The Times They Keep A-Changin'

As the death toll rises and cases grow exponentially, we are settling into doing without things we used to take for granted and making do the best we can. We watch with fear and anxiety as we are thankful for the health we've been able to keep so far and pray for safety and health of everyone else. We send special prayers to those who have fallen victim to this dreadful affliction and for their loved ones who must often be separated from them as they undergo treatment alone. As we keep these concerns in our minds and hearts, we work to find a bit of lightheartedness anywhere we can.

Things are getting pretty desperate in our house. My husband was just on the edge of needing a haircut when it was recommended that we stay home. Since he is high risk, I didn't think it was a good idea to go into his favorite but very small barber shop to get that taken care of. For once, he complied. It's now safe to say, he's over the line of simply needing a haircut. Although his hair is snow white, he still has a very full head of it. It is wavy and is definitely driving him crazy. Let's just say that one of the talents that God gave me is not styling, cutting, or doing anything with hair. But the guy needs a haircut and I'm the one here. We haven't made it to the actual haircut yet. We're still in the prep stages.

Stage One was finding some clippers. We don't intend on this being a regular thing once this pandemic is over (if it ever really is over), so I didn't want to spend a huge amount on tools. I know nothing about clippers. Nada. So, I got on Amazon and read a few reviews. It was cheap evening entertainment and, boy, was it entertaining. Check them out sometime. Just search hair clippers for men and then read the reviews on the cheaper range--those around $20-30. Oh, and don't miss the questions. Let's just say upstairs and downstairs has taken on a whole new meaning in my sheltered world. What were those people thinking? It was tough to find something affordable. Affordable by my new, pandemic dictated standards. Not finding any reviews that didn't say they were junk in the cheaper price range, I moved on to Walmart, strongly encouraged by the hair cut needing husband to get them as quickly as possible. Amazon is taking a little longer these days and he would prefer a cut sooner than later. I found one on Walmart and had it "pick up in store" which leads me to Stage Two.

Stage Two required me to go into the store. Oh, geez, another round of anxiety. This was the same store where we purchased our groceries the last two weeks. It wasn't senior hour but it was Sunday morning. There were some big changes . . . they were allowing only a certain number of shoppers in the store. They kept track by having an employee stand between the entrance and exit and click an iPad when someone entered and someone left. There were cones showing the path you were to come in and more to guide you out. There were a lot more masks visible on shoppers. There were markings on the floor to show you where to stand while waiting to check out or make an inquiry. Folks in the store all had lists and were staying far apart--which was much easier to do with limits on how many could be shopping at a given time. This was my first experience at "pick up in store" at this particular location. I went to the front counter and waited quite awhile while the clerk got a piece of her Dove chocolate and started to walk away. "Excuse me, ma'am? I have an order to pick up." She directed me ALL the way to the BACK of the store where it was tucked in around a corner. It took a long time to get the order identified, checked in and out, and get the package out. I was then asked to sign a receipt with the clerk's pen! NO!!!!! But I did it and then I sanitized my hands. Pick up in store needs to talk to Pharmacy about not making people touch/sign things. No gloves--but that's a whole other discussion. I grabbed up my package and made my way all the way back to the front of the store and out the front door. I felt like I had run the gauntlet. I had to walk by so many things that I wanted to pick up and purchase. They had bleach today. They had the cotton yarn I am nearly out of because I am now a semi-professional dishcloth maker. Don't judge me. But I soldiered on to Stage Three.

Stage Three is that the clippers are still sitting in the cargo area of my car--way in the back. I am letting them "detoxify" a few days, or so I told the guy needing the haircut. Honestly, I am trying to figure out how I am going to explain to him the mess I've made of his hair. I know the explanation is going to be needed so I'm just being proactive. And he's not even a picky guy about his hair. But  those 95 cowlicks may prove to be a challenging dilemma. Maybe I'll just agree to a buzz cut. The one he's been wanting for years and I have denied him. He really should get something out of this pandemic and for going to work every day to do his essential job, right? Stay tuned for Stage Four. And, just so you know, the dogs got some clippers, too.