Disclaimer: The following, like all of my stories, is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I have changed the names to protect the innocent. If you don’t heed my warning, you have only yourself to blame.
A couple dozen years ago a good friend’s son, “Lynn”, graduated from Georgetown Law School. “Lynn” was an outstanding high school student, graduated near the top of his class, did his undergrad at Michigan State, and moved on to Georgetown Law. He was a “put your nose to the grindstone” type student. He put in his time and progressed up the ladder of success. He partied as hard as he studied, taking a year off between MSU and Georgetown. He met his future wife at MSU and, she too, followed the path to law school. She gave up her career when their kids were born.
One of “Lynn’s” first jobs was with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). He ran across thousands of new ideas during his tenure there. He had first hand knowledge of the “next big thing”, and there were thousands of them. He was sworn to secrecy and forbidden to take advantage of his position.
I had the opportunity to meet with “Lynn” more than once during his tenure with the USPTO. Each time I offered up a proposal. “Lynn, I’m more than an arms length away from your office. How about throwing me just one tip? I’ll make the investment and cut you in down the road. No one will ever be the wiser.” I envisioned hearing about the next new wonder. Think about how your life might change if you were on the inside of the invention of the wheel, the bread slicer, or the thermos. Imagine having the inside track with Apple, Microsoft, Amazon and Google. A guy can dream.
One of “Lynn’s” strong suits was ethics. He aced all of his classes. If he was tempted to help me become a rich man, he never let on. We both knew that one good idea from an insider could set me up for life. While my appeals for special treatment were made in jest, I would have jumped at the chance to seek my fortune had “Lynn” given me the green light. Which brings me to today. Take heed my friend.
The world-wide pandemic has changed all of our lives. Normal people are reacting abnormally. Several months ago there was a toilet paper shortage. People made homemade hand sanitizer and wet wipes because the store shelves were empty. Eggs were difficult to find. Given the opportunity, people gathered as much as they could carry, and finally, merchants were forced to limit sales on these valued products. If you watch closely, you’ll note that a second wave of toilet paper shortages may soon be knocking on our door.
One thing I know for sure – please pay attention to these next few words because the main stream media is not covering this – there’s a pending frozen pizza shortage on the horizon. It’s a well documented fact that frozen pizza sales have increased over sixty percent in the last few months. Some companies have been forced to outsource production because their own food producing plants are not able to keep up with the demand. Children being required to stay home from school is just one of the many reasons for the run on pizza. Frozen pizza has become a noontime mainstay for many families.
The “just around the corner” coronavirus vaccine is going to push the frozen pizza crisis over the edge. The vaccine must be transported in refrigeration trucks, and most, if not all, vehicles capable of transporting frozen items are being commissioned to transport the vaccine. This means that all frozen products, not the least of which is pizza, will be difficult to find. I have a close associate, “Nicky”, whose company is among the largest suppliers of frozen foods in the world. “Nicky” has been advised to direct her clients to stock up on all frozen foods immediately. If frozen food doesn’t reach their warehouses in the next couple of weeks, it may not make it there for several months.
Fast forward, if you will, to February 14, 2021. If you are contemplating a nice, romantic dinner at home on Valentine’s Day, you need to plan ahead. If your dinner plans include a top of the line frozen pizza, a comforting bowl of Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese, or a waistline trimming Lean Cuisine, followed by a delicious bowl of Haagen-Dazs ice cream, you better stock up now. I have it straight from my insider, “Nicky”, that dark days in the frozen food industry are just around the corner.
You heard it here first.
Ok, not a believer space the small vaccine vial takes up and the total distribution time is small in comparison with all items, and storage in food warehouses won’t happen as it is distributed in days. People will overreact, this is true, but we are just a few months before we will see the curve slow, and progress to move forward, will be the same exponentially as the virus. Just saying from my perspective.
If you run out of pizza, don’t say I didn’t warn you.