Pandemic food and fasting

Ever since we got home from Denver two weeks ago, I have been putting off going to Costco. I have heard enough tales of long lines of people wrapping around the outside of the store waiting for admittance at an appropriate social distance, to make me wary. Costco is tiring under normal circumstances. The mere thought of adding any element to the experience served as a deterrent for two whole extra weeks. Then the CDC recommended that everyone wear a protective mask in public. What with the extra long lines and the extra smothering face-gear, this grocery trip was looking more and more difficult the longer I waited. But still I waited. We made do with Sunnyside's two main local choices for as long as possible: Walmart and Safeway. Walmart and Safeway are perfectly adequate, but I only resupply current week-to-week needs there. Costco is for large-scale restocking. By today, it had been at least six weeks since my last Costco run, and our pantry supplies had thinned out significantly. Plus, a nice fat Costco rewards check had come in the mail. It was time. Today was the day.


Today was also the worldwide fast for relief from the effects of the pandemic, initiated by the prophet, President Nelson. Since I cannot fast from food anymore, I had to think of another way to direct my thoughts and energy in the right direction. Over the past few years, I have been slowly figuring out how fasting looks for me. It is confusing and not straightforward at all! I have tried all kinds of foodless fasting ideas and I've also completely forgotten to fast just as often. Every few months I almost convince myself that I really could  fast from food, but then I remind myself of how ill it makes me. It's been a process. Just this year, I finally found a method that feels right: I fast from lounge wear and social media. I wear a dress all day long and stay off of Facebook and Instagram. The dress serves as a physical reminder of what I'm doing, and the break from social media filters out many distractions and gives me a quieter mental space. I am still working on adding to and adjusting my fasting routine, but so far, so good.

This morning I put on a dress and wrote a Costco list. It felt weird to be going shopping in such Sunday-ish mood! Music selection for the drive was simple, since I always try to listen to Handel's Messiah straight through twice per year (once at Christmas, and once at Easter). The 35-ish minute drive to Union Gap was uneventful and beautifully musical. I arrived a little after 9am and went to WinCo (conveniently located across the street from Costco) while waiting for Costco to open. I ended up getting quite a cartload at Winco, checking off a good number of things from my Costco list.

It was weird wearing a mask. Only about 50% of the other patrons had masks on, but I felt wonderfully secure inside my thick N-99 filter mask (purchased 3 years ago during the terrible wildfires of 2017--one calamity prepared me for another). It was nice to be able to scratch my nose by rubbing the mask, since my nose itches only when I'm not allowed to touch it. WinCo was quiet and spacious. The bulk foods section looked like a ghost town. All of the bins were empty, and the barrels on the floor were stacked with pre-scooped foods twist-tied into bags. No self-serve bulk foods during a pandemic! I survived the first leg of the major grocery restock. $180 goes a LONG way at WinCo.

Next up was Costco. I arrived about half an hour after opening time and the parking lot looked sparse. My hopes rose as I walked towards the entrance. Then I saw the line of people waiting to go inside, tucked away along the shady side of the building. The line ran the entire length of the massive warehouse. I trundled all the way down and joined in at the end. Several workers were sanitizing shopping carts and offering them to people in line. The line was spread out to maintain that hopeful 6 foot distance between people. I popped in my earbud and continued listening to Handel while I waited. Fifteen minutes later, I was walking into the store. Fifteen minutes can sometimes feel like an eternity, but without any kids in tow, and with beautiful music in my ear, it really wasn't so bad at all. It could have been much longer. That line was growing fast and was nearly doubled by the time I entered the store.

By the time I entered Costco, my mask was really starting to chafe and itch. If I were a fairy tale character, I would totally be the princess from The Princess and the Pea. Sensitive skin/body can be such a trial! Wheeling around the store, I added to my list and filled my cart, deciding on the spot that I did not want to come back for at least six weeks, or longer if I could help it. Plus, I didn't want cash back from the remainder of our rewards check. Cash is not so useful during a pandemic. Too dirty and hands-on. I was overjoyed to find that Costco had FLOUR. It has been scarce in Sunnyside for the past month. At last I shoved my laden cart up to the front of the store and waited dutifully behind the prescribed floor line.

Costco has installed plexiglass barriers along each checkout area, so the cashier is shielded from as much human contact as possible. It almost looked like bulletproof glass and I amused myself with thoughts of cashiers cowering behind their bulletproof barriers while all of the masked bandits stormed the checkout lines. Over $400 of Costco food, and I only paid $67 for it--thank you, rewards check! By the time I had reclaimed my cartload of food after the checkout process, I was famished! I headed over to the food court to grab a sandwich, only to discover that the only food being served was hot dogs. Covid-19 strikes again! Thanks, but no thanks. After overloading my trunk, I extracted a croissant, some strawberries, and some chocolate coconut almonds from the heap of food and had a snack before heading home.

 Bring it on. After WinCo, my hair was wisping all over the place and tickling my face maddeningly, so I sanitized my hands and put it into a tight bun to keep my sanity.

 Ghost town WinCo bulk section.

Waiting in line at Costco: two selfies in one morning--extravagant, yes, but the line was long (even if I was too bashful to take an actual picture of it, haha).

I did not wear fancy shoes with my dress, because grocery shopping requires motion and comfort. 

 It's hard to see, but that blurry area in front of the cash register and along the conveyor belt is all protective plastic or plexiglass. I didn't touch it to find out more, obviously. The cashier attendant wiped down the glass and the conveyor belt after every customer. At the Costco exit, the bouncer did not have to draw a line on my receipt! He didn't even take it in his hands; he just glanced at it while I held it up, nodded, and I was free! I strongly dislike the anal door bouncers who suspiciously sort through my cart like I'm trying to steal something. This was an improvement.

Apparently I was feeling nostalgic about France while I was at Costco. 

Ah, belle France, quand est-ce que nous visitons a vous autre fois?