Quarantini anyone?

Early last Sunday morning, March 15 (beware?), my wife and I went shopping at Wegmans, a large and eclectically stocked family owned east coast grocery chain.  Normally packed with customers, we were early enough to avoid the heaviest crowds.

But not, as it turned out, early enough to find anywhere close to the usual overabundance of goods. And it wasn't just hand sanitizer, wipes, masks, and the like that were missing.  Most fresh produce, baked goods - fresh and bagged - and pretty much the entire heated and fresh buffet food area were more reminiscent of the depression era, and/or Soviet Block times.  And the customers were frantically dashing through the aisles with stricken looks on their faces.  Motoring along in the power wheelchair shopping cart, I'm not sure how I appeared, but I think I felt okay.  Maybe some contact tense?

Not having had caffein or breakfast yet, I was relieved to find prepared, packaged in little paperboard boxes, hot pastry sandwiches with eggs, cheese, bacon, etc.  And most important, COFFEE!!  And half and half!  Upon exhausting my short list and myself (Dwan managing the long list), I breakfasted on the limited but ample fare.  After finishing up that most excellent café elixir, I asked an employee where I might be able to find a toothpick.  She kindly found one for me, which was offered and accepted in a pre covid, that is to say, a relaxed fashion.  Though she looked a bit tired, and through a mildly continental accent (I have learned how inappropriate the question "where are you from" is, especially in our current dystopia), she seemed rather calm and warmhearted.  Noting the seeming mad rush behind us - before us were only two other people in the normally packed dining area, at least two meters between them.  Perhaps owing to my recent satiety and her calm weary, we chatted for a while and agreed that the avenues perhaps most important in the midst of this crisis might be peace, calm, and love.  Sure, wash those hands, stay home if you can, but most important: smile.  Reach out by phone, text, email.

And just the memory of this exchange still brings a smile to my face.

But what about the blog post title?  My stepdaughter recently invented/shared the recipe for a Quarantini: one to three shots gin or vodka, one teaspoon honey, a twist of lemon, a slice of ginger; serve shaken or on the rocks.  And I would add, follow with a bottle of Corona beer, a boilermaker of sorts for this moment in history!  Remember to drink responsibly...

Cheers!  And most important, smile!