Matt's Journal

The coronavirus pandemic continues.

I just returned from the new Safeway on Crocker Ave. We had put off restocking ourselves until the flood of panic shopping had leveled off. I got there about 9am and it was not crowded. I parked in the front (took the car because it was a big shopping list). There were still a few bare shelves: I couldn’t find the meats I wanted, and the meat guy said that ground meat and beef rounds were on order. Apparently they’re shipped from somewhere else and not made at the store.

The flour was gone except for a few bags – I got organic bread flour, which might not be what my wife wanted. There was no yeast. The bagged walnuts were gone. There were plenty of almonds and pecans, though. It’s as if everyone suddenly wanted to bake bread at home. I don’t think Laura was planning to bake bread; I know I’m not.

There was plenty of fruit, even sale prices on fruit such as bananas ($0.49) and gala/Fuji apples ($0.99). There was enough there that I felt okay not buying the exact items for which I had coupons or sale prices. I paid $75, a reasonable price for what I got. We have plenty of paper goods from before the lockdown so I didn’t get any more.

== Delay ==

I have returned from a bike ride to the food co-op, where I hoped to get milk and bread. They have good selections for these. But there was a long line going out the door. I decided I didn’t want these things badly enough to wait for them, nor to expose myself to others’ proximity for that long. So I went back down Freeport, into a strong south wind, and detoured at Taylor’s to buy the things I wanted. They had udon and good ground meat. I will make an udon dish tonight, one that Laura has liked in the past.

when I cook I note the results - 
did we like it? what changes did I make?
easier to sail a known route and not hit a shoal
...especially when I have passengers along!

Or...

if recipe in previously-cooked-list:
                cook it!

The biggest challenge has been cabin-fever. We go out often for walks and bike rides. We biked to get a paper yesterday at the Dollar Store on Freeport near Raley’s, then found our way to the Little Pocket area, where we cruised around. It’s not a fancy area. We’d looked at a (Eichler-style) house there five years ago – glad we didn’t buy it. We saw it, then meandered back to the freeway Farmers Market and noted that it was crowded. So much for the lockdown. We avoided it (would have liked to go) and went home.

We go to 5:30 mass at St. Ignatius. They cancelled them due to the lockdown. We wanted to do something mass-like. Laura wanted to watch a mass online; I wanted to read scripture and discuss it. We tried watching one but she couldn’t hear it because of the bad acoustics, so we read the day’s readings and a weekly note from St. Ig’s pastor. Then we took a walk. The note was about asking good questions and we did so, but it turned into something like an argument – no, not that, just her venting of various complaints about me. I think this is cabin fever, and we will figure it out. She came back and watched “Zoe’s Incredible Playlist” (a world where they spontaneously break out into song-and-dance, so no wonder she likes it) while I retired upstairs and took an online class about doing library research.

How to stay sane? I entertain myself by writing — like this — and by walking and playing the guitar and piano. I read. I looked up the characters on the 1650 world map on our wall downstairs. I chatted with neighbors who wandered by as I strummed on the front patio. At some point I will probably do constructive things with the backyard – that hasn’t happened yet. I will cook tonight. We’re taking a class and will use Zoom for the first time tonight. We stay in touch more with family. The NYT had an article from an astronaut on how he dealt with isolation during a year-long space station mission. Make lists, read, and — go outside. Good advice.