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What are you doing right now? Part 2
Our workplace had decided to close the dining room. Insted we have to pick up the food and take it to our desks. Of course they can't let everyone in to take food at the same time so we now have to waiting in a queue outside the dining room interacting with people from all over the factory who might or might not be infected!!The government also advised that people who can work from home should but our HR has a great suspicion of letting people work from home. They are terrified that we might find it too pleasant and enjoyable and that we could be making good use of any time when we don't have our nose to the grindstone!!
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This is more or less what we've been told. Just to be over carefull
Esther wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "It certainly doesn't mention toilet paper which my fellow Australians seem to have gone nutty over. It's very hard to find some in my area."I just don't get the toilet pa..."
The stocking up on toilet paper is because people are asked to self-quarantine if they get this virus--no one wants to run out of that and other staples if they have to do that.
Now I see the connection. Thanks, Karin.
Karin wrote: "The stocking up on toilet paper is because people are asked to self-quarantine if they get this virus--no one wants to run out of that and other staples if they have to do that..."But as somewrote on my FB is you need 10 packages of TP for a 14 day quarantine you have more problems than Corona.
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I was thinking of you yesterday, Laura. Please be careful.
LauraT wrote: "At the moment Italy is in lockdown. I'm at work, but from tomorrow I've taken 3 days off. I was supposed to go to Berlin, but of course I'll stay home. We'll see ..."Do you have to use your own holiday during the lockdown?
Keep well. At least you will have your books to keep you occupied.
Here everyone coming in from abroad has to self-isolate for 14 days. Which means my daughter will have to when she gets home (hopeully there wil still be flights to get her here.)
A colleague's husband returned from the US before the new regulations (so he is not in isolation) but even though it is contrary to the new government regs her boss got so upset he insisted she work from home.
I am not looking forward to the snide comments when my daughter is home but my boss a bit naive and is convinced there won't be a problem.
Esther wrote: "Karin wrote: "The stocking up on toilet paper is because people are asked to self-quarantine if they get this virus--no one wants to run out of that and other staples if they have to do that..."B..."
I suppose it depends on how many people there are! But buying 10 rolls at a time doesn't seem like over doing it if you do this all the time and don't buy it weekly or every two weeks.
Karin wrote: "But buying 10 rolls at a time doesn't seem like over doing it "You are right, 10 rolls would be perfectly reasonable but here TP is sold in packages of 32/48 rolls and people are buying 10 packages!
Mod
Do you have to use your own holiday during the lockdown?"
At the moment yes. We'll see later on if things wn't get better...
LauraT wrote: "o you have to use your own holiday during the lockdown?"At the moment yes. We'll see later on if things wn't get better...."
Here the self-employed don't get unemployment benefit but in an uncharacteristically generous move those who have to self-isolate will be paid benefits.
Esther, that is a generous move.Our stock market has been affected and we have all taken a hit in our super funds in our house. It could take us a year to recoup those monies. That is a sobering thought.
Am sitting here wondering what is going on. We are well but every minute something is cancelled, meetings, worship services although they are going to stream tonight. Our schools are still open but it’s a matter of time. Worried about my family and friends and those we don’t know there is a serious complication happening and that’s the financial market. We have been diligent about saving and investing - or so we thought - it is doubly scary. My husband is self employed and had to plan for our future without a pension and other economic perks our friends are punting on for their future. But my husband is retiring at the end of March and for sometime now he’s said for sometime, that the market would tank then. And it happened. Granted right now we are losing money on paper but still, if this continues, the paper will become cash. And here we sit wondering, do we sit or do we continue to sit?
Esther wrote: "Karin wrote: "But buying 10 rolls at a time doesn't seem like over doing it "You are right, 10 rolls would be perfectly reasonable but here TP is sold in packages of 32/48 rolls and people are bu..."
Oh, my mistake! Yes, now I see your point! I had quite a bad migraine the other day and must have misread it :)!
Esther wrote: "LauraT wrote: "o you have to use your own holiday during the lockdown?"At the moment yes. We'll see later on if things wn't get better...."
Here the self-employed don't get unemployment benefit b..."
We're self employed and it could hurt us, but I am hoping that once my husband's outdoor season starts it won't affect him much. He is a painting contractor and many people he works for can work remotely. It could hurt where is elderly clientele are concerned, and he's old enough I hope he doesn't get it, although he doesn't smoke, thankfully, which is one of the extra risk factors for getting it more severely.
We are all retired here and have been hit by the sharemarket downturn.
B the BookAddict wrote: "We are all retired here and have been hit by the sharemarket downturn."I am a bit worried about that too Bette! I guess I'll just keep my fingers crossed that things rebound & we don't enter into another Great Depression.
Karin wrote: "must have misread it :)!.."Actually I think it is simply cultural differences.
I had forgotten until we started talking about it that in England we could buy single rolls of TP. Here a 'small' pack is 32!!
Same with eggs. In England I would buy half a dozen, here I buy a tray of 30.
B the BookAddict wrote: "We are all retired here and have been hit by the sharemarket downturn."It has hit my parents as well.
I am at the moment listening to the debate, worrying about the Coronavirus, getting nutty from sitting in the house and eating a book, Summer of ‘69 by Elon Hildebrand which is definitely calming me.
Karin wrote: "B the BookAddict wrote: "We are all retired here and have been hit by the sharemarket downturn."It has hit my parents as well."
My parents are actually doing slightly better. Their pensions are in Sterling and for the most part not share linked.
In the economic downturn the Israeli Shekel held it's value while Sterling didn't and then there was Brexit. They lost about 20-30% of their income.
Now due to Israel's lock down the Shekel is losing value so the value of their pensions has gone up.
I am sure my pension has suffered but then I have more than a decade to let it bounce back.
Watching the CNN series on The Windsor’s and at moments Trumps news about the virus.
I am reading recipe books and cooking to waft off some tension. I am unable to read regular books.
Mod
Bit boring: we have to stay home, can't go out if not for urgent reasons as buying food - all other shops are closed anyway. Parks are closed, as all gyms, swimming pools, cinemas, theatres, restaurants, bars ...
So I cook - me! Incredible - and read! And do some excercise following what my coach said I had to do!!!
At the moment theweather is gorgeous, and I'm tanned, staying all day out on my terrace!!!!
Mod
At the minute, we're starting to close down as well, my mum works in a school, and she's finished for the year. She's allowed to stay home because she has no immune system due to medication. My sister is off sick anyway because she's waiting for an operation which we're praying will still go ahead next week because she has paid to private. My brother's work has been shut down and he's still getting paid, my dad still has to go in because he works in food processing. I still have to go in or I don't get paid which I can't afford to do at all, it's going to be harder because public transport is starting to shut down. I think after tonight the only places open will be chemists or big shops for food only.
Things are starting to shut down here in the U.S. as well. I went to the supermarket tonight around 7:45 pm only to met with the fact that instead of closing at 10 pm as it normally does, it closed at 8 and I wasn't allowed in. I stopped at a convenience store to get a sandwich for dinner and luckily have enough coffee for the morning but I really need groceries!
As a senior citizen we are able to shop from 6 am till 7:30 am on the theory that the supermarket is less crowded and there are more products available. A senior citizen can also shop any other time as well. Here in NJ they’re asking us to frequent restaurants by ordering meals which we plan to do this week. We can either pick it up at the store or have it delivered. Drug stores are still open with in some cases refrigerated food available. I am so used to hear election news that I find it incredible nothing is being said about this event.
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Here in Australia all non essential venues have also been shut down. This includes pubs; I have heard people are scrambling for alcohol supplies now.
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I addition to reading and writing here, I am watching a documentary about the Trump Dynasty.We just signed up for Hulu and found several things we liked. Last night we watched a documentary on Hillary Clinton, this morning the first part of Little Fires Everywhere, based on the book by Celeste Ng. And now this piece on Trump. There are some other interesting programs to watch which we will do as long as we are under house arrest.
Alannah wrote: "All non essential shops have shut down here, if you’re elderly or working in the National Health Service, shops are opening early for you. My sister is a nurse but is refusing to take advantage of ..."Alannah - what's the word about your sister? Did she get her operation?
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Good news then! I'll keep my fingers crossed that it goes smoothly.
I can't tolerate wifi as it gives me headaches, so my Aspie daughter went to a grocery store to use wifi. She's healthy and has no symptoms; she has to get out of the house and go somewhere or her mental health really suffers (on top of the Aspie stuff). She's 24 so I have no control over her, anyway, but she didn't go early in the morning.She can't use her iPod via our modem, which normally is perfect because it helps her get out and about.
My heart goes out to a family I know with three low-function autistic kids (everyone always wonders why they kept having kids, but what happened is their eldest was diagnosed when their second was a baby and they had an accidental pregnancy rather early after having that baby, and they are not people who would get an abortion.) The kids' workers who come in to help aren't coming in right now, so it is crazy at their house.
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My son, 23, is going out of his mind being obliged to say home all day long!!!
He's the one doing shopping so that he can at least get out half an hour!!!
Alannah, I never ever find toilet paper here but my sister has 47 rolls which she says I can share. She and her husband manage to score toilet paper each time they go out but I keep lucking out at the stores.Because of limits now on most goods, I go to three supermarkets every time I shop (usually once every 12 days) so I'm pretty tired by the time I get home. Fighting to find a car park is the worst part of that.
We found toilet paper and paper toweling at Costco today. We also loaded up on lots of food although some things were missing and we made substitutions. I must admit that am getting used to this lifestyle. I will sit here trying to figure out what to do when I realized I can do these things tomorrow or the next day. And I hope this ends quickly since i’m beginning to feel guilty that I am lazy.
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I've read about this issue of toilet paper around the world. In Itay this is not lacking at the moment; yesterday I coudn't find the 0 flower, but only 00 - the 0 is nore aprt for bread, pizza, home made pasta, the 00 for cakes. I'll make all with the 00!!!
We were in semi lock-down until yesterday but some people can't behave themselves so we are now in full lock-down. It doesn't make a big difference to us except that I can't take the morning walk I instituted since I have been working from home.
We live in a rural area and I can walk around to get a breath of fresh air without meeting anyone.
Now I am not supposed to stray more than 100m from our building. Thank goodness we have a balcony.
I just have to convince my 80 year old parents that it is not safe for them to 'pop to the local shop' every couple of days because they have forgotten some 'necessity'.
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It doesn't make a big difference to us except that I can't take the morning walk I instituted since I have been working from home. ..."
I know ow you feel: I'm missing my swimming pool, my dauly walk and even my gym!!!
Esther wrote: I just have to convince my 80 year old parents that it is not safe for them to 'pop to the local shop' every couple of days because they have forgotten some 'necessity'.
Imagine having to cope with two youg adults - 22 and 20!!!!
LauraT wrote: "Karin wrote: "I can't tolerate wifi as it gives me headaches, so my Aspie daughter went to a grocery store to use wifi. She's healthy and has no symptoms; she has to get out of the house and go som..."Good idea! My son, once he got over his disappointment in having to stay at home, is becoming quite a homebody now that he has all of these zoom classes, but I send him out on walking errands several days a week. But then he is an introvert who also doesn't care for parties and stuff like that (doesn't want to share an apartment with any of his friends even if they aren't that wild and crazy even if he could afford it). I hear him making quips, etc, during some of his zoom classes, though. He is NOT shy or always quiet.
LauraT wrote: "Nancy from NJ wrote: "We found toilet paper and paper toweling at Costco today. We also loaded up on lots of food although some things were missing and we made substitutions. I must admit that am g..."Flour--we don't classify flour by 0 and 00 here. Is this how hard the flour is or some other quality? I have done a lot of baking and other food things so am familiar with soft and hard flour, etc.
Hard flour is used in bread, but pasta flour is also hard--they are different. Soft flour is pastry flour. Then in the States they also sell "all purpose flour" which is a mix, and while it is very versatile and best for some things, it doesn't make the best bread or cake.
For Americans et al, "cake flour" is not the same as pastry flour and is not good for all cakes--it has been very highly treated. I'm not sure if they sell "cake flour" everywhere, but if you have a cake recipe that doesn't call for "cake flour" then don't use it.
This is very short.
If anyone is new to baking and has to use any sort of gluten free flour, feel free to PM me with questions- for some years one of my kids had to be gluten free and I haven't found any good sources to tell you the natures of all the different flours (which one sticks together well, etc, etc). I used corn, quinoa, amaranth, rice (brown mostly) and buckwheat flour all with no gluten flour. I've also used oat flour which if it's processed properly might be rated gluten free.
Mod
How thin it is grinded: 00 is the thinnest, 0 a little less; there are sometimes also 1 and 2; for gross grinding. Better for Pizzas for instance
LauraT wrote: "Karin wrote: "LauraT wrote: "Nancy from NJ wrote: "We found toilet paper and paper toweling at Costco today. We also loaded up on lots of food although some things were missing and we made substitu..."Okay, we might have that here as well, but then Canadian and American white flour is different, I think. They take the germ out of white flour here, so all white flour is quite fine. I think I recall reading somewhere that in Italy (or it could have been another country or all of Europe, but I think it was Italy and that I was reading about Italian bread) your white flour still has the germ, so the grinding makes a huge difference.
Here you can buy specialty flour for making pizza dough, etc, if you look in the right places.
For my purposes, I primarily used whole wheat bread flour, Semolina flour (pasta flour) and pastry flour (I found that whole wheat pastry flour made better muffins than either whole wheat All Purpose or bread whole wheat flours). When I buy wheat bran, I get the finely ground bran, not the coarsely ground bran.
But I had to be gluten free for one of my kids for some years as well.
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I just don't get the toilet paper. It is not like this virus causes a tummy upset. It seems to be symbolic rather than actually useful.