January 17, 2013

Flu Epidemic Brings Out the Paranoid, and It's Not Me!

I only thought I was a germaphobe until I went to Walmart today. Yes, I know, I said I would never darken the doors of Walmart again. But I needed fabric glue and there is no where else in podunkville to buy it.

I knew it was going to be an interesting trip when the lady walking in in front of me paused to pull a surgical mask out of her purse before entering the store. And then rubber gloves. And then goggles. Yes, goggles. The kind they sell at Home Depot for use with machinery. And then she proceeded through the doors as if it was perfectly normal to walk into Walmart dressed for biological warfare.

I needed to get my glue and get on my way, but I just couldn't resist hanging back to see what happened next. She went to the pharmacy and stood in line. That was it. Gee, I thought she was going to dig through a pile of trash or something. People around her looked at her for a minute, inched away, and then went back to their conversations. Since that rated a 1 on my interest meter, I moved on in search of the glue.

That found, I thought I would cruise through the housekeeping and food aisles to pick up a couple of items I need. I was delighted to see Mrs. Flu Prevention in the baking aisle. I wasn't delighted to see her blocking the spices section since I needed some Cream of Tartar, but I was rewarded by the wait. She pulled a huge zippy lock bag out of her purse and a package of what looked like diaper wipes. She picked up a box of Splenda, scrubbed it with the diaper wipe, and put it in the zippy lock bag. I was torn between curiosity and wariness. I mean I thought she was dressed for flu prevention, but maybe she was a dangerous nutcase.

In any case, someone else asked her the question I was dying to ask: "What are you doing?" Several heads turned to hear the answer. She was scrubbing off the germs so it would enter her home clean. I wondered how she was going to get through the checkout without the cashier taking it out of her sterile bag. I glanced in her shopping cart and everything in there was in a zippy bag.

And me without a camera.

Photobucket

8 comments:

  1. Rats. That would have been something to see. even if it was only a picture of it.

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    Replies
    1. I know. I usually carry my camera with me, but both it and my phone were left at home.

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  2. Your Walmart sounds like an interesting place.

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    Replies
    1. Not usually, but it has its moments. I'll see if I can find a picture Hubby took a few weeks ago.

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  3. What is it about Walmart that brings out the "best" in some people?

    And some others wonder why they are going after stricter gun laws in this nation. It's because of people like that. That's just not normal.

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    Replies
    1. Well, there could be a really good reason, like a weak immune system, or it could be that she was overly cautious, more than me even. That's what cracked me up.

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  4. Truth is certainly stranger than fiction - what an entertaining trip to the shops! Jx

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