Random Tales from a Rainy Day

The less than balmy head of Old Man Winter continued rearing today in the form of very cold rain (the sleet and ice missed us, for the most part, thankfully), making our not-so-plowed streets quite challenging to navigate.  Despite the odds, we all ventured out.  Mare to Yoga, Baby Ruth and the KitKats to dance class and I to a morning of fitness and Martial Arts fun.  Today's story really begins, however, with my fantastic idea of a "quick" shopping trip after the organized group activities ended.

Taking the weather into consideration, I thought that the stores would certainly be slow and would absolutely welcome any customer who ventured through the doors.  Expecting a barren wasteland of parking spaces and snow mounds, I made my way to the local Best Buy/Target/Wegman's plaza.  My crowded spaces radar perked up a bit when I observed the traffic in the turning lane.  Still, I scoffed at the idea that anyone else could possibly have the same sense of adventure that I have!  Onward I trekked.  And then around.  And around.  And around.  Around the Best Buy parking lot I drove until finally a spot availed itself to me.  I happily trotted into the store to retrieve my bargain, only to find that the bargain did not exist AND I was by no means the only customer with a sense of adventure for the day.  Somewhat disheartened, I vowed to place an order from Amazon.com later in the day (for 1/3 the cost) and headed back to my car.  The thing that helped me to keep my chin up was the knowlege that I was going to provide a wonderful spot for someone to park.  All of those folks who had been circling the lot like I had just done would be making a mad dash for this one little spot.  I got out of there as quick as I could, then realized that there were at least five or six open spots around me now.  Apparently everyone else saw me leaving so they left too.  Oh well.

(Don't worry, the adventure continues)

I braved the odds and made my way over to Target.  I think the last time I saw such mayhem in the parking lot was "black Friday".  Between the cars, pedestrians, shopping carts and snowbanks, I wasn't sure which way to go.  I contemplated driving home to park in my driveway and to then walk back, but like I said before, it was cold and rainy.  (and it would have been a 10 mile walk)  Finally I located a parking spot in the Wegmans area.  This was suitable, as I would be ending my excursion with a jaunt into this store.  The downside was the walk to Target, two stores down.  Wishing I had put on some waterproof boots, I sloshed my way through the parking lot, down the sidewalk and into the store.
I was on a mission.  I had my mental list.  It contained two and one half items.  (the one half was for the thing that I thought I might get if I saw one for a good price)
I made my way to thing number one - storage container for Barbies.  On the way I stopped to gaze longingly at the display of rubber rain boots.  I pretended that they were on my wet feet and continued to the containers.  There I met a very nice lady looking for a lid.  Together, we found her lid and solved some of her moving problems.
Yes, a piece of tape with a label on an opaque lid would render the same information as a "see through" lid.  AND, the lid would even fit the container.
She was a very nice lady.  We both chose our special storage devices, wished one another well and continued on our way.  I took a "quick" look for thing "one half" and found many wonderful, shiny, new objects on the way.  The ideas began to flow.  (I think Target has something in the lights that taps into those with addictive/obsessive type personalities.  Somewhat like the coffee at Starbucks.  It's probably not crack, but it must be similar.)  Anyway, I regained my focus and turned the corner.....ah, the bargain bin.  Did you know that kid's clothing is much cheaper than that for adults?  AND, a boys size XL fits wonderfully on someone my size......$4.50 for a champion workout shirt!  BARGAIN!
Regaining focus once again, I trudged onward for item # 3.  Then I saw the pretty colors.  I began to drift toward the fitness aisle and caught myself just in time to weave in front of an unsuspecting customer and her cart.  She bobbed, I weaved and we shared the path.  As we pressed on, I commented to her that I am clearly too easily distracted.  She shared a knowing smile, nod and chuckle and we parted ways.

Having successfully completed my Target quest, I snapped the lid onto my spiffy new container which now contained the rest of my wares and ventured out the door to begin the trek to Wegman's.  Of course, at this point, it had started to rain even harder.  I was really wishing for those rubber boots; maybe even a raincoat or an umbrella!  I looked up and noticed a man in front of me with an umbrella.
I then contemplated acting out the scene that was playing in my mind:
Catching up to the Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend"), I would duck under his cover and walk along with him.  Of course, he would look at me quizzically,  and I would say, "Hi".
Not knowing what to do or say because he would be much too polite to send me back into the rain, he would just furrow his brow and say, "Hello".
"So, where ya going?" I would ask.
"Uh....", he would stammer.
"Well, I'm going to Wegman's.  May I travel with you?"  (Of course, by this time we would be almost there and my mission would have been accomplished whether or not he granted permission.)

In reality, by the time I finished playing out the scenario in my mind, I was almost at Wegman's.  "The Man with the Umbrella (aka "my new best friend") had already ditched me for another direction.

Wegman's.
It was a MADHOUSE!  I wondered if there was a storm brewing, then remembered that the Superbowl is tomorrow.  Gotta get everything fresh for the big game!  Not I.  Nope.  I was there for three things...maybe four or five, but no more than that!  Twisting and weaving, dodging and ducking, I maneuvered my cart in any direction I could go.  Then I realized that I should probably get out of the entryway before someone saw me dancing.  (I love the security camera and screen where you can see yourself when you first walk in!)
Seriously, I did twist, weave, dodge and duck to get through the store.  It was like driving on the Garden State Parkway in heavy traffic.  You've got to keep your head up, eyes open and scan for openings and brake lights, then just GO!
Making my way through the store and having more than a few near collisions, I realized that I was nearly laughing out loud.  Normally I would have found this to be a very stressful situation, but today I found it quite entertaining.  I even found a smile for the folks who glared at me for asking them to pardon me rather than ramming into them with my cart.
Finally, in the mustard aisle, after another series of near misses, I made another friend.  A lovely lady and I shared a dodging situation due to a "thinker" in the middle of the aisle.  Having successfully navigated around this person, I blurted out my fantastic idea to my new friend.
"Ya know, there should be pull off spots in the aisles.  We could call them 'thinking booths'.  These would be small areas where you can tuck in and study your list or just contemplate your next move.  They will be like phone booths, but not.  And they could contain a map of the store, this way, you can plan your attack!  Then, when you arrive at your desired purchase, it could be a 'push-by'.....a 'grab-and-go.  No more than 5 seconds will be allotted for anyone in front of any product.  If you can't figure it out in 5 seconds, you don't need it and you must move on."
I moved on after that.  I may have startled her, but she did laugh.  A little.  (Besides, I really do think there should be "thinking zones" in the supermarket, esp. on busy days.)
I maneuvered up to the registers and then it dawned on my that I had no reusable shopping bags.  Being a woman of green that I am, this pained me a bit.  Then I realized that I did, in fact, have my brand new  container from Target in the cart!  How lucky!  I could fit nearly everything in my new box with my Target goodies.
It was my turn to pay and I confessed to the cashier that I did not have a bag.  She assured me that it was ok.
I then stated proudly, puffing out my chest a wee bit, "But I DO have this crate"!
She laughed.
(She was pleased, as I was, that I had such an ingenious idea.  At least I think that's why she laughed.)
She looked at the items in the crate and asked if I would like her to scan them from there.  I replied that I would rather she didn't, as I had already paid for them at Target.
We shared another laugh and a few more smiles and nods and then the paying was complete.

Feeling quite lovely about my experience overall, I headed back toward the car.  Of course, by this time I no longer had any concept of where I had parked, but at least I did know that I had driven there to begin with!