Stories from Lockdown

July 14, 2020

Del Mar, CA

 

 

Notes from the Pandemic

                                                  

 

Before the pandemic, retail shopping was undergoing a change largely due to the Internet. As the country locked down, Amazon boomed. I live in a small neighborhood, and suddenly Amazon vans were everywhere. Did they come to our house? Of course, on a regular basis. 

 

Amazon promotes laziness I suppose. It has been a rare time when  I haven’t been able to find an item on Amazon that I wanted to buy. Recently I was ready to go to the hardware store to buy some lawn fertilizer. I thought, I wonder? Sure enough, it was delivered by Bezos’s guys within a couple of days. Oil-based tuna? No problem. We buy it by the case from Amazon.

                                                                                        

 

         

 

Free shipping for Prime members makes a difference. I often buy golf gear from Amazon because of the lack of shipping costs makes it less expensive than ordering from golf websites. And it saves gas!

 

The downside in some ways is that it keeps us home,  and reduces competition and the diversity of shopping possibilities. But it is an evolution that was bound to happen. Other companies like Zappos,  L.L. Bean, and Patagonia have also flourished since the arrival of the Internet, but none as much as the Bezos place.

 

 

Here is another recipe that I created. It has played well amongst friends in California. It is a different way to make a guacamole dip.

 

Guacamole Italian Style

 

 

                                                                                

 

 

Mash some avocados in a bowl. Leave the mix chunky

Add chopped tomatoes and chopped white onion

Add juice from a fresh lemon

Add a little white vinegar

Add salt,  basil, pepper, seasoned salt, and garlic salt.

Mix well

Serve with robust chips