Food Shopping Shopping Shopping

There are many things in life that no matter how well they are done must be done over and over again.  Occasionally, you get one of those really good shaves. You know the kind where you are even able to get the hair that longs to be on your face but is instead just south of your cheekbone, the kind where your face feels fresh and tingly when you have finished. What about when you make the bed and the sheet is tucked in properly and the blanket hangs equally on all sides?  I could go on, but you know what I mean. What if you could walk away after that? No more shaving, no more making the bed – just bask in the perfect job you did. It’s like Michael Jordan’s retirement when they beat the Jazz in six games. He had a ridiculously good game six and then retired (yes, I know he returned to play two more years, but who wants to focus on that?). The pinnacle.  Get to the top and walk off into the sunset.

“Daddy,” Shamai, my younger son, asked, “Why do you always go food shopping?”  As we turned into the Shop Rite parking lot, we discussed how he keeps eating, so that he can grow big and strong, therefore I have to keep getting food for him.  It’s funny how kids can sometimes read your mind. This is one of the chores that I do regularly.  I don’t mind going food shopping, and my wife gets lost wandering around the massive suburban supermarkets.

There are many reasons why food shopping appeals to me. I get to exercise the calculator in my mind. I am perpetually budgeting anyway, so adding up the numbers while making the list and dropping items into the cart is fun for me. Then, there is the planning. I am a planner – yes, I am. Prior to heading to the supermarket, I make a list of what we will need and figure out what we will be eating each day of the week (other than the Sabbath where we have a special meal and take-out Wednesday where we order). Lastly, I like to challenge myself. I strive to be in and out of the store in the least time possible.  It is reminiscent to when I was younger, and my older brothers would say I will time to you to see how fast you can go up the stairs and get my sneakers. The purpose of course being that they get the sneakers, and I get to display my speed. Everybody wins. By the way, it works with my kids too.  Anyway, I give myself a time limit and when I spend less time than I anticipated – well, that is quite exhilarating.

So, food shopping, despite the repetitiveness to it can offer quite the thrill.  Well, I am in the suburbs, and I say take the thrills where I can get them. By the way, grapes were on sale this week.

3 thoughts on “Food Shopping Shopping Shopping

  1. Larry! I enjoy food shopping too but for different reasons: I love strolling and finding new items, I LOVE shopping and now with a kid, mortgage to pay, dogs to take care of, too many bills to pay; I don’t shop as often as I used to! (so food shopping is now fun for me!)

    • That’s because you are a creative sort when it comes to this sort of thing. I can appreciate that, but it is not my nature.

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