blogcutter

So after working OK again for maybe a day and a half, the display options here seem once again to have gone kittywampus on me. No capability of showing my Reading page, Recent entries or Archive, although I still seem able to do the posting and editing functions. It's all quite bizarre.

As far as the mid-pandemic re-opening and loosening restrictions schedules go, I'm finding it all somewhat confusing. To be sure, there is some progress in the right direction. Checkpoints on bridges between Ottawa and Gatineau were finally removed yesterday, though not without some dire warnings that they might at any time be reinstated if we don't behave ourselves. On our walks lately, we've actually seen people playing in parks and in one case sitting on a bench (which I think technically is still a no-no). Apparently the City of Ottawa is now using "park ambassadors" (with green T-shirts or red jackets) to educate the park-using public about what is or isn't allowed instead of bylaw officers with the power to issue outrageous fines for any violation of the rules. I haven't seen any of them so far. But all the one-household and physical distancing restrictions and limits on gatherings of more than five people are still in place as far as I know. Standalone stores with street entrances are allowed to open again although I'm not sure many are ready to do so with existing limitations. And even online shopping is confusing when it's not clear which items may be obtained in-store, which via curbside pickup and which can be delivered.

We went for groceries today during seniors' hour and I actually was told I mustn't use our reusable grocery bags. I had to leave them on some shelving between the two sets of doors and collect them on the way out. The sign outside the store also specified "One shopper per household if possible". As with previous trips, I was the Designated Shopper (since I can't be the Designated Driver); I did think the "if possible" was at least a good sign that they had taken note of the challenges that a rigid lone-shopper policy would pose for some families.

I managed to get most of the items on our grocery list. Their stock was rather depleted in some areas though, perhaps in part because it was just after a long weekend. There weren't any of the larger varieties of tomatoes, for example. Not much in the way of ready-to-serve soups, though I did get some Amy's soups from the organics section. No tins of pineapple; no charcoal briquettes. I had to buy microfiltred milk rather than the regular 2% though I did find half-and-half and our preferred type of yogurt and all of the types of cheese we wanted. They were out of our black bean burgers and our food-waste bags. On the plus side, I was pleased to find a 5kg bag of all-purpose flour as well as shortening and pecans. And in the beer section I found some local brews, Broadhead (stout and blueberry) and some Flying Canoe hard cider.

So we're good to go for another couple of weeks. Meanwhile, we're keeping an eye on the local markets site and Burrow Shop.