Life and times of social isolation

20 Monday Apr 2020

Tags

ARPO, Covid-19, Facebook, gas prices, general merchandise stores, Zoom

We’re all adjusting to the quarantine at home and adjustments that go along with it. For years I was the editor of a small Indiana daily and wrote a week opinion column. Sometimes it would just be a collection of thoughts or observations.

Here we go:

I live alone but continue to work about 12 hours a week at a little retail wine shop in Broad Ripple. Getting out is a real relief. We’re not allowing customers in the shop just curbside pickup and delivery. Because of my age, I ‘m not doing delivery and just staying in locked up in the shop filling orders and answering the phone. And if you’ve read about alcohol sales, yes business is booming.

Speaking of alcohol and isolation, nine friends and I did a virtual wine tasting last night and had a ball. It was great time seeing old friends and talking wine. It’s really not hard; we used Zoom. But Facebook messenger and other platforms are out there to get a group together.

My last post was about the general dishevelment and filth at two 10th street Indy E. 10th street general merchandise stores. I posted the column to one of those neighborhood posting boards. I got a sympathetic response and a smackdown. One area resident called me a wine snob (egads!) and took me to task because the poor people working their certainly must be overwhelmed. Well, my point was aimed at ownership and management not the local workers. I suggested in these times of unemployment and with 8,000 stores nationwide perhaps they could hire at least one person to keep the place clean and organized. Very snobish, indeed.

I suffered a heart-breaking loss in early March when my pet Corgi of 13 years left me for RIP – running in paradise. I weighed getting another dog and eventually came around to the decision that it would be a good idea. I adopted a dog from an animal rescue group, Arpo, and he arrived yesterday. He’s a bit of a mystery 2-3 years old, housebroken, reserved and shy. Sake (yes, named after the Japanese wine) also loves sitting right beside me or in my lap. I’ve heard lots of ideas of what his breed might be. He’s a small guy at about 25lbs with very long legs. A neighbor thinks he has some golden retriever in him. Our adventure begins.

Friday was a big day and I make note always in case anyone in a similar predicament ever wishes to talk. It was the third anniversary of my autologous stem cell transplant. I had two rounds of lymphoma first in 2015 and again in 2016. The doctors and I selected a transplant of my own white cells to try to keep me cancer free for the rest of my life. Though an exhausting and difficult 30 days, 3 years is a significant mark of remission.

Holy gas prices caped crusader! (sorry for the ancient culture reference) All around Indy anyone out can see gas prices are way down. Imagine my delight when I found the cheapest of all just down the street! It’s been a long time since we’re seen $1.15 a gallon!

Why we can’t have nice things

16 Thursday Apr 2020

Posted by Howard in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Covid-19, dollar stores, retail cleanliness, value stores

While writing about wine over the past 13 years I seldom went really negative. I wrote a few harsh restaurant reviews. I tasted some bad wine and said so. But more often than not I wouldn’t go out of my way to trash anyone.

A typical aisle’s floor in Store #2 Not an example but nearly every aisle.

But, I got mad yesterday. Here we are in middle of a pandemic when face masks, gloves and disinfectant are a big part of our lives. Cleanliness and respecting others’ space is an expectation.

With very few businesses open it seems to me, and I’d like to think others, that these places would be bending over backwards to earn their customers trust and continued support.

So okay, here we go. I live on Indy’s eastside near Little Flower and Irvington. It’s not the best side of town by most standards. The area certainly struggles with crime and violent crime. But there has been a big change the past few years. New retail businesses are popping up and doing well. The problem is the old standbys are letting us down.

Honestly, one of the less-cluttered aisles.

I needed a small electrical connection that I thought would be easy to find. I visited two general merchandise stores which feature a wide variety of goods at low prices. You know these places. And in economically depressed areas they flourish. Need a better hint? I went to two and they both have the word “Dollar” in their name.

The newest store, less than a year old, was filthy with merchandise scattered around the floor. That building was completely redone to accommodate the current business. I was was seriously shocked at the mess. A little internet search showed Indiana has 428 of these stores. The second wasn’t quite as messy, though not orderly, but was even dirtier than the first. Using the net, I learned there are 48 of these stores in Indiana and 8,000 nationwide.

Photos don’t lie, these were taken about 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

These places are probably slammed with business. I suspect they have a hard time hiring and keeping employees. But it’s hard to understand running a commercial business without daily upkeep. Both of these general merchandise stores are large corporations. How about hiring a part-time worker or two in every store to keep things clean and organized? You can provide a job or two for people who are out of work and maybe show a little respect for the community you serve.

Customers are shopping the shelves clean, there has to be profit. It’s time for these places to provide the dignity of a clean, safe shopping environment.