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  • When we went to the local grocery store a few days ago there was some sketchy guy getting in everyone's faces begging for money He boxed me in by the floral rack and was very pushy ("you can get cash back or there's an ATM right there mama"...very few people get to call me "mama" and you are NOT one of them GTFO!). Somehow I extricated myself without making physical contact; the front end manager who had seen some of this transpire literally chased him out with a broom. I suspect we'll be seeing a LOT more aggressive begging in the few stores that are open.

    We try to limit our shopping now to the giant farmstand a few towns over; in season they grow their own produce and my mom's been shopping there since before I was even thought of. The few Whole Foods I've been in have been an intriguing social experiment gone wrong (social distancing? wuzzat?).
    "I am quite confident that I do exist."
    "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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    • I've been sent on unpaid leave for next week (luckily it is Easter Week so only 3 days unpaid, the rest paid).

      <insert deity of choice> knows what's going to happen afterwards, gubmint says they are going to roll back some restictions IF people remain sheltered in place during Easter but forecasts predict first summer day on Monday, so...
      A theory states that if anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for, it will be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

      Another theory states that this has already happened.

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      • My unemployment is still f'ed up...in their system I'm "Inegible Not Denied". I have a feeling that the fact that the store is still paying us something is confounding the agency. I emailed HR about this holdup and was told that essentially it was my fault; on the application I should have selected "Still Working"...but I'm not working and we were all led to believe that there would not be an issue. UI is evidently still waiting for my company to do something...but what? Concerned now whether I'll be getting the extra unemployment $$$ as I'm not getting anything now (but haven't been denied).
        "I am quite confident that I do exist."
        "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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        • Our liquor stores are considered part of the essential food & beverage category, so they're still open. Most everything else is closed. Even the churches.

          Nowhere to go, and very little money to spend. I'll just be hunkered down over here, drinking wine and eating cookies.
          When you start at zero, everything's progress.

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          • We went out for our biweekly grocery shopping earlier today. And just like last time, I was tired and cranky, although people didn't seem to be getting in my way as much this time. In fact, there didn't seem to be as many people this time. People kept their distance for the most part, but I still went out of my way not to cross paths with people.

            I'm hoping that this means that the hoarding and panic buying is starting to level off. I did seem to have an easier time finding stuff that I couldn't find last time. There was more meat in stock, and I had an easier time getting canned vegetables. I even managed to score a pack of paper towels and a cheap pack of toilet paper, although the section was almost completely wiped out again. There was plenty of canned cat food this time, but I still can't find any of the big packs of litter. Disinfecting wiped were still cleaned out.

            I ended up placing an online order for some of the things I'm having trouble finding. They're supposed to arrived Wednesday, and we have plenty to last until then.
            Sometimes life is altered.
            Break from the ropes your hands are tied.
            Uneasy with confrontation.
            Won't turn out right. Can't turn out right

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            • Quoth MoonCat View Post
              Our liquor stores are considered part of the essential food & beverage category, so they're still open. Most everything else is closed. Even the churches.
              I've had a few people point out to me that this may be due to alcohol withdrawal being one of those things that can land someone in the emergency department/hospital and/or can outright kill someone if not done under medical supervision. Kinda screwed up when I think about it, but I can understand why.

              Quoth notalwaysright View Post
              Our stay at home order was extended to May.
              Ours has been until around mid-late June since the get-go. On the flipside, one of the three major events I do as part of re-enacting were completely proactive when they got the news and said "Since our event isn't until July when the orders end, we're monitoring the situation and will keep you informed if anything changes."

              I hope everyone's OK.

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              • In Ohio where we just keep saying "Here, hold my beer..."
                Schools shut down since early March. Stay at home order started two weeks ago, now extended through the end of April. Essential businesses only open. Lots of arguing about what is essential. Effective tomorrow, all businesses must now limit the number of people in them. Restaurants are carry out, drive thru or delivery only. Our town has done a Facebook page to help the local ones keep open by posting specials, menus or just for the reminder that they are still open

                Working from home as my job is considered essential. SNAP/TANF/ Medicaid must be processed and with our agency if one of us caught it we would not only spread it to everyone in our unit, but to children services and child support as we share a building. We have also been told that we can switched to working just for our partner counties but may have to pitch in for other counties in the state if they start to have problems with their workers and the virus. We have also been told that we may have to help out with unemployment because it is a clusterf**k. The system is over burdened because it was never meant to have 200,000 people apply in one shot.

                Overall, there is no TP in the county to be had unless you are the first person in the store in the morning. I scored some Lysol over the weekend. I'm not looking for food because I tend to be overstocked as it is. Just need perishables weekly. We have several small town butcher shops in my county so we have had access to meat, you just need to look for it and maybe pay a little bit more then you planned.

                Ohio has been leading the charge in lots of different things. We shut down mass gatherings before we had a reason to which has helped us keep our numbers lower than some of our surrounding states.

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                • Quoth LadyofArc View Post
                  I've had a few people point out to me that this may be due to alcohol withdrawal being one of those things that can land someone in the emergency department/hospital and/or can outright kill someone if not done under medical supervision. Kinda screwed up when I think about it, but I can understand why.
                  Alcohol withdrawal is no joke. A few years ago when I was a very heavy drinker, I tried to abstain for a few days because I had a bad cold, and I wound up having a seizure and spending two days in the ICU.

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                  • You guys, don't give CPR to snakes, OK? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvArUcf-1V4 5:00 is hilarious.
                    "Is it hot in here to you? It's very warm, isn't it?"--Nero, probably

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                    • I'm in New Brunswick, Canada. We just tipped over 100 confirmed cases this weekend, but we know we are greatly under testing. We simply didn't have the testing supplies to test as much as other provinces, but that's apparently going to be fixed this week hopefully.

                      My parents are in a small town upriver from me and keeping isolated; dad goes out for groceries and otherwise they're staying home so they should be safe despite being in a higher risk category.

                      I've been work from home for a week or so now. I go out for a drive every morning and evening (before and after work) to keep the routine going. Don't get out of the car, just a quick spin to the PokeStops in my neighbourhood before buckling down for work.

                      Most of the stores have shortened hours, and set up senior/at risk shopping hours at the start of the day. The big ones are also limiting access with cleaning stations and physical spacing.

                      TP and hand sanitizer had a heavy run early on, but TP supplies are almost back to normal; no real challenge finding it now. Flour and Yeast seem to be the bigger challenges now. And meat somewhat. Made a BIG pot of pasta sauce over the weekend; since I snagged 6 bottles of sauce it may have seemed like I was panic buying, but really I was just doing my usual "make enough sauce for a month and freeze it" amounts.

                      The biggest underlying concern in my family at the moment is my sister. Unlike my parents and I, she's a manager at a Crappy Tire out in Edmonton. So she's in a big city, with lots of cases, and on the front line. When Edmonton had its first case discovered, sanitizer disappeared in the city. Mom luckily found some here in NB (actually Dad found some at the Walmart in Houlton Maine) and they shipped out a case to her.

                      In any case, we're all just battening down the hatches and trying to stay sane now.

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                      • Mayor announced a curfew (9PM-6AM) for all nonessential workers which doesn't affect us but will give him authority to stop/issue tickets to the idiots who still think they can party. All sports fields/courts have been officially closed because people don't pay attention. Face coverings should be worn at all times when outside (mom's excited because she finally has a use for all the tea towels she's amassed).

                        I found a few articles/videos about 'safe' grocery shopping, properly wearing gloves, etc (the comment threads also have good content):

                        Safe grocery shopping during the pandemic

                        Germs can spread faster than you think--even when wearing gloves
                        "I am quite confident that I do exist."
                        "Excuse me, I'm making perfect sense. You're just not keeping up." The Doctor

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                        • CO Clerk -- Perhaps you can help with this one

                          My state's SNAP/DHS system is doing a thing where SNAP recipients get an extra payment for April (and for March if they were already in the system before the end of last month) in the amount of the maximum allowable benefit for one's household size -- e.g. $194ish for a single user -- regardless of one's normal benefit amount. Do you know if this is a nationwide thing? (PM incoming)

                          Thanks!

                          PS Side note -- Certain delivery services such as Amazon/PrimePantry (and I think WM) now accept SNAP for food deliveries.
                          "For a musician, the SNES sound engine is like using Crayola Crayons. Nobuo Uematsu used Crayola Crayons to paint the Sistine Chapel." - Jeremy Jahns (re: "Dancing Mad")
                          "The difference between an amateur and a master is that the master has failed way more times." - JoCat
                          "Thinking is difficult, therefore let the herd pronounce judgment!" ~ Carl Jung
                          "There's burning bridges, and then there's the lake just to fill it with gasoline." - Wiccy, reddit
                          "Retail is a cruel master, and could very well be the most educational time of many people's lives, in its own twisted way." - me
                          "Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down...tell you she's hurtin' 'fore she keens...makes her a home." - Capt. Malcolm Reynolds, "Serenity" (2005)
                          Acts of Gord – Read it, Learn it, Love it!
                          "Our psychic powers only work if the customer has a mind to read." - me

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                          • Our PM just announced that nurseries/daycares/preschools + elementary schools up to 5th grade may reopen after Easter if certain conditions are met (outside classes as much as possible, extra cleaning, distance between workspaces etc.).

                            Some secondary schools might reopen for finals, but some details have to be sorted out. Otherwise students will get a grade based upon their papers done through the year, and not through final exams.

                            All major events (football/soccer matches, concerts, festivals etc.) are forbidden until August 30th.

                            Other prior restrictions (barbershops, hairdressers, shopping malls shut down + people advised to telecommute, avoid public transport & keep social distancing) are kept until May 31st.

                            No mandatory masks or anything though, and there are plenty of supplies in the stores.
                            Last edited by NorthernZel; 04-06-2020, 08:06 PM.
                            A theory states that if anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for, it will be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.

                            Another theory states that this has already happened.

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                            • Meanwhile our PM is in intensive care with it...
                              The Copyright Monster has made me tell you that my avatar is courtesy of the wonderful Alice XZ.And you don't want to annoy the Copyright Monster.

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                              • Quoth EricKei View Post
                                CO Clerk -- Perhaps you can help with this one

                                Do you know if this is a nationwide thing? (PM incoming)
                                At this point, I'm not sure that it is a national thing per se. Ohio is not doing a full additional payment. I know that they are planning on issuing a supplement at some point. I've heard differing amounts and different time frames for Ohio. I also saw an email when I got ready to log off for the day that may have been about the supplement. My advice to you if you receive SNAP is to check with your local county. I don't suggest calling them because if they are anything like mine, we are swamped. See if your local county has a Facebook page. Our county has been really good about keeping things updated as soon as we have solid information to provide. Check there. Ohio also has a SNAP app that you can download that helps with information. If I hear anything about Ohio or any where else I will keep you updated!!

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