Adventures in shopping

I was supposed to have lunch and go look at the Kroegers I found with John today but neither of us felt up to the outing so I ended up going down alone later in the day. This is what I call entertainment these days. I hate grocery shopping but I don't mind it the first time I go to a new store. It appeals to the sleuth in me and I'm always looking for those elusive items that are hard to find in the south. I like a new hunting ground.

I'm giving the store a mixed review. It was big but the aisles were narrow, especially with the huge carriages, they weren't particularly well organized and they had a limited choice in the fast food and single serving kind of stuff I'm interested in and their everyday prices were a lot higher than the Food Lion down the road. And although it wasn't dirty, it was untidy. The deli section was disappointing. I find it difficult to buy meat in crowded grocery where no one is waiting in line to get it. The seafood guy was doing a good trade but I don't know why. It stank of old fish.

It did have a lot of pluses though. The people who shop there are interesting. It was a very diverse crowd. They range from college kids to middle class families to old black guys who can hardly negotiate the aisles. A lot of middle aged single people. One guy about my age asked me where to find the fruit roll-ups. It was hard to imagine that I looked like someone who would know as I cruised down the aisle merrily crashing into people and carts as I was scanning the shelves. I told him to look around where they keep granola bars but I was proably wrong. How would I know? I've never eaten a fruit rollup much less buy one.

The store brand is really cheap and so are the sale items. The produce section was good. Great bakery with some interesting breads. Huge beer and wine section. I snagged a six pack of Saranac pale ale for under six bucks. I had a lot of choices in the six dollar range, which is a bargain down here, but I went for the Saranac because it reminded me of Noho and I'm missing my old friends this week. I've been dreaming about them.

They sell sparkle water, not to be taken for granted in the south. It's hard to get. I thought they didn't carry it but I finally found it in a little corner in the magazine section. And it's cheap. Major points for that. I drink a lot of sparkle water. But, the biggest plus is they sell the kind of hair conditioner I use. I've been using Nexxus Humectress for 15 years and it's really hard to find. Not only do they carry it, it cost three bucks less than I ever paid for it, anywhere in the country. It's always 16 bucks.

I so love a bargain. It made it worth the ride and it was good to get out of this little town. It's pathetic that I've become so insular here that a fifteen minute trip to a strip mall has become a major outing for me. Meanwhile, I'm on early call tomorrow and it's likely to be a long day so expect me when you see me.