Why I'm Through with Kroger

Let me preface this post by saying that I truly love most of Kroger's products. A lot of the things I buy from the grocery store are Kroger brand. For most of the 30 years I've been married, I've gone to Kroger. Except when we were in SC, because we didn't have one in Rock Hill.

Now that that is out of the way, I've had it with Kroger. I can only remember 2 times in the past 11 years when my groceries were appropriately bagged. Once, I the assistant manager bagged my groceries & did an awful job. Is it so hard to put all of the frozen & cold things together, and in the cold bags that I have?

I bought groceries yesterday afternoon, and I very politely told that young lady that if she could put all of the cold things together in the cold bags, it would be awesome. She put as much as she could in one bag (making it extremely heavy), then looked at me and said that was all that would fit in the bag. I pointed out that I had 2 more cold bags. Then, I suggested that we transfer some of the things in the heavy cold bag to another cold bag. She then put the cabbage in the empty cold bag, and I again repeated that the full bag was too heavy, so I wanted to transfer some items over. She looked at me and said, "Then what do you want me to do with the produce?" I told her it could go into a regular bag. GEEEEEZZZZ.

There have been times when I've bagged my groceries myself. The last time I was there, I had to rebag several bags before I left the store.

Honestly, I'm done. Going to the grocery store is enough of a chore, but then you add that aggravation on top of it, and it's just ridiculous. Publix is a little more expensive, but the employees are exceptionally nice, and they know how to bag groceries. Guess where I'll be shopping from now on?

The Dreaded Grocery Store

I am now officially in avoidance mode. I'm trying to avoid going to the grocery store. Maybe it would help if I wasn't so OCD with shopping. Am I the only one out there who has to go through these steps?

1. Write out what we're having each day on a calendar. (I used http://www.calendarsthatwork.com/ and download a free calendar.)

2. Check the forecast, especially this time of year.  There are certain things I like to eat for dinner when it's cold out.

3. Make out a grocery list using the app Out of Milk.  The great thing about this is that I have the categories organized according to the grocery store that I go to, so I can mark things off as I go. It also keeps me from buying a lot of stuff we don't need. Another great thing about this app is that I can pull it up on my laptop, enter my list, and it syncs to my phone. (Well, usually...last time it didn't because of an update-totally my fault- & I had to pull it up online.)

4. Look through the paper store coupons and then the coupons online.

Yep, I'm tired before I even get out the door.

I just realized that this post was published with the title "The Dreaded Grocery Story" instead of "Store"! It sounds more like a story, for sure!

TYVM is Back!

I haven't participated in this meme in a while, but school's back in full swing, so I've got some things to say.

1.  To the woman who chose to go through the express lane with a buggy full of  groceries.  HELLO?  Are you stupid or just don't give a rat's butt that there are people coming home from work who would like to get home?  Nothing against SAHM, but this woman looked to be one, so she could've gone to the store at any time during the day.  But NOOOOO, she chose to go when people who work are getting off, running by the store for just a few items are there.  I really, really hope she saw me look up at the "Express Lane  15 Items or Less" sign.  I don't think she would've cared, though.  And, yes, when the cashier asked me how I was doing, I responded with "Well, I'm pretty frustrated right now."  Smart guy...he knew better than to say or ask me anything else.  Plus, I think he gave me a couple of extra scratch-off cards.

2.  To whoever chose to grab a candy bar that was in the lounge without putting in a dollar:  YS is selling them as a fundraiser...not a give away.  Seriously...you work in a school.  We are trying to teach kids integrity, and you choose to just help yourself?  Yes, it's only $1, but what if everybody did what you did?  And, if you didn't have a dollar on you, you could've just let me know that you would be paying me later.  ( I realize that when I leave school on Thursday I will probably have an extra dollar in there, because I have a sneaky suspicion that that is exactly what happened.)
(Okay, I have to do a PS here.  As I was getting in my car Wed. morning, I counted the candy bars and I had 10, not 9.  So, no one got a bar and didn't pay me.  I just don't know how to count to 10.  I thought about  deleting #2, but then I thought, "no, if people  are reading, they need to know what an idiot I am!  If I lose a few followers because of my idiocy, so be it!)

3.  To MS:  I absolutely love walking by your room and see it looking like it did before you moved into the dorm.   I was going to wash the sheets on your bed over the weekend, but decided against it when I saw this:

 This prompted a phone call to you to tell you need  to come home at some point and clean your room, which prompted you to tell me to tell YS to do it.  Uh, no...I think not.  I refuse to clean up something that should've been done before you moved into the dorm.  It will be waiting on you when you come home...and I know at some point you will come home.


And that completes my rants for the week.  Hopefully I've made you realize that you have a lot to be thankful for, or maybe I've even made you chuckle.
In the words of a friend:  It's "Little Friday"!

Tuesdays Unwrapped & Other Things

 
Tuesdays Unwrapped is a time to slow down, and think about the little things for which  you are  thankful.  It may be something unexpected, or something that you take for granted.  Join us over at Chatting at the Sky and share!  Don't forget to link up!

 Last night we had a Band Booster Meeting to go over next year's budget and elect officers.  I was secretary this past year, and, since I really didn't have to do anything except take notes at meetings, type them up, send them out, then revise when people let me know what I had wrong, I volunteered to continue this coming year.  The lady who has been President for the past 2 years is stepping down from the position.  Her husband wants her to slow down, so I guess I can't blame him.  I am so very thankful for people like her who are so incredibly organized and have the business sense to take a group from where we were to where we are now.  She has given us wonderful  direction and has given us a chance to grow, both as an organization and even personally.  I am so appreciative of her willingness to give up her own time with her family to make the band her extended family.  I know it couldn't be easy at times when some parents weren't happy with some decisions that had been made.  Over the past 2 years I've come to know her as a friend and confidant.    I am extremely fortunate to have her in my life.  She makes me laugh; she gives me advice; she listens.

Now for the Other Things:

Yesterday was the first day of my last bus duty of the year.  It wasn't too bad, although I did manage to get the week started off right by making a 1st Grader cry.  In all honesty, I did feel bad about it.  My last rotation of duty was in the gym, which, if you've read my earlier posts, is the worst place to be because that has the most kids.  The kids go into the gym when they're finished with their breakfast...sort of a holding place for them until the bell rings and they can go to their classroom.  I called Kindergarten to go to their classrooms, and off they went.  1st Grade started running to the door, so I told them that I hadn't called them; they needed to go sit down.  Then I called 2nd Grade (just for meanness!)...off they went.  Then I called 1st Grade, then the rest of the grades.  When I called 5th Grade, I noticed a 1st Grade girl "hanging out" with the 5th Graders.  I went ahead and walked her down to her room, and one of the 5th grade girls handed her bookbag to her, and let me know (very politely and not disrespectful at all) that she usually walked this girl down to the room.  I thanked her, and told her that I would walk her down today.  The little 1st Grade's eyes started watering and her face got all red.  I completely forgot that the 5th Grader walked her down in the morning...I think this is to make the older girl feel important...she doesn't have a wonderful home life.  So, we're off to a great start of Bus Duty (BD) week!

Sometimes I get so very lazy.  I don't want to sit down and figure out what we're going to have for dinner for 2 weeks; I get tired of fixing the same thing over and over.  I ran by the grocery store yesterday to get the fixings for tacos...who doesn't like tacos? They're easy, fast, and inexpensive.  I get home, and MS is getting ready to go to soccer practice.  I tell him what we're having for supper only to be told that they had tacos for lunch at school. How the heck am I suppose to know that?  YS is throwing up his hands and saying "yes" (apparently the school tacos aren't that great), and MS is groaning about having to eat tacos for 2 meals. I didn't, however, hear too much complaining while he was scarfing them down before heading out to Bio Lab!

The end of the year in my school  system means a break from the everyday routine:  Kindergarten Screenings.  The parents who have registered their little ones bring them to the school where they go through hearing, vision, speech, and readiness screenings.  We are assigned to do our own school, then get to go to another school to help out.  If we're real lucky, we get called to help out in additional schools.  When we start the screenings, they're fun: it's a nice break, and it's exciting to see those sweet little faces who will be Kindergartners in the school  in August.  By the time we're doing the last ones, we're tired, we're irritable, and we just want our routine back!  Here's a picture of me and 3 co-workers after a day of screening last year (notice the empty M&M's bag!):

See how one of my coworkers has some pictures in her hands?  That was in case the special ed. director saw this on FB and questioned whether or not we  were really working!
Today we have the screenings at one of my schools.  Today I get a look at the kids who may be in speech next year.  Today I get to talk to parents about their 5 year old not being able to say /r/ (which is completely appropriate until they are 7 years old) and assure them that it is completely normal and they shouldn't worry about it.  Today is going to be a great day!

Oh, and, we only have 3 more Mondays before Summer Break!

Spring Break: Day 1

First day of Spring Break.  This is the only day I was setting aside to sleep in.  Here's how it went for me:
Husband's alarm goes off #1:  dogs haven't been out, so husband takes them out.  Going well so far.  Except...husband's alarm goes off 4 more times before he gets up to get ready for work, plus YS' alarm goes off and he knocks something off trying to get to it, and MS gets 2 texts.  OY!   Guess it just wasn't meant to be!

I am going to have lunch with a friend today.  We try to get together for lunch when I'm out of school.  Her husband was one of the assistant football coaches for my sons' high school team.  She has a small business on the side and makes things like decorative & planter chairs, bracelets and necklaces, flip-flops, skirts, and clocks made out of antique Tole trays.  To see her creative gifts, go to Facebook and search for "The Peacock". Once you're there, look under photos to see what goodies she has!  She can make things in any colors you want!
Or, you can follow the link that's on my sidebar.  Just look for the peacock:

Well, it's time to go to the grocery store today.  I make that visit 2 times/ month, right after pay day.  I sit down with a calendar, and write out what we're going to have for dinner each night.  The purpose: 1) to get the boys to stop asking me what's for supper, and, 2) so I won't spend over my budget on groceries and buy stuff we don't need.  This is a chore that I absolutely don't like to do.  I feel like we have the same thing over and over, and I can't stand trying to find new things to fix.  So, after I write what we're going to have for supper on the calendar, I make out my list.  I actually make 2 lists:  the first list is just looking at each recipe and writing down the ingredients I need, the 2nd list is to put those items in order according to how they are in the grocery store.  I've been going to the same store since we moved here (about 5 1/2 years), so I know the layout pretty well.  One big problem:  I was in the store a couple of  days ago, and an employee let me know that they're moving things around.  WHAT?  I've made out my list according to the old way; surely they haven't changed things around that much.  And, could they not change it because I know it by heart?  They really need to get into Mary's world, for sure.

So now that everybody thinks I'm really, really weird (!):  My coworkers think I'm OCD:  I think I'm organized.  Of course, to look at my house (mainly my desk) you'd never know it.

The last thing on my agenda for today is MS' soccer game.  It's the first "real" game of the season, and it's going to be a tough one.  The school they're playing is a much bigger school, and their scrimmages didn't fair too well.  I don't think this new team has gelled like last year's ...there are a lot of new players on this year's team.  They made it all the way to the state championship game last year, which was the first time a school from our county has even made it to the state tournament.  They've got a long road ahead of them!

There have been a couple of rock slides on major highways this winter.  Yesterday there was another one on Hwy. 129 at the Tn-NC border, also known as "The Tail of the Dragon".  This part of the highway boasts 318 curves in 11 miles, so, of course it is a favorite of motorcyclists and sports car drivers.  As you've guessed, it's also a very dangerous road, especially for bikers who think they are more experienced than they really are.  Here's why rubber-necking is not a good idea:

 Seriously?  He didn't see it?  Hmmm....  Hope his dog is going to be okay.

Tomorrow will be a fun day.


.