grocery shopping at 6:00am

I love food. But I don't just love food, I love discovering food. Family and friends can attest to my nearly neurotic (yes, "nearly" thank you very much :) enthusiasm for wonderfully-packaged, scrumptious-looking food. I think the rush I feel at chancing upon something new in my favorite aisle could very well be akin to a physicist's feelings at discovering a new atomic sub-partical. My face literally flushes, hands tingle, beads of sweat pool at my temples, breathing becomes more rapid....
It probably comes as no surprise then that I take the grocery shopping experience quite seriously. However, as a new mom to a little guy, I have had to surrender my love of the leisurely, exploratory saunter around the store, picking up fruit and glancing in every aisle with a cup of joe in hand, in favor of a pace much like those supermarket game shows but with a "woman vs. wild" feel.   Now, I gear up just to go in the store like an extreme climber--complete with nourishment, hydration pack, caribeeners, rope, harness, gore-tex outer layer, smart wool inner layer and an extra light blizzard-tested tent. Seriously, it's amazing what's required for grocery store expeditions these days (The North Face should develop a special "Grocery Series" in the same vein as their "Summit Series" gear). 

And then you got holiday shopping, which is all together it's own animal, especially at our neighborhood superstore. You've got to train for those trips. Can't just walk in and wing it, no sir. We're talking pilates, calisthenics, weights, sprints...I bob and weave up our driveway with a large day pack just to get used to any extra drag I could encounter. You've got to be nimble when aisles are clogged, tempers are simmering and food's disappearing. "This is what we've trained for!" I used to bark at B, before sending him out to one of the flanks so we could divide and conquer (though truth be told I always thought the mission was executed more effeciently when I ran it solo, but please don't tell him that).

Well since B is off this week, I thought I'd carpe diem, get up with the roosters and drag my tuckered hiney to the store to get ingredients for the turkey feast. After a snooze button push or two, I threw on a hat and my glasses and it was go time. And then something magical happened: I drove into an almost empty parking lot. I could feel a familiar tingle of excitement. Upon entering it was me, 1 or 2 other customers and the staff. I smiled so big it hurt my face and I believe I even said out loud, "Now this is what I'm talking about."

In honor of old times, I got a cup of java, propped my recipes in the front of the cart, gave the wheels a good pre-game check, noting that the one-handed turning radius was strong...and then I strolled. That's right, I lingered, glided, sauntered--it was amazing. And I chatted up as many of the folks stocking shelves as seemed awake (and not totally annoyed by my obviously over-energized self). After about an hour of pure grocery bliss, eyes still shimmering after perusing shelves brimming with goodies, I shimmeyed my cart to the only open register and had a delightful convo with two other ladies who work there. We said cheerful goodbyes, wishing each other luck for this holiday week, and then I walked out the door like Lucy exiting the wardrobe....grateful for the chance to have visited Narnia, already missing the wonders it contained, but relieved to have made it back alive and well.