The Covid19 thread

[Annoyed]

Thanks.

I've managed to stock up on food and household necessities just as they panic buying was starting. Wifey made fun of me for giving in to panic, now she doesn't laugh anymore. The experience of surviving the crazy Russian 90-s really comes in handy. I figured that there was no need to plan for end of civilization or situation with no water and power, only for several weeks of not leaving the house, short-term supply disruption due to panic buying by stupid people and possibly a bug-out backpack for sudden evacuation to a hospital. The trick was to also stock up on things that I expected to double in price.

I have a Brita jug and 6 months worth of filters, so no need to hoard bottled water. We bought about 15kg of rice, some pasta, instant mashed potatoes, 20 tins of corned beef and another 30 tins of tuna -enough to comfortably survive a couple of weeks at least without ever leaving home if necessary. The freezer is full of meat, we've got some 150 single-use face masks and about 200 disposable gloves, alcohol gel, and so long as we have water and power (and internet), we're good. I've got my electric scooter for quick shopping trips once a week to grab the things that can't be stockpiled for long term - fresh vegetables, milk, cheese, bread and eggs. I did not join into toilet paper hoarding craze and I still don't get it.

Bah. Wifey always laughs. just ignore 'em till they inevitably realize that their husband was right all along.


I too had a good stock of most of the essentials including a stash of non-perishable food, beverages, some face masks, disposable gloves, iso. alcohol and a generator.

[SoulReaver]

helps to have the shower right next to the toilet - can dispense with TP in case of shortage :|

Loss of sense of smell can lead to loss of taste

and loss of taste can lead to the dark side


btw I know some of the cashiers (not many fortunately else I'd be ruined now) at the nearby supermarket they always been real friendly & they work for scraps with next to no protection so my last few trips I scanned a gift card last & gave it to the cashier one for each. they dont often get a reason to smile poor things

[jelgate]

This was always a pet peeve of mine when I did work at a single grocery store. Customers tend to praise and thank the front staff. I always felt the back staff never got appreciated.

[SoulReaver]

nowadays the front staff are a lot more exposed so there's the risk factor. then the stress factor

I myself worked as back staff at that supermarket long ago, dull as deadend jobs get but I'd never have taken a job as a cashier - for starters just the thought of handling all day long $$$ that isn't mine but belongs to an overbloated corporate billionaire who never even worked for it - or worked at all - then the whole "dealing with **** tons of clients" thing which is equally offputting (the stress factor)

[Annoyed]

This was always a pet peeve of mine when I did work at a single grocery store. Customers tend to praise and thank the front staff. I always felt the back staff never got appreciated.

Question: What is the gender balance between front end and rear end staff?

[VampyreWraith]

I've always hated working cashier. I've worked in retail on and off for a long time and I'd rather clean out a fitting room during swimsuit season(and that can be nasty) than work cashier.

As for the gender balance between front end staff and back of house, in my experience, it's been almost even in places I've worked, but I guess it tends to lean male, since some women are unable to or just might not want to lift boxes and stuff like that. I've been a stockroom manager for the past several months and I'm not even a big woman or anything (I'm actually a bit below average in height and of average weight). Most of the people who've worked with me have been women too. I also worked in the tool department at Sears many years ago (and yes, I learned where merchandise was located and what things were so I could help customers lol).

[SoulReaver]

Question: What is the gender balance between front end and rear end staff?

where I used to work it was only men for back staff & mostly women for front staff (but I assume you knew that & it was a rhetorical question...amirite?)

though some cashiers sometimes double as backstaff pushing around carts full of discarded goods bringing them back to storage etc.

[mad_gater]

This was always a pet peeve of mine when I did work at a single grocery store. Customers tend to praise and thank the front staff. I always felt the back staff never got appreciated.

at least us "under the radar" staff like back stockers and cart pushers don't have to deal with the crazies too often

[epg20]

Thanks.

I've managed to stock up on food and household necessities just as they panic buying was starting. Wifey made fun of me for giving in to panic, now she doesn't laugh anymore. The experience of surviving the crazy Russian 90-s really comes in handy. I figured that there was no need to plan for end of civilization or situation with no water and power, only for several weeks of not leaving the house, short-term supply disruption due to panic buying by stupid people and possibly a bug-out backpack for sudden evacuation to a hospital. The trick was to also stock up on things that I expected to double in price.

I have a Brita jug and 6 months worth of filters, so no need to hoard bottled water. We bought about 15kg of rice, some pasta, instant mashed potatoes, 20 tins of corned beef and another 30 tins of tuna -enough to comfortably survive a couple of weeks at least without ever leaving home if necessary. The freezer is full of meat, we've got some 150 single-use face masks and about 200 disposable gloves, alcohol gel, and so long as we have water and power (and internet), we're good. I've got my electric scooter for quick shopping trips once a week to grab the things that can't be stockpiled for long term - fresh vegetables, milk, cheese, bread and eggs. I did not join into toilet paper hoarding craze and I still don't get it.

you can buy reusable gloves, like the ones you use for the dishes, BUT you can also stockpile milk and bread, BOTH will freeze VERY well, well, you may want to keep some gallon milk jugs, when you freeze milk, the plastic jug can split and you would need another jug to put the milk that melted in, i did this before, it is a good and bad thing, the bad I told you about, the GOOD is it is so amazing how good it is just thawed and still ice cold, there may even be a small milk berg in the jug, THAT is when it is best, it is just so good, it is so cold and fresh that you would swear that it had just come out of a frozen cow, not to mention it is sooooo good on a hot summer day. SOME cheeses CAN freeze, you will need to experiment to see how it does with your cheeses, EGGS can freeze BUT when you thaw them, the yolk will remain solid, but the whites will go back to being liquid, so there is that, yes, I did that to an egg before.

[Annoyed]

EGGS can freeze BUT when you thaw them, the yolk will remain solid, but the whites will go back to being liquid, so there is that, yes, I did that to an egg before.

I've accidentally frozen eggs before (I keep the refrigerator section at about 33 degrees, so if I put them near the cold air inlet, it can get below freezing there) and the shells tend to crack. Once thawed, I don't know if it's safe to eat an egg whose shell has cracked.

[Annoyed]

where I used to work it was only men for back staff & mostly women for front staff (but I assume you knew that & it was a rhetorical question...amirite?)

though some cashiers sometimes double as backstaff pushing around carts full of discarded goods bringing them back to storage etc.

And which gender was paid more? Female front end or Male back end?

[SoulReaver]

And which gender was paid more? Female front end or Male back end?

no idea tbh

different jobs different tasks anyway

personally I'd expect more $ as a cashier for the aforementioned reasons

[epg20]

I've accidentally frozen eggs before (I keep the refrigerator section at about 33 degrees, so if I put them near the cold air inlet, it can get below freezing there) and the shells tend to crack. Once thawed, I don't know if it's safe to eat an egg whose shell has cracked.

yes, it is, provided it was still cold enough when it was thawed, you can put it in a plastic bag and let it thaw, if you cook it through, not soft and runny, like you would do in a poached egg, but like in a hard boiled egg, or in an omelet, or firm scrambled eggs, things like that, or put in a recipe like a cake or what ever, it should be fine, if the egg is thawed in the fridge over night or for a day or two, oh wait some countries don't refrigerate their eggs, if you don't but they freeze and crack, then wash them off first before putting them in the bag then put them in the refrigerator to remove the bacteria from the chicken.

[epg20]

just saw this and thought I would share it.

from CNN

[epg20]

you can buy reusable gloves, like the ones you use for the dishes, BUT you can also stockpile milk and bread, BOTH will freeze VERY well, well, you may want to keep some gallon milk jugs, when you freeze milk, the plastic jug can split and you would need another jug to put the milk that melted in, i did this before, it is a good and bad thing, the bad I told you about, the GOOD is it is so amazing how good it is just thawed and still ice cold, there may even be a small milk berg in the jug, THAT is when it is best, it is just so good, it is so cold and fresh that you would swear that it had just come out of a frozen cow, not to mention it is sooooo good on a hot summer day. SOME cheeses CAN freeze, you will need to experiment to see how it does with your cheeses, EGGS can freeze BUT when you thaw them, the yolk will remain solid, but the whites will go back to being liquid, so there is that, yes, I did that to an egg before.

one more thing, if you find that your whole wheat bread goes moldy, store it in the fridge, it will keep longer.