Day 2

People are allowed out for necessities, but what does that really mean? I need a manicure and hair color. Sure, I can hold out a while but check back in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, do Crayola crayons cover gray roots?

Amazon delivered packages at 9:35 a.m. today. You’d have thought it was Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza all rolled into one. I was so excited. But not as excited as our dog. When I opened the boxes, they were filled with dog food and treats. Well, at least Olga’s covered for the next three weeks. Although not to be bitchy (Yes, she’s a she.), our black Labrador does have a lot of gray hair.

Only Day 2 and already the inevitable has begun. My cleaning mania has kicked in. I started with the linen closet, dusting shelves and refolding sheets and pillowcases for no good reason. Next in my sights — the china closet. Beware cups and saucers. Get ready to be rattled.

The San Francisco Chronicle described the mood well — “An air of disquieting calm.” Comparing notes with friends via phone, text, and email is both comforting and discomforting. Is this how people felt during WWII, waiting and worrying, not knowing what to expect?

And yes, I’m still jonesing for bananas, but resisting the urge to go to the market which seems, perhaps correctly, like a life and death expedition. All-day I’ve been humming that old tune, “Yes, we have no bananas. We have no bananas today.”

How do I know this 1923 novelty song in the first place? Benny Goodman and Spike Jones recorded it. Al Jolson did an operatic version — in blackface, no less! Jim Durante performed it. The Muppets too. But that I know and remember it? Well, the “sheltering-at-home” mind boggles!

And so goes Day 2. We’re all healthy. Good wishes from our house to yours.