Senior I can be, especially if a discount comes with it. Are we so different that you don't laugh at what you considered . . . 20 years ago? I sure do. 

Oh that's right you're elderly I'm just a senior, that probably explains a lot.

Frosty The Lucky.

Oh that's right, Frosty..........................I forgot, you're one of those "spring chickens" I hear so much about. 

 

That's okay, it's all semantics.  Point is, you and I both need to be mindful of our "advanced" years in regards to this virus.  I, probably more than you.  (how's that?)

TP is not for sale!  Thomas Powers

On 3/16/2020 at 12:15 PM, JHCC said:

Is a "ypto" what you get when you cross Cheetos with toilet paper?

Heh. That sounds like a terrible breakfast.

 

On 3/16/2020 at 3:30 PM, Frosty said:

Well played on Slag's ptoy Ohio! I do so love a good straight line and it's nice to see I have backup if I'm out shopping or . . . using TP. 

I thought of you when I asked Slag about using rage in lieu of le papier de la toilette (I don't know if that's right, but I'm bored with typing, "TP," so you gets what you gets).

 

It's a good feeling to know folk are thinking of me. Thomas Powers is probably tired of seeing TP on his monitor in this context so often too.  

Uh, shouldn't that have been in LU of papier toilette . . . Or would that be Lu papier? Hmmmmm, if it isn't all gone when you need it would it be Viva Lu Papier? 

The local Costco affiliate for us living out here on the fringe has changed it's store hours starting tomorrow. They'll open from 7am - 9am for people 60 ad older. Freight comes in today and is stocked over night. We get  first dibs on products on the shelves! Limit 2 items per family but that's okay, we only have a couple things to pick up some pure luxury stuff so we don't kill each other hunkered down till things sort out.  For the record we have all the brownie film we need for the duration.

Frosty The Lucky.

Yes, they started the same in Sydney with great fanfare, but forgot to stock the shelves, so seniors queued up for an hour from 6 to 7 only to find empty shelves. If we ever have a real emergency, something like a war, not this boyscout stuff ... we are truly doomed. 

It's going to take timing, there weren't many restocked shelves when I went shopping. I should've tried yesterday morning but we're down to minor things and those are mostly things we can do without and I'd been up late talking to my cousin. I slept in and didn't remember till it was regular free for all hours. Things will get sorted out, nobody's done this before, not really. 

 Shipments come in Sunday and Monday through Fridays have seniors and disabled only hours.

Are things starting to settle down for you guys Marc?

Frosty The Lucky.

In a bit of “Hope for Humanity” good news, Harbor Freight just announced that they will be donating their entire stock of N95 masks, face shields, and nitrile gloves to the hospitals closest to their various branches. Very neighborly of them. 

We read that email and their stock just went way up for my wife and I.

On 3/21/2020 at 5:11 PM, Frosty said:

Are things starting to settle down for you guys Marc?

Not for what I could see today. The panic buying was triggered by Chinese nationals shipping to their China relatives, and the locals faced with empty shelves thinking it was the end of the world. We were told that we have supplies galore and that shelves are stocked back every night. At this point in time I don't believe anyone stories anymore. I switched from supermarket to local stores because their prices are less competitive and the preppers avoid them. One medium size local store, had most stuff, but no cleaning products, and the meat had tripled it's price. The cheap cuts I buy for the dog were not on offer.

Tried another supermarket and their meat fridges were empty and most of the "rare" cleaning items had a sticker on the shelves, "temporarily out of stock" . Printed signs that had been there for days. 

The small butcher next to the super, had easy 50 people queuing up. 

We shut down all pubs and clubs, coffee shops and restaurants, gyms and every other place that is not bare essentials. 

Restaurants around here are take-out only. Gyms and the like are shut down. 

Lots of empty shelves. People bowling each other over when doors open to try and be able to get packages of toilet paper. 

It's definitely surreal. 

Then the threat of having work shut down for 3-8 weeks, no pay is... unappealing. 

 

This was a week ago. It's a shade better now, but still rough. 

Scrapyard was still open!  I picked up a 1.5 HP, 1 ph, 1725 Baldor industrial motor for my 25# Little Giant Saturday morning: US$10

Of course "Social Distancing" is sort of built in what with 17.2 people per square mile. 

I think I'm gaining weight what with my wife doing more cooking at home.

Everyone at our house is out of a job. One day they told Tommie they were cutting hours to 40. Then the next day, they laid them off with the possibility of not even opening business again. Dallas county goes on stay at home orders tonight. In our area, most things are closing early, but no stay at home in effect for us yet, but it's getting closer. I think we are stocked up though. The only thing good is it's gotten quiet again. Hardly any traffic for two days now. They closed the bars and places like that Friday night. So my daughter is out of a job. I'm not even forging at the moment to conserve fuel. So everything I make is going to have to count. Cuts out doing it just for fun

Bummer!  Sorry to hear about that, CGL.  As soon as they get this Chinese Virus nipped in the bud, things will start getting back to normal.  These are times when being prepared like a Boy Scout pays off.  I feel sorry for all the folks who felt they had to run in panic to the stores and clean out the shelves.  That behavior keeps a lot of other folks from having basic necessities.  Hang in there, all will turn around...........it always does.

1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said:

Scrapyard was still open!  I picked up a 1.5 HP, 1 ph, 1725 Baldor industrial motor for my 25# Little Giant Saturday morning: US$10

Of course "Social Distancing" is sort of built in what with 17.2 people per square mile. 

I think I'm gaining weight what with my wife doing more cooking at home.

Wish we had some place like that around here, Thomas.  If we do, I don't know about it.  I've been needing some motors, such 1/2 HP, 1725.  I've got a 2 1/2 hp, 3-PH motor I can't use.  I'd trade for a couple of what I can! 

That's the scary part too CGL. I was working 60+/hr weeks, this morning we were told 40 cap. No telling. 

Try to hang in there

6 hours ago, CrazyGoatLady said:

I'm not even forging at the moment to conserve fuel.

Then it is time to build the JABOD forge and start burning solid fuels (grin).  

Thanks Chris.

CtG, I hope your work holds up. He's got a line on a possible job, but he's still going to file for unemployment. They are recommending getting online to do it late at night because the system keeps crashing because there's so much traffic. Even if he gets this job, who knows if it'll even stay open? I may go back to wal mart as bad as I hate to, but they aren't hiring. I talked to my old boss and he would help get me on.

Glenn, I have been pondering on building a JABOD anyway, so I agree, this may be the perfect time

Looks like the New Mexican Governor just gave the "only essential jobs" order. I expect I will be offline till things get better as I don't have internet access at home.   

Sorry about that Thomas...

So far, it seems to be business as useful around us for the most part. It's almost like reality hasn't set in as to what's happening

Ohio’s goes into effect tonight, so I went out at lunchtime to stock up on welding wire. 

Indiana shuts down Wednesday. State police will enforce the order.

I haven't heard anything for the whole state of Texas, just parts. But I may have missed it somehow. 

So to deal with the increasing cases of Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo Negra, all blacksmiths should stay in their smithies and forge bottle openers!

I'll be out of touch; I expect that my job and benefits will be OK since I work for a state university. (It's unfortunate that I am still in the probationary period for my job; we will see what happens. Worse gets to worse, I'm past 62 and can take early SS).  I hope and pray that all my friends and even my un-friends in the smithing community will survive this and go on to flourish. 

Right on, Thomas