I apologize to my two readers for the lack of posts recently – I’ve been sick. Hard to think when your head feels like it weighs 20 pounds.
So, Jack and I dropped Tess off at school this morning and made our way to the local organic food market. I love going there – it’s a whole different world inside those doors. It reminds me of San Francisco and I love that city, so it’s like a mini-vacation for me when I go to Whole Foods. Sad, I know.
The people who work there, while pasty looking, always have a smile on their faces. There’s a guy who works there who wears a kilt and has super rad sideburns. I think he’s Scottish. At least in my head he is, because that’s the only reason I will accept for his wearing a kilt. And while I imagine very few of the women there shave any of the hair off their body, which totally creeps me out, I’m surprisingly calm when I’m around them.
When I ask someone for help, they actually smile and take you to the item you’re looking for. No one does that anymore. Usually it’s some teenager who shrugs and says “I think it’s, um, in aisle four? If not, I don’t know where it would be? Like, maybe we don’t have that or you could ask someone in that department?” They always answer in the form of a question. It’s not Jeopardy, kids, it’s a grocery store.
I asked someone where the muffin mixes were and she took me over to the gluten free-aisle. There’s a whole aisle for that and I don’t even know what that means. There was only one mix and it was $6, so I passed, but I felt guilty about it. I mean, she walked all the way over there and the least I could do was buy something, right? I know what you’re thinking, but my Catholic guilt gets the best of me sometimes. I put the mix in my cart and then very slyly shoved it behind some Newman’s Own potato chips in the next aisle.
I wish I could do my regular shopping there, but it’s so expensive, which I don’t get. I mean, if you’re not using chemicals to fertilize the food and the cows are just eating whatever grass is in your backyard, then aren’t you saving money? I know it’s more complicated than that, but I’m a simpleton and can’t figure it all out.
We spent quite a while there, cruising up and down the aisles, pretending like we could afford to be there. Jack grabbed a $30 organically made panda bear and threw it in the cart. It was a treat trying to get out of the store without that item, since he’s decided to throw screaming tantrums when he doesn’t get his way. Tantrums are acceptable at say, Wal-Mart, but not there. That’s a happy place, full of hug-raised fish and smile additives.
I did remember my reusbale bag this time, which never happens. It was one I bought about a year ago and I remember it was $10, which I think is kinda pricey, but I like the idea of it. The other ones I have are ugly and falling apart and I don’t like using them because they have the name of the store on it and I have a problem with giving them free advertising.
After 20 minutes of serenity, we ended up buying a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread (no panda bear). Whenever I leave that place, I feel like I need to go home and install solar panels on my roof or start making my own bio-diesel like Willie Nelson. I’ll just stick to recycling my plastic bottles and listening to The Grateful Dead for now.
