Collector's TAP CAFE XV everyone is welcome here !!!

I guess if you are into fashion the clothing details would be an interesting part. I'm not - that part just bored me a bit. Rest of the story was pretty good though.

 

That is what I think as well. I am not into fashion either well said @LAJ_FETT

 

I recently read Thrawn: Alliances and the flashbacks to Anakin and Padme were quite enjoyable. I think that Zahn handled the character of Padme well and I’m looking forward to reading E.K. Johnston’s take on the character. I’m actually intrigued by the focus on the clothing, as elaborate outfits are a large part of Padme’s character. I’m curious to learn more about what these costumes represented and any practical applications they may have had.

 

Just thought I would check in and see how everyone is doing?
We are still hunkering down in Tucson. Though several thousands of people have decided there is no reason to do this and are now storming grocery stores at all hours of the day, the parking lots are full all day long. I have discovered the best time to shop is on Senior morning for opening hour of the store at Wal-Mart, I am not considered a senior yet but I have very very grey hair at 52 yrs old and I did not realize it was senior day, I thought Wal-Mart had just started opening at 6am instead of 7am. So I continued going at 6am each week on Tuesday. So found out this past Tuesday that first hour is only for Seniors, and wouldn't you know it, immunocompromised customers, while I don't meet one criteria as someone with diabetes, my Dr claims I am high risk, who knows, but I feel much safer shopping when there is hardly anyone in the store. I have begun wearing a face covering as our Governor has asked us to, and I figure anything helps, and I don't want to bring anything home to our roommate who is 70 and has diabetes and heart disease. He has me take him to the store once every couple of weeks. Then I have to take my husband, who is mentally incapacitated, to do his shopping each week, and then my son doesn't want to shop without me. So I find myself at the store at least two or three times a week. I feel like I am contributing to the problem, but I do my best to stay out of everyone's way, keep my 6ft of distance, though recent studies say 13ft would be better, I wear my face covering, and I go in, get what I need and get out. Anyway, I like to get out in the car and drive with the windows down a few times a week just to be outside, and it is on these drives that I noticed the first two weeks, the stores were deserted, at all times, hardly anyone ever there, now two more weeks has passed and though we still are under an executive stay at home order the grocery stores are now packed all the time and no one is wearing the face coverings, they have all decided the scare is over, who knows, maybe it is, but I have two married friends that are Doctors, and they are staying in and while they allow me to drop by and visit, they make me walk in and wash my hands for twenty seconds before I touch anything or sit down, and if my Dr friend Beth sees me touch my face she immediately throws a bottle of hand sanitizer at me.... well, she did that once, now she just tells me to go wash my hands again. She figures if she makes me get up and go all the way to the sink there is less chance that I will touch my face again, she should know by now, I am a face toucher, guaranteed I touch my face at least 8 times every five minutes, just always have.
Other than this, my daughter and I spend a lot of time coloring, reading, playing games, and taking pictures of her in her different cosplays, and we haven't missed a single Doctor Who watch along twitter party yet. My son takes customer care calls for Verizon in our living room for 8+ hours every weekday, so we have coffee pot, toaster oven, electric tea kettle, every thing you need to survive in the back of the apartment, so we don't go into the living room or kitchen while he works, he freaks if there is any noise at all. I put a sign on the front door that requests to please not knock, I give my phone # and ask them to call me and I will come to the door if it is necessary, it seems to be working, I get delivery phone calls and no one has knocked on our door in weeks.

Anyone else have any stories to share, hopefully yours will be more entertaining than mine has been.

 

I've always had a pretty good food supply so I haven't actually been to the big supermarket I normally use since the UK lockdown started. I have 3 local small shops - a corner store, a newsagent, and a small Co-op grocery store. So far I've found most of what I need between the three. I tend to go early - around 8AM (except for the corner store as it doesn't open til 9AM).
Delivery people here mostly have a 'no contact' policy - they will knock, put the parcel down, and move back. If no one answers then they put the card through the door. Royal Mail suspended its taking of signatures for the duration so the post person doesn't have to get close to do that. I'm on my own so no other people to worry about. Been catching up on my reading list!

 

My whole company is working from home - so I'm in my home office.

I do think going back to the office will be annoying. I've gotten used to going out at my lunch break and watering my garden.

 

I’m unable to work from home as my job is of the outdoor variety. I have done one or two days of work since the lockdown started, but I’ve mostly been stuck inside which isn’t ideal.

Good Friday was the first sunny/warmish day of the year and people were walking about the streets without a care in the world. But things have returned to the new normal lockdown status and the streets are quiet again. I have taken to wearing a face mask when I go out and I order my groceries online before driving to the supermarket to pick them up.

I’m looking forward to next week as I’ll be working away for two days (the work is considered essential). I’ll be driving into the highlands (carrying a letter from my employer in case I am stopped by the police) and camping for two nights because all the hotels are closed and the worksite is too far to commute.

I am hugely looking forward to camping out. If there’s any benefit to this crisis it’s that it is teaching us to value the small pleasures in life and to make the most of our freedoms and our surroundings. I’ll never take the freedom to walk up a mountain or camp in the woods for granted again.

 

@Dannik Jerriko hope you enjoy your trek into the highlands, I would give anything to see them. Be safe and have fun camping out. I definitely understand how important it is to stay in touch with family, and friends now.

@PadmeLeiaJaina a friend of mine that was working in Scottsdale just found out he will continue to work from home after all this is over with, they see the for both the company and the employees. Cheaper overhead and the employees are happier and happier means more productive work. So who knows, you can always hope.

@LAJ_FETT , it sounds as if you have a pretty set routine, enjoy your reading, I have often wished I could simply walk to the corner store to pick up what I needed. I live in town, but only near an over priced convenience store. I am thinking we may try getting out early in the mornings and taking a walk, just to get my daughter out of the house a bit.

 

My nose is completely stuffed up, I am sure it is just from allergies but I am now under lockdown for the next three days most likely, I know if I go into a store they will think I have Covid-19 even though I know it's just allergies. Tomorrow is my regular weekly opening morning Shopping trip to Walmart, so I will have to miss that. I hope I am better in time to buy our food for our May the 4th be with you online party, we are making R2D2 and Vader shaped grilled Ham and Cheese sandwiches, I am making Mango milkshakes with blue food dye, they will either be blue milkshakes, or Green Milkshakes, however they turn out. I figure the color of the mango should be just enough to alter the blue to a possible green, or it will stay blue. Then no party is complete without Vader Taters! And of course Star Wars cookies! I just hate I can't share our food with all the other online party goers.

Is anyone else having online parties on the 4th?

 

My chart of Covid symptoms (vs. that of cold or flu) says stuffy nose is rare in covid. If you don't have a fever I'd say cold or allergies. I get hayfever this time of year and I've had stuffy nose and sneezing.

 

I concur! My sneezing fits have been horrible. It definitely helps though that it has not plagued me for most of today/night. I however still can't wear my CPAP mask, I don't like sleeping without it, but with stuffy, runny, nose, just no way to wear it. Which is why it is 3am and I am awake!

 

I need a spot to release some pent up worry, I am choosing to do that here.

My son works for a cell phone company. He takes customer care calls. He is always in the top ten in all areas of his job. He is very good at it! Always makes bonus, and as he is currently working from home in my living room I have a bird's eye view on how good he is with the people he comes into contact with.

Anyway, a few weeks ago they told him they are now requiring them to make sales pitches to the customers that call in with issues with their service. So they are supposed to turn a call of help into a profit for the company. My son is totally against this, and in fact when he was hired he specifically asked if he would ever be required to pitch sales as he does not approve or like doing that. He was told no, his job was only to solve issues for customers. So today he was told by his supervisor that he will have to start selling things to the customers he helps or he will be in trouble. His supervisor did not designate what type of trouble, but of course now he is worried he will lose his job.

I am totally angry, I can't believe they are threatening him when in all the important areas of his job he excels. He is not even supposed to be dealing with sales, they have a whole nother department for sales. When people ask about buying services he normally transfers them to sales, now he is expected to make the sales pitches and sell the services himself. Am I being unreasonable to feel ticked off? I guess I should note though that he does deal with billing issues and always has done that.

 

Welcome to life as a customer service rep. Call centers do this all of the time. From a business perspective a call center is a luxury department because they are non revenue generating. Especially now when people are not spending money - companies are going to try to be creative w/ coming up new revenue streams.

A way to put it to your son - remind him - he still HAS a job when so many right now don't. This will pass. I've worked in call centers forever, these sorts of things come up - then the get dropped.

 

@PadmeLeiaJaina My daughter and I are headed to Scottsdale tonight, will come home Saturday early evening, and of course we are all on social distancing the one time we probably could have met up somewhere!

 

Nice to know Scottsdale has the same toilet paper shortage as Tucson, I knew it, but seeing it is believing. My boss left less than one roll here for us.... it took us three hours to find a pack of toilet paper at a Safeway! After that fiasco and then several hours of packing boxes we are having a well earned evening of doing nothing but sitting on the balcony sipping wine coolers!

My email has informed me my extra FOD Padme and my new Queen Amidala notebook came in today! I am really very excited to see the notebook, it looks really unique in all the pictures I have seen of it everywhere. If it is really cool I am going to order several more.

 

some TP advice - if you have a smaller store (like a mom+pop grocery) try there for TP. I have 3 small stores in my area (newsagent, corner store, and a small Co-op and the first two have had 4-packs of TP nearly every time I've been. The Co-op occasionally has it).

 

Saw 2 Baby Yoda's at Walmart yesterday. I had pre-ordered one through Disney Store and had to email them to remind them that they needed to ship me one. Since I got confirmation that he's on the way I left the 2 that were there....which was soooo difficult because they're so cute and snuggely!

In all of my SW collecting boards that I follow online they are selling like hot cakes. Mattel must be very happy. I'm betting they're going to do what they can to work out more licensing w/ Lucasfilm after this. The fun part is that even though yes collectors are picking them up, a lot of kids from small to teenagers are snatching them up. Little girls in particular just can't get enough of Baby Yoda

Welcome to the world of Star Wars younglings.

 

Hey guys! My friends and I re-created almost the entire original film through toy photography! Check it out!

 

NICE^^

 

This is absolutely Amazing!!

 

That’s awesome. It must have taken a huge amount of work to get all those backgrounds and shots just right.

 

He's Here!



I also got a Kids Warehouse delivery:

Black Series 6" DJ (he was $3.99)

Vintage collection
Island Luke - package got squashed
Solo - Range Trooper
Rogue One - Cassian

A playskool Rey and Kylo 2 pack

2 Jakks Pacific 18" figures

Poe Dameron
Finn

 

SWEET HAUL^^ and sorry about your ISLAND LUKE

 

I just got notification that it's my 18th anniversary here on TF.N - love this place!

 

That is awesome!

I did not register until 2005, so I just had my 15th year, but I did not get a message about it that I know of, guess 15 years isn't long enough yet.