So I Decided to Order Groceries for Delivery

[Joe Guy]

After hearing that I might be arrested or shot for being outdoors or near a grocery store I reluctantly decided to try ordering groceries online from Safeway - where I always shop - to see how well it works.

I spent about a half hour picking the usual things I buy and was happy that everything I wanted was in stock and sitting in my cyber-cart. Next step was to pick a delivery date and time. I figured tomorrow (3/17) would be great but two days would be fine if I couldn't get a good delivery time window.

The first available date for delivery is 3/30/2020. Two weeks from today! I can't wait that long. If I catch COVID-19 might die before then. So tomorrow I'm going to risk my life and take a trip to the grocery store. I'm telling you this so if you don't hear from me in a couple days, you'll know why. Either COVID-19 infection or a bullet to the head for getting within 6 feet of another person in a grocery store setting.

[TPFKA@W]

Can't you just order and then go sit in one of the designated parking spots and have the nice young people load them in your trunk? You get to avoid all the risks.

[Joe Guy]

Pick up orders have a 5 day waiting period. I don't want to wait that long and I don't trust them to check expiration dates like I do, pick the freshest bread and choose un-bruised avocados and things like that. My delivery order was going to be a test but it failed the time requirement as the pick up order did.

[Guinevere]

Whole Foods/Prime Now has some slots for this afternoon still available right now (with free delivery). Do they service your area?

But still no damned chicken. I want to make butter chicken, but cannot get boneless thighs or breasts (or really any chicken at all). I’ve tried several grocery stores. Crazy.

[Gob]

Just been shopping in Penzance, it's like fucking Beirut there.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Just been shopping in Penzance, it's like fucking Beirut there.

What, you mean the Mediterranean-like climate? I thought that was Torquay.

[Gob]

"Well may I ask what you expected to see out of a Penzance hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain..."

[Long Run]

But still no damned chicken. I want to make butter chicken, but cannot get boneless thighs or breasts (or really any chicken at all). I’ve tried several grocery stores. Crazy.

Amazing to find what I've got frozen in the upstairs/downstairs freezer compartments; wait, that sounded like Dexter. Store bought and frozen at some point in the last year; there is extra chicken from a month or so ago, tamales from Christmas time, fish steaks, some Omaha Steaks that came as gifts (never would buy them myself), along with a variety of foods that are frozen at the store. Hope most of it holds up well, since the plan is to buy fresh food until it's not available (going to the store less frequently like Andy).

[Gob]

Little old dear in front of me at Lidl, had 36 tins of sardines, and 24 tins of tomatoes in her trolley.

At the till the girl tells her; "Only 5 of each tinned item per person dear!"

[Sue U]

"Well may I ask what you expected to see out of a Penzance hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain..."

Pirates at least, I should think.

[Guinevere]

But still no damned chicken. I want to make butter chicken, but cannot get boneless thighs or breasts (or really any chicken at all). I’ve tried several grocery stores. Crazy.

Amazing to find what I've got frozen in the upstairs/downstairs freezer compartments; wait, that sounded like Dexter. Store bought and frozen at some point in the last year; there is extra chicken from a month or so ago, tamales from Christmas time, fish steaks, some Omaha Steaks that came as gifts (never would buy them myself), along with a variety of foods that are frozen at the store. Hope most of it holds up well, since the plan is to buy fresh food until it's not available (going to the store less frequently like Andy).

Small house, no basement, no extra room to store a lot of frozen food.

[Guinevere]

"Well may I ask what you expected to see out of a Penzance hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House perhaps? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plain..."

Pirates at least, I should think.

[Joe Guy]

In about 20 minutes I'll be driving out into zombie land to head for the grocery store to see what is available. I don't have a big list and don't plan to buy more than usual, although if there are frozen vegetables, which I don't usually buy, I might buy 3 or 4 of them.

It's sad knowing that because grocery delivery services are so backlogged and inefficient, that I, a senior citizen, am forced to risk my life today in order to survive without having to eat some of my cat's food - or worse yet - my cat. It's even more sad to know that although I made a small contribution to keep this board running, I may not survive long enough to enjoy it.

If I make it back alive, I'll let you know how it went.

Until then, I love you guys more than I hate you...

[Sue U]

If we don't hear from you, can we eat your cat?

[ex-khobar Andy]

Per Joe:

It's sad knowing that because grocery delivery services are so backlogged and inefficient, that I, a senior citizen, am forced to risk my life today in order to survive without having to eat some of my cat's food - or worse yet - my cat.

Given the choice between my cats and the food they eat, cat chops it is.

[Burning Petard]

Well, I and my spouse are sharing old reliable for supper--Chinese take out.

She has the shrimp special, I went for pork. Observation proves that every strip mall in Northern Delaware must have a Chinese take-out joint.
They rarely do delivery.

snailgate.

[Joe Guy]

I made it back from Safeway. The bread shelves are empty and only the most expensive bottled water is on the shelf. Plenty of frozen meals but very few frozen vegetables. All dairy is fully stocked. I didn't look for toilet paper but I don't think they had any of it. The produce amount was normal except for bagged lettuce being sold out. I guess people are afraid of vegetable infection - which may be smart - but I bought some anyway and scrubbed them clean when I got home. If I die soon at least I'll die healthy.

I saw an otherwise normal looking lady in her late 20s or early 30s wiping her nose with her forefinger so I carefully walked within 6.1 feet of her to see if she had anything in her basket that would have made it possible that she touched anything I bought. I could see that she was just starting out and I was almost done so I was safe from her. Or safe as possible, whatever that means.

I used self-checkout - which nobody else was doing - and used a stylus (which I wiped with alcohol before & after) for using the touch screen.

I started feeling bad about mentioning that I might eat my cat so I promised myself I'd let him eat me but I would never eat him no matter what happens.

So now I guess I'll just eat normally and wait to see if I'm infected with the deadly COVID-19 virus....

[dales]

I went to Safeway in Pleasant Hill.

I was looking for ramen noodles.

No luck.

Panic Buyers should be drawn and quartered.

[Lord Jim]

I'll be driving out into zombie land

It really does feel like living in some sort of sci fi movie...

And not in a good way...

[Long Run]

Yes, streets are like a Sunday morning sidewalk in the middle of a work day. Being St. Patrick's Day people are wishing, Lord, that they were stoned.