Subj : Isolation Diary To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Sat Jun 06 2020 10:32:00 Hi Nancy! BM>> Mix and match, so a total of four between beef, chicken and pork BM>> (2+1+1, 2+2+0, etc.). Latter option would be extremely generous! NB>> That's what I figured.... just wanted to verify... :) Only two mix NB>> and match might have been a bit too stingy, unless supply really was NB>> that tight... BM> Hopefully won't get _that_ tight! Might have had a tiny spike in the BM> tightness: a few days ago bad weather in the area -- just heavy rain BM> and higher winds here. Around 50 miles ESE of here a tornado hit a BM> farm, tore the roof off one building, the debris hit another building BM> causing some to break off and hit a third building causing an BM> electrical fire which killed 400 hogs. (I was half-waiting to hear a BM> follow-up story on a pig roast.) NB> Invite the whole neighborhood in so as not to waste the NB> goodness...? Just have to practice social distancing and crowd in NB> too tight... ;) Well I was sort of thinking along those lines too -- I think with 400 hogs it's more like invite the whole town. ...Never heard what happened: probably inspected and sold off to a pet food feed company. NB>> But there isn't the usual supply, and there still is somewhat of a NB>> hoarding mentality going on that the stores have to keep in check.... BM> Yes, especially now with the talk of a possible second COVID-19 spike. BM> LIS, we haven't seen the need to hoard, though will admit to a little BM> extra toilet paper and paper towels downstairs. Maybe a 'mini-hoard' BM> but did give away some to friends running low, and would have given BM> some to the neighbour who shops at a store where have been out of BM> toilet paper for weeks and I was able to get a 4-pack when I did my BM> regular shopping. NB> And we still haven't even opened the package we got Before it all NB> started... ;) We did. Though the package before the pandemic started was just about empty. I don't think we'll have to buy another pack all Summer, at least! BM>> There are several meat packing plants in this region (none locally, BM>> though if you eat a Lunchable it may have been assembled and packed at BM>> the facility in west Davenport). If they have to closed down that BM>> causes a problem on both ends: no meat output, which is what we see at BM>> the stores, and the plants don't take an input so the farmers can't BM>> sell their cattle, hogs, etc. I'm not sure of the details but BM>> apparently the cow, etc., can't hang around too long as only so much BM>> room, so much feed, etc. Haven't heard of any slaughters so maybe the BM>> plants are re-opening in time. NB>> I've heard of some forced slaughters, on the national news, but don't NB>> remember where... hopefully things are getting back to more normal NB>> now... I did notice that the Hormel refrigerated meats are temporarily NB>> out of stock at my Wegmans... I'm guessing that was affected by the NB>> processing plant issues... BM> Possibly, though either last week or the week before Hy-Vee had a BM> buy-one-get-one-free offer on Hormel pork roast and I think BM> tenderloins. NB> The ones I was referring to were the beef tips in gravy (which I NB> like to have on hand as a backup meal or basis thereof) and the NB> roast beef au jus... as of last week, they were still out... NB> shopping is either later today or tomorrow, so don't know current NB> status.... Ah -- the beef tips is a handy quick meal/basis for a meal; the roast beef is just good! :) More of a Deli or Kitchen item and I rarely wander those sections. BM> The overall meat ad seems slightly spare: say 15 items instead of 20. BM> Counters have a couple of empty spots but not by any means barren. NB> Overall there still seems to be a good supply of meats, although NB> there are a few things that just aren't available... Wegmans NB> still makes their specialty ready-to-cook burgers, but can't get NB> the irradiated beef so warn that they need to be cooked longer... Suitable substitute. At Hy-Vee the meat department seems to be decently stocked -- maybe a litle less densely packed to hide a small shortage but I didn't notice any holes. As for the remainder of the store, still some 'group' shortages like a brand of tuna fish; canned soups are stil notable sparse; wonder how the supply of Cream of Asparagus is?! (I like asparagus as a vegetable, just can't think of anything a can of the creamed version would go in to like Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom.) BM>> Similar here, though Illinois has five phases and Iowa -- I don't BM>> think we've gone the PowerPoint Presentation route. The barber BM>> shops/hair stylists, gyms, and another category wil be allowed to BM>> re-open tomorrow (Saturday, May 16th), though I'm not sure why here in BM>> Scott County as we were one of the 22 counties on the latter part of BM>> the curve. Social distancing, sanitizing, etc., to be observed. BM>> Interview with one of the hair salon owners indicated the current BM>> regulations aren't that much different from what was required before. NB>> Perhaps that played into the allowing them to reopen now... BM> May have been a factor, plus if they did it before doing it now is BM> just the same as it was, though a little more diligent -- "oh! clean BM> the credit card stylus too!". Plus maybe the stylists could be used as BM> examples of how to clean effectively and efficiently to other BM> businesses about to re-open. A bit of a stretch, admittedly. BM> Half-thinking of a must have been news item where Kroeger (grocery BM> stores) is sharing tips, guidelines, processes, etc., on what they've BM> learned to do about COVID-19 with anyone else/other companies to help BM> them. NB> Sometimes it all seems more than a bit unreal... Hopefully it stays unreal if part of that designation is due to not knowing anyone sick or worse dying from COVID-19. I did finally get a haircut two days ago -- feels sooo much cooler!! Do have to wear a mask before entering the shop; while trimming around the ears do remove the ear straps and hold the mask in place. NB>> I'd think that gyms would be a bit more risky, though.... although NB>> with lots of sanitizing between customers on the equipment, and making NB>> sure there's distancing between stands, it might not be too bad... Not NB>> a place I frequent, though I do see the people exercising through the NB>> plate glass windows... ;) BM> Here the gyms are re-opening at 50% capacity. I'm not sure on the BM> cleaning processes, especially with all that sweat! ...Little ribbon BM> placed between the treadmill bars "Sanitized for your protection"?! BM> (Thinking way back when the toilet seats at hotels had that.) NB> Yeah, I remember those.... ;) Dunno.... I didn't pay close enough to the timing details but where I got my haircut the chair was sprayed down after the client and then allowed to remain a while before being wiped down. Don't know what the length of time was but a while: one stylist had sprayed her station, another stylist (is the assistant manager) said she'd set her timer for the first stylist (the one who sprayed). ... First stylist asks if she missed hearign the timer; second (asst mgr) said "nope, have another twenty-two seconds". What seemed like a long twenty-two seconds later I heard the timer chirp (digital timer). BM>> I'm not sure when those categories will be re-opening here; have heard BM>> of preparations but not a date. NB>> I've heard since something like each new phase here opens two weeks NB>> later, but haven't actually seen any indication of phase two starting NB>> yet... BM> Illinois has a five phase plan and seem like they're on Phase Two or BM> maybe Three currently -- haven't heard too much lately. The Iowa BM> Governor announced yesterday afternoon the re-opening of some sports BM> events -- Iowa State Univerisity is planning events with 50% capacity, BM> which is 60,000 people (!) -- that's still a lot of people to manage! NB> I guess we are officially in phase two, heading for phase NB> three... and so far we've not seen major spikes.... Maybe Iowa NB> doesn't have distinct phases....? ;) We might not, or at least as detailed as Illinois'. I recall seeing Governor Pritzker (IL) on the news and stating/slide presentations of Phase 1, Phase 2, etc. (There are five Phases.) With Governor Reynolds (IA) I don't recall any PowerPoint Presentations but still opening in phases (lower-cased 'p') in a county-by-county consideration. (Seemed Illinois was doing more state-wide.) BM>> As for going places, we don't do bars, the occasional restaurant (I BM>> recommend the consomme' as it goes easily through the mask!). NB>> That may be why restaurant full-service is so late on the list.. NB>> since one does need to remove the mask to eat.... BM> I now see the advantage of the mask style which just hung down instead BM> of wrapping around the chin! NB> I'd just take the thing off... ;) Ooooohhhh!!!! BM> Restaurants are opening around here: received an e-mail from a local BM> Mexican chain their dining rooms were opening at 50% capacity. BM> They're on both sides of the River and I didn't pay attention if the BM> Illinois side was also opening. NB> I've heard that it's now ok for restaurants to open for outdoor NB> patio seating... unfortunately, none of our favorites have that NB> option... :) We haven't eaten out yet -- nothing to do with COVID-19; LIS we just don't eat out all that often. A couple of favourites do have outside seating but as has been rather warm here lately would not be all that comfortable. ...Food would stay warm! NB>>> That could be interesting... :) Around here, I'm seeing signs in NB>>> people's front yards honoring the 2020 graduate that lives there... NB>>> our next-door neighbor has one for her daughter... I hadn't realized NB>>> she was going to Wheatland-Chili HS (outer suburbs from the city here) NB>>> until the sign went up... :) BM>> We have a Wheatland not too far from here!! "Oddly" they're also a BM>> combined name: Calamus-Wheatland for the school system NB>> Many semi-rural districts have combined... :) BM> More efficient use of resources, though could be a but inconvenient BM> for the student: get up at 5 for the hour-long bus ride to school.... NB> That's pretty common anyway in rural districts... just part of NB> normal... Agree; I never had more than a fifteen minute commute so anything aorund 30 minutes or so seems like a forever. ...Maybe the school bus rides in elementary school were around a half hour or so; I don't recall. BM>>> I'm fairly certain the same here in Iowa. Blackhawk College on the BM>>> Illinois side has started advertising Fall classes on-campus; don't BM>>> recall anything from Augustana nor Western Illinois University; this BM>>> side the various colleges and universities are getting ready to BM>>> re-open but also the consideration of having to remain closed or with a BM>>> limited in-person student body. NB>>> Haven't heard anything yet about our colleges here... BM>> A few are planning on definitely re-opening with in-person classes. BM>> Don't know if limiting such as every other seat or combined with web- BM>> casts. NB>> They might not be sure yet what will be more optimum, and are waiting NB>> to see how things play out... BM> Yes, still a lot of variables, some of which are highly variable: for BM> example just because the law says can open 100% doesn't mean the BM> students will agree. Some will be fine with shoulder-to-shoulder BM> lecture hall seating, others keep some distance, others keep more BM> distance, others still tele-learning...... NB> And it might be more up to the administrators than the students NB> anyway... :) As far as distancing? Probably. Administrators probably would not want to have to close down their school because of an outbreak that might have been preventable or minimized. BM>> My guess is he did it himself with electric clippers as was larger BM>> sections, so a swoop of the clippers rather than a snip from scissors. BM>> AFAIK nobody asked details and that was the last time (though did take BM>> a while to grow back). NB>> Learned his lesson, I guess... :) BM> Yes. Still need to get that first post-shutdown haircut! Mainly BM> don't want to wait and wait for a haircut because everyone else BM> wants/needs one now too. NB> Eventually the backlog will ease up... ;) Yup: LIS I did get a haircut last Thursday. The shop did seem busier than usual when I got there, had three stylists instead of the usual two (though I don't think I had been there on a Thursday before the COVID-19 shutdown). ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... "Life is too short for traffic." -- Dan Bellack --- MultiMail/Win32 v0.47 þ wcECHO 4.2 ÷ ILink: The Safe BBS þ Bettendorf, IA --- QScan/PCB v1.20a / 01-0462 * Origin: ILink: CFBBS | cfbbs.no-ip.com | 856-933-7096 (454:1/1) .