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Without question, my favourite bit of the week is always Saturday morning.
I take Billy out at about 7.20 am. On Saturdays it's always quiet, and we usually have the park to ourselves. We are back home before 8 am.
Then I extract The Compact Royce (Debi) from her garage, I unfold her ears, kick the tyres, and head off to Hove, to Sainsbury's, for my big shopping trip of the week.
Saturdays are surprisingly quiet on the roads. No hold-ups, no school-kids all over the place, and no crazy 'late for the office' drivers. Even most cyclists wait for the red lights to turn green, which they don't usually do.
The supermarket is BIG, but my shopping is quick and easy. I follow a very detailed, and mapped-out list, and I'm now such an expert on where everything is located, that they might even give me a job as a shelf-stacker.
My store employs people of all ages, and on Saturday mornings there are always a couple of lovely OAP ladies on the check-out. We have become almost like old friends, and we natter about any old nonsense as my purchases ring-up. Without wine on my list (we're on a wine-free diet) my bill is never much more than £50-60-ish. We live well, but not expensively. Nothing extravagant on my list this week, other than a pack of superior quality Mince Pies, and a frozen Turkey.
I thought I'd buy a nice frozen Turkey, just in case Bird Flu causes havoc. I think it's the same type as I had last year, which was delicious.
By chance, Kimbo had much the same idea and bought a frozen Goose. We are well prepared.
On the way home I popped into a big Pet food/toys/equipment/etc store to buy Billy's Christmas present. They didn't have what I wanted so I bought an annoying squeaky plastic Sheep instead. He'll love it; it's every Border Collie's dream.
It might sound strange, but I really do enjoy my shopping trips in the car, and this last Saturday was a lovely sunny day.
Debi is now back in her garage where she will wait patiently until next Saturday. Amazingly, I'm still driving on French petrol; I think she prefers it.
It sounds a great routine, a lot like ours. Does Lady Magnon ever join you. We like to leave home by 6.30 going to the Growers' Market and getting to the Supermarket just after they open at 7 a.m. The supermarket we go to also has several older ladies on checkout.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't join me too often. She prefers to walk down to M & S to do her own shopping. My supermarket opens at 7 am, my one in France opens at 9 am.
DeleteMy husband loves to shop. I hate shopping. Works well.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds a bit like here! I really enjoy it, but am very strict with myself.
DeleteWe no longer do a weekly "big" shop. As we live only a 10 minute walk from the local town shopping street we tend to buy small amounts more often. I order the wine once a month for home delivery so no need to use the car.
ReplyDeleteMy mobility isn't too good, so the car is a godsend. I enjoy the driving too.
DeleteThere is something comforting about routine. I can't understand why I've never really embraced it.
ReplyDeleteI find it gives me 'purpose'. I've lived like that for most of my life, and would now hate to do otherwise.
DeleteMay I be frank? Having visited "Magnon's Meanderings" for quite a long time now, I very much doubt that you have the mental aptitude to be a shelf stacker. I know that truth can often hurt so I am very sorry to say this. Besides, the maroon Sainsburys outfit would not suit you.
ReplyDeleteWell, if not a shelf stacker, maybe I could be a 'wandering aimlessly' person. One of those people who, when you ask them a question, they say "I don't work here".
DeleteThe technical name for those people is "customers", sometimes known as "shoppers".
DeleteNo wonder!
DeleteI do enjoy shopping trips, here I find the middle of the day in the middle of the week to be least crowded.
ReplyDeleteI'm an early morning person, I like to have everything done as soon as possible.
DeleteYour shopping is definitely strongly defined and successful. Having the store to yourself is also a great benefit.
ReplyDeleteOur stores are busy, and all the registers are not open. Standing in a check-out line is common. Plus, inevitably the store lacks at least one to three items on my list, which requires going to a second grocery store. Purchases at both stores usually costs around 130+ dollars.
I have noticed recently that some shelves are either empty or very sparse. I don't know why this should suddenly be. This last week I also stopped off at another shop to find things I needed. Annoying.
DeleteLuckily I have the choice of at least four largish supermarkets all within a ten minute drive from home. Lidl and Aldi being two of them. The other two are nation-wide Spanish ones, one if which is my preferred store for a biggish shop-up. I normally try to get there for opening time which is 9 a.m. before the fruit and veg have been mauled over and discarded! They all close around 9:30 p.m. and don't open on Sundays. My shopping list is mostly the same items each week but I'll often pop into Aldi on my way home to buy one or two things not sold in the other supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteI have a Lidl and a Waitrose on the way home, so in case of emergencies I always have somewhere else to go. I've only been to the Lidl once, but the Waitrose is another favourite.
DeleteTalking of going to a second supermarket we are very lucky as the opposition is just across the road from the main supermarket we use. Ideal for anything not available at the first one.
ReplyDeleteIt's always good to have a choice. I'm usually OK with just Sainsbury's, but a slight detour will find others. Otherwise Lady M pops down to M&S.
DeleteShopping sounds as though it's your weekly adventure. You do buy a lot of exotic food items. Exotic to me.
ReplyDeleteWe used to buy frozen French turkeys. I see you and Kimbo have managed to buy English.
I must prepare for making pickled onions. The onions are the problem. We rarely find ones the right size.
Oh and you've just reminded me to look out for chicken livers for pate.
Yes, it's pickle making time. I always do Onions, and Red Cabbage. About time I got on with it!
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