Back to the Market

For the second time in about eight months, Sam and I braved the wild and made a trip to Grocery Store Number Two. This was necessitated by the fact that Thanksgiving is in the not too distant future and, while we do the bulk of our shopping at Grocery Store Number One (being a bulk food store), there are some things we either can't get there or would have to buy way more than we need.

For this reason, Sam and I keep two lists (well, four actually. But that's another story). One list is our regular, somewhat weekly (or, "weakly" - both apply) visit to Grocery Store Number One. The other is for the less frequented Grocery Store Number Two. 

I was kind of dreading this trip. The last time we went to Grocery Store Number Two was close to three months ago - and it was not a pleasant experience (as mentioned here). But unless I wanted to give in and do without some of our Thanksgiving staples or, unless I wanted to buy, say, a case of six pumpkin pies at Grocery Store Number One, I was going to have to make the dreaded trip. 

So, immediately after Sam was done with his lunch and, with the grocery list (#2) in hand, Sam and I hustled out to the store. 

I was hoping that by going at this odd hour, the place would be nearly empty. It wasn't. But I told myself that it could probably be worse - which I guess is not a total lie since most things can almost always be worse - so we found a parking spot and, remembering for once to bring in our reusable bags, we headed inside.

I have to say that even though the place was more crowded than the last time we were there, our trip went more smoothly. I attribute a good part of this to me re-writing our list the night before the trip.

Last night, I got the brainstorm of taking the grocery list and rewriting it in the order of how and where I was going to find all of the things in the store- thus streamlining the entire venture, and therefore minimizing (relatively speaking) my aggravation. (As I'm writing this, it occurs to me that I'm putting way more effort and preparation into my grocery shopping than I ever did with my homework. Go figure.)

The preparation paid off (maybe there's a lesson to be learned in there somewhere). We were in and out in record time - less than an hour, anyway. 

My only comment about the trip was that there were way too many people going the wrong direction down the now-one-way aisles. There had to have been at least eight different offenders throughout the store. Why those store managers aren't equipped with tasers to enforce their own, clearly displayed, apparently indifferently enforced rules, I don't know. Maybe next time I'll drop a note in the suggestion box.

Even more aggravating was the fact that giving these borderline felons my patented evil-eye gazes accompanied by my under-my-breath/ behind my mask complaining, was having absolutely no affect - other than, perhaps, making me look like the one who's crazy. The irony is killing me.

To top it all off, uncharacteristically, these rule breakers didn't even phase Sam(!). Since our visit, every time I've brought it up, he's come back with, "At least everyone was wearing a mask." 

Jeez. It's almost not worth complaining about it if he's going to have some weird positive attitude.