Updated: Jan 3, 2021
I got lucky today. A complete stranger did a good deed avoiding what could have been a trip for stitches at the least, unconsciousness at the worst.
I've always loved cooking and baking. I've also always despised shopping and grocery shopping is the worst. I guess I'm a person of many contradictions; I love to travel but hate to fly.
I do grocery shop and I do fly, just not happily. These days I do both with much more hesitation and difficulty than years before.
I reluctantly went to the supermarket on yet another chilly, rainy day on Long Island. My supermarket keeps the doors on one side of the store closed due to Covid. So, everyone parks near the doors that are open and crowds together to get into the store and grab carts.
I saw someone pulling out of a spot close to the door (all handicapped spots were taken) so I was trying to get as close as possible. I put on my signal and waited as the truck pulled out. For some reason, the driver was on the wrong side of the road, preventing me from taking the spot. Grrrrr. Someone came from the other direction and jumped into it. It's going to be one of THOSE days I see.
After driving in circles, I found someone pulling out close to the entrance and got a decent spot.
I went through the routine of pulling on my mask, putting sanitizer on the cart handles and bringing up my list on my phone, which I disinfect before and after shopping. I only needed a few items, shouldn't be too bad, right? Wrong.
Things went smoothly in produce, but, it was crowded, even on a weekday at 11 a.m. The holiday is coming, it's going to be crowded at all times. Plus they have more merchandise out and they are stacking products everywhere, leaving less room to maneuver.
I needed tomato paste. I went down that aisle and sure enough they were putting merchandise onto the shelves. As I was looking for my brand, a man ran up behind me and yanked me backward. What the hell? At first I thought he was a lunatic; attacking me or trying to grab my purse.
I heard a loud sound and realized a large can had fallen and the man saved me from being hit in the head. Thank you to the 30'something man for keeping me out of the ER! According to him, the stock boy was putting up cans so fast, he let one go too soon. Sometimes, the powers that be put people together for a reason.
Not all disasters are avoidable. See my Rice Ball Disaster.
After circumventing my head being smashed in, I had a fun game of bumpercarts with a lady in the dairy department. We had a good laugh as we tried to navigate around the crowd near the cheeses, since a large crate was in the way as yet another stock boy unpacked.
Laughter is good. Silly things make memories. See some funny stories around food and cooking.
There were long lines at the checkouts and with everyone standing on the designated spots on the floor, it was impossible to pass, creating a traffic jam. Social distancing was a hopeless fantasy but at least everyone was polite about it and tried to move out of one another's way.
With all the chaos in the world, I'm happy there are still polite and decent people out there. That man avoided what could have turned my whole day upside down.
My kitchen, on the other hand, is still a disaster. I'm STILL waiting for my new stand alone cabinet to be finished. What used to take a few hours now takes days. I need to wait for others to help or do it and people are busy. So.. I am patient. Thankfully, it's not as bad as last year during the Kitchen remodel.
I did find soda on sale today and picked it up for the holiday. That made my trip worth it. I don't drink soda, but others do. I have things piled in the cabinet for now, but the dog's wee wee pads and the cleaners won't be stored there.
Hopefully, it will be back in decent shape tomorrow and I can make my Moussaka. For another eggplant recipe, visit the green link. Come back and check for my Gluten Free Vegetarian Moussaka recipe.
I am making air fried potatoes tonight. To see how I like my new air fryer and how they came out, check back.