Rant or Rave?

I just got home from shopping at Target, and I had originally planned to blog about my baby girl, but instead I feel like I need to rant about my shopping experience - so you will have to wait until tomorrow to see darling pictures of Allison eating her first solid foods. Sorry! You can leave your complaints in the comment section. :)

I first have to preface this rant by saying that I have never found an ounce of enjoyment in doing grocery shopping, so me finding it unpleasant is not new. I also have an extreme aversion to Wal-mart, which is where Frank likes to shop. When I took over making the grocery runs I told him I could only do it if I was allowed to go to Target, because I love Target! I could spend hours wandering the isles just looking at the cute things. Unfortunately, though, even that has been tainted for me now.

There is a big difference between shopping for pleasure, and shopping with a baby - the two don't mix. The whole time I'm out with Allison all I can focus on is how long we have left until she needs to be at home for a nap. Don't get me wrong - she's a great happy baby, but even her limits can be pushed too far. I did that today.

My list was long, and while I'm grateful that I can shop for everything in one store, I found it difficult to find everything I needed without retracing my steps to find an item I'm missing. I still haven't found my groove there yet. I have a general idea where to find the bread, canned goods, and dairy products, but past that I'm strictly wandering. I find myself walking down the same isles over and over - passing the same stocker who I'm sure would ask me if I needed help if I didn't have such a mad/frustrated look on my face. Ok, so that part isn't so bad. I'll eventually get the lay of the land, right?

Enter: The hoverers. I don't mind sharing the isle with other people, but today I felt like I was being stalked. Have you ever been at the the grocery store and realize that you and a fellow shopper are on the same path? You find yourself bumping into them on every row until you eventually have to acknowledge them at least with a polite smile as if to say "oh, you again!". That happened to me today, but the lady stalking me would inevitably want to be standing in the exact spot that I had occupied. See, when this happens to me, I pretend to be looking at stuff on the shelf a little ways down to give the other shopper a chance to retreive whatever it is they are looking for. Then, once they are gone I swoop in and get my items. That sounds stupid when I write it out, but I really don't like to rush other people, or make them feel like they are in the way. Not this lady. She had no problem standing RIGHT NEXT TO ME. So I'd move over and mutter an apology for being in the way, and she'd move closer to me again! How about 'excuse me, I just need to reach for ___'?! I can handle that happening once, but this lady was everywhere.

I ran around the store for over and hour and I was still missing 4 items on my list because I was too busy running from the crazy lady with no personal space, but I gave up because at that point Allison had taken up fussing every time the shopping cart stopped moving. So I make my way to the check out lanes, and there are only 3 open. I choose the one with what appears to be the shortest line and wait patiently while rolling the cart back and forth to keep Ali from disturbing everyone. Just then I thought my luck was about to change - a new checker walks up and offers to take me first! But then she says this: "You're welcome to put your things on this check out lane, but I have to run to the bathroom to pee first, so if you don't mind waiting I'll help you when I get back. I promise I can pee really fast!" What??? When did Target start hiring people that I would have expected at Wal-Mart? Really, I didn't need an update on her personal 'business'. Needless to say I opted to stay in my previously chosen line since I didn't think it would be polite to ask her if she planned to wash her hands afterward.

The checker I got wasn't much more refined either. She was an older lady who was only enthusiastic about the gum she was chewing. She scanned my items at a snails pace while commenting on each thing I had chosen. I'm grateful that I didn't need any personal items on this trip, because that would have been very awkward small talk. By the end of the transaction Allison is really winding up for a big scene, but the checker has still not picked up on my sense of urgency and offers to let me save 10% on my purchase by applying for a credit card! I know it's part of their job, but come on!

Anyway, that is my rant for the day. Petty, yes - but I felt the need to say it anyway.