California is Closed!

The Governor has essentially closed California, ORDERED non-essential businesses to close, citizens to stay indoors.

In spite of this drastic measure, things are relatively calm in the area.

No line at the corner market, you can walk right in but good luck finding eggs, chicken. ground turkey. There’s plenty of beef but, ever since mom told ten-year-old me that my dog Skippy had been sent to the butcher, turned into hamburger meat, I can’t bring myself to eat beef. And, of course, the Pain Cave received notice to close its doors ─ only until April 1 thus far. Other than that, it’s self-isolating business as usual around here.

Fortunately, I shopped just at the right time ─ a day or so before lines began to form, and have chicken and eggs for a week or two, so no worries ... until then.

However, after the Governor’s announcement, my spidey sense began going nuts ... telling me this is the calm before the storm, to expect Marshall Law down the road, that I needed to prepare by gassing up the car, stop by the bank for cash.

That’s how I ended up in Fontana this morning, where the level of panic was at a much higher level.

People were driving erratically ─ looking stress, worried, not looking both ways before turning corners or exiting an area, cutting in front of oncoming cars (sometimes my car). Hurriedly parking their cars and then quickly jumping out in a rush to get to where they were going.

It was insane, frightening.

Unlike most days, when there are long lines at the Costco gas pumps, I was able to pull right in because the line was at Costco itself ─ wrapping all the way around the front, side, rear of the building.

End of Line Behind Costco

Aghast, I began thinking it would take until late tonight for those folks to get in. And why thought I ... what does Costco have that stores you can walk right into don’t have.

Evidently there’s no walking right into the market in that area, because there was a line outside the Ralphs Market next to the bank.

Entering the bank, I saw they’d marked safe distancing.

I was happy to see that. Also, happy I was that there were only three other customers in line ahead of me.

What bothered me though was, standing at the teller window, there was a human at teller windows to my right and left, too close for comfort thought I, so I suggested the teller pass on to his manager that the open windows be spaced to every other window.

Insofar as banking, my timing was perfect because, by the time I completed my transaction, there was a line out the door.

Since I was in the area of Sprouts, I drove by and there was no line. You could walk right in, no hassle.

So again I ask ... why was everyone a few blocks away in line at Costco and Ralphs?

Before I headed out this morning, Complex Manager called to see how things were going for me ... was I okay, did I need anything (a welfare check).

Of course, the first thing to run through my mind was the smoke detector he failed to follow up on. It’s still dangling from the ceiling and now is likely to dangle at least 18 more months. LOL.

It appears to be less noisy when it’s dangling, so I’m gonna let that sleeping dog lie. But how nice for him to be doing welfare checks on us residents.