A Very Cold Day

Sue intensely dislikes grocery shopping, so I do it. I am actually fine with it. I have time on my hands, so I wander the aisles at my petty pace.

Our store of choice has offered pickup shopping for awhile now. WMart also does it, but I try to avoid that store because I just find it to be a sterile, soul-sucking place. So I shop at Your Independent Grocer, and their name for this service is PC Express. You make out your order online, and they shop it for you and even bring it to the car.

Of course, not being averse to shopping, I haven't used the service, but times change and needs must, if you will permit me to go into full cliché mode. Utilizing pickup just seems like another timely isolating step to take at this point in time.

But I guess everybody is thinking that way, and so it will be 4 days between dropping the order and picking it up. I have been assured that this is not the typical case — until just recently, that is.

It is a relatively small order, more for trial purposes. We will probably still need help from daughter until we get into a routine.

Someone in our community set up a fb group to assist one another in these trying times and that's where I posed my questions about how the service works. I had the answers within a half hour. This is unlike the company's phone line which was overburdened.

Before resorting to this pickup method, I had been planning on using the senior hour from 8-9 and asking my questions to a staff member. But when I heard that younger folks were crashing the scene, I decided not to join the circus for the time being. Also, since then, the store has reduced the number of customers they allow in at one time, and I don't fancy waiting outside in line at this time.

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Time for our daily isolation selfie: A Toast to the Morning

The morning began with sunshine, so I went out early to see the geese and get some light on the subject for a change. But oh brother sister was it cold!

While I can survive -10C/14F quite well, but with a brisk wind to boot, the photo fingers get quite cold and even a bit numb.

I say geese, but it was the ducks who starred that morning. One performed a little ballet for me.

I like it if I can get some reeds in the foreground. I tried to get the foreground duck swimming between  two prominent reeds.

I did that goosing and ducking on a very cold morning, but it was still cold and excessively windy for our afternoon outing.

We drove to Riverside Park and took a wee walk into Roy Brown Park where there is a fenced dog run. You maybe able to glimpse the fence way behind Sue. Does she look a tad chilly?

Sue took one of me and my silly cane.

Much of our snow and ice has gone, but there remains an ice shelf on the shady side of the river.

We then sat in the warmth of the car while a a goose foraged in the temporary pond near the river's edge. I photographed it, but at maximum zoom and through the windshield, the photos isn't sharp. This was an odd goose with 4 legs and 2 bums.

We brought our own coffee and cookies. It wasn't the same as stopping at the drive through, but we continue to do our bit a avoid as much contact as possible. This was our second selfie yesterday.

COVID-19 News Snippets

I am in the mood to post a bunch of COVID-19 tweets that I won't even begin to attempt to attribute. I find TW to be a good source for quick news. The first one is a first-hand account of how contagious the virus is.

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Just so people know how contagious this is, here are some numbers for me personally, contrary to what I believed, I got it from someone last week Friday night, and got symptoms on Tuesday (that’s when I locked myself down), and so far I gave it to my wife, kid, brother in law, and my plumber (who I met for exactly 5 minutes) and so far my sister and plumbers wife got it from them already. It’s insane.

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JUST IN: New York City reports 2,964 new cases of coronavirus and 31 new deaths.

A total of 8,115 cases and 60 deaths.

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People and businesses found breaking the new social distancing rules will be fined, Ontario [my province] Provincial Police said Friday.

Individuals could be fined up to $1,000 while corporations could face fines of up to $500,000, OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] said in a news release.

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• 59 new cases, total 377
• OPP to issue fines for gatherings of 50+ people
• Trudeau: working w/ airlines to help stranded Canadians
• world hockey championships cancelled
• EB Games closes
• Starbucks: drive-thru only
• US-Canada border closes

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Social distancing measures in Canada could be in place for months, Canada's health minister said today. Patty Hajdu warned that not following the measures in place now could lead to more strict measures later to confine people to their homes.

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The US just passed #Spain to become #3 in total #Covid19 cases & is #2 in active cases. We will overtake #China & possibly #Italy by next weekend in total cases. We will, hopefully, remain in much better company w/r/t to CFR/deaths. Testing is our hope & it is growing quickly.

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Trump: Nobody ever imagined this.

FACT:  “The Obama-Biden Administration set up the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense to prepare for future pandemics like #COVID19. Donald Trump eliminated it—now USA paying the price.”

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Sorry, Anvilcloud breaking in. I can't resist. But my question which arises from this is very serious. Is America broken? I can't imagine Trump lasting for 4 years in any other first world country.

Trying to Find a Rhythm

We are into our second week of this splendid isolation. If we don't show symptoms by next Friday, we will be out of danger for the time being. Not that we ever were in danger, or will ever be out of it for that matter, but that will make our health status semi official.

Of course, there is still a great chance that we will contract it at some time. From what I understand the odds may be anywhere from 30-70 to 50-50. At least we will have done our part to flatten the curve.

Sue came across a suggestion about how to look at this and proceed with it. To wit: when it comes to interacting with others, act as if you already had the virus.

Meanwhile, I am trying to find a bit of a rhythm to my days. We have been out for a stroll for three consecutive days now. There are very few people out; it is about as safe as possible.

For two of those three days, I have also remembered to do a little bit of exercise following a YT program. It is very mild senior stuff, but it is something.

I can't do any vigorous exercise as I am in line for foot/ankle fusion surgery. I have passed (or perhaps failed is the correct word) the first diagnostic phase. Phase 2 will be a meeting with the surgeon. Step 3 will be the procedure itself.

So our walks are more of a hobble. I have even taken to using a cane. I guess it takes a little strain off the bad foot and also gives me a somewhat better sense of balance.

But I feel and look more like 92 than 72 when I hobble about.

This all stems from a bad ankle sprain about 35 years ago. I managed well enough for 25 years, but 10 years ago, the pain became noticeable, and we discovered that I am missing cartilage and have a bone-on-bone situation.

The queue for the surgery is lengthy. There is a significant wait to see the surgeon, which will be followed by another wait wait before the actual surgery, assuming that he agrees with this course of action. And I am sure that the Corona outbreak will lengthen the waiting time into next year.

But I can get around, even if it hurts my pride a bit to hobble about with a cane. Scratch that: it really doesn't bother me in that sense, and I am grateful to whatever support the came gives me.

That digression wasn't exactly planned, and then took longer to describe than what I thought.

This was our daily selfie on what began as a rainy and overcast day. but it did get quite warm. Depending on whom you believe, the temperature skyrocketed to 10C/50F or more — almost tropical.

So we donned rain gear and bumpershoots. Don't blame me for the staging; Sue is in charge of the shoot, and I fall in line like a good husband.

We walked to the pond, but even the geese were displeased with the weather. There was a pair of distant mallards, but I can't see them in this picture.

Isolation Day 7

We began our self-incarceration one week ago. That made yesterday, Thursday, day 7.

As has become the recent habit, we did a selfie for the family.

Some of these selfies are really compressed because they are shot and edited in the fb app, which enables Sue to add the funny bits.

I drove to the local pond in splendid isolation. I was pretty sure there would be geese although I was hoping for hooded mergansers. There were geese. Only geese, darn it all. A few photos turned out well enough, not natgeo well, but they'll do. The stripes in the second photo are reeds.

I used my long lens, so although the photos were cropped, they weren't cropped to magnify the birds, but just to get rid on some extraneous detail, especially in the first photo, above.

I had driven to the pond, but Sue decided to walk over shortly after and took this photo of me taking photos.

Then we sat on the new bench by the river and took another selfie.

This was our view from the bench on a dull day, but we appreciated getting out on the first day of spring (or at least the sun reached the equator just before midnight). Winters are long here, so this was a treat despite the cold and the dullness.

After lunch we walked to a nearby place that prepares take-home dinners, although we were really after goodies at the time. We placed a small order by phone, and it was ready when we got there. Sue waited outside while I was in and out in a touchless jiffy. One other couple entered but really kept their distance while they complied with the store to don gloves. Everyone is being extremely careful.

Still later, Shauna sent a message that she had left goodies in our porch. That is beef stew in the container, courtesy of her significant other.

We heated the stew for supper. It was excellent, and we appreciated it very much.

Shauna is really stepping up, and now her beau is too.

The Thing Around My Ears

I must update y'all on the credit card situation, which in case you don't recall, was having a charge go through on a store that we hadn't been to recently.

The worry was that someone had hacked us.

The reality is that the store eventually figured out what happened.

Back in early January, their bank had a horrible mixup that they have been trying to sort out. Yes, we had been in the store that day and had made a purchase for that amount.

Phew!

I am not sure who did the keying, but I think it may have been the bank that had the original problem, so I can't really blame the store.

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Meanwhile, what the heck is AC doing with that thing on his ears?

How silly I look!

That is the bluetooth device that connects my hearing aids to the tv. Even is the sound is no louder with the device than coming through the air, it is clearer, and I can follow the dialog better.

Sometimes in a semi reclined position, I tend to lose contact with the tv a bit or at least I may begin to pick up static.

But if I hook it over my ears, it changes the position of the receiver enough to usually eliminate the static.

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When our helper asked us the other day if she could pick up something at Costco, we didn't need much, but I suggested a box of my favourite cereal.

The new Costco box is on the left: the ordinary grocery store box on the right. The Costco box has 2.3x the usual volume. While I might have expected a size difference, I still found myself surprised by the Costco size. There are just two of us here, so we don't shop tend to require Costco volume, so it was surprising although it shouldn't have been.

It should last me awhile.

I tend to alternate breakfasts with oatmeal one day and granola the next with an occasional just toast day. I sometimes have toast after cereal as a kind of a second breakfast somewhat later.

What's your standard breakfast?

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Our isolation photo from March 18. Since it was Winter Break, we out onto the deck to mimic vacationers. But it was hovering around the freezing point, and it was windy too boot, so we didn't linger too long.

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Finally, Happy Spring Equinox. The sun will reach the equator at 11:49 tonight.

Social Distancing Graphic

I don't mean to post twice in one day, but stuff happens, and this image persuaded me to do break the rule today. Perhaps it will help those who haven't quite grasped the situation. Not you folk but maybe someone you know.

Self-Isolation Progress Report

As we settle deeper into self-isolation, we find that people are being as nice and helpful as possible.

On Sunday, Shauna did a decent-sized grocery shopping for us. Yesterday, the new partner of Shauna's Ex, contacted us. She was heading to Costco and offered to pick up anything that we might need. After what Sha picked up, we didn't need much but suggested that we could use apples and cereal.

She left it in the porch for us, and we will send an e-transfer back to her.

And she brought us Shamrock Shakes as an extra treat..

Shauna and her Ex have worked hard to keep good relations, and we all get along.

We have also received notice that our grocery store will open just for seniors every day from 8-9 in the morning. Likewise our pharmacy.

While I would still have to go out, contact should be minimal and everything should be well wiped and cleaned right after the store opens.

We have also signed up for free delivery of the groceries to the car. This will come in handy if we also subscribe to the express service where they will do the shopping for us. While we haven't looked into that yet, it could become an option.

The same program will mean that the pharmacy part of this subscription will deliver free to the house items that we purchase online, but I will also have to look into that more.

Two of the local pizza places in town have shut down walk-in trade but will accept online or phone orders as long as you pay electronically. They will then deliver to the door but leave the order on the steps or in the porch or whatever. (As you will read below, all eateries were closed to walk-in custom, soon after I wrote this bit. It is a very fluid situation.)

So much has changed so quickly.

Last Thursday, we felt comfortable meeting friends for our standard coffee date. A day later we were heading into self-isolation.

BTW, style guides do suggest that when we use "self" with another word, as I just did, that we should use a hyphen. I assume that, like me, everybody in the world would appreciate this vital information.

The premier of Ontario has declared a state of emergency, which pretty well means that we are doing what everybody else is doing and closing bars, restaurants etc. I am not sure what else at this point.

Finally, I present our St Patrick's Day isolation selfie. My hat is from Ireland and I am holding it in my hand so I can point to the single green patch. This is our third isolation selfie. So far, I am showing them to you a day late because I do tend to schedule my blog posts.



Take care everybody. Stay safe. Keep posting.