blogging, first world problems, midlife, momlife, pandemic, parenting, Slice of Life, teenagers

I went shopping and lived to tell the tale

by Writer of Words, etc

There is a grocery store near my parents’ place that I occasionally frequent if I’m out that way.

🎵🎶🎵🎶 Should I stay or should I go 🎵🎶🎵🎶 (The Clash)

I drove by first to check if there was a line-up, and when all I saw was a lonely masked security guard, and no line-up, I decided to chance it.

Do you see how ridiculous this sounds?

Masked security guard outside of a grocery store. 😳

Anyway, he was just guarding the crowds that never came to the flower display, stacked outside the main entrance, usually a typical and welcoming sight in May in Canada. Both Mothers Day and gardening season are in May and I guess they feared crowds or covidiots populating the area.

That wasn’t the case though and the dude just smiled at me when I arrived, clutching my mask in my gloved hands.

At least I think he smiled, who can tell these days…

There was a guy sanitizing carts and placing them at the entrance without a mask on his face (I’m ok with that as long as people keep apart).

And a woman just inside reminding me of the distancing, also without a mask. (Our province has not mandated mask wearing (yet) but some places do which is fine by me. This store did not enforce masks.)

Beyond that…everything was pretty normal. Except for one customer, who wore so much equipment on her face, it was a little…perplexing.

Most items were not out with a few small exceptions, and there were decent sales to justify two for a reduced price. I loaded up on both necessities and snacks, mostly for the kids, and figured I won’t need to shop again for at least two, maybe three weeks.

Except for produce, that runs out every four or five days.

Coffee was on sale! But low on quantity.

Flour was not on sale, and the shelves were almost empty but there were a few packages left so I picked up another one. You know, to entice the girl child into baking some more brownies maybe… 😛

The teenaged-cashier who checked out my giant piles of food was unmasked, but gloved and behind a plexiglass shield. He was awesome!

I asked him to group all cold products together into the same bags as I didn’t bring my cooler and ice packs, and he did, exactly the way I would have. Plus he packed my other wares similarly/logically as well. I was very impressed and almost asked him for his mother’s phone number (but I didn’t). 😂

Anyway, I am home today guarding the food from the teen boy. I also demanded he a) let me cut his hair so I don’t have to hear him complain about it anymore, b) that he wash his laundry and hang it outside, and c) to go for a bike ride with me. Because the amount of time that kid spends plugged in downstairs as of about 3 pm to whatever time he goes to bed is insanity and will drive me to drink.

Which is why I am rationing not only food and snacks, but screen time too today. And going forward.

Because, this mama is ready to 🎵🎶🎵🎶 Raise a little hell 🎵🎶🎵🎶

Anyway, we’re on what, Thursday today? Something like that. Happy almost weekend, if that means something to you. 🙂

37 thoughts on “I went shopping and lived to tell the tale”

  1. That phrase from the guards at the entrance of the store controlling everything completely identifies me. It’s so absurd and funny the entry protocol for buying cheese, flour, biscuits, oil and orange juice.
    Also in the market that I buy the guard asks for identification, sprays disinfectant on my hands, controls that I carry the face covered, check inside my backpack… Hey, you think I’m on an airport line of control? Only the scanner for metal objects is missing. Too many action and suspense movies in these people.
    Greeting

    Like

    Reply

  2. I was going to say, what makes you think he was smiling at you underneath his mask? He could just as easily have been frowning, or sticking his head out, or licking his lips lasciviously. You never know!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Kudos to that teen cashier who knows how to pack groceries. They are rare.

    I would avoid a weekly trip to the grocery store if I could. But, like you, my fresh produce only lasts a week.

    Hang in there and continue to monitor the food supply and screen time.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  5. I did enjoy this posting sooo many talking points to think about, who’d have thought 2 months ago visiting a grocery would be such a big deal, security on the door, trolley boy disinfecting err trolleys AND wandering around the aisles freaks me out! How do you pass someone? Are they positive?…… welcome to new normality. I love your shining positivity, now get that teen out on his bike for some mum/son bonding, and btw I’m not joking for effect. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I cut his hair. He is not complaining. I call that progress.
      He did not do laundry but he’s running out of clean clothes to wear and that’s not my monkey, not my zoo. And it keeps raining down here so no bike ride either…
      Does this revert me back to just MeanMom now?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. FascistMom has a nice ring to it. I don’t believe you’re actually a MeanMom. Your a bit like a female Gordon Ramsay… it’s just the role you play on your blog. Same as I do on Kuched. 😳

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Want to cause a stir and see if you can raise a little ruckus? Just Cough. Never mind we have been coughing well before this thing, and will be coughing well after it. Right now a small, normal cough can clear out a 40,000 sqft store in about 3 minutes, Faster than a fire alarm.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Sorry about the double reply with LA! One place told me it wouldn’t post then went to your site to post and ended up with 2!
    I think I actually have to go into a store today for the first time in weeks. My grocery pickup order yesterday left off a needed item for the weekend. If I want hot dogs with my potato salad, I am actually going to have to GO IN!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I know! I make sure the first thing I do when I sit at my desk is to flip my desk calendar to the new day….it’s like a feeling of accomplishment…I made it….

        Liked by 1 person

Share your thoughts!

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.