Old habits may be hard to break, but it’s beginning to look like — again as COVID-19 marches on — we might all be trying something new with the world’s supply chain in turmoil.
Earlier this year it took three months to get an air conditioner part for my truck and a couple of weeks more to get it installed. I thought that was amazing until the girl at the desk told me there was a stockpile of new vehicles on the lot at the factory, but that the computer chips that make them run come from China and “they ain’t coming anytime soon.”
Odd things are missing too. Last week I was in Walmart to get some of those little pads that go on the bottom of chair legs. They had plenty of them in every shape and size, but as I headed to the checkout stand I passed through the paint department and there were very few cans of spray paint on the shelves.
The first question that came to my mind was are folks painting stuff weird colors because of the shortage. Like, say, they were planning on painting the table in the sunroom blue to match the cushions on the sofa, but they are out of blue, and dagnabbit they are painting that table so this Highway Department orange will have to do.
Somebody is doing something with it!
My Dad’s picky dogs have long since had to change their sophisticated palate from Alpo to a more generic brand since there hasn’t been any of that popular brand on the store shelf where he shops in over a year.
Personally my palate was likewise redirected to organic bread last year after a run in that department left only one loaf of any kind of wheat bread — any kind of bread at all I think — on the shelf and it was of the organic variety. Turns out I like it better and it is easier to find than my previous old habit loaf. That is, of course, until I am out and really need some bread. Then it is nowhere to be found.
Thank God the toilet paper is still plentiful although it is hit and miss at times on the variety one might have to settle for. I didn’t even know they made one-ply until an unfortunate shopping error on my wife, Danny’s, part left us with a big ole whopper pack of that “almost” useless stuff earlier in the year.
Not being one to waste anything, I seriously considered breaking that habit and discarding a few rolls for my on sanity’s sake. Unfortunately, I think, it wouldn’t even be suitable for rolling yards. We live and we learn!
I like sriracha. I like it a lot, and have it every day on half a sandwich for lunch along with some fresh baked turkey breast, sliced tomato and onion, and a roasted poblano or jalapeno. I like Tabasco a lot too. In fact years ago we were in New Orleans and I thought I had made it to Heaven when I walked into a shop of nothing but Tabasco. Every form and fashion and a free tasting bar to boot.
Well, needless to say, when I found Tabasco brand sriracha on a local store shelf here in Forest I knew I had made it to the Promised Land. It was a short-lived stay. Now I may have to break that habit since there are apparently a lot of other folks around town that have a hankering for sriracha and the Tabasco variety as well.
Dang shortage!
Same thing happened to Pickapeppa sauce last month, but it made a return this week. Let’s pray the same happens to the sriracha before the bottle I have plays out.
I can’t help but wonder what will be missing from the shelves the next time we go to the store. You know, there is coffee, and then there is coffee, and I’m particular about my brand, and my roast.
Same goes for Miller High Life!
