There is a Safeway right across the street from our house. It's no Trader Joes but you can't argue with the convenience of having a "grocery store" so close to home. No need to ride the bus or drive or to freak out if there is no milk for breakfast the next morning. We call it our "big fridge". Also the fact that there is so much parking at the Safeway makes street parking on our street really easy.
But what we discovered about this Safeway was that it has the longest lines at the checkout counter that we have ever seen! If we ever go shopping there between 6pm and 10pm there is almost always a wait. It makes sense that people returning from work just like us might stop by to do their shopping. Thought it seems that they are always short of checkers and that is what causes the delay. And yesterday was the limit.
I was craving Indian Chinese food and decided to make it myself. I had decided that the secret ingredient that makes Chinese food Indian Chinese is spring onions and I just had to get some. It is at times like this that shopping at Safeway cannot be postponed to after 10pm. After all what is the point of having the friendly neighborhood "big fridge" then?
So I make my round of the store and having bought my five items approach the check out. It looks reasonable from afar but as I approach the counter I realize that the real line is hidden behind the aisle. The line stretches to 3/4 the width of the store. There are only 2 counters open. The lines are also strategically located so there is icecream on one side and wine on the other side--temptation abounds. As I look at the icecream I in turn crave icecream flavors with chocolate and other things, mango icecream and the yummy strawberry fruitbars that are heaven sent in the warm weather that we have been having recently. But for shame of appearing to succumb to temptation I hold myself back.
Thankfully people in line seem more amused by the whole experience than bitter about it. We find out that three checkers had called in sick that day. After what seems like 20 minutes in line and with secret ingredient in my possession I walk the 2 minutes to our door ready to make magic in the kitchen.
