I'm currently in Daytona Beach. Mom wanted to get away for a couple of days. We are staying at a Holiday Inn Express, which usually includes a breakfast buffet. Because of the pandemic, the buffet has been reduced to a grab and go. I'm not too fond of it, but the times are changing. I can roll with it. To make the situation worse, the hotel was out of light yogurt and decaffeinated coffee—no coffee for me.

I know we all have to prepare for lean times, but do we have to go through this so soon, especially on vacation? What shortages have you observed recently?

Jeanette Isabelle

There's a lot of complaining by some usual suspects on a local social media group, but the "ground truth" where I live is that the only thing I can't find locally is my preferred brand of hand sanitizer. My preferred brand of nitrile glove is also out of stock on the Big River site (we use them regularly, as The Recombinant DNA wear them when picking up dog poop). However, we've found other brands of hand sanitizer and nitrile gloves that work just fine.

It's been months since I had to go to a different store than originally planned to find something.

Daytona Beach seems to have a pretty good number of both chain and non-chain coffee shops. Can you get to one?

Oh, I'm sure I can. The problem was, I could not get it with breakfast.

Jeanette Isabelle

Can someone please explaine what is the point of drinking coffee without coffeine? Coffeine is the reason one drinks coffee. At least I do. Me no compute.

It is about enjoying the complexity of flavours and aromas and a well balanced acidity and bitterness. It gives you an opportunity to appreciate the skills of the masters who roasted the beans.
The youtuber Steve1989MREInfo even does reviews on the taste of instant coffee from MREs.

And to answer a question from Jeanette_Isabelle: I have not experienced shortages of any kind lately. In fact I did not even experience shortages when hoarding of rice, pasta and TP was on it´s height. On the topic of coffee my consumption increased significantly due to working in home office. My local shops can keep up with the demand.

Decaf, in the USA, tends to have about half the caffeine content of regular coffee.

I like coffee, but I have to go easy on the caffeine.

Jeanette Isabelle

Mom and I just got back from the Texas Roadhouse. We wore our masks from our car to when we were seated and wore our masks from the time we left the table to getting back to our car. The restaurant employees wore their masks the entire time. Otherwise, what I saw and experienced was the closest thing to normal since the pandemic started. People were in restaurants. Cars were on the streets. If it were not for the masks, there would be no reason to suspect has happened or will happen.

Jeanette Isabelle

Well, at the time being everything is available, but there was times of limited supply of face masks. They are available now at discount stores and pharmacies as well as grocery stores.

The real shortage I am feeling is on the side of health
I am 65 and already have diabetes, cholesterol, prostate, and knee problem. Due to the pandemic, appointments have been cancelled/delayed. In the meantime I have developed some sort of irregular heart beat. Sometimes when I am in bed the heart beat to be regular but exaggerated, as if I have just climbed two flights of stairs. Two doctors said it was nothing serious. My daughter too (a doctor) said I should just relax (too much thinking, too much worried).

I have reduced my coffee to one cup in the morning. Also trying to get to exercise, but between the bad knee and heart bumping condition , I am a bit reluctant. Searching Youtube for low-impact exercises and Keto diet.

I am in the same general state you describe. The pandemic tangled with my hip replacement surgery, from which I am now recovering.

I would suggest a stationary bicycling setup. You can spend anywhere from $30 to $3000 for a rig. We spent $30 and it has been really useful - should be easy on your knee,

Thanks and +1 for stationary bicycle

Only problem is space. I did join a gym before the pandemic mess , enjoyed it for sometime but during Corona it was closed, and when it reopened I have already decided to make my own program at home and not be dependent on the outside world. I have found a number of videos which help to exercise at home with minimum or no equipment (using body weight). Also starting some simple Yoga positions for my aging joints.

I was using WD-40 the other day, and couldn't stop myself joking to myself : I sprayed my knee with it. There is a kid inside everyone of us , you know. LOL

My cheapo stat bike is just a set of pedal, with enough elctronics to estimate my caloric consumption. fully extended, it has a footprint fourteen inches by 21 inches. (I measured it, just for you) It folds up even smaller; cost less than 30 bucks.

It replaced a more elaborate and much bigger stat bike that did take up much more space; cost at least $2000, but it was a gift from my wonderful BIL.

I hve gotten a lot of use with dovid, hip replacement, and Cal's recent air quality issues