When the grocery store is the highlight of your day

Tonight’s supper: a lamb chop with zucchini sticks. I sautéed the zucchini in butter and soy, and then cooked the lamb chop in the same pan. After it was done, I made a sauce of a bit more butter with a touch of anchovy paste. I guarantee two weeks ago I wouldn’t have eaten that, and I am delighted to have most of my appetite back.

Central Market is having their celebration of all things British, and I persuaded Jordan we should go there for our weekly shopping. She really doesn’t like to shop there, finds it too crowded and confusing. I on the other hand love it, but I do recognize there are things I can’t get there. Like baggies and napkins. But today it was worth it—I think. I got a good British cheddar called Rockers. Jordan tried another and made the most awful face before she declared we were not buying that. Apparently, it was strong with horseradish.

I bought some spices for the spaghetti sauce I’ll make tomorrow and ground meat—it’s really the only place I trust the ground meat, and spices are such an amazing bargain in the bulk section—why pay five dollars for a jar of marjoram you’ll never use when you can buy enough for one recipe for a quarter. But I also wanted one of their mini meat loaves—had my taste all set for meat loaf sandwich for lunch—and the crab cakes with smoked salmon that were advertised as part of the UK week. When we got to the deli carousal, it was crowded, the servers were impatient, and some woman was yelling at me, “Ma’am, ma’am,” because Jordan was trying to get my attention to say that they had neither meat loaf nor crab cakes. I was studying the British counter, wondering about getting bangers, thinking my shepherd pie was probably better than theirs. But I wanted to linger, not be rushed into a decision so I said no I didn’t want anything. And got into the car disappointed and cranky.

I called later—the crab cakes were in the seafood counter. Who knew? They’re usually in the carousel. I doubt I’ll get back there tomorrow, and it’s hardly practical to pay the curbside delivery fee for a couple of crab cakes. By the time we finished the regular shopping, Jordan was in a rush because she had other obligations. So I didn’t ask, didn’t explore. Guess I’ll buy some smoked salmon, but crab cakes are not among the things I do well—and crab is so expensive. You can’t buy enough for one cake but must buy a pound and, unlike most seafood at CM, it’s frozen.

I spent the first of the morning watching the Judiciary Committee again—no wonder I don’t get much done. But it’s riveting. One of my new heroes: Senator Klobuchar. And Christine Blasey-Ford. I’m on the fence about Jeff Flake—he’s been one way, then the other, and I wish he’d decided sooner, but I’m glad he did what he did. Turns out the future could be decided, at least for now, by one man. And blessings on those anonymous women who confronted him in the elevator.

This whole thing has been a lesson in politics, if not democracy. It’s not the way democracy should work, but it’s the way politics works today. I like to think Democrats would handle power differently, but who knows.