I hate going grocery shopping. But since I have been by myself, I have no 
choice. I try to follow the "rules", like making a list and not going shopping if I'm hungry. It doesn't matter. I always end up with a bunch of stuff that I really don't need or want that most of the time eventually ends up in the trash can.
I do most of my grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter. They have the overall best prices and varieties. Plus everything is
in one location. They even have a branch office of my bank and a McDonald's inside the store. Overall, it's the most convenient. I buy everything there, even drinking water. I refuse to drink tap water that smells like bleach. Just about the only thing I don't buy at Wal-Mart is meat. Their meat
tends to be overpriced and not very good so I get meat at Winn-Dixie. Wal-Mart is open 24/7. You can find a parking spot close to the store if you go at 2AM but that's when they are restocking shelves and you end up with bruised shins from walking into flatcarts or you slip on broken down cardboard boxes. Their staff of cashiers and clerks is reduced also. If you need help, forget it.
One of the most dangerous segments of this adventure is getting past the front part of the store. The first thing I come to on the right is a huge display of fresh baked goods. Mmmmmm. It smells so good. Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies all at great prices. I try to look off to the left until I get by them. But then I have to stop looking to the left because, just past the checkout is freshly cooked chicken. Broiled, baked, fried, whole, pieces, wings, legs. It smells great. Well, there goes that "rule" because now I'm hungry. I wipe the drool from my chin and try to look straight ahead. Finally, I reach the safety of the fresh fruits and vegetables section. No danger here.
I have to be careful about what I buy. I can't eat anything with seeds or nuts. No rye bread (unless it's seedless), no popcorn, no cashews (my all time favorite). A lot of baked stuff has poppy seeds, caraway seeds, sesame seeds. These are all no-no's for me. I have to read all the packages to make sure they don't slip some seeds in there. I am also lactose intolerant. Dairy products for the most part are off limits. I can tolerate small amounts but that's all. And eggs give me irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I can only handle hard boiled eggs. Fried, scrambled, poached or any other kind makes me crap uncontrollably which is a real problem unless I am within three feet of a toilet, preferably closer. Since it's only me I'm shoppng for, I try to get the small sizes. This limits the amount of leftovers I have which usually go in the trash after three weeks in the fridge. Making spaghetti, which I love, is a problem. I end up eating it for three days since it's near impossible to make a single portion. The canned stuff is tomato soup added to noodles and it sucks.
It seems there is a "Carl" trap on the end of every aisle. Stuff at a terrific price that I just can't resist. I don't need it. I don't want it. But for that price, I have to buy it. Most of that stuff will eventually end up in the trash. Anyways, I finally complete my shopping and head to the check out. I have a cart full of stuff not on my list and I am missing several items that were (which means I'll have to come back). I start putting the stuff up on the conveyor belt. Naturally by now all the frozen stuff has started defrosting, and soon the belt is one huge puddle. As the cashier scans each item, she looks at it, and then looks at me. It's making me uneasy. Usually they don't say anything, but one cashier asked me if I lived alone. When I said yes she said I thought so. So the check out is done and the cashier tells me the damage. $163! For this little bit? She refuses to negotiate. If I was paying cash, this is the point where I would be putting stuff back. But I have my check card.
I go out to the car and load everything that will fit in the trunk. The rest of the stuff goes in the back seat. By this time it is nearly 4AM. I had to do it all in the dark because neither the trunk light nor the dome light would work. I get in and turn the ignition key. Nothing. I look at the headlight knob. It's on.........and has been since 2AM. I hate grocery shopping.
choice. I try to follow the "rules", like making a list and not going shopping if I'm hungry. It doesn't matter. I always end up with a bunch of stuff that I really don't need or want that most of the time eventually ends up in the trash can.I do most of my grocery shopping at the Wal-Mart Supercenter. They have the overall best prices and varieties. Plus everything is
in one location. They even have a branch office of my bank and a McDonald's inside the store. Overall, it's the most convenient. I buy everything there, even drinking water. I refuse to drink tap water that smells like bleach. Just about the only thing I don't buy at Wal-Mart is meat. Their meat
tends to be overpriced and not very good so I get meat at Winn-Dixie. Wal-Mart is open 24/7. You can find a parking spot close to the store if you go at 2AM but that's when they are restocking shelves and you end up with bruised shins from walking into flatcarts or you slip on broken down cardboard boxes. Their staff of cashiers and clerks is reduced also. If you need help, forget it.One of the most dangerous segments of this adventure is getting past the front part of the store. The first thing I come to on the right is a huge display of fresh baked goods. Mmmmmm. It smells so good. Cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies all at great prices. I try to look off to the left until I get by them. But then I have to stop looking to the left because, just past the checkout is freshly cooked chicken. Broiled, baked, fried, whole, pieces, wings, legs. It smells great. Well, there goes that "rule" because now I'm hungry. I wipe the drool from my chin and try to look straight ahead. Finally, I reach the safety of the fresh fruits and vegetables section. No danger here.
I have to be careful about what I buy. I can't eat anything with seeds or nuts. No rye bread (unless it's seedless), no popcorn, no cashews (my all time favorite). A lot of baked stuff has poppy seeds, caraway seeds, sesame seeds. These are all no-no's for me. I have to read all the packages to make sure they don't slip some seeds in there. I am also lactose intolerant. Dairy products for the most part are off limits. I can tolerate small amounts but that's all. And eggs give me irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I can only handle hard boiled eggs. Fried, scrambled, poached or any other kind makes me crap uncontrollably which is a real problem unless I am within three feet of a toilet, preferably closer. Since it's only me I'm shoppng for, I try to get the small sizes. This limits the amount of leftovers I have which usually go in the trash after three weeks in the fridge. Making spaghetti, which I love, is a problem. I end up eating it for three days since it's near impossible to make a single portion. The canned stuff is tomato soup added to noodles and it sucks.
It seems there is a "Carl" trap on the end of every aisle. Stuff at a terrific price that I just can't resist. I don't need it. I don't want it. But for that price, I have to buy it. Most of that stuff will eventually end up in the trash. Anyways, I finally complete my shopping and head to the check out. I have a cart full of stuff not on my list and I am missing several items that were (which means I'll have to come back). I start putting the stuff up on the conveyor belt. Naturally by now all the frozen stuff has started defrosting, and soon the belt is one huge puddle. As the cashier scans each item, she looks at it, and then looks at me. It's making me uneasy. Usually they don't say anything, but one cashier asked me if I lived alone. When I said yes she said I thought so. So the check out is done and the cashier tells me the damage. $163! For this little bit? She refuses to negotiate. If I was paying cash, this is the point where I would be putting stuff back. But I have my check card.
I go out to the car and load everything that will fit in the trunk. The rest of the stuff goes in the back seat. By this time it is nearly 4AM. I had to do it all in the dark because neither the trunk light nor the dome light would work. I get in and turn the ignition key. Nothing. I look at the headlight knob. It's on.........and has been since 2AM. I hate grocery shopping.
HAHA! I am in the same boat, dad. I never did the shopping with Madalene and mom, so now that it's just Tiana and I, I spend way too much time standing in the grocery store, looking like a complete idiot! I pick things up, take a turn around the store, then put things back. I find myself stocking the shelves more than emptying them, because being in retail, you HAVE to put the item back where you found it. It's called "retail courtesy" amongst us boneheads. And yes, I've had enough self-control to put things back, so far.I will be happy when mom gets back to Florida, so she can persuade you to "just say no!"
ReplyDelete