Travels with The Rayman

Today, it was time to grocery shop again.  The delivery service that I tried out was a bust.  Only a fraction of things I ordered were delivered because the store’s shelves were bare.  Very disappointing, however, this is a disappointing time.

We ran to Ralph’s in Los Osos and were thrilled to see veggies and fruit…lots of it!!  I bought all organic.  Though, with people mauling the merch, organic may be a moot point.  However, someday this will pass and I want those farmers that go to the trouble of not dousing everything in poison to still be standing.  So there is that.

A few things were missing…like flour (the staff of life) and clam juice (who knew people really bought that stuff).  So, after we left, we headed to the vet for Beau’s appointment.  The people at the Animal Care Clinic in SLO came out to the car, took our baby in, shot him, and returned him to the car.  From there, I called the office and commenced the payment for services via the telephone.  Pretty darn safe, I’m guessing, and hoping…and all that razmatazz.

Then we drove to the medical marijuana store in Grover Beach and there we found two guys and their computers sitting under a rectangular umbrella to take orders like a drive thru.  Cool.  Got our stuff and joked with them quite a bit.  So impressive and dare I say,  entrepreneurial.  

My friend, Neta, asked if I needed rice based on an email I sent out to our Sideways wine tasting group.  Since I planned to prowl the aisles of numerous grocery establishments, I demurred but then asked her if she needed anything.  Yes.  She did.  Braggs Organic unfiltered cider vinegar.  Okay, I told her I would pick her up a bottle.  

When we arrive arrived at Whole Foods, I asked Rayman to stay in the car.  He is more susceptible that I.  So I ran in to make a quick visit.  Vinegar.  Check, Cheese crackers.  Check.  A few other items and out I dashed.  Then we drove over to BevMo.  It was opened but closed.  Had to download their app and buy the stuff (aperol) on line.  Then I had to wait for someone to deliver it to the door.  There was a man there with a keg waiting to get in.  So, I started a chat.  He thought the virus was way overblown.  I asked him if he watched Fox.  He said he didn’t watch anything which is just as bad (sorry Fox watchers).  So, he is ignoring directives and doing his own thing.  I wished him good luck.  

And off we drove.  

When we arrived home, I brough everything in and wiped the groceries with Clorox wipes.  Put the groceries away.  Then I looked the WF bill.  The vinegar was $17.  WHAT?  It had additives and wasn’t plain vinegar.  Treacherous marketing.  I didn’t notice because I was trying to get out of the store unscathed by the microbes.  So, I emailed Neta and gave her the bad news.  So now I need to back to WF and return it and get the right stuff.  Darn it.  Haste makes waste.  

The news was dreadful tonight.  A lack of PPE (personal protective equipment) for the health care workers.  Lack of respirating equipment.  CA has been ordered to stay at home as has NY and Illinois.  It falls to the governors and mayors to run this emergency response while the President blunders his way through news conferences with happy talk that does not at a reflect reality (he lies as does his VP) and a total lack of concern or empathy for people on the front lines or the poor infected souls.  How is this a thing?  It is a national nightmare.  The President says hospital ships are coming but they are weeks away.  Test kits are here.  They aren’t.  There is a new drug.  No there isn’t.  We are living in very dangerous times now.

A great segue to what we, Rayman and I, are doing.  We are drinking, getting high, and walking.  We are eatiing every meal at home.  I even gave up my crown as Miss Gourmet Cook and made butter chicken in my Instapot, and jasmine rice in my rice cooker while I showered for the evenings festivities.  It was delicious and easy.  The chicken was skinless breast that lacked flavor but in these times, one must be happy to even find chicken (there wasn’t any last night at Albertsons).  The sauce was great (Indian curry kind of flavors).  Frozen peas are new in my repertoire.  Bought a giant bag of them (organic of course) at Costco last weekend.  Served them too.  Oh, and a good light white wine to wash it all down.  Yummy.  

The news made us sick so we are in bed.  I’m blogging.  Rayman is reading Sapiens.  I’m going to turn this machine off and read now….I think having the lights on may be bothering Beau as he is wedged between us.  He is offering a great deal of joy during this madness.  His affect on us is calming which is a good thing.  Oh, how we love our dog.

And with that, the week ends in a much worse place than it started and I fear for our future.