So maybe it’s the Halloween thing, or maybe it’s that Husband left today for Hawaii, or maybe I should stop finding excuses. Whatever. Here’s what happened:
I was driving Kid 2 to her friend’s house for a Halloween party. She’s dressed as a huge fried egg with horns and a pitchfork. Get it? A devilled egg. Ha. As I’m driving her, we’re chatting. We’re on the north side of town, and I remember that I need a bag of frozen tortellini for tomorrow’s soup. So I said, “Maybe I’ll just go to [the grocery store on the north side of town], except that it sort of makes me cranky to shop there.”
She sighed. “Mom, no offense, but you’re sort of already cranky. How much difference is it really going to make?”
No offense? Is there another reaction to have when your 13-year-old daughter tells you you’re pretty cranky? Whatever, again. So I went to [the north-end grocery store] to buy my tortellini.
Guess what. I wandered the freezer aisles for several minutes to no avail. I found the fresh tortellini, and would have bought it, but it was ridiculously overpriced. I asked someone in a [north-end store] uniform. She said, “Frozen tortellini?” as though I had asked where they stack their frog’s livers. “Yes, Ma’am. Frozen tortellini. I’d think it would be in the freezer section.” She nodded as if she understood me. Then she asked someone else. Who said, “Oh, yeah. We’re all out.”
All out? I could feel the crankiness building to the bubbling point.
So I sighed, walked outside into the seriously pouring rain, and drove to the other side of town. The south-end of town, where the friendly grocery store lives. If you need to know exactly how much of a whiner I am, you really need to understand that my town is maybe, on a good day, two miles long. So it wasn’t a long drive. But it felt long. Cranky? Hmm. Maybe Kid 2 was on to something.
I parked. I dodged a lot of raindrops. I walked straight to the freezer section of my Very Favorite Grocery Market and grabbed a bag of frozen tortellini. Which was on sale. I was greeted by the cashier, who commented on my eyelashes (I totally dressed up for trick-or-treat in my fake eyelashes and fake hair ponytail, because my life is all glamour, all the time) and shared a laugh.
Question: Why did I even think I should waste 10 minutes shopping at the wrong grocery store?
Answer: Nobody knows. Only a cranky person would even attempt it.
(22) Comments for this blog
I nearly ALMOST went to the “wrong” grocery store today. Having forgot my wallet and only having a roll of quarters in my purse. My friendly “right” store handled me with ease, I found what I needed and it was on sale as well. However, despite all that, I was still INCREDIBLY cranky. What’re you going to do, eh?
p.s. FROZEN tortellini?! We have no such thing here. Oh, the envy! The fresh stuff is ridiculously expensive. I know because I bought some 4 days ago.
I nearly ALMOST went to the “wrong” grocery store today. Having forgot my wallet and only having a roll of quarters in my purse. My friendly “right” store handled me with ease, I found what I needed and it was on sale as well. However, despite all that, I was still INCREDIBLY cranky. What’re you going to do, eh?
p.s. FROZEN tortellini?! We have no such thing here. Oh, the envy! The fresh stuff is ridiculously expensive. I know because I bought some 4 days ago.
So my husband wants to know: “On a bad day, how long is our town?”
And will it make you even more cranky to know that we bought a package of frozen tortellini at Grocery Store #1 this very afternoon?
It’s all my fault! (Don’t hate me…)
So my husband wants to know: “On a bad day, how long is our town?”
And will it make you even more cranky to know that we bought a package of frozen tortellini at Grocery Store #1 this very afternoon?
It’s all my fault! (Don’t hate me…)
Um, you had me at “soup.”
Um, you had me at “soup.”
Yeah, I went looking for cilantro in my town when we first moved here from LA, and the produce guy said, “We yoosta carry cilaaaantro, but nobody’d buy it.”
Yeah, I went looking for cilantro in my town when we first moved here from LA, and the produce guy said, “We yoosta carry cilaaaantro, but nobody’d buy it.”
@Kim – I know. I’m so spoiled. Come on over. Be my neighbor. You, too can then eat frozen pasta on occasion.
@Stacy – I am such a non-scientific whiner. Such things drive my brother crazy, and I’m a little surprised he hasn’t stopped by here and asked the same question. Probably he’s busy. 🙂 But luckily, Husband rarely cares about my totally inappropriate and number-disabled whinging. What a good man. (Also, I may never learn my lesson about shopping in the store that is right for me. Case in point – I ever, ever enter a Wal-Mart. Ug.)
@Cindy – I’ve got leftovers. Come.
@Kazzy – Sometimes I see the bizarre produce items and wonder, who buys that? But cilantro? It’s a total necessity!
@Kim – I know. I’m so spoiled. Come on over. Be my neighbor. You, too can then eat frozen pasta on occasion.
@Stacy – I am such a non-scientific whiner. Such things drive my brother crazy, and I’m a little surprised he hasn’t stopped by here and asked the same question. Probably he’s busy. 🙂 But luckily, Husband rarely cares about my totally inappropriate and number-disabled whinging. What a good man. (Also, I may never learn my lesson about shopping in the store that is right for me. Case in point – I ever, ever enter a Wal-Mart. Ug.)
@Cindy – I’ve got leftovers. Come.
@Kazzy – Sometimes I see the bizarre produce items and wonder, who buys that? But cilantro? It’s a total necessity!
hahaha! I have to laugh, because I’m totally cranky like that all the time. Ask my kids. They’ll tell you.
hahaha! I have to laugh, because I’m totally cranky like that all the time. Ask my kids. They’ll tell you.
Guess this proves to stay and shop at your favorite store anyways. I have more or less done the same thing and end up where I should had gone in the first place, human nature to be different. susan Leech garysue@dejazzd.com
Guess this proves to stay and shop at your favorite store anyways. I have more or less done the same thing and end up where I should had gone in the first place, human nature to be different. susan Leech garysue@dejazzd.com
I hate being cranky. What’s even worse is when you can’t get out of the funk. Shopping is always hard for me, especially when the store is busy. Slow people are really aggravating sometimes.
I hate being cranky. What’s even worse is when you can’t get out of the funk. Shopping is always hard for me, especially when the store is busy. Slow people are really aggravating sometimes.
I shopped at the wrong store for two months after we moved until I found the right one. Am SO MUCH HAPPIER now. Yes, I’m easy.
I shopped at the wrong store for two months after we moved until I found the right one. Am SO MUCH HAPPIER now. Yes, I’m easy.
So glad you found the right tortellini and that you were complimented on your adorableness. Because let’s face it, you’re a hottie and people should tell you that more often. =D
So glad you found the right tortellini and that you were complimented on your adorableness. Because let’s face it, you’re a hottie and people should tell you that more often. =D
I like to shop at 2 different stories. The meat is always on sale at one, but the line is always long!(they need to hire more cashiers)The other store, always has coffee on sale and produce but the meat is expensive.
I like to shop at 2 different stories. The meat is always on sale at one, but the line is always long!(they need to hire more cashiers)The other store, always has coffee on sale and produce but the meat is expensive.