Passing the time

I was smearing peanut butter on a rice cake yesterday when it occurred to me I wasn’t hungry – I ate it anyway.  I like the sensation of my teeth pushing through a rice cake, it reminds me of chewing pencils – the peanut butter was a bonus.  I’ve been doing a lot of mindless eating these days, it helps pass the time.  

I’m okay with this self isolation thing for the most part – the dogs and I have a comfortable routine – I feed them, they sleep, I walk them, they sleep some more.  I lead an exciting life – when the rest of the world was stocking up on toilet paper I was hoarding kibble and poop bags.

I took advantage of the seniors shopping hour at the grocery store today. The magic hour is between seven and eight in the morning, a tad early for the dogs and I considering I still like the world to think I put in an effort to be presentable in public and the dogs like to have a quick walk and a snack before I abandon them.   

I am a household of one and don’t go through a lot of groceries. It seems the shopping culture was redefined since last I ventured out two weeks ago.  I hardly recognized the store; empty shelves and lineups in front of the coolers – I had to wait ten minutes for my turn to get milk.

I have no idea why there’s been a run on toilet paper or why the supermarket was down to half a dozen packages within moments of being open –  there was slim pickings by the time I got there.  Being the experienced hunter/gatherer I am I managed to snag a 24 pack of the no-name brand before the slower seniors had a chance to grab it – I’m not sure the paper is as soft as a kitten or strong enough for bears but a person can’t be choosy these days – I feel lucky just finding some.

The store was remarkably busy for the hour but not frantic (or maybe it was frantic, in a seniors sort of way).  Everyone was focused and polite – except for the old bird talking on her cell phone and obviously shopping for someone else, she was blocking an entire aisle while whoever she was talking to decided if she wanted mild or spicy salsa.  Some people wore rubber gloves, others wore masks – I was decidedly underdressed.

It wasn’t until I was heading to the checkout that I noticed markings on the floor – I was directed down an aisle to wait at my designated line, six feet behind the man in front of me and six feet in front of the woman behind.  Nobody spoke but I did notice a couple of shoppers eyeballing the toilet paper in my buggy. A young woman guarded the checkout and ensured no one jumped the queue, the cashier was shielded behind plexiglass.  

When it was finally my turn at the till I was immediately relieved of the two bottles of wine I’d hoped to purchase – apparently the government frowns upon alcohol sales prior to nine a.m. (has no one told them we’re having a pandemic? Daytime drinking is all the norm.) The bag of flour I was picking up for my daughter was also confiscated, unfortunately I had exceeded the legal limit.  Grocery shopping has become serious business – you don’t want to mess with the checkout police. 

I was happy to get back at home, I’m not sure I’m equipped for this brave new world. I unloaded my groceries and hid the toilet paper. Aside from the fact I forgot to buy rice cakes I’m set for another couple of weeks. The dogs and I can go back to passing the time.