the "incident"

I had a little "incident" at the grocery store last Sunday, and I'd like to tell you about it.

My grocery store routine is pretty much down to a science.  On Saturday afternoon, I make a menu plan for the week and a list of groceries to go along with that menu.  I have been shopping at the Tom Thumb around the corner for almost a year, so I know their layout very well.  I even make my grocery list in the order that I am going to put things in my cart.  On Sunday afternoon, I go to the store and buy all of the items on my list.  It works for me.  

Last Sunday, I needed to buy avocados, among other things.  I grabbed a cart and headed in!  The first item on my list was sliced ham and cheese for sandwiches.  I got those things and started to place other produce-y stuff in my buggy.  Cilantro, check.  Yellow onion, check.  Lettuce, check.  Avocados, no check.  All of the avocados were still green...yuck!  That meant they were not ripe yet, and I really needed them to make guacamole that night!  I was in crisis mode.  

Then I had a light bulb moment!

Tom Thumb has this random display of things in the front lobby, and this week they happened to have avocados!   

Crisis averted!

I rolled my cart to the display that would save the day.  My plan was to get some ripe avocados and go about my shopping experience.  However, as I went through the doors, something happened to my shopping cart.

The wheel locked up, so I couldn't move it!!  Also, an alarm started going off and a man with a name tag came running after me!  What in the world?!  

Apparently, leaving one section of the store and going into another section constitutes shoplifting.  I quickly explained the situation, "I NEED RIPE AVOCADOS!", and the name tag man looked at me like I was crazy.  "You're going to have to get another cart, ma'am."

I got another cart.  I finished my shopping.  I paid for my groceries like every other honest, productive member of society.  I figured I was in the clear.  Then I saw this:  

Why do we need THREE police cars?!

I didn't know what the deal was!  I DO know that I'm a little scared to go back.  What if they follow me around the whole time?  What if I'm not allowed to buy avocados anymore?  

What if there is a big sign like this on the door???

Be thinking of me as I shop tomorrow...