The Braley Blog

“Pete’s Daily Connection”

More Grocery Fun

I did my good deed for the day the other day at the grocery store when I let the lady behind me go in front of me. I was doing my weekly grocery shopping and had a rather full cart while she was only picking up a few things.

I try to do that when I can but I have a question: How many times are you expected to be nice?

Once I let that lady go in front of me it wasn’t long before I started to put my things on the belt. That’s when I realized that the next person in line had fewer things than I did.

Thoughts:

– Is there a rule that once you start placing items on the belt it’s too late to let someone in?

-If you keep letting others go in front of you will you get stuck in an endless loop?

I guess I think too much when I’m in the store.

You can see it in the eyes as the person is comparing their carriage to yours. Either that or he was judging me for the E L Fudge cookies. Double stuffed of course.

I’ve written a few blogs and columns about grocery shopping because It’s so relatable and, of course, filled with pet peeves.

One my biggest complaints is the carriage that always pulls to one side or has a noisy or floppy wheel. I picture a garage somewhere that’s cold and lit only by a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling where a guy named “Dave” works with a cigarette dangling from his lips. His mission: keep those carriages in service no matter what it takes. He’s turning that wrench and welding those parts. This carriage will not defeat Dave!

I posted a picture the other day when I shopped at Shaw’s instead of Stop & Shop. I have friends who work at Stop & Shop and it doesn’t sound good what the company is trying to do, especially with their health insurance. I won’t cross the picket line so I went a few miles out of my way. It wasn’t too confusing being in a new store because they pretty much all have the same layout. I needed produce, cheese and meat and I was able to locate it pretty easily. I go shopping when I’m down in Virginia Beach so I’m use to adapting and reading signs. Plus my wife tells me I’m cute with that hopeless, lost look in my eyes.

I don’t know if Shaw’s planned ahead and had more staff in the store but everything went smoothly. It would make sense if they did put extra people on. That’s another one of my pet peeves: Not having enough cashiers on. I can be making great progress, finding everything I need and then….. STOP! They only have three lanes open. I usually have plenty of time to read the tabloids. No baby yet for Meghan Markle.

By the way, why do we call it a “pet peeve?” After a quick trip to Google:

The noun “peeve,” meaning “an annoyance,” is believed to have originated in the United States early in the twentieth century.

The term “pet peeve” was introduced to a wide readership in the single-panel comic strip “The Little Pet Peeve” in the Chicago Tribune during the period 1916–1920. The strip was created by cartoonist Frank King, who also created the long-running “Gasoline Alley” strip. King’s “little pet peeves” were humorous critiques of generally thoughtless behaviors and nuisance frustrations. Examples included back-seat drivers, and rugs that keep catching the bottom of the door and bunching up. King’s readers submitted topics, including theater goers who unwrap candy in crinkly paper during a live performance.

There, don’tcha just feel a little bit smarter now?

Here’s to more shopping adventures and know that I will let you jump in front of me if you only have a few things. Just once though. I could be there all day if I don’t watch it.

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