Saturday, April 27, 2013

The new routine

Saturday morning has become my favorite grocery shopping time. 'WHAT? WHY?!?' I can hear you all asking yourself this as your faces are contorted as to portray confusion and helplessness and all your thoughts rush to 'Maybe Ami really need help. She is really losing it out there!'

Have no fear. I have not lost my mind. Yet. Or because of being 'out here'.

For whatever reason, Saturday around 930 AM is the QUIETEST time in our grocery store. And ours is known by the locals as always having forever long lines and crowded aisles. So much so, that I knew a few people who prefer to go down the street to the more-expensive-but-without-as-much-selection locally owned grocery store. They are known for their service. (I prefer the low prices, selection, and atmosphere of the chain. I know I know, I'm a terrible person. I'm not supporting my local economy...!!)

I found this out by accident a few weeks ago. When we first moved here I was going on Wednesday afternoons. But quickly found the afternoon shopping experience was not for me. ('Quick find everything you need because we need to get home like 15 minutes ago to start dinner. What were we having anyway. Homemade pizza?!! I didn't make the dough. No time now to make that AND let rise. What can we find in the freezer section. Frozen pizza. yes, here we go. And what's this, ice cream? And maybe two cartons because you never know, maybe we'll have people over. And those new crackers look so good! We should try them. And blueberries are on sale! 3 cents off!! I'll buy ten...' ) Can you see what the problem is? I can't shop when I'm hungry.  So we moved it to Tuesday morning. Well, Tuesday must be the day of or the day before restocking because I was always frustrated. 'You mean, you don't ANY apples? In the WHOLE store? None. Just no, not in the back or anything. No, APPLES?!?' So Tuesday obviously wasn't working.
Well, then my sweet helpful husband (he really is) decided to take on a few shopping trips by himself. I'm not sure when he went, or how he felt his experience was. I'm sure he does not care.
So back to me.
It seems that what has really become the signal for going to the store every week is one event. If this one event is not caught soon enough, it could be catastrophic! That being, running out of milk. My children LOVE milk. LOVE. This fall we were going through TWO gallons a week. And by that I mean, we were running out before we went to store again. We eventually decided that this needed to be curbed a bit and have rationed milk so we only use one gallon a week. And it barely last us that.
So that is how I know we need to go to the store lately. When we have about a days worth of milk left.

A few weeks ago however, we couldn't make it to the store, I'm not sure why, on the day before we would run out. This happened to be a Friday. SO. WE RAN OUT!!! And for breakfast the kids had to have water! How horrible!
I suffered through breakfast.

B: 'Momma, I have milk please'
'I want milk!!!'
'Where my milk momma?!!'
'Milk please momma'

J: 'Moooommmm   iiiieeeee wawee. wawee. wawee peese peese peese wawee wawee waee.......' (Wawee = water. Or, all liquids)

We ran to the store. It was Saturday morning at 930. I was braced for the store to be packed full of weekend shoppers. Those who work during the week and have no other chance to get out get it done. Unlike some of us who should give them the courtesy of not showing up during 'their' time. And I was ready to bribe bribe bribe my way through that lonnnngggggg check out line.

And to my wonderful surprise: the parking lot was basically empty! I got a prime spot. Got the coveted  shopping carts with the little cars attached for the kids. I went up and down every aisle and did not have to say excuse me once! I was able to read labels and ingredients and prices and think about what I wanted without feeling 'pressured' into buying something. You know, when there are like five people trying to get by you in the aisle, but they can't because your cart is blocking the way, and there are one of those special displays in the way on the other side, and you can't remember if you need quick oats, rolled oats, or steel cut oats to make those granola bars. And does it make a difference? Aren't oats just oats anyway? But you can't think about any of this and end up grabbing potato flakes instead. You realize this later. Then you think, what are potato flakes doing next to oatmeal in the first place? Stupid store.

I was able to get in line behind one other person. FABULOUS. No bribing necessary. Just let the little ones 'help' put our items on the conveyor belt and we are good to go.

So now we shop on Saturday mornings. And it's finally spring here. So things are looking up. :)

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