A Muse Bouche

Welcome to Day One of the Santa Clara County (aka Silicon Valley) government ordered Shelter in Place which officially began this morning at 12:01 a.m. This also marks Day One of daily blog posts, barring any nasty surprises. Also, rather unluckily, St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re looking for a vicarious view into a remote, other-worldly situation OR you’re in it with me and bored out of your mind, this is the place for you. Welcome. An obvious disclaimer: I’m nothing more than a neighbor leaning over a virtual fence. Please follow your own common sense. (rhyming couplet)

The curve-flattening edict, delivered yesterday, caught many by surprise, as did P. T.’s (he who will not be named) Friday declaration of National Emergency followed quickly by the closure of local public schools, the moment when tectonic plates shifted for many. We do know about tectonic plates out here! In any case, while reports of hand sanitizer and T.P. (ha-ha, nice inversion!) hoarding had been in the news for awhile, suddenly the populace woke up and raced en masse to local markets, Trader Joe’s especially hard-hit.

Since then, there’s been no let-up in the panic-buying. I’m sure you’ve seen posts elsewhere of grocery carts stacked with 20 gallons of milk, or full to the brim with ground beef. Crazy stuff. Food isn’t going anywhere…except into the stockpiles of the truly fearful.

In any case, now that here in SCCo we’re officially rendered home-bound, if you can possibly help it, just stay away from the stores for a few days while everyone settles in to the new routine. Or regime, however you view it. One friend had to shop for elderly family members today and got in line behind a 100 people at her Trader Joe’s an hour before it opened. Madness. Devouring locusts are not a lovely site. Pity the poor clerks, those who are deemed essential.

What to do then? Surely most of us have some few items in our cupboards and refrigerators to last a few days (maybe not our favorites, but if that’s the case, why did you buy it)? Anyway, that’s a different question. I’m sticking to my Day One advice: stay out of the stores today if at all possible. Order pizza delivery with salad and beverage. Make a PBJ. Consider bowls of popcorn or cereal.  Try that one-day fast you’ve always been considering. Why not? Once stores can get ahead of the restocking curve, the calamitous sight of shelves, freezers, and refrigerator cases stripped bare will be one less thing inciting alarm.

But do get out and take a lovely, sunny walk, or with an umbrella later this afternoon. If you work up an appetite, a PBJ might not look so bad. Out my window, two women stroll peacefully past, chatting, their dogs on leashes, walking six feet abreast. Way to go.

Your thoughtful comments are welcome.