Thursday, November 08, 2018

There ain’t no free lunch—but groceries? Maybe.




Yesterday a friend and I went grocery shopping. Whereas many people dislike grocery shopping, I'm one that loves it. It's one of those things I could manage by myself but it’s easier with someone helping. I can’t handle bags of groceries from a walker. As we checked out, we were each given a long-stemmed rose (really long). Betty said it was because they like and appreciate us as good customers. I rarely shop there, but I didn’t turn down the rose. Gave it to a friend I had lunch with.

Betty and I went to the store in her car, transferred the groceries to my car at her house, and I came home. I had specifically asked for refrigerator things to be put in plastic (I usually eschew using plastic) so I could loop my fingers into the handles and get it into the house. Jacob brought the other groceries in when he came home last night.

I had wondered about the blue fabric bag—looked like more groceries than I bought, but I didn’t really pay attention. Gosh know, Idon’t need another fabric bag.. When I unpacked it, I saw things I had not bought, including a 1.5 liter bottle of soft drink which I would never buy. This morning called the store ad explained I got someone else’s groceries and would be glad to bring them back. The manager with whom I spoke said she’d come out to the car to get them.

But then Betty called, and I thought she said she should have left that bag in her car. So, bingo! They were Betty’s groceries. Wrong. She said she already had her bag. I was getting mixed up between the bag and the contents, and I’m not usually that thick in the brain, but she had a hard time getting me to realize the bag and its contents were a gift from the store. So I cancelled the grocery run. Surprised the manager didn’t mention that, but when I called her back, she said “Oh yes. Did you get a rose too?” I considered going back to bed and starting the day over.

Actually turned out to be a good day—I got a lot of work done. It amazes me the small details and chores that crop up and keep me from my writing, but I knocked them out and spent a lot of time reading background material. I now have a fair handle on the life of Clara Driscoll, “Savior of the Alamo.”

And tonight, dinner with three close friends at a renowned enchilada place that was new to me. It was good to catch up on everyone’s doings. Lots of political talk. If we thought it would end after the election, we were wrong. Of course, some returns are still being counted and recounted, but I have a feeling the level of citizen involvement—and outrage—will continue. And that’s a good thing.

Cold weather coming to Texas. Bundle up, everyone.


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