The Virus Diary: May 8

Tuesday I explored the new Fresh Grocer.  It was a nice sunny day.  Thursday was also a nice day, so I decided it was time to order some more libation of the alcohol persuasion.  (After all it was nearly a MONTH ago when I picked up my last order...that doesn't sound too good does it?  Well, I have a bottle and 3/4 left of my 4 bottle order...that still sounds pretty bad.   Maybe I should just say that with the warmer weather I was craving more margarita and had almost finished the bottle of Jose Cuervo Rose Margarita?  Now that sounds HORRIBLE.  This needs to stop now!)  Last month I found a shop online which is in the next town over that has a good assortment of wines and liquors (although currently no Not Your Father's Root Beer).  You place your order (there is a minimum which is why I order so much; at least that's the story I'm sticking too) and they text or email you when it is ready to be picked up.  Last time I chose in store (which brings me back to my first in store face mask experience:  http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-virus-diaries-different-kind-of.html), this time (and I can't remember if this was an option last time, perhaps not), you could also select curbside pick-up.  I'm up for trying new things (ha!) so I selected that.  I placed my order midday and about an hour later I got a text that my order was ready.  Scarf in hand, I headed out. How does one do curbside wine/liquor pick up?    When I got to the lot (which is for multiple stores), I was going to pull up right in front, but then I saw there were spots with signs for the store.  So I pulled into one.  (It actually took me a few seconds to find one because there are 6 slots dedicated to the store and 5 were filled.  Guess I'm not the only one who is boozing up for mother's day.)  The sign indicated the spot number (5, if you are interested) and asked you to text your name and spot number to a local number.  I did so.  Then I got out of my car, opened the back (so that the person could put in the package) and got back in.  As I was doing this I saw employees with carts coming out and delivering to other cars.  After a few minutes one came towards my car.  She asked if I was customer x and then asked to see my ID.  (I know this is probably policy; but bless her heart for carding me!  Way to make me feel young!)  She looked at my license (from 6 feet away) and put the box in my car.  I thanked her and told her to be safe.  And that was that.


Since it was so quick, I decided that a trip to Dunkin was in order.  We are starting to get low on coffee (and I purchased 3 pounds even more recently than my previous liquor trip) and my "aunt" who I do some grocery shopping for had asked for coffee filters and Dunkin coffee.  I knew that one of the local Dunkin's had a 3 bag deal so I headed that way.  I actually stopped at a Dunkin that is within walking distance from my house, but as they are associated with gas station and share space with a no brand convenience store they had NO bags of coffee (and it didn't look like much else.)  So I drove on to the better stocked Dunkin, picked up 3 bags and a donut for my son (although they were out of jelly....what is the world coming to?) and headed home.

 Leaving one bag of coffee in the car (for drop off on Friday), I put the two bags of coffee, my wallet and my phone in the box with the margaritas and wine.  (Side note:  I no longer carry a purse.  This is a big change for me and makes me really quite sad.  I LOVE purses/pocketbooks/handbags/whatever you want to call them.  I have ones for just about every month or every season.  I change them out.  I carry a lot of stuff.  But now I don't go anywhere and since we all need to keep our contact with the outside world to a minimum, my purse sits on the office room floor.  When I need to buy something I either do it on line or put a credit card in my pocket and that's it.  On ShopRite days, I slip my price plus card, my credit card, license and phone, which contains my shopping list, into one pocket and my keys in another.  Since not all women's clothing have pockets I have to make sure that if I'm going shopping I am wearing slacks or jeans with pockets.  This is not first world problem; this isn't even a minor blip, but I DO miss my pocketbooks and changing them out.  The same one has been sitting on my floor since March and by now I would have changed it out at least once.  Pocketbooks show my style and my personality; the pandemic has squashed that one small part of me.)

When I brought the box inside (and down to the basement for storage), I noticed that I had purchased the wrong margaritas.  I LOVE Jose Cuervo Golden ROSE Margarita.  What I had purchased was Jose Cuervo Golden Margarita.  I know this is a first world problem!  I would have to make do!  (But first I tested it.  While it will never replace the love I have for ROSE; it wasn't bad.  As it turned out there was no Rose at the store even though that is what I had Googled.  I had not checked the label closely enough or paid enough attention when I was checking out on line.  This SHOULD be a lesson to me.  The question is WILL I learn it?  My guess is probably not!)

But my shopping adventures for the week were not yet over.  It's Friday, so that means an early morning solo trip to ShopRite.  Though this is no longer quite as stressful as it was when I first started out, I DO miss going with my husband.  I DO miss the routine of getting my son off to school and then grocery shopping as a couple.  I especially miss him BAGGING all the items because as it has been proven time and again, I am LOUSY when it comes to bagging groceries.  I DON'T miss the rush to get to work afterwards and the traffic jams to get to the office.  (Although I AM still rushing to get the groceries away and upstairs to the "office" to start my work day.)

 Observations for this week's "Big" grocery trek:

  • Although it wasn't raining this morning like it has been for the last several Fridays, it was still pretty darned cold!  As a matter of fact parts of NJ may get a dusting of SNOW tomorrow.  TOMORROW!  MAY 9th!  What the HECK??? (And you know I am thinking a lot more than heck.)
  • After a heavy couple of weeks, my list was somewhat lighter.  Every week I check in with several people to see if they need anything.  This week only my "aunt" needed coffee and coffee filters.  My own list wasn't too bad.  However, these days I'm never really checking how much I spend until after I get home.  Although I still am price conscious, it's less about what I spend and more about what I CAN get.
  • With that said, there were items in the store that had been missing, so I bought them.  Rice and prepared foods were more plentiful so I bought them.  Frozen veggies were still in short supply, but they were restocking so I bought more.  Unlike Fresh Grocer, ShopRite DID have Gardein vegetarian items, so I picked up a couple of those. Even though my shopping list was light, my cart grew pretty full.  When all was said and done, this was the priciest shopping trip I've done when it was just for my family.  My wallet took a big hit, but hopefully we are well stocked for a week or so.  (Of course I have a hungry teen so I don't know how long that stock really will last.)
  • My usual line (#11) was closed.  While I was perfectly happy with the cashier (who I had never seen before), I'm hoping all is well with S who is not a cashier (I believe is an associate manager), but who has been handling the register for at least a month and has always been on #11.  Under normal circumstances I wouldn't give a second thought to it, but nothing is normal.  I've actually messaged the store to ask if she is ok.  (I would have asked the store manager when I left, but he wasn't at his usual post; the construction is still under way and earlier I had seen him with some workers.)
  • Check out, like last week, was not too bad.  I was behind an older couple and they took some time, but there was no long line.  I'm still a lousy bagger.  I'm try to load up the conveyor belt in some semblance of order so that when I get to the other end and bag things will be organized but it never works out that way.  I had to "reorganize" once I got to the car.  Reorganizing is a lot easier when it ISN'T raining.

The actual time in the store was about an hour.  Before heading home though I had to drop of the two items to my "aunt."  Then I took a few extra items that I had purchased to my church's new "Blessing Box" (Food box where you can take what you need and/or give what you can.)  This is a new mission and I had a problem.  The box was too full!  I was only able to get one item in.  I'd like to say this is a good problem, but the truth is the box is so new that people don't know about it yet.  By next week I'm sure it will need to be restocked.  The items that I couldn't fit in I took around the block to another church where they have a box for items for their food pantry.  That box was empty (until I put in my bag).    As you know I'm a big believer if you CAN do something, you should!  (http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2020/05/because-i-cani-will.html)  My donation was not much, but it was something and something is always better than nothing.

And on that note, I'll end today's "diary entry."  As always, stay safe and stay well.






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