flemmings | (no subject)

Summer getting serious here, no more Mr Nice Guy. Mid-30s all week. In an ordinary year I'd spend the day in work's AC, turn on my own central AC during the low rate period after 7 to cool the house down so I can sleep, turn it off when I get up, lather rinse repeat. But this year there's no work and no low rates, so I shall see how bad it gets. So far, window AC is enough, and may continue to be enough even if I have to run it through the day.

(This is one reason, aside fronm nostalgia, that I check the historical stats every morning. Reminds me that it can be much worse, like in 1988, high of 37.8 living in a house with no air conditioning.)

I need to go shopping for veg again at some point. Used to be Fiesta let us oldsters skip the queue when we showed up, waving us in ahead of theline, but the last two times I've had to stand in the hot hot sun. Only last time as I got near the doors, the checker waved an elderly woman in who'd just arrived. Evidently I don't look old enough for line jumping, which I suppose is a compliment. But jeez, guy, don't you see my white hair and my pathetic limp?

In fact I can do without veg for the moment. Hot weather, to say nothing of last week's electrical shenanigans chez moi, lead to the internal uncertainties of summer stomach and appetite loss. System thinks dry crackers are just the thing thanks, or at best some avocado toast, So, though a week ago the heat had bloated me up to heart-breaking March levels, today I find myself nearly 4 lbs lighter. And yes, even that makes a difference going up and down stairs. 1 lb = 3-6 pounds of force on your joints. That's... not a small difference.

I've been tearing through all my Judge Dees at the rate sometimes of two a day. But two of them have gone walkies somewhere about the house and I know not where I have laid them. This bothers my completist soul no end. In happier days I'd bike to a library or the bookstore for a replacement but these are not happier days. After almost four months I begin to wish we were now as we were once before, but, well, we aren't.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Most of our stores have early senior only hours. I shop at Walmart and their hours are 6 am on Tuesdays. It was really hard to get there that early but for two weeks I did. Then I found out about their no contact curbside delivery and so I started using that. I reserve a pickup time and then start my shopping list. I can add and subtract until 1 am of my delivery day. It really helps me keep to a budget too, no real impulse shopping. If I couldn't pick up they would deliver to my apartment for $15 (plus tip). As NY starts to open more I have been shopping in store twice. In my area everyone uses a mask. My husband and I went to a small 4th of July party, 8 people, but that was the first time we had socialized since March 15th. We celebrated my great nephew's first birthday on a group chat. I know it's still a long way from being over but I am going stir crazy. I play video games, facebook games, watch tv and read. And sometimes I clean and cook. We only do takeout once a week.

I used a shopping delivery service once, but all the potatoes they sent me were old or bad and the choice was limited to certain brands. (In fairness, their lettuce was fresh and excellent.) My local has online shop-and-deliver but you have to actually know and name the brand you want, which is even worse than 'pick one of these available.' Anyway, I went this morning at 11 and walked right in.

Masks are now mandatory everywhere in the province and have been mandatory at the two local supers for months, ever since 2 or 3 cases were detected among staff and they had to close for several days.

I'm going stir crazy too. My brother and s-i-l used to come by once a month or so for brief distanced conversations, but now they've been at the cottage for six weeks and won't be back any time soon. I'd feel a lot better if I could at least walk a bit around the neighbourhood, but walking hurts too much. And it's hot and going to stay that way.

And then I remember the guy at the beginning ofall this who wrote, 'I hid from the Nazis in a basement for four years. What's your beef?' and I agree, what's my beef.