Grocery gripes

I feel silly being so sloooooow with my blog updates, and now that I’m here with a quick one—it’s about grocery shopping. My most important-exciting-getbacktothecomputer-pathetic blog worthy event is regarding grocery shopping? I think this qualifies as a “you know you’re a 30-something mom when…” moment.

Since I’m a 30-something mom with three young children, there are things I really look forward to, such as: hugs & kisses, snuggle time, playground dates, family movie night, swimming at the lake, bedtime, campfires, vacations…the list could go on and on. On of the things that I rarely never look forward to is grocery shopping.

In an effort to make this chore as quick, stress-free and economical as possible I choose to grocery shop in the evening, midweek.

Let me first set the stage, it is 8:30 p.m. and the store is open until 11:00 p.m. The parking lot is nearly empty, and I am thrilled to have the store practically to myself.

Gripe #1 – Why on earth do they put away, wrap up, clean all of the deli items so early in the night? I spent more time at the counter (with a very surly deli associate) watching her unwrap the items that I wanted. Based on her attitude I’m guessing she had just finished putting everything away for the night (2.5 hours prior to store closing). Oh and if you’re wondering, yes the deli does stay open until the store closing time. It certainly wasn’t like breezed in there with one minute to spare. I had 2.5 hours!

Gripe #2 – Cleaning. Now if you know me, you are probably really surprised to hear me complaining about cleaning but why on earth do they do a full cleaning of the meat department at this time? There was not a pound of beef to be had in that store. I am sure they had it stockpiled somewhere, and all I would have to do is ask…but I hate to bother people like that. Silly, I know. So I we’re living off pork & chicken for the next week.

Gripe #3 – Manicures. Huh? I know that is what you are thinking. This is not related to this grocery shopping trip…but it actually happened last week. Picture this: dairy section, you’re at the end of the bread aisle, enveloped in the cool air of the yogurt and whipped cream cooler and you pause to wait for a woman to move…only to realize she is clipping her fingernails. Yea, you got it, clipping her fingernails. Not just one that had broken as she lifted that case of Budweiser into the cart, but every nail. I was dumbfounded, disgusted and simply amazed that this woman was doing this. She was leaning on her cart, I think while waiting for her friend/sister/daughter to pick something out. I think she was probably mid-40’s, certainly old enough to know that this is simply gross, but apparently she didn’t care.

Gripe #4 – Understaffing. I can not be the only person that has figured out that a mid-week evening is the least crowded time to shop? I can roll down the aisles freely, no crowds, no worry of rolling over toes or the all-embarrassing cart bump. So I just went for it, filled my cart until it was overflowing. It felt good to actually pick the things I needed, while having the time to actually read labels and compare prices (tasks simply not possible when you have a child hanging off every edge of the cart). Am I wrong for utilizing this hour of day for my shopping trip? I sure felt it as I waited in line, loading my groceries onto the belt as other customers piled up behind me – most of which had no more than ¼ of the load I did. They had no one manning the express lane, so everyone had to go to one register. Thankfully the couple directly behind me were out shopping as an excuse to get out of the house because their four 20-something children were all home and driving them crazy…so they were in no rush. Not so sure about the other six people behind them, but I did offer a quick apology as I wheeled away...even though I think the manager should be the one out offering apologies.

Gripe #5 – Re-packing the cart. I can totally imagine how difficult it must be to have the job of a grocery bagger. After having the items carefully placed wedged into the cart by the shopper, they have to attempt to quickly re-fill the cart; and you never, ever have as much room in that cart the second time. So the rack at the base of the cart becomes additional storage space for your goods. This is all well and good until you hit the gently sloping pavement of the parking lot. Between the vibration of the cart on the rough pavement, and the slope of the lot I have, on more than one occasion, had things slide off the cart. There is nothing worse than canned goods rolling through a parking lot; you can’t leave the cart because it will roll away, but you gotta get the goods. I am guessing that I have provided many strangers with a good laugh as they witnessed me attempt to restrain a cart, while dodging traffic, to recover my runaway groceries.

Gosh, I feel better already! Although I’m a little embarrassed that
my “quick” updated rambled on endlessly about groceries…such the life as a 30-something mom. Life is good.