Grocery Shopping with the Mister

The Mister and I toddled off to the grocery store today. We have to plan ahead now that our closest store, the ex-Albertson's, is closed. Can't just pop over for a quart of milk today and a tomato tomorrow because the minimum round trip is 8 miles. We've been spoiled.


We have three important shopping rules that we follow diligently:
1) forget the grocery list
2) leave the coupons at home
3) don't buy the most important item

Organization is everything.

Mister is one of those people who only wants to park within three parking spaces of the store. He circles around, circles again and then once more. If he would just drop me off at the door while he finds a space I'd be done shopping before he gets out of the car.

But he doesn't. After about 85 minutes he parks any old place.

What the heck.

Next we play the interactive Reusable Grocery Bag Game. It goes like this ( and I fall for it every time)

The Mister: How many bags should I bring into the store.
.
Cynthia: (considers # of items on list plus 2 bags of M&Ms the Mister invariably slides under the celery when she's not looking) Three
.
TM: Three? Do you think we'll need three?
.
C: Yes. Bring three. (holds up three fingers)
.
TM: I think two will work
.
C: If you know how many we'll need why do you ask me? Don't ask me. (left eye starts twitching)
.
TM: Well, I just think two will work
.
C: Two might be okay - it just depends on how you like your potato chips. Whole or smashed to smithereens. You decide.
.
TM: Alright, alright I'll bring three, but I tell ya, we won't need all of them.
.
C: You're such a minimalist. Don't ask me about bags anymore.
.
TM: (Stops walking and starts patting his pockets.)
.
C: What are you doing?
.
TM: Looking for the shopping list. I think I left it on the table. Did you bring the coupons?
.
C: Shit.

At the checkout The Mister encourages the bagger to keep stuffing things into the first two bags until they bulge to overflowing and something purple starts leaking out of the bottom of one of them. Then he folds the third bag with a flourish and announces for all to hear that two bags are plenty.

At home he locates the shopping list and finds that we did in fact forget to buy the most important item on the list; the press and seal plastic wrap. There's about enough left on the current roll to wrap up a gum ball. Got everything else though - plus two bags of M&Ms



pictures complements of Flickr

M&Ms compliments of the Mister