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| From a walk into town today |
A lot of things seem to require more thinking and planning than usual just now. And at the same time one has to be prepared that plans may have to be changed at any moment...
I've been using online shopping with home deliveries regularly for five years already. So initially, when various corona restrictions began to be introduced, I thought that for me, grocery shopping would not really be a big problem - I could just carry on with the same routine as before.
But then of course, suddenly everyone else started to want home deliveries, too... And unforeseen crazy stock-piling...
Usually, I've had no problem putting in my order a couple of days ahead, and getting a time slot for delivery that suited me - and usually most of the stuff I ordered delivered on time.
Even with Easter coming up, I still innocently thought it would be okay to put in my order pretty much as usual. Somehow I did not get round to it until Sunday morning though - and then it turned out that the only delivery time slot left open all week was Thursday evening (the day before Easter Friday)... I booked it, but did not feel all happy about it. For one thing, there were a couple of things I really wanted sooner - and for another, who knows what would still be left on the shelves late on Thursday, with Everyone in Extra Extra stock-piling mood for Easter (whether shopping with or without home delivery). And thirdly, I do prefer daytime delivery...
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| A place I walk by when going to the supermarket |
Waking up the next day to an early to a sunny Monday morning, I decided on a different strategy. So went for a walk to the supermarket, to get the most necessary stuff (and no more than I'd be able to carry). There weren't all that many customers there at that hour; and as I use self-scanning and self-payment, no queuing and really no human contact involved at all... I even thought of bringing a couple of disposable plastic gloves from home to use in the store! (Two months ago that would have made me feel ridiculous - and the thought has never even entered my head before.) Back home, I moved my online order forward to next week. (Plenty of time slots still open then; and I can adjust the content of my order later.) Hopefully someone else was happy to find my abandoned time slot for Easter Thursday! :)
Yesterday afternoon, I removed the winter tarpaulin from my bench on the balcony. (I'm so glad I painted that bench a couple of years ago...) The flower-pot holders on the rail looked very empty after I had removed the pots of old withered heather - so today, I went for another walk to the florist's in the city center, and bought some daffodils. They have like half the store outside the shop now (in the daytime) - including the option to even take payments outside, if customers to not wish to enter. I was there early so no queue or crowd yet, though.
My little box of strawberry plants has survived the winter once again (it spent the winter well wrapped up under the bench). The clematis seems to have survived too - or at least some branches of it. (I have not yet removed the winter covering from that, but I see at least some buds and leaves behind there...)
10 comments:
I know it is strange, but my very favorite photo is your gorgeous bench! I just love the color you painted it, and it makes me happy to look at it. We just heard that in Vermont, all the big box stores like Wal-Mart have been forbidden to sell anything other than essential necessities. We have been using gloves for every store visit, and may start ordering them. Buying flowers does bring some cheer into a world filled with death now.
I agree with Ginny, the bench is a happy color and the yellow flowers bring joy. today at the Walmart, there was a line of people in cars picking up their online orderds, and now WM has home delivery..like you have been doing. I am thinking when the world tries to right itself on line delivery may have taken over for good and your slots will be hard to find. our world is upside down and topsy turvy.
Eve teslimde ne yazık ki kazıklıyorlar. En güzeli kendi alışverişini kendin yapman. Korona nedeniyle fırsatçılar çok fazla.
Your bench is so pretty and cheerful, Monica! It must lift your spirits every time you just look at it. And daffies make a great colour combination with it!
Here at my local Aldi, they have a box with disposable rubber gloves outside, so that those who want them can wear them for the duration of their shopping in the store. I have not resorted to that (yet); I wash my hands VERY thoroughly when I come home and have been doing so for years anyway, and try not to touch my face in between.
Thanks Ginny. I like my bench too :) and I do feel flowers help to cheer me up. There used to be a florist's much closer to where I live but they closed a couple of years ago and now there are new apartment buildings on that site instead. So now the one closest to me is in the city center. But at least it's still within walking distance for me (on a good day)!
Sandra, it's hard to foresee the future in so many ways just now. When and if we'll get back to what used to be normal - or will have to adjust to a "new normal" for a long time. As for home delivery of groceries I'm sure many are trying it for the first time now, and I suspect their experiences may go both ways - some getting used to it but others being disappointed because that too many things they tried to order could not be delivered (because of all the stock-piling going on)... For my own part, I shall try and prepare my orders early, and keep in mind that I might not get everything.
Thanks Meike. Yes, I like my bench :) I also have a small table in the same colour, but I haven't taken that up from the storage room yet. Just now, even on a sunny day there are often chilly winds blowing. So I only sit out there for a little while now and then (perhaps with a mug of tea), and for that, the bench is enough. Still glad to have the balcony for an extra sniff of fresh air now and then without having to go through the full procedure of getting dressed for a walk.
We can't do any online supermarket orders now as all the slots are used up, everyone is in the same boat. It's amazing though how this whole thing has reminded people to wash their hands, something simple they should've been doing already.
This is a really essential and informative post about on-line food ordering and delivery. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It is very helpful. You explained it so well. Thank you for sharing such an enlightening article.
This is good to know. Your bench on the balcony is beautiful, I love the bright bold color.I'm smiling just thinking about how nice it is to sit and sip tea out there.
Getting pretty much the same kind of reports from all over the world just now, on blogs as well as via the news, makes it all feel even more strange.
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