GROCERIES

March 24, 2020, Tuesday

I just got home from what may turn out to be my one expedition of the week: grocery shopping. Trader Joe's in the Town and County Shopping Center, Palo Alto, is limiting the number of people in the store at the same time. I waited in a short line outside for about five minutes before I was inside the store.

The store was busy, but it was usually possible to maintain a six-foot distance away from other people. I wore rubber gloves which I put on just before I got out of the car. I was primarily concerned about the handlebar on the grocery cart. Interestingly, about half the people in the store were wearing masks but not gloves. Most of them were younger to middle-aged. Most of the old people like me were shopping as usual without any obvious protective gear. They looked unconcerned.

The shelves were mostly well stocked. The only substitution I made from the items on my list were mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, instead of the regular size. Certainly not an essential item!

I was buying food for a week, as usual. Some people had over-flowing carts. Maybe they're stocking up, but they may also be buying for other people who can't get out. Don and I have had two or three offers from younger friends who are willing to do our grocery shopping. But for now, I'd rather do it myself. For one thing, I need the exercise.

Listening to the radio on the drive home, the president of the California Grocer's Association reported that there's plenty of safe food. The problem is with the distribution system which is calibrated for the average shopper to buy one week's supply at a time. When people come in and buy several months’ supply the distribution chain is disrupted. That's what's happening now when you see empty shelves. He said if we revert to the one-week-at-a-time schedule, the distribution chain will correct itself.

A few months ago, I announced that I'd like to retire from cooking. Since then, Don has been helping more in the kitchen; cleaning up after a meal and helping to peel and chop when I ask him. But the main responsibility of planning, shopping for, and preparing our meals is still up to me, and I guess it will be for the foreseeable future. I had been relying occasionally on take-out, but now I'm not certain that it's safe.