Getting Ready for the Coronavirus

Definitely stay out of museums or any crowded places for now!

Two days ago I flew home from Florida and counted eight people wearing face masks in the airport. This made me wonder, should I have a face mask? Then yesterday I heard on the radio that 85% of Americans have not done anything to prepare for the coronavirus, should it reach our shores. I'm in that group; am I being stupid?

Unsure as to how to prepare for such a thing, I asked my husband, who is very smart, and he suggested that we stock up on essentials in case the government forces the closure of all stores and quarantines everyone. So today I am going to the supermarket and buying everything they have. This will be a fun outing since I hate having to limit myself to a shopping list. I may even throw in some unhealthy stuff just in case this pandemic turns out to be my last.

Besides all the canned tuna and soups and frozen veggies and potatoes and pasta and meats and chicken, etc., I'll definitely get four or five boxes of Mallomars. Not only are they extremely delicious but they double as an activity, should all the TV channels shut down and the Internet crash. (Yes, I know, I could always read a book, but for the purposes of this blog let's assume I have no books.) Anyway, about the Mallomars: First you bite into the outer chocolate coating, creating little pieces. You then eat those one at a time. Next, suck on the marshmallow mound until you reach the graham cracker cookie that forms the base of the treat. The whole experience is almost as engaging as a game of Words With Friends, and if you eat one with a friend it's just as social.

Fortunately we are always well-stocked with enough wine and liquor to see us through any sort of plague, or even just a bad mood. Seven or eight pounds of coffee beans should keep us alert and on edge until the all-clear sounds. Certainly a boatload of cat food and cat treats. And the inevitable milk and toilet paper, in case it snows.

That should do it.