DAY 37

Adapting to our new lifestyle has taken some imagination and patience. Figuring out how to get our needs met without exposing ourselves unnecessarily to the virus is quite a challenge. Buying groceries was the first obstacle. Online ordering works well if you are not in a big hurry. Delivery and pickup schedules can take days. Going in person to the store can tax your mental health. Seeing all of the shoppers in their masks, avoiding contact with each other is depressing. The last time I was grocery shopping Plexiglas shields had been put up between the cashier and the customer. A man was checking out in front of me who was a head taller than the top of the Plexiglas. So how is that going to work? I am going to try Meijer Shop and Scan next time I go out. I understand that you scan the prices with your phone as you shop, bag the groceries right in your cart, and pay at checkout. I am interested to see how this works.

We have ordered dinner a few times because I get sick of trying to figure out what to feed these people. College Boy is not an adventurous eater, and managing to feed him a healthy meal on a daily basis is really hard. Having pizza delivered is a no-brainer. We have ordered online and had delivery or pickup for years. Other restaurants took some getting used to. Last night I went to Applebees website. They offer a scaled down menu right now. We all found something that we liked and I placed the order. I was given a time for pickup, asked what kind of vehicle I was driving, and paid by debit card online, including a big tip. When I pulled in to the parking lot I texted my arrival and the food was brought to my car by a mask and glove wearing server. She put my bags on the front seat and I drove home.

I have been wanting to paint my porch railings since last summer. Amazon delivered three cute birds that I ordered to put on my porch. I could not put them up until I painted, and of course I did not have any exterior white paint in my stash. I called our local hardware store and asked if they had any. They did. I paid for it over the phone. The sales clerk told me to call when I got there and she would bring it out. I backed into the parking space in front of the door and popped my rear door open. She came right out when I called and before you could say corona virus covid-19 I was home painting my porch.

I am going to have to be careful that I don't spend too much time shopping online. I have time on my hands and stimulus money burning a hole in my checking account. Those birds really are cute, though, aren't they?