Thursday, June 12, 2008

Misc



Mom must have decided Judy/Lucy was cold. She tore off the tie for the slipcover for this chair, and made Judy a scarf. No more cold neck!

I found out that the grocery store I usually shop at has an online shopping service. You place your order, they go pick everything out, and you can pick it up, or they will deliver it. For me, (I am about 20 miles away) the delivery fee would be $11.00. If I pick it up, it would be $5.00. They waive the $5.00 shopping fee for delivery orders over $50.00.

Both fees would be worth it. It seems sort of yuppy-ish, ooh, I am so important or so busy I can't even shop for myself. I have to get over that feeling. I limit the trips to town as much as possible, so do all the errand running in one trip. This is difficult on Mom. The getting in and out of the truck at each stop is hard for her, and very time consuming. In the summer, when the heat has built up inside, she just plain doesn't want to get back in.

Grocery shopping with Mom in tow is an exercise in frustration for both of us. Once I finally get her out of the truck, there is the giant revolving door to deal with. Then I have to get her past the table of bakery specials they place right at the entrance to tempt you. I am trying to get a cart and keep her from opening a plastic box of cookies or donuts at the same time. Aargh! I won't go through the whole grocery store experience, but I imagine it is like shopping with a child who tries to put all the candy and cookies and crackers and chips in the cart when you aren't looking. Except Mom can reach everything. It can literally take hours to do grocery shopping, and we are usually both very frustrated.

One windy March day, after a particularly frustrating hour in the store, we were going out the giant revolving door pushing the cart full of groceries. Mom felt the cold wind, stopped short, and tried to go back in. I had to let go of the cart to catch her from going in the wrong way and getting smashed by the #$%^#@#@ revolving door, and the cart started rolling down the slight incline into the parking lot. I literally had to drag Mom out of the way of the door, and she was struggling with me to go back in. A kindly man saw what was happening, caught the cart, brought it back to me, and offered to push it out to the car for me. Did you know a little act of kindness can just push you over the edge? I started crying. Well worth the $5.00 to avoid the whole thing, right?

I'm going to try it the next time we head to town.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Annie, I too found that shopping online and having groceries delivered solved many problems! Our Vons sent a notice telling that they were now delivering, and I've been shopping this way ever since! I had Mom and my son tag-teaming me in the store, I totally understand your frustration while grocery shopping (and more)! I found that many stores will shop and let you pick up the order and many more have free or very low shipping costs. I did nearly all of my Christmas shopping online and found that it was just easier on everyone. Actually, I still use the grocery deilivery service. It is cheaper than driving to and from gas-wise and saves my sanity with my son not grabbing those reachable goodies as well.

Judy/ Lucy is one well attended baby!

Hugs!

rilera said...

I too found shopping to be an impossible task with Mom. I've used a delivery service for years. Sometimes I can slip out and do my shopping while Mom stays home, but I'm starting to get concerned about her safety so I'm not sure I will continue with that. I had the same experiences with Mom that you have with your Mom. It's just too hard.

Cindy said...

At $4 for a gallon of gas, why not let them deliver? One less nightmare for you and going into town won't be nearly as hellish for you or your Mom. Judy has a lovely scarf. Not knitted, but lovely just the same.

Unknown said...

I had to stop shopping with dad finally. I held out as long as I could because it was one of our things to do together and we both kind of enjoyed it.

My neighbor's daughter had a little senior shopper business as it turned out. So I hired her and once a week she would come to the house, take my list, and then buy groceries for me from Wal-mart. She also would run other errands for me. Then she would help me put the groceries up.

The hardest thing for me was making the list at first.

She charged me $12 per hour I think and was well worth it.

Annie said...

I didn't realize this grocery delivery thing was so common! I'm so glad to hear that others use these services. I don't know why I felt almost decadent for doing it. I guess because I feel able bodied, so feel like I should be able to do it on my own. Cindy, you're right. Those times when I have no other errands to do, I will have them deliver. I was surprised that they delivered this far out, and $11 is probably less than what gas would cost me. When I do have other errands, I will have them shop and just pick it up.

Flinty, I can see where the initial list making would be daunting. The cool thing about this, is after the first order, they create your own little personal store, where the items you have ordered in the past show up. So every subsequent order will be that much easier.

I can't believe I'm so excited about grocery delivery!

rilera said...

I order all of my groceries from Simon Delivers, on the internet. They're in the Twin Cities and it is so inconvenient. Most of the groceries deliver now and allow you to order on the internet. Even Amazon has grocery store now. It makes a world of difference for me.

Turtle said...

Wow, what a deal with the coast of gs nowadays as well! i would so take advantage of it! Glad mom was able to help judy out!

Olga said...

Oh my goodness! After reading what it took to get groceries I'd take a collection and get you six months of delivery money!!
I bet your mam would rather skip the ordeal too.

Spinningfishwife said...

Over here in the UK ordering your groceries online and having them delivered is very common. Even women like me with kids out at school and no other folk to care for during the day normally get at least one big delivery per month which is carried straight to your kitchen table. Well worth it just for that....and it saves all the "impulse" buying, so it pays for itself.
So don't feel guilty, just use it and be grateful for it.

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