October 2003

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I went grocery-shopping today during the time Carolina and Virginia were playing football. I try to pay enough attention to the schedule each year to know what times to expect heavy traffic either on the roads or in the stores (from those getting last-minute tailgate picnic supplies). I thought that shopping during the game today would be a good idea.

That idea rather quickly became one about which could be said it seemed like a good idea at the time. Apparently no one who would ordinarily either be at the football game or would be home listening to said football game on the radio actually wanted to know what Virginia would do to Carolina. To avoid finding out, they all congregated in the grocery store, and brought their little kiddies with them.

Have you had the privilege of shopping where they have grocery carts made to look like race cars? The idea is you pile every child you can find into the cart, add a couple of grocery items for decoration, and push the thing around the store many times. I'm not sure how many laps equal a mile.

So for about an hour, I dodged zombified parents and shrieking little kids (and remember I like children). This includes time standing in line, dodging the car-like carts going for more laps behind me. At least this time no one rear-ended me (pun definitely intended).

That happened a few weeks back, incidentally. The driver of that particular cart was a friend, who was mortified that his son was throwing boxes of cereal at me. He leaned over to talk with the child, and nudged the cart into me in the process. I didn't get angry---at the parent or the child. I recognized the frustration the kid was feeling, since it was mealtime and his parents were just standing there (in the checkout line), not feeding him.

I finally got to the head of the line and got checked out. I am now safe at home, writing this and rethinking my Football Saturday shopping plans for the future.