Saturday, March 14, 2020

Making Nice With Us

The other day I ran a brief list of firms that had contacted us to reassure us that essentially, they were doing everything humanly possible to make sure that you don't get The Virus from them!  Thank you very much!

Hermosa Animal Hospital (ours for 30+ years) writes that after signing in at reception, you can go wait in your car and they will text you to come back in for treatment.  If you elect to stay in Reception, please maintain suitable distances from each other; don't bring everyone in the family with you;  if you use the bathroom, in addition to washing, please also use a hand sanitizer.

Avis, American Airlines Federal Credit Union, Marriott Hotels,  Office Max/Office Depot - they merged some time ago.  Nice to have them both on board.

Are you receiving e-mails similar?  If you look at it with a jaded eye (and you may be sure I am) they could be making a pre-emptive strike on future lawsuits...

It occurs to me that we could start a collection of the firms that contact us to reassure us of their devoted care of us, a beloved customer.  Maybe trade'em like baseball cards?  I'll raise you a Marriott; I'll counter with a Ritz-Carlton ...

I must say that this event - quarantines in an American household? - is revealing a great deal of what America is about.  There is a local newspaper called NextDoor.com and it contains things for sale;  or services wanted - recommendations? for a plumber/gardener/electrician/handyman; a really local police report - "Last night coming up our driveway, we were accosted and robbed"  or  "I've noticed a guy sitting right next to my kids playground at (school name) in a (car make and license plate) and I don't like it."

Today I've seen four or five offers of help from others such as "I'm going to Costco; can I pick-up anything for you?"  "I have a pick-up truck - do  you or your neighbors need anything?"  This is really heartening.

Further, while supermarket parking lots and pharmacy parking lots resemble sharks circling for an attack, there is NO pushing or shoving or grabbing of the goods IN those venues.  The South Bay (Torrance, Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo) are not breaking windows in smash and grabs and looting in general.  We are all being veddy,  veddy civilized about it.

And it was raining yesterday when we were at both supermarket and pharmacy.

A report on your experiences to run here would be very much appreciated.  After all, we're all in the same boat.  And it is supposed to rain today.

THIS JUST IN
Richie just got home from CVS - Rx and vitamins; quick bop into Von's for a couple of potatoes (filet mignon for dinner tonight) none to be had; same as yesterday at Ralph's.  Over he went to Trader Joes, did get one or two of the mesh bags with "funny" potatoes, but the frozen goods were all gone.  So were the grab and go sandwiches.  And it was raining.

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