Store Shelves

COVID-19 Statistics*

Total worldwide cases: 9,352,725

Total cases within the US: 2,424,168

Total new cases yesterday, worldwide: 162,994

Total new cases yesterday, US: 36,015

We have started going grocery shopping during the week, hoping to avoid the weekend crowds. So far, it’s worked out pretty well. There have been fewer people. Interesting thing about those people: as time goes on, more are wearing masks.

What doesn’t seem to be changing? The shelves still are looking empty.

Body soap shelves
Body Soap

After 3 months, people are still hoarding? It doesn’t make sense. Why do they still feel we might run out?

The other weird one, as far as I’m concerned? Freezers. I ordered a GE freezer from Costco the first week of March. Due to my work schedule, I asked that it be delivered towards the end of the month. I got the usual pre-schedule phone call 2 days before we were to receive it. The day before, delivery was cancelled and rescheduled for June 15th. June 15th!! 3 months later!

I called GE, to be told there had been a run on them and their factory hadn’t been able to keep up with demand. I would have thought, given as I had ordered mine a couple weeks before, that some sticker had been put on it, setting it aside for me. apparently not. And, if said sticker wasn’t there, why did I first get a phone call telling me that it would be delivered, then a ‘PSYCH! No freezer for you!”

What’s worse. Same thing happened last week. Phone call scheduling delivery 2 days beforehand, then a, “Just kidding!” phone call the day before, and rescheduling for a month later this time. Seems they’re so backed up on deliveries now that we got shafted again.

Now, the strange thing is, I was in a Virtual Cocktail Party with a group of acquaintances a few weeks ago. One was driving up here from Louisiana. That person said that they had been grabbing toilet paper at each stop on the way up. They saw no shortages on their trip and were quite surprised to hear that there were shortages in our area.

Curiouser and curiouser.

*From Worldometer: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/