Glad you at least got some AC sleep and, presumably, a hot shower every day.
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Iāll share some PNW storm stories one day soon; while fairly rare, we can get massive Extra Tropical Typhoons, and pretty severe ice storms under unusual circumstances.
What Iām posting about today is the good news I feel somewhat like a normal person!!
Had to do a follow up appointment at oral surgeonās, met a Covid careful person for coffee outside, went to a grocery store for the first time since before Xmas, AND stopped at the pharmacy. Actually got into traffic on my street to home, as there was a rather nasty collision at the stoplight.
In any case, it was great to be out, but TBH, a little overwhelming and disorienting. Itās like Iām a kid, discovering a whole new world, almost. Pretty tired too, but did celebrate a little by buying a bottle of Tanqueray, and having two G&Tās. Anyway, happy to feel like the world is turning around, and Iām still part of it.
Also, H picked wild blackberries while I was out, so itās jam making day tomorrow. He probably got about 4-5 quarts, and plenty more from where those came from. Think it should be a pretty good, normal weekend! 
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Congratulations.
Itās a weird experience ācoming outā - literally. Each time, weāve taken a new step back into the old world weāve been nervous before and not always entirely happy afterwards. Whilst weāve been to a convenience store a couple of times, we havent been to a supermarket since before lockdown in mid-March. Weāre settled into a home delivery routine with them and are content for that to carry on for the foreseeable.
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@Harters - thank you! While it was great to be out, my comfort level inside buildings is extremely low. I was out of the grocery in about 20 minutes flat, and when I stopped at the chemistās 
to pick up a prescription, I waited in the car until I got the text saying it was ready. I was curious to see what the various inventory was like, but didnāt indulge that curiosity; at a glance I did notice some empty spots on shelving.
Since H is willing to go, weāll continue on that way. If your pickup/delivery is working for you, thatās great. Without H, Iād definitely order online and then go pick up.
But many changes I did notice while out - smallish things you donāt think about, for instance, no magazines at oral surgeons.
So, Iāll see how it goes with a few outside meetups. It certainly gave me a lift yesterday.
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I need to get out everyday to keep my mobility going. I like to watch trains, just me in the car and the Wifeacita on weekends.
I donāt know if itās covid or texting but Iāve never seen so many people smooth run red lights, many seconds, or a minute after it turned red.
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Power!!! Yay!!!
To celebrate, hereās the best 4 seconds of my day!
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Our cat Emma likes bags and boxes too. Brought home groceries from curbside pickup today and she didnāt wait for us to unload the bags to climb in.
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Thatās excellent. Our bloodthirsty demon likes to hide under the bed and whack unsuspecting passersby on the ankles. It would be cuter if he were declawed. Or less bloodthirsty.
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I had a cat that was a de facto retriever. We started with catnip mice, Iād throw them and he would bring them back unless he was busy swatting them under furniture. That got expensive.
We settled on small balls of foil. All I had to say was the word mouse and he would get excited and bring me one to start our game.
Iād lie in bed and throw a mouse a good six feet in the air and he would catch, fetch and repeat. In the morning there would be multiple mice heād brought to me.
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You know what @jcostiones? I never worried about the safety of that intersection before the light went in. I anticipated and have been proven correct that people try to run it, really often. Scares the crap out of me now! They really had to put one in though, due to people needing to get across it during peak hours. But I get really irritated when the drivers try to beat it.
Personally, I donāt think itās a Covid or texting thing, perhaps some cellphone distraction thoughā¦
Speaking of keeping up mobility, and how you like to watch trains, it was even weird to be driving. I need to keep up with it, so I donāt feel inept and incapable of it, not to mention the need to keep the battery charged. 
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Iām glad you mentioned this here. I see this three or four times a week in my town. Honestly have never seen the frequency of this traffic violation in my 50+ years of driving. Since Iām driving a new $36,000 SUV, Iām driving like a grandma, doing everything I can to avoid bunched up traffic.
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The neighborās cat visits my yard frequently. Yesterday I looked out the window and the cat was sitting there looking straight at me with a mouse in is mouth, showing off the catch. I felt honored ā¦ now wondering how many mice are in my yard and if its a problem, but honored he wanted to show me. Good job, kitty!
I guess this is what passes for social interaction in the Age of Corona 
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EXCELLENT on regaining power!
My orange cattorist was in a belly scrub mood this morning. Yes, heās completely shameless. And yes, his belly got schnarfled!
Itās days like this that help me get through the bullshit going on in our world.
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Article is behind a paywall for me, Bone.
But I can see itās discussing the UK government supported āEat Out to Help Outā discount scheme. Last week was its first week and itāll run through to the end of the month. Itās only in place Monday to Wednesday, working on the basis that this is the quietest time of the week. We had to change our reservation last week from Wednesday to Thursday. Chatting with the manager, he said they had been fairly busy on the first three days but his fear was that trade would concentrate on those days and the rest of the week would be dead. There was, clearly evidence for that fear - we were the only customers, except just as we were finishing off, a lone diner came in. This was in Manchesterās Chinatown which we had a wander round before dinner - everywhere was dead, including one place which is always busy and, literally, had no customers. But, if the discount (and the temporary reduction in Value Added Tax from 20% to 5%), gets people out into restaurants again and they keep going, then it will be a success.
As everywhere, economies are very fragile. I follow a particular Tripadvisor Spain forum where the resort is heavily dependent on British tourists. Businesses had started to reopen as we were allowed to travel but, within a couple of weeks, the UK government had withdrawn itās āsafe to travelā advice so it may be more bars/restaurants/hotels will be in trouble. Here in the UK, my metro area has reintroduced some restrictions, including a ban on socialising with different households in, say, restaurants. Itās bound to cut trade down.
Sorry to post bad news on the good news thread.
I think people are just angry these days and either arguing too much or, maybe running red lights.
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@winecountrygirl, and @RedJim, itās very possible I havenāt been out enough in the last 6 months to even notice the smooth red light runners. It wouldnāt surprise me during Covid times that people may be more distracted or less cautious than usual. My experiences the few times I have been out, is the extraordinary kindness and extreme politeness Iāve observed, more patience than usual too.
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Thanks for the PM with the article content, Bone. Appreciated.
In my area (Philly and its burbs) traffic is much lighter than usual, but accidents involving serious injuries/fatalities and DUIs are up. The theory is that accidents are increased as a result of people speeding on lightly traveled roads and ignoring stop signs and red lights under the mistaken impression that there is no oncoming traffic.
DUIs? The theory is people are drinking at home and then go out to get take-out meals or snacks from the local stores. (I imagine part of that problem is also that there are no bartenders in a home to cut folks off when they are obviously impaired.)
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