life’s little irritations #8
Today’s topic of irritation: grocery store baggers.
Most of the time I bring my own bags to the grocery store. (Well, I bring them when I remember them, and you all know what my memory is like!) I usually have more than enough bags for all of my groceries. Why do I bring those bags? Just like everyone else, I’m trying to reduce my waste, and I hate having all those plastic bags around.
So. Here’s irritation #1: When the baggers try to bag items in plastic first, and then put them in my bags, I get a little, shall we say, pissed off? I sort of understand putting the raw meat in a plastic bag to keep the fabric one clean, but they certainly don’t need to be wrapped individually. And guess what? Those fabric bags are washable! Imagine that! But the dry goods and other stuff? What’s the point of double bagging? I just don’t get it.
I complained to a manager once about how many plastic bags a bagger had just used inside all of my fabric ones. I jokingly (not) told her I had more plastic bags in my cart than I would have if I had just had them bag in plastic in the first place. She looked shocked and said that most of their customers wanted them to do that. Really?! I bet they don’t, they just don’t tell you otherwise!
Okay. Checkout bagger irritation #2: jumbling up my carefully placed items!!! Gah! When I put items on the belt I always put my frozen stuff together, canned goods together, etc., and fragile (eggs) squishy (bread) and crushable (chips) items all together last. I put them together because I expect them to be bagged together! It’s not that hard a concept people. It should make it easier for them to bag, and it definitely makes it easier for me to unload in my kitchen.
Instead, I get home to find the bread squashed between boxes of cereal, the eggs buried under cans, and my dairy products spread out over all six bags. Hey, and did you know if you put frozen things together they stay frozen better? As my boy would say, it’s called science.
Bagging science – I’m gonna call it bagology and I’ll be traveling the US giving lectures on it. I’ll also do one-on-one workshops for those in greater need of bagging knowledge. One of my lessons will be to break down a poorly packed bag while singing “one of these just doesn’t belong here…” Feel free to let your local grocery store know my tour schedule so I can make their baggers better too.
Oh, and one last irritation: YES, I really do want the milk in a bag too! They’re slippery suckers after the humidity condenses on their handles and I’d really prefer to get the gallon into the house without dropping it. Just bag it, preferably with the cheese and my coffee creamer, k? thks.
I admit it, I’m a black shirt-aholic
I cleaned out my closet today. I’ve been wanting to for sometime, but just hadn’t had a chance. That’s a lie. I haven’t had the motivation! Anyway, I filled an entire trash bag with clothes I NEVER wear but are hardly worn. I just have to figure out which charity to donate them to, and get them out of my house! Can I just say, not one piece of the giveaway clothing was black. I’m keeping the black.
Afterwards, I checked out what my tivo had taped for me today. Of course, it knows me well. Like spooky well.
Two episodes of What Not To Wear.
I’ve tried to follow Stacy and Clinton’s rules so many times. I buy color. And it sits in my closet. I buy black, and I wear it all the time. I’m not falling for it anymore. I’m no longer buying color. Well, maybe red. But really, I give up! I’m sick of wasting my money! Print skirt? Okay, as long as some part of the print is black, so I can wear a black top! I only own black shoes, because what’s the point of having anything else?!
I haven’t actually counted, but it’s entirely possible that I own about 50 black shirts. At least half of them are t-shirts. But I swear – they aren’t just t-shirts. They’re the good kind, with v-necks and nice fabrics! *sigh* Yep. Black shirt-aholic, and justifying it. My only other defense it that if when I wear black on top, I don’t also wear it on the bottom. Really. Mostly.
Then they want us all to wear layers. Scoff. Yes, I ppfffttt at the layers! I’m always too damn hot! I’m the girl wearing the t-shirt in the dead of winter! And I keep my house at 63 (Sorry honey.) I wanna die in the summer, especially without central air. I ask you, how am I supposed to wear layers? EVER?
There’s also the pointy-toed, high-heeled shoes they praise. Listen, I live in the woods in New Hampshire, and I work sitting on my couch. It’s sandals, sneakers, or boots. (Cute boots!) Not to mention…the plantar fasciitis. Ever had it? I have. It’s extremely painful, takes forever to get over, and I never want to experience it again. So that means no more pointy-toed, high-heeled shoes!
I’ll still watch the show, (mostly for that cutie patootie Nick) but I no longer believe them (except for, well, you know who.) From now on, I’m sticking with my black shirt, tan capris, and my comfy black sandals. It’s my uniform. What’s yours?