A week or so ago, we hit the one year anniversary of the first covid case in New York City. I also remember quite well the first covid scare at my clinic. Hard to believe it’s been a year. But it has been. And, my laundry closet is a funny reminder of what occurred this past year.
First, let me start by stating that I finally was able to order lysol wipes. It’s been ten months since was able to do so. Amazon kept telling me the item was unavailable. Its availability means two things: (1) supply chain has stabilized, and (2) people stopped hoarding items.
Now, let me get to my main point. I was indeed one of those who made sure she was going to be prepared for the apocalypse. I had pedialyte, gatorade, and a lot of soups. I also had a mountain of toilet paper. But let me note this. I had to. In the very beginning of this crazy new world, I had ordered toilet paper through Amazon as I often had done in the past. When I received a text saying my package had been delivered, I quickly rushed down. And, to my surprise someone had grabbed my toilet paper. I then realized this was going to be off-kilter for a bit.
I went on to order my toilet paper replacement and then some. To the point that I have not bought toilet paper since about August and I probably have enough to last me to August. I just realized that when I did my last round of laundry. I chuckled and wondered what item would be next in terms of mass hysteria.
Categories: current events, Health, mental health, new york, Psychology, society
psychologistmimi 
What I’ve plenty of is disinfecting wipes. Never bought more than two or three packs at a time, but since I bought them every time I saw them, I’m probably now good to make it about halfway through the decade.
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Some local dickhead bought 25,000 rolls of toilet paper intending to corner the market and make a killing.
Local manufacturers stepped up production causing a glut and making his investment not worth the paper…. he might as well wipe his arse with it.
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We have been fortunate to not need to ‘buy up’ – but we do keep about 8 rolls ahead of need.
I told me kids in the very beginning not to panic, that there are alternatives – maybe not quite as convenient – and to be careful not to flush ‘flushables’ – most water treatment plants and sewage systems really can’t handle them, regardless what the manufacturer says.
As long as you have water…
We also have the convenience of in-apartment washer and dryer, so
As long as we also had laundry detergent…
So there has been no panic in this household, or our kids’.
The pandemic made SHOPPING a concern, and people who continue to work, as you have, had to add a whole bunch of time to make the shopping experience safe. I don’t blame you for looking ahead; I just worry about the people who haven’t been able to do that due to lack of funds.
The pandemic has put disproportionate strains on those who were already barely making it.
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Thanks for the smile!!
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At the start of quarantine in NYC I ordered paper towels on Amazon. I thought I was ordering 6 rolls but it was actually six packages of four in a gigantic box. As I am sure you can appreciate as a fellow New Yorker, I had paper towels under the couch, under the bed, behind the bathroom door, under the entry bench … it took almost 10 months to use them all up.
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