Please don't move my cart

Ron woke me up.  Said he would pay for a cab to go to Walmart.  So, I asked him, was he cancelling?  Yes, he said.  I turned off my alarm. 

I was ready to go a little after 9 AM.  I called Arturo and he got me.  We noticed the garbage company had taken most of the trash, but not the ones with the overflowing can.  Tough for those homeowners. 

If I had easy access to a truck, and extra bucks, I would buy another large trash can for those just in case times we have extra trash, like during the bathroom remodel. 

Anyway, I got to the store around 9:30 and started shopping.  All told, I took about an hour and a half to do everything I wanted.  I looked at soap, and found a bar of Dr Bronners.  From what I remember I like it - they had the peppermint scent.  I like peppermint in the morning, it wakes me up.  It was a very reasonable price, too, so I put a bar in the cart. 

I splurged and got a rose essential oil roll-on.  That will be nice when I am relaxing.  I got everything on the list but forgot to get extra pillowcases (not on the list).  I don't know where they go but they are always running off. 

I spent some time on the drink mixes and got a low-caffeine drink mix for those mornings.  I got two six packs of diet soda.  I bought some eggnog.  Ron will probably want to put whiskey in it. 

I went over to the cat aisle.  I only have one complaint: it is right next to laundry detergents so there is always a fake fragrance chemical smell around the food.  That would be a problem if I were buying their dry, but I get my dry at the pet store.  I was after clumping cat litter and canned food. 

They had neither.  Not my brands, at least.  Well, crap.  Literally.  I have eliminating cats that need something.  I settled on a 14 pound unscented clumping dry litter.  It isn't Scoop Away but it ought to do for at least one of the boxes until the Scoop Away comes back.  I sure hope the Scoop Away does come back.  I figured Arturo would be happy I didn't get the 38 pound. 

I already had a case of water, in the cart. 

Then I looked at the canned food.  No Tuna Primavera (cue drama face and big sigh).  My poor darlings will have to eat Friskies.  Well, I bought the Primavera variety pack, they like that pretty well.  I had already bought the disposable plates I use with the canned cat food.  I had a 12 pack.  But I would like a little more, and I would like something a little more accessible. 

So I went over to the Friskies section.  They had variety packs.  Poultry, nah.  Seafood, I had a look at that, but they had Salmon and Biscuit is a picky brat who hates Salmon.  So no variety pack.  I stood there looking at the display and chatting with an older man who couldn't remember the brand of cat food, had to text his wife.  "The green one with the creepy looking woman"  I thought that was funny and told him he had a keeper. 

I picked 4 different flavors and resolved to MAKE NOTES on which ones worked for the cats.  In the past, I have bought random cans they loved, and then I couldn't remember the flavor.  This time I will note them on my cell phone.  I have a nice little note taking app I find very useful. 

I couldn't think of anything else I needed, until I checked my list.  Ron wanted another cell phone charger.  Another one.  I don't know how he kills them or what but - it doesn't matter. 

So I went, and they were all IPhone chargers.  Ron does not have an IPhone.  I finally found 2 pieces that went together, the charger base and the cord.  Hopefully it will work for him, he has an old phone.  If not, I have the receipt. 

I actually found it on the checkout line.  I have an older (version 5) Android phone but it works fine for me and NO rush to get a new one.  I like what I have.  It does the job for me, that's all that matters. 

I got in a shorter line with a new cashier.  There was a cart in front of me, with a baby and a toddler in it.  The toddler kept trying to grab my stuff, I kept my cart out of arm's reach.  She got very excited when she saw the bag of candy for Ron's doctor.  She kept leaning forward and to the side in a very risky manner, almost falling out several times.  She was with her father and an older lady who was paying for everything, clearly the grandmother.  It was all processed food, no baby things, fruits, vegetables, milk, etc.  Just processed "kids snacks" and such. 

Her father was dealing with the old lady, and she wanted his attention, so she took the bottle away from the baby, who cried.  Her father came over then and scolded her, gave the bottle back, and went back to ignoring her again.  She kept "trying" to fall out of the cart until they left.  Most annoying, after grandma paid they just stood there for a minute while the cashier was putting my stuff in my tote bags.  I didn't rush them, though, and they left. 

A mexican woman got in line behind me, with her friend.  It took a while to check me out because I had a lot of items, the cashier was new, and she was not accustomed to using reusable bags.  So it went pretty slow.  Towards the end, the mexican woman grabs my cart and shoves it at me.  I grabbed it so it wouldn't hit me and said, firmly, "Please don't move my cart"

She gaped at me.  She was expecting me to have "gotten the point" that she was in "a big hurry" so I'd be apologetic, and hasten my transaction.  I did not.  In fact, I stopped what I was doing (putting a tote bag in my cart) to correct her. 

"I was trying to help you" she whined. 

"I didn't ask for your help" and turned back to the cashier.  She was NOT trying to help, she was trying to bully me into "hurrying".  I despise bullies.  She said something in spanish to her companion, probably what a bitch I was, but I didn't care.  I would have to value her opinion for it to matter. 

I paid and left, then dealt with one last thing before I left the store.  The greeter checked my receipt, I had no problem with that.  I had things in my own bags and things that I might have stolen.  I passed the receipt check. 

I had bought some chips.  Not my usual flavor, but I remember them being really good.  They were not.  The bag was fuller than the other flavor, that's all I could say. 

I was waiting outside.  Grackles frequent the Walmart parking lot, scavenging.  Sometimes Ron and I feed them.  I stood there eating some really awful chips, and I dropped one. 

A grackle flew over and ate it.  Seemed to like it a lot better than I did.  So I fed them the rest of the bag.  No one yelled at me and some little kids enjoyed the show. 

Arturo came pretty fast.  I felt bad for all the stuff he had to manage so I dealt with the water on my own, then "let" him put the lighter stuff in the trunk.  When we got home, I paid him a really good tip, because he always helps me put stuff in the garage. 

I got everything in the house and put it away.  Ron woke up and tried to give me "cab money" to "go to Walmart".  I told him I was already back and he had already given me $20.  If he had wanted to give me more, I'd have taken it, but I wasn't going to lie and take money he wouldn't have given, if he knew.  He was happy having already given me the $20. 

I gave him his stuff.  He was curious about the chicken & dumplings in a can, but it's a good brand.  I also got him some smoked almonds, generic brand (although I didn't tell him that).  He ate a big handful and I had to make him stop.  So, good, something healthier to eat.  He doesn't get a lot of essential fatty acids, and the brain loves those. 

We are currently waiting on a ride to the Waffle House, it will be a short trip but I think we can do it.  That's the nice thing about a short order cook. 

I don't know what we're doing tomorrow, I guess we will figure it out during dinner.