Excruciating Excursions

Since moving to Sac a few weeks ago, I’ve been searching for a grocery store worthy of replacing the nearly new, spacious and clean (and in my view wonderful) Super WalMart that I used to shop at in Dixon for groceries and just about everything else. There’s just something indescribably special about being able to buy a week’s worth of groceries, a framing hammer and a leather purse all in one shopping cart and at a rock bottom price.

So being totally out of food and no further along in my quest to replace Super WalMart, I went to FoodsCo, a "discount" food store on Northgate Blvd., during my lunch hour yesterday so I could pick up a few things. Egads! Never again. It was a torturous trip. Every aisle reminded me of Highway 50 during a snow storm – you know when everyone haphazardly pulls to the side of the road to put their chains on turning traffic order into utter chaos … and all that staged to a pounding hip-hop beat.

rant :on:
Why oh why do all low-price retail establishments find it necessary to bump hip hop and rap music exclusively? I’m curious to see the market study that shows that Grandma prefers the accompaniment Dr. Dre while making a denture cream selection. I wish marketing people would give some serious thought to who their market really is.
rant :off:

It took me an hour to spend $39 and in that entire time I never grew to understand FoodsCo’s merchandising strategy. For example, following an extensive search that would have impressed Dr. Leeky I finally found ordinary canned chili in the “ethnic foods” aisle and canned tuna with the canned vegetables (you don’t have to be a vegan to agree that’s just weird). Their wacky merchandising logic had me doubling back repeatedly which made me cringe ... but what made me cringe even more was the clientele ... universally grubby and plain inconsiderate of one another. It seemed everyone was wearing too-short-shorts, grimy hair and dirty flip flops. Ok … I recognize the grit is just part of the down-spiraling of American society and it no longer fazes me, but I do wish shoppers would realize that grocery carts aren’t Conestoga wagons caravanning down a trail into the untamed west. We don’t have to proceed down the aisle in a single file line that blocks everyone else’s progress whilst we commiserate with one another over which brand of canned beets are the best value … and who eats those anyway? I wish folks would realize we'dl ALL get out of there fast with just a little consideration and cooperation.

When I was through pinching my pennies at FoodsCo, but still actively on that hunt to stretch my money, I drove through Taco Bell on my way back to my office and ordered two .99 burritos. Unfortunately I was so wound up from my excruciating shopping excursion that I paid for my food, got my change and drove away without my lunch. Sheesh, $2.12 for nothing ... it's as if I just made an interest-only payment on my lunch. There goes the .39 I saved on bologna, the .49 cents on spaghetti sauce, etc

Sigh … I miss my Super WalMart.

How far away is Dixon anyway?

Food (and framing hammers) for thought ………