get supplies, none of that is present in a homeschool setting. Really, you should probably only do "lessons" for an hour or two a day max anyway, so you're on the right track!

Corner store is closed. But local CVS is open and well stocked. Fresh food can be had via the Farmer's Market which the food trust said would keep running. The local farmer's market is year round, and apparently is the top earner in the city. The CVS had paper products and hand sanitizer, though you had to ask for that. I honesty do not know why my brother brought some because a good side effect of his OCD is that we are always drowning in the stuff.

It helps to have a yard and to walk the dogs.

One school has good access to zoom, the other not so much. Great times. Great times.

I really, really, really want a lemongrass martini but this being Philly Vietenne can't do that.

Reply to post #32 (show post):
I’m surprised their using Zoom. It’s known for its security problems.

Z

Reply to post #31 (show post):
I have heard that from several full time home schooler moms - a few hours of required work, a couple of hours on a project that is child led, and then chores. I could do that but I can't replicate the school day.

Reply to post #31 (show post):
Home school is good only if the parents are good like you. Having the education level and the skills to this.

Staying at home all day is no fun. I have been looking at live stream of zoo animals and other stuff to distract myself from the TV when I'm not reading.

What do you kids do on the rest of the day?