Oh, how awful, even if life were otherwise absolutely normal right now. I am so sorry for your whole family. Praying for your boy, for all of you.

One set of sheets. Husband washes them every Monday. By the time he gets them in the washer, and then into/out of the dryer, we--or he--usually makes the bed back up around dinnertime.

That completely stinks, I am so sorry. What a disappointment. 😞

Hearing that WalMart would do this gave me some anxiety, thinking people would panic shop. But our area reported no lines at Walmart yesterday, and when I went there today, there were no lines. They were counting people. I get that nothing is perfect. But I'm pretty sure that the majority of shoppers will be in the food section, that other areas of the store will be less crowded. The sheer size of most Walmarts allow for a great number of shoppers, even within their new limits.

Virginia, metro area of 200,000. I went to WalMart today at noon. While the door was cordoned off and shoppers were counted, there was no line. I was handed an already cleaned cart (I'd much prefer to do my own). Noticeably fewer children than last weekend. Store was decently stocked, finally there was a lot of pasta, and there was even (only) generic toilet paper. No spray cleaners though. No lines at self check. Less than 10% of shoppers wore masks. I then went to Kroger. It was much the same, handed a cleaned cart, seemed fully stocked except toilet paper, spray cleaners, and one of the fresh meat cases was closed, but the other was fully stocked. The prepacked meat area was full. Very few children, less than 10% of people masked. Again, no waiting at self check. My dad is in the outskirts of Phoenix. He reported today that they went early to Fry's, 7 am, and there was a line to get in. They went to another more local chain, no waiting, but the store was out of yeast. That's the only thing I remember about availability.

Well, it was canceled yesterday. My husband mentioned it, so I don't know what happened!

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I've missed out at Aldi for weeks. My Kroger was out Wednesday, but a friend scored there on Thursday. Thank you for mentioning Amazon above, I was able to order some this morning, might not be here for a few weeks, but that's when we'll be really needing it.

I've religiously used wipes on shopping carts for several years and believe it's kept me from getting sick (compared to previous years). So I'm comfortable using them now too.

Keeping it close in case anything happens with my job. Unemployment will not cover the basics, but combined with the stimulus check, we should be okay until I'd be back at work.

I'd guess maybe 5% of people are wearing masks where I live. It's not common at all. We take the basic precautions, wiping down the cart, using wipes when we get back in the car.

This is not quite the same, but for my mom's birthday, I just ordered a gift certificate from a cafe attached to a B&B in the San Juan Islands (in WA state, where my mom lives) The business depends hugely on the tourist season, which should be starting anytime, but now no one knows what will happen. I knew I was taking a chance with a local business in that circumstance, but I also know that my mom would be pleased to support the business, even if it ends up closing and the certificate is worthless.

REDBUDS!!!! If ever I needed the happiness that redbuds bring, it's this year!!!!

My daughter recently bought several casual outfits online, as she has an "essential job" but can dress casually for now. But she had to pick her package up at the post office, since all of the big package lock boxes at her apt complex were full, and the leasing office was closed. I just bought nail polish online but received an email that delivery may be delayed due to a shortage of warehouse workers. It's still worth a shot, imo!

As in the coronavirus plague? Back in late Jan to mid Feb, someone close to me had a fever and commented about a lost sense of smell/taste. It lasted 2-3 days. They are not in a "risk" age group and live a lifestyle where it would not be surprising to have early exposure. No one thought anything about it at the time, but now we wonder.

Yes, your paid items should have been held for you. The same thing has happened at Kroger. These stores have a "pick up" option, there's no reason they couldn't have held the items there for you. I'm sorry. It stinks to lose something that is so precious right now too.

It is so random, both in stores in my area and even in the same stores a day or two apart. I've noticed that stores in the poorer areas seem to be better stocked--perhaps they are not being shopped as heavily, or people are not buying so much at one time? Otoh, we went to Aldi last week and were so surprised by what they did have that we didn't go to our regular grocery store as we had planned. It feels like shopping in a zombie apocolypse.

No, people will not put up with it. The social and economic consequences must be taken into consideration. The long term effects of the coronavirus will be far worse than the toll of the virus itself. It would be far more prudent to instead be protective of people who are at risk, rather than attempting to shut everything down. The drastic measures being taken right now would be better reserved for an episode of something far more contagious and fatal. What would we do under those circumstances?

If the refrigerator door would have stayed shut the entire time, I wouldn't have any concerns about anything. The cheese, milk, etc. wouldn't become dangerous to eat if not properly refrigerated under these circumstances. The eggs would also be fine, although in case there were any microscopic cracks, I would be sure the eggs were cooked to a safe temperature. (I often eat eggs underdone.) You took the chicken from the fridge and put it in the freezer, even though the power was off, hoping it would keep it cold enough? Yes, it will be fine to eat. You said you are "terrified of food poisoning." It might be helpful to read up and find what exactly is dangerous or not. It might give you peace of mind not only for this but in the future. And if you sacrifice any of the foods today just for your peace of mind, well, that's fine too!

Might not be what everyone here wants to hear, but as someone who has never "dieted" before, last spring I started a new "diet," which includes NO SNACKING. None, nada, zip. (The Obesity Diet Code, although I've never been obese.) I stuck to it and lost 25 pounds. My goal was 20, so it's worked. I'm especially glad for it now, because I know I'd be snacking a LOT. That chocolate and wine sounds especially good!

I don't know that there would be anything wrong with it, but the fact that it is 5 years old would be old enough for me to throw away. Unless I totally needed it to go with dinner tonight, and in the current situation, then I would make it. So my answer is maybe!

Thank you. I've asked around and have decided to go with CND's Vinylux. Now if I can only get the filing/shaping done right, I'll be set!

I've had my gel nails for 5+ years. I love them. At this point, I'm not willing to sacrifice my nice nails to this virus. Usually, I can go three weeks before having them redone, but with washing hands, cooking, and washing dishes, I'm getting desperate. What are my options for long lasting polish brands that will TRULY last two + weeks and don't require much financial investment on my part? I do not want to buy an LCD light to cure my nails. I just want something that will hold me over for a manicure or two, and I'm not interested in stick on nails of any kind. Thank you!

My son got word last week that his was canceled. I am hugely disappointed; he's taking it in stride. Several other large universities in our state are postponing until December, and one has said they wlll do it online! I'm hoping my son's school will update with another solution. He HAS worked for this, and besides, how else will I get a nice family picture of us all dressed up? 😉

"Essential" in Virginia includes any department store that sells groceries (hello Target and Walmart!), liquor stores, home improvement stores (Lowe's!), auto repair/maintenance stores, garden centers, pet and seed supply stores, just for starters. Businesses that don't qualify as "essential" can open if they limit the number to 10 and maintain a 6' distance. That means something like Yankee Candle could potentially remain open; my nail salon cannot, since they can't maintain a 6' distance. And of course grocery stores have zero limits, all restaurants are open for carryout/delivery, and liquor laws have been relaxed to permit curbside service. Imo, that's not really "shut down." There is a limit on what Northam gets to "allow." "Selfish brats"? Get a grip and show some compassion. As in any school, there is a significant number of students who have limited options for a variety of reasons. At my son's school, international students must receive a waiver to remain on campus. Where else are they supposed to go? Not every student has a bedroom open at mom and dad's waiting for them to return home. What about students that didn't leave for spring break to begin with? They might be very well funding their education by working on or off campus, and to leave would cause undue hardship. Since groups of 10+ are prohibited, classes continue online only. Dorm rooms certainly have less than ten people. And plenty of students continue to live off campus, wherever they go to college. They are not returning "home." They are already at home.