1. Kate’s swimmers ear is responding to her antibiotic drops, and she is feeling so much better. She still needs to stay out of the water for another week or so. And when she does venture back in, we will have to work to make sure her ears get dried right after swimming. Which shouldn’t be difficult, because she was in a lot of pain, and I bet she will want to prevent that from happening again.
2. Once you become used to shopping at stores other than The Big Bird, if you do find yourself shopping there it is an exercise in frustration.
Michael and I hit the farmers market Saturday morning. I put together the weekly menu on the fly, and figured I would hit the Moon area Giant Eagle for the dozen or so things I needed to complete the menu. I had a lot of stuff at home already, but needed some vegetarian ingredients. The Giant Eagle was the closest store.
Never again.
First of all, the prices are outrageous. I hadn’t realized how very high they are when you compare them to Aldi and Target.
Second of all, it has to be the least efficient store I’ve ever tried to check out of. The first self-checkout line I got into, I was behind a guy with a full cart and (I noticed as he started checking out) a pile of coupons. Now, I have no problem with coupons, but why try to use them at a self-checkout?
So I switched to another self-checkout lane — and discovered that I couldn’t use it because I didn’t have my loyalty card with me. So *then* I had to get in a regular line, and it took a long time. A LONG TIME. And while I didn’t time it, when you compare it to the time it takes to check out at Aldi or Target, where you do not wait in line, it took a long time. Fifteen minutes, possibly 30.
M was an angel. And I mean an angel. He didn’t act up, he didn’t melt down, he didn’t ask me for fifty eleven things (we had already picked out a pack of gum as a reward). He was chatty and patient and didn’t climb endlessly on the cart or wander off.
Third of all, why in heavens name do they have so. much. stuff? I mean, aside from acres of foodstuffs to choose from, there are toys and books and middle-of-the-aisle kiosks of razors and travel size shaving cream. WHY?
Fourth of all, our cashier was incredibly slow. She seemed to be flummoxed by the whole system of scanning objects in a certain order and placing them in the bags. The customers in front of me didn’t seem to be a big help, but they sure did want to chat with her.
Ugh. It was just the worst. I’m never going back.
I’ll send Dan, and only when absolutely necessary.
3. My friend Kim and her family were in town to see a production of Kim’s play A Skewed Nude, and we had them over for dinner, and they brought us beer from Chicago, and we had a nice, nice evening.
And Kim’s play is *funny*.
All-in-all, a delightful visit, and I do hope Kim and her family got lots of rest after returning to their hotel.
Got any updates?
Red Pen Mama 