The Tale of the Missing Groceries

Today I was not very happy about having to go into town and go grocery shopping. Sometimes I look forward to this task but this week I was dreading it. It was one of those days where you wake up lacking energy from the get go, and with a potty training, energetic toddler, driving to town for groceries seemed like a daunting task. But off we went. It was a nice drive, and I passed one of Trent's co-workers, Earl, on the way (a piece of info I wouldn't find necessary to mention on a regular trip to town) and Ila read books and didn't pee her pants.

I decided on the way into town that we would shop at Fred Meyer this week instead of Winco. I thought that was a brilliant idea, because as much as I love Winco prices, I really don't like their produce, and if I have a bit of an odd thing on my list, they never have it. I had a few things on the list I figured they wouldn't have so Fred Meyer (FM) it was. In retrospect, going to an unfamiliar grocery store when the energy is down was probably not the BEST choice ever, since I actually had to LOOK for things (I could probably navigate Winco with my eyes closed) but we made do. They had everything on my list and I even got a freebie juicer thingy, which was nice. I was also glad that they bagged my groceries for me, a service not provided at Winco (but that is okay, it does keep prices down). I loaded my groceries into the cart and was a bit distracted by Ila trying to remove all the contents of my wallet, which she had grabbed out of the diaper bag that was just in her reach that I unknowingly forgot to get all of my bags.

We were ready for lunch and really wanting some fried rice, so after a few phone calls Ila and I ended up at a place close to FM and enjoyed some cheap, delicious Chinese food. Then we were homeward bound.

Trent was home for lunch when we got home so he unloaded all the groceries (in one trip, that buff, good looking husband of mine) for me while I laid Ila down for a nap. Usually I would have immediately started putting the groceries away, but I wanted to rest for a few minutes first. After about 30 minutes passed, I got up to put the groceries away and realized that I was missing a few items. Here is what happened in my head then:

1. oh no, I left the panda bag at the store (the panda bag is my FAVORITE bag we got in Korea and it holds LOTS of groceries).

2. I couldn't have left groceries at the store, trent must have missed a bag

3. no, i don't remember loading it in the back of the van, I KNOW I forgot it at the store.

So naturally I called Trent as I walked out to the van to check. "Babe, did you bring the panda bag in from the car?"

"Panda bag? The bag with the books to donate?"

"No, that panda bag with the groceries in it...."

"Um, there wasn't a panda bag in the back, sorry Nicole."

"awwwwwwww shit.... I left it at the store, I KNOW I did....k, thanks, love you, bye.

So, I call up FM and talk to a girl who says "yep we've got your bag. When can you come pick it up?" So I explain that I live far away yada, yada, yada and tell her I'll come get it today or tomorrow. Then I call Trent and ask him if he knows if anyone from work is currently in the tri-cities. He says no, and then has to go, because he is busy.

Then I realize that I didn't leave just the panda bag, but I left 3 cartons of eggs as well. So I call the girl at FM again and she says, "yep, we've got 3 bought and unclaimed cartons of eggs too, back in the cooler."

Then I remember that Trent has a co-worker that lives in the TC and who may stop on the way to work tomrrow and grab our groceries for us. So I call Trent and ask him to call that guy. Then, because God is awesome, I remembered that I had passed Earl on the way into the TC's, but it was HOURS ago. I knew Earl would be haeding back this way sometime today, since he lives on the farm. So I call Trent again and tell him that I knew Earl was in the TCs today, and maybe he hadn't left yet.

A few minutes later, Trent called me to tell me that Earl was eating at Jack in the Box, right across the street from FM, and he would gladly pick up our forgotten groceries. He also told me to call FM and let them know that Earl would be coming, and if they could have it all together that would be great. So I called the lovely girl and told her. She said "okay, great, what does he look like, so I make sure I give it to the right person?" "Well, his name is Earl and he looks like an older man, a farmer and........he doesn't have any front teeth" I say, a bit shamefully. "Okay, great, no front teeth, got it, we'll give him your groceries, have a nice day!"

So now the groceries are back on the farm, sitting in Trent's pickup, ready to come home. I'm going to make Earl some cookies (soft ones, Trent told me) to thank him for helping us out. I'm also just really thanking God for making it so easy to get all our groceries here today.

Oh, and I had a very lazy mom moment today at lunch. I knew I should take Ila to the bathroom before we left, but I didn't want to hassle with it. I figured she would wet her pants on the way home, and I would clean it up then. No, I'm not proud of that lazy moment, and I will fight the lack of gumption next time. HOWEVER, when we got home Ila was dry. She ran to the bathroom when I asked her if she needed to go and she REALLY went. She peed SO MUCH, I was SO proud of her for waiting till we got home! What a champ!