It’s been said, never underestimate the protective qualities Old English Sheepdogs will employ when it comes to their pack. Looks like Norman understands that responsibility by safeguarding this long sought after household necessity. Not wanting his mum to have to start collecting leaves and grasses from the garden, he’s guarding this precious prize like a mob boss. #AttaBoy
This is the first time I’ve seen any “white gold” available in any store over the past four weeks. And who’d have thought buying a simple package of toilet paper could make a person so happy?! I nearly walked past the pallet, now a single entrance (have your stores clamped down on how you’re allowed to enter and exit stores?). For the most part, I had pretty much forgotten what TP packaging looked like. So let’s see, I could buy a single pack of 12 rolls of which there were many, or I could rearrange the pallet to pull up one of three packs containing 24 rolls from the bottom. Yeah, of course, I rearranged…are you crazy? Who knows when I’ll be out again shopping at an unholy hour, let alone whether or not supplies will be available? It’s called, a roll bird in the hand, people!
Apparently being of a…ahem…certain age group has some benefits since I recently learned I could shop during an hour that is reserved strictly for ‘old ladies and curmudgeons’ (aka seniors) at 6 AM on Tuesdays. Other than it was still a tad dark out, it wasn’t a bad experience at all. I didn’t know what to expect…would there may be mass hysteria or an all out brawl in the TP isle like some sort of insane Black Friday event or what. What I found though was a single pallet carefully positioned near the front entrance…right next to the security guard station. Coincidence? Maybe, but stores have begun to clamp down on panic buying by entire families coming in and each member snapping up limited supplies. Now there’s a single purchase rule PER FAMILY in place (such as it can be enforced). What I did notice throughout the store from the cashier, stocking clerks and other associates offering assistance for finding items, was that everyone was extraordinarily cheerful, kind and helpful in the face of what is becoming a stressful situation during in a global pandemic. Perhaps they were just grateful to still be employed unlike far too many others who have been furloughed or laid off, but every single person I encountered left me with positive feelings. In fact, I may never shop during daylight hours again. I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of elixir they started the day out with to be that chipper, so early in the day. By the way, would that be located in Isle 12? I could use some of that.
Not everything on the shopping list was available and the hunt for the ever elusive bag of whole wheat flour continues. The ever dwindling supply in the pantry has not yet reached critical mass, but I remain hopeful that (a) I’ll find another golden pallet near the front of a store soon or (b) that the local, bored hipsters in the neighborhood will have stopped baking and panic buying and gone back to the “simple” life…otherwise known as take out around here.
What would your dog protect if called upon?
Live, love, bark🐾
Well this dog doesn’t give a bone about TP, but the cardboard roll is much loved in this house by Dot & Jerry Underfoot. Even I have been known to shred a few😉
HuMom placed an order 2 weeks ago for our bread flour & wholewheat flour; we’re hoping it has arrived today🍞
Now, what would Q & I pawtect? The bags of Liver Treats of course! 🐾💜🐾
Norman wholeheartedly supports your protection choice!
I’d like to think the boys would defend me if my life was in jeopardy but it would depend on whether my killer had treats at the time. BOL! BOL! We still have some toilet paper.
Good for you. I’m rationing myself as much as possible on TP and not spinning the roll like I was on Wheel of Fortune buying vowels. You never know if it’ll be in stock when you need it. 🤪
What a great find!! We are good on TP but I am ordering disinfectants wipes and other paper products that will ship in May or June. I never ordered ahead. But the stores are wiped out and will be. As for TP when I was still working in the office we got low. Our Admin told me the suppliers were having a hard time getting it. She was afraid we would run out. After I left work I went straight to the store and got more TP. Heck I might need to bring my own to work. But then we were told to WFH. So it all worked out. 🤣🤣🤣
Good luck getting wipes. I think they went the same way as the Dodo bird! As in extinct. 😆
Lol. So true. That is why I order from multiple sellers and see if any of them deliver. 🤣🤣🤣
Life in the pandemic is a lot like being in an episode of Scavenger Hunt-Survivor. Constantly looking for new places to find needs provisions.
That is so true!!
Great find by you and great guarding by Norman!! Luke is mostly still guarding that jar of peanut butter he wrote about. Actually, it ran out but luckily we got another one. 🙂
Whew…nothing worse than a much needed piece of comfort in trying times being unavailable.
Good for Norman. I wish Teddy was in protective mode but instead he seems to be in napping mode most of the time. That’s cats for ya. I haven’t found TP in any of the four groceries in our town in WEEKS – happily we had a 12-pack in the pantry and are steadily working our way through it. I’m hoping all panic buying is DONE by the time we REALLY need it again. Senior shopping here is offered but age is ignored so there are as many youngsters as oldsters when I am out there. I keep hoping the madness will end but it’s there every morning again and again. (insert heavy sigh here)
Hugs, Pam
Naps with a friend are good for the soul. Hopefully you’ll find something soon. I’m surprised younger people are bogarting senior shopping hour. And even more surprised management allows it. Hang in there and keep smiling. ❤︎
Good for Norman in protecting the Gold!
My husband was able to snatch uo toilet paper this past weekend. We did the Happy Dance! Yes, who would have thought that one could be so happy about toilet paper! LOL!
I know! It sure puts the craziness into perspective and give one pause for the little things.
So true!!
Woo hoo!!!! TP!!!!!!! What a crazy crazy world it has become. I think that the baking craze will die along with the exercise craze before too long.
It’s so crazy, I saw someone willing to trade yeast for a mask on NextDoor. 😳
Congratulations. I know who to call when I need a spare square.
I’ve got you covered. Presuming Norman lets it go. 😇
It sounds like they pulled the pallet straight off the grocery truck to the floor if it was mixed, which is kinda odd. We’re putting bulk pallets of the same exact item (TP/PT/water) up front, but not mixed. Most of the people you probably came across in the store were part of the overnight crew, so they’d already had plenty of time for the coffee to kick in. The senior hour is the only hour all week I see customers anymore on my shift. There’s been disgruntled people (on both sides), but by and large, things have gone about as smoothly and courteously as possible…
Glad to hear life in Mecca is going well in your neck of the woods. Whoever those folks were, they were super pleasant and gratefully appreciated. Having owned a retail store years ago, I know firsthand how hard a job it can be dealing with the public. As if backorders weren’t bad enough. 😊
Way to go Norman!! Yore a grate Tee Pee Guard fore sure!!
Miss Monika you went out at 6 A Em??? Mee-yow wow LadyMew can barelee crawl outta bed to feed mee brekkie at that time!
Well dun Miss Monika <3
**purrss** BellaDharma
Luckily it was worth it. Not sure I’d do it in winter though 🤣
Mee umm wee agreess with you Miss Monika!!! 😉
😻
There are 1.6 million people in the whole of South Australia – a state bigger than Texas (sorry about that!) we manufacture TP here in SA yet, we cannot keep up with demand. It arrives by truck and within an hour or so, the shelves are empty and it’s gone. Where the heck to?? I can think of some things I could hoard but I have to say that TP would not be on that list. Good on you “Stormin Norman”. We are not in lockdown but it has been suggested that movement be restricted to “essential”. and there are limits on how much of a particular product you may buy at the supermarket – but fresh fruit and veg are not – thankfully – on the list.
Glad there are no restrictions on fruits & veggies. Heard a story that makes some sense-when people were in school and at work they used TP there. Now that they’re home they’re using a whole lot more of it at home. Makes sense though you’d think manufacturers would compensate commercial vs. private consumption accordingly. Stay safe and healthy and keep smiling. 😊
People laughed – hahaha – when I told them about the AJF’s fancy toilet/bidet but now just look who’s sitting in butt comfort at home while others scurry for TP? 🙂 Actually today was Costco day for me and of course I too used the senior hour strategy. I could get used to that. I scored TP and paper towels and darn near everything else except Lysol wipes, the Holy Grail of covid foraging. Right now it’s hailing outside, in Socal!! Next will be locusts.Oh, and they started mandatory masks whenever outside or $1000 fine. Even when driving! Ai yai yai.
Whoa, enforcement with some teeth. After seeing way to many people gather like they’re on vacation, I applaud the authorities. Yeah I know people who installed conversion kits to the Johns. And they’re not just laughing, they’re getting to sleep in too! Lucky devils. Gonna need to figure out the senior witching hour at Costco. Going there has been a real cluster these days. I used to be able to go in and out quick like a rabbit and then the store changing everything around to different places. 👿
That golden pallet was quite the lucky find!!! Mom went once to Target for their early hour for seniors. Lots of non-seniors there too:( But the worst part was the empty shelves. It was not a very productive trip. Now Dad won’t let her go for those early shopping hours. She may sneak out one of these days while he snoozes away:)
Good security work, Norman.
Woos, Lightning and Timber
It’s the first time for me. After making 6 unsuccessful trips to Walmart, Costco, Safeway, Kings Soopers (Kroger), Target and Sprouts I took a chance. Luckily it paid off!
Good boy Norman, guard that white gold.
Trust me, he’s doing a great job of it!
👍🏻
Cute dog!
Why thank you! I’m becoming more and more enamoured with this big guy.
Getting out early is always the best way to find all our “high demand” items too!
So true, but it seems I’ve gone soft in retirement. Never figured I’d need to go grocery shopping at dawn! LOL
Good dog, Norman! <3
I don't think we'll ever take TP for granted again. 😉
Boy, you nailed THAT!
Norman my pal, guard that like you would guard sheep my furiend! (or treaties….BOL!) Ma was actually able to find some on Amazon! Can you believes it?? She just kept tryin’ everyday, and finally scored! She was so happy, butts thought it would have been cancelled due to a mistake in inventory. butts it came! WoooHooo! Butts then, when she went to the supermarket the next day, they had a six pack roll of Charmin….yes, Ma bought that too 😉 . Now it seems it’s starting to gets better, as Target had some Monday (no, Ma didn’t gets any BOL!!), AND they had a few paper towels too! (butts Ma didn’t needs those either) . Maybe the restrictions are cutting down on the hoarding. If only the elusive hand sanitizer would reappear again! (Ma is down to her last bottle, and her DYI one left the hands quite dry ☺) Oh, I can hear my Irish Grandmother’s spirit moaning now….these are nothing compared to what they had to go through…I mean, can you imagine no CHOCOLATE???? YIKES!
Stay safe, stay home, and wash those peeps paws!
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
I know what you mean, Ruby. I stopped looking for hand sanitizer. Made a batch of it last week. Holler if you need some. It works well when you’re out and about avoiding those lone packs of Charmin on the bottom of the grocer’s shelf. LOL
Norman and Mama are on the job!
And I know what you mean as far as not shopping during peak hours being preferable. I miss shopping late at night.I used to do it when the kids were little. Peaceful.
The older I get the more moments of tranquility are appreciated. And necessary! ☺️
Amen sister!
Glad to see the crazy times have not affected your sense of humor – which is a prized characteristic to have these days. Very timely post as II was able to finally get a bundle of TP (finally) at Costco this morning! Ohhhhhh what a relief it is! Stay safe!
These days it’s far better to make light of life than to wallow in it. Congrats on the TP score. The last 5 times I’ve been to my local Costco, I was greeted with empty shelves and more recently a large white board with a list of out of stock products…of which TP was always the first one listed. Such crazy times! Stay safe, healthy and keep smiling.
Funny post, Monika. Glad you got some TP. Seems like a very normal thing to do.
So normal and yet something that I had taken for granted. It just never occurred to me something as elementary as TP would end up being so coveted by every human on the planet.
I was correced by someone from India. They use water spray. (I’m sure in the more well to do homes.)
Yes bidets are more popular there and in Europe. I know several people who have installed bidet kits to their toilet since the TP shortage began.
Make sense too.
👍🏻 sure does
Walter would guard any food item with his life but I’m not sure Millie is motivated to guard anything other than us (her pawrents). We are trying our first grocery delivery this week.
Good luck with the grocery delivery. I’ve thought about doing something like that but don’t think I’d remember to get everything I needed. I’m too visual and usually buy things sight and location on the shelf. I’m doomed if the store moves things or when they ‘update’ their packaging.
Our dogs would definitely protect the PEANUT BUTTER! I might too as it is my favorite food group now that I can’t eat dairy any more. I still miss cheese..
Peanut butter is definitely worth fighting for! 🥜
‘White gold’ is funny! I’m glad you got some, and that is a cute cute dog and cute cute photo.
Thanks, Norman seems to be happily fitting in as protector of the realm as well as go-to-model.
Our shelves are certainly critically low, but haven’t seen anywhere actually OUT of tp or other important supplies. I’ve heard a plastic squirt bottle and an old rag will do in a pinch. And our gas prices are down to $1.53 per gallon, just when we aren’t going much of anywhere, LOL!
I know, right? Another bonus is that air pollution in some cities has gotten better too.
I am still in possession of 12 rolls of toilet paper so hope that by the time I needs must, there will be some available. Costco had some when I went back on the 23rd of March. However, there is no way in hell that I am returning to that store. The flour situation has not improved though my son splurged on small bags of Tipo 00 farina to make pasta and pizza… each 1kg (2.2 lbs) bag set him back by four bucks! Crazy kid.
Who’d a thunk we’d ever be here…
Appreciating life’s simple things has really taken on new meaning. I never thought about being without TP. Until it wasn’t available.
Why would one even contemplate the possibility of being without TP? Ca-ra-zy.
Makes you glad there has been some level of evolution in some ways, doesn’t it?
No kidding.
I too found tp this week, and the same store had eggs, lots of them. Then the next day I had to go to the store again–my milk, dated a week from now, made the worst mocha I have ever tasted–and found one 5 lb bag of flour on the shelf. This must be my lucky week, I should play the lotto.
What I would like to know is, who are the people who have a storeroom of tp in reserve? A pox on them.
I think there are a lot of over-stuffed garages out there and they aren’t housing the family Buick. 😡
I’ve not seen any toilet paper in our store for over a month. Hubby did scored a 30 pack at Costco yesterday. We both did a happy dance. Flour is tougher. Hubby is great on line and managed to get a 25 pound bag of flour from Bob’s Red Mill the other day. He was most happy as he bakes his own bread.
Have a fabulous day, my friend. Scritches to the pups. ♥
The clerk mentioned when they had flour, lots of young millennials were buying up flour and yeast. She thought many of them probably wouldn’t know how to turn on their ovens. Makes it hard for those of us who have been baking forever.
Norman is not only protective of valuable commodities he is also very thoughtful restraining from squeezing the Charmin! My girls well, all a bit different. Kloe would certainly protect any member of the pack walking through fire if necessary to help or save us. Koda, our millennial, would probably look after me in a crisis so long as there was certain to be something in it for her. Kali, well grandma is all about the food and during crisis she would opportunistically forage for food left unattended while her sisters were protecting me. Congrats on scoring a 24 pack!
Thanks, it felt somewhat akin to winning at Lotto! I’ve been trying for sooooo long.
I suspect if food were involved, both Norman and Elsa might have a thought bubble that said, “mom who…nom, nom, nom?” LOL
That’s easy. Kaci and Kali would protect the treat jar.
Nice priorities!
Thanks for the giggle 😄
Always happy to know someone smiled. I tried to stay upbeat about the search for elusive TP but really was contemplating keeping a stocked basket of leaves and grasses next to the loo. 😂
You might want to have a look at that here: https://wp.me/peBbV-cGS
Take care, and stay healthy,
Pit
Bwahahaha. I get it, boy do I ever get it!
Oh my goodness–you actually found *Charmin*…I haven’t seen name brand paper products in weeks.
Those early morning runs are definitely worth it.
I know, I nearly fainted! I expected single ply cardboard. 😆
Exactly…ouch!
😀
TP wasn’t an issue here (this house) as we had just done a warehouse stock up weeks before the virus hit. There is still fresh produce but sometimes it’s not my favorite type. I couldn’t get a cucumber. Best I could do was 5 baby ones in cellophane so I took it. Dang they were good and we used one completely up in salad so there weren’t cut up cukes in the fridge.
The supply chain of grocery items across the board is somewhat bruised and battered. Hopefully things will get sorted out soon. In the meantime, I’m seriously considering an expansion of the Ranch’s little potager as a hedge. 😇
I think a lot of people are doing that. Now is a good time to dig and prep the garden.
Bored people make for the worst hoarders and if this shutdown continues, there will probably be a vegetable seed shortage
I hear there already is for some items.
Not surprised at all. People need to realize the world is not just ‘their’ oyster alone. Finite resources do not work will with the current mindset.
As the saying goes, “just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Amen!
Holy Lord, Norman is the cutest! <3
Can I just say without meaning any offense to you in any way at all, what your stores are doing about keeping a certain time for a group of the society is a thoughtful thing to do in this pressing hour where people are panic buying and out right disregarding the needs of other people.
I hope you're keeping safe and healthy! :')
No offense taken, I just never pictured myself part of this group let alone thinking I’m actually THAT old, but if it gets me some much needed TP, I can feign crotchety with the best of them. 🙂 Thanks for swinging by the Ranch; we ❤️ visitors. And we are staying safe and healthy by adhering to staying home as much as possible, only going out for basic necessities and of course daily walks. Hugs and tail wags.
Oh your signing off, I can cry.
I’m from India and I come from the part where toilet paper isn’t that big of a necessary so, I don’t quite understand the full extent of your joy but heeyyyy, I’m still excited you got it ;D And that you have someone guarding it, just in case!
It has been an interesting phenomena here. I never really thought of TP-it just was. Until it wasn’t. It was a very exciting day in a new world of craziness.
Hahaha xD
OMG I remember when dh finally was able to order TP… then we waited 10 days for shipping, and I felt human again. It was kind of demoralizing thinking of not having it. It may sound odd but now I know you get it. Finding it was such a spirit lifter, I wondered if I was going crazy. Well the jury’s out, I might be going crazy but now I’ll be clean while doing it.
It’s really bizarre how excited I was seeing actually rolls! I was beginning to think I’d never TP any time soon. Have we come a long way, or what??