I talked to my PVH bestie Laurie the other night.  Laurie and I met in April 2019 when we both spent four weeks together at Parker Valley Hope. I like to call PVH an all-inclusive resort, but actually it’s an in-patient rehab facility. It didn’t take long for us to connect, and soon we deemed each other “besties.” The story of what she conquered and has continued to overcome will be shared at a later date. Let’s just say she’s friggin’ amazing.

For the past two-and-a-half years Laurie has been an online shopping ambassador for King Soopers in Fort Collins. I’m not sure if “ambassador” is her actual title, but it’s the one I think she deserves. Anyway, when people order online, she’s the one who runs around the store, scanner in hand, gathering the products and then bringing them to out to their cars. I’ve been worried about since the coronavirus outbreak. Some of our chat:

Mary: Hey bestie

Laurie: Hey bestie

Mary: You know it’s the one year anniversary of being besties!

Laurie: Yea, we’re supposed to go back to PVH for a ceremony and get our cups! (We decorated cups in the final days at PVH, and then if you are sober a year later, you are supposed to return to retrieve your cup at a ceremony!)

Mary: Yea…I wonder what PVH is doing about all that. I’ll call and see if we can do a ceremony for our Facebook group when this is all over.

So, tell me, how’s it going. Are you okay? How have online orders increased.

Laurie: I’m hanging in there. It’s crazy. We’ve gone from, on the busiest of days, 52 orders, to 110 orders per day on average now. We can’t keep up.

They want us to work extra hours, extra days, which I’m doing. But it’s totally exhausting and you know that’s not good for me so I have to start saying “no.” And I am not taking my scheduled breaks, lunch etc. They tell us, “You need to take your breaks, your lunch. That is expected.” But we never do because we are so overwhelmed. Plus, they want us to come in earlier. Right now I start at either 5AM or 6 AM and now they want us to come in at 3AM and 4AM.

Mary: It kinda’ seems like you are getting conflicting messages from management. Have they hired extra help.

Laurie: Yes, they hired six people for our department. The problem is we don’t have any additional remote scanners so they really can’t do much of anything. Plus we’re too busy to even train them. They can’t even take the deliveries to the car because the groceries have to be scanned at the car, you know, give the customer a real receipt after coupons.

Mary: I can’t believe people are worrying about coupons right now. But that’s me. So, anything surprising that is on shoppers list these days?

Laurie: Yeast.

Mary: YEAST?

Laurie: Yea, I guess everyone is baking. I get asked for it 10 times a day. Then flour, sugar and stuff. Milk, dairy products, potato chips. Our whole chip aisle, there is nothing there. Thomas’ bagels and English muffins. The Thomas bread guy comes every day….we chat.

Mary: I’m glad you have friends.

Laurie: Shut up. (Not exactly what she said). Lots of stuff is NEVER available to online shoppers….hamburger meat, ground turkey. Some of the fresh veggies. They put that stuff out and it’s gone in a half-hour.  And Kroger brand stuff like frozen chicken wings. If we have the brand name we’ll give that to them at the cheaper price.

Mary: What about cleaning stuff.

Laurie: That’s a joke. Any kind of Lysol spray, rubbing alcohol and peroxide, never. Toilet paper. Nothing. Out of stock.

Mary: Still toilet paper? I’d think everyone would be stocked up for the year by now.

What protective gear do they provide you?

Laurie: Nada, nothing. They do not provide masks or gloves. I had some at home that I brought in to share with my coworkers, but those are gone now. One thing, there is nothing on the shelves to give us, so they can’t do that. They need to provide protective gear but I don’t know where they would get it. Right now it’s a danger to us, it’s a danger to our customers.

Mary: No kidding. (Not exactly what I said)

Hey, promise me you will take care of yourself, number one. You can’t let this job wear you down.

Laurie: Yes, bestie.

Mary: I’m worried about you….and I love you.

Laurie: I love you too….Hey, are you cooking now?

Mary: Yes

Laurie: Are you making broccoli for Fiona? (Laurie, who often calls six-ish when I’m making dinner for me an Fiona, is amused that we sometimes share a bag of frozen broccoli.)

Mary: No, not now. If you have to know, I’m frying a portabella mushroom. So there.

Note: After our call, I read that Kroger is providing frontline workers a “Hero Bonus” of a $2 premium above their standard base pay for hours worked March 29 through April 18. “Our associates have displayed the true actions of a hero, working tirelessly on the frontlines to ensure everyone has access to affordable, fresh food and essentials during this national emergency,” said Kroger’s CEO.

Great….I think Laurie and her colleagues would also like getting masks and gloves, Mr. CEO.