Christmas is going to be more expensive this year

Hi- There is an article in the Washington Post now about why Christmas presents are going to be more expensive this year. They say there is a shortage of vessels to bring the stuff over from Asia, and there is a shortage of shipping containers. Shipping containers are being auctioned off for as much as $33,000. It is much more expensive to transport items on planes from Asia to the US, and there is a shortage of supplies and workers in Asia. There is even a shortage of paper right now, and so books are going to be in short supply. There is also a shortage of drivers to deliver the items to peoples homes. It sounds like a lot of people are going to be getting gift cards for Christmas. Plan on doing your Christmas shopping earlier this year.

Related recent headlines:
* Auto tires being shipped by air (normally reserved for high-value/low-weight products like pharmaceuticals)
* Chicago-area school lunch menus affected by driver shortages
* Amazon advertising for drivers mentions that cannabis users are accepted

From my experience now and from two or more years before, the medical system is suffering, too.

'Urgent' appointment request (level set by another doctor and not me) is responded with an October 12th appointment. Took it and expect to cancel, because hopefully this issue will be a memory by then.

I want to click my heels and go back two years before this nightmare began.

Regards,
Cathy2

Cathy2 wrote:From my experience now and from two or more years before, the medical system is suffering, too.

'Urgent' appointment request (level set by another doctor and not me) is responded with an October 12th appointment. Took it and expect to cancel, because hopefully this issue will be a memory by then.

I want to click my heels and go back two years before this nightmare began.

Regards,
Cathy2

Pretty much. Wife called to schedule a colonoscopy and they can't squeeze her in for 2 months. And we have great private insurance.

More reason than ever to give homemade gifts this year.

=R=

I think hospitals were not doing non emergency surgery for 3-4 months after the pandemic started, and I know my hospital was not scheduling routine mammograms for at least three months last year. I think that hospitals in states overrun with COVID patients are still cancelling elective surgeries.

Since most Christmas presents will be harder to come by this year, it would be nice if people would purchase a share of a CSA to give to somebody for a Christmas present. It would also be nice if some of the Chicago area farmer's markets such as Green City, Oak Park and Evanston made gift cards available to purchase that people can use at that particular farmer's market next summer.

spinynorman99 wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:From my experience now and from two or more years before, the medical system is suffering, too.

'Urgent' appointment request (level set by another doctor and not me) is responded with an October 12th appointment. Took it and expect to cancel, because hopefully this issue will be a memory by then.

I want to click my heels and go back two years before this nightmare began.

Regards,
Cathy2

Pretty much. Wife called to schedule a colonoscopy and they can't squeeze her in for 2 months. And we have great private insurance.

There's a shortage of anesthesiologists due to the amount of hours worked during the COVID-19 pandemic.