Every morning I wake up
This morning I woke up with the awareness that I was going to get groceries. A simple task completed countless times with or without lists, and more often without because I forget nor care much to create one. But this morning’s adventure was different from others in that it is 4/4/2020. Almost every time I leave the house now—Almost every time leaves wiggle room for the unknown—I am acutely aware of what can happen. Everything up and to death is no longer a reality spared for battlefields but has become unsurprisingly similar on the homefront.
Off to Kroger early to arrive near opening hour: 7:00am. List in hand with items separated on the list into zones based on this particular Kroger location, its layout and contents. The list also had been designed to flow from zone to zone based on my preferred entry and exit strategy. No extra time hanging out, chit chatting, asking questions, zoning out. These manners of distraction increase the odds that I won’t get anymore odds.
About 3 to 4 dozen cars sprinkle the parking lot. Many employees of Kroger as well as patrons have mask coverings of varying fabric and color. Gloved and not. I wore gloves, sans face covering. I notice I arrived too early, or too late, or just right perhaps as many items in the “vege” section, pronounced veh-jee, was being restocked. I do find some newly stocked broccoli and apples watercrisp. I also find russet potatoes and packages of spinach. No bananas, damn.
I swept through the section to “grains and cans”, pronounced however, and found most of what I was looking for. I could not find any ramen though. Ramen and macaroni and cheese of every variety was spoken for. I could care less really about the mac and cheese, but the ramen was disappointing. Such a shameful disappointment [ya catch my judgment there?]. Along these aisles are also the alcoholic beverages---I find my go-to drinks for my wife and I and step on out. Nectar for life’s vector!
I continued on to zone “cereal & coffee”. PB is a staple in our household. Tortilla chips for nachos-check. I decided to get some frosted animal cookies, my daughter loves them and I know we all at home will enjoy while the bag remains. Regular cheerios. Bummed to not find any Gatorade powder but I moved on. I decided to get some packets of Kool-Aid---I remembered here my wife saying they are just as useful as edible art projects. The utility, purpose, of an object is defined by who? I found ground coffee, a Starbucks blend. I remembered to myself that I had plenty of filters, no want present. On to the next one.
Zone: “Meats”. I bought a half pound of ground turkey. I considered getting some brats but then I remembered the remaining brats in our freezer. I thought about chicken and beef, no want present. In my memory I recalled a freezer with a few pounds of sausage and chorizo. Not much need here came to mind. On to the next and final section before checkout and preferred exit, “hygiene and dairy”.
Deodorant, got it. Yogurt x 2 in the cart. A gallon of milk. I feel fortunate. I grab a block of mild cheddar cheese. It’s less expensive to purchase a block and shred myself than keep on purchasing the pre-shredded stuff assisted the decision making. And lastly before I step out, some eggs. I continued pushing my cart to the check out aisle, preferring an in-person cashier to the self-checkout. I had a cart full. I walked up to the cashier and there is a ½” inch piece of pane between her and I. For the first time in memory an East Lansing grocery reminds me of some Southside Lansing restaurants and every corner store in memory that lines Holbrook Avenue in Hamtramck. There is a sneeze-guard between me and the cashier: or is it a bullet guard…I digress. Either side of the pane offers a buffet of goodies for “the vid”, neither side I assume knows of any illness.
I want to acknowledge there were many groceries that were not named during the writing of this reflection, but these groceries were no less worthwhile on my journey through Kroger. Some love goes without saying goes the saying. I am still tight about the changes, obviously. As I am writing I am trying to wrinkle out the parts of it all. I remember here the PXs in Iraq, only 2 Marines allowed in at a time. Weapon condition 4. No extra gear. Limits on purchases because there is no expectation of a refill.
I hand the cashier my ID for the beer and wine, she handed me it back and a receipt shortly after. The most interaction in-person I have had with someone outside my immediate family.