I typically do everything in my power to avoid shopping on weekends. This is made easier by the fact that I'm a nurse, and work crazy hours and typically have a weekday or two off. But lately, the schedule has been altered a bit by extra shifts, and due to a semi-emergent situation this morning (no Tide), I was forced to brave the crowds and hit up Wal*Mart.
So off I went. Into the wild.
Within seconds of entering the store, I knew I had a problem. Aside from the hoards of people and children screaming things like "No! I want the BIG chocolate bunny!"- I had managed to forget my canvas shopping bags in the trunk of the car. Drat. I had already made it this far, and refused to go back to square one. So I pressed on... bagless.
I started to grab the few items we needed- Tide, downy (since they didn't have the fancy Tide/downy combo in stock)... and as I entered the produce section, a very sweet old lady came up to me and asked: "What exactly does a vegan eat?" Though taken by surprise, I explained as well as I could. As she put it, her grandson had "just married one" and they were coming to visit. So I helped her pick out some black bean burgers, but ultimately told her that it'd probably be best to just ask her new grandaughter-in-law. I wished her luck, and she was on her way.
Next up- the check-out. And to say it was chaos would be the understatement of the year. So I found the nearest express lane, and joined the crowd... right behind a very nice transvestite. He was extremely muscular, and was sporting some cut-off jean shorts, a floral tank-top and a blonde, shoulder-length wig. He definitely added some excitement to the wait.
But I finally got up the front- and proceeded to throw a big 'ole wrench in the Wal*Mart check-out process. As I stood waiting, I had decided to go ahead and put all of my items back into the basket after paying. I could then take the whole cart back out to the car, put the stuff into my bags, and get it all home without ever even touching a plastic bag! I was proud of myself, but the check-out girl and her trainee acted like I was trying to bring down the entire corporation. "Ma'am, you have to have bags. Are you sure you don't want bags? How will you carry all of this?" (by the way- I had 9 things total) They thought I was absolutely insane. But they did it.
And then I got to hear it again from the receipt checker at the door. "Ma'am, did you pay for these things? Where's your receipt?" As I handed over the receipt and she studied it for every single little thing, all I kept thinking was- Lady, if I really wanted to steal something, I wouldn't be sauntering through the front doors with a basket full of groceries. I'd be at a full sprint, with a laptop under my arm!
Yesterday was Earth Day people! Is saving a few plastic bags really that out of the question??
I got out of there at last, made it home, and told Leo that we need to keep a better eye on the level of Tide left in the jug. This cannot happen again.
So off I went. Into the wild.
Within seconds of entering the store, I knew I had a problem. Aside from the hoards of people and children screaming things like "No! I want the BIG chocolate bunny!"- I had managed to forget my canvas shopping bags in the trunk of the car. Drat. I had already made it this far, and refused to go back to square one. So I pressed on... bagless.
I started to grab the few items we needed- Tide, downy (since they didn't have the fancy Tide/downy combo in stock)... and as I entered the produce section, a very sweet old lady came up to me and asked: "What exactly does a vegan eat?" Though taken by surprise, I explained as well as I could. As she put it, her grandson had "just married one" and they were coming to visit. So I helped her pick out some black bean burgers, but ultimately told her that it'd probably be best to just ask her new grandaughter-in-law. I wished her luck, and she was on her way.
Next up- the check-out. And to say it was chaos would be the understatement of the year. So I found the nearest express lane, and joined the crowd... right behind a very nice transvestite. He was extremely muscular, and was sporting some cut-off jean shorts, a floral tank-top and a blonde, shoulder-length wig. He definitely added some excitement to the wait.
But I finally got up the front- and proceeded to throw a big 'ole wrench in the Wal*Mart check-out process. As I stood waiting, I had decided to go ahead and put all of my items back into the basket after paying. I could then take the whole cart back out to the car, put the stuff into my bags, and get it all home without ever even touching a plastic bag! I was proud of myself, but the check-out girl and her trainee acted like I was trying to bring down the entire corporation. "Ma'am, you have to have bags. Are you sure you don't want bags? How will you carry all of this?" (by the way- I had 9 things total) They thought I was absolutely insane. But they did it.
And then I got to hear it again from the receipt checker at the door. "Ma'am, did you pay for these things? Where's your receipt?" As I handed over the receipt and she studied it for every single little thing, all I kept thinking was- Lady, if I really wanted to steal something, I wouldn't be sauntering through the front doors with a basket full of groceries. I'd be at a full sprint, with a laptop under my arm!
Yesterday was Earth Day people! Is saving a few plastic bags really that out of the question??
I got out of there at last, made it home, and told Leo that we need to keep a better eye on the level of Tide left in the jug. This cannot happen again.
1 comment:
You need a Sam's Club membership. Bigger bottles of Tide. No bags. No crowds. Good produce. You'll love it.
Post a Comment