Still Plenty of Stupid

Yup, there's still plenty of stupid out there, even including mine. What do I plead in my defense? Sleep deprivation, having gotten just over three hours the night before? A different routine, what with the detour and trying to stock up on everything so I don't have to go out this whole holiday weekend? Starvation with supper delayed about 5 hours since my last meal? Or... but wait, let's be honest and tell what happened first.

Once home last night, I started loading up with everything I needed to head into the house in just one load, with Paul coming out for the rest of the shopping bags. I was halfway through a new Dana Stabenow book, one of the rare ones not set in Alaska, and didn't want it to wait over three days before finishing. (There are times I have "home" books and "car" books, but this wasn't one of them.) I couldn't find it on the seat where I'd set it about 3:00 o'clock after catching a couple pages between runs. No, it wasn't in my cooler, the logical place if I'd packed it early. (By day's end, more things fit in it than at the start.) I checked under the seat, even opened the door in case it slid down into the pocket of the door or the space between door and seat.

Nada.

Check everything again. Frustratingly, still nada. I gathered up what I could and stomped off into the house in a snit. Yep, mild-mannered me, in a snit. Imagine! I kept asking myself when I might have left the car unlocked to allow somebody to steal it, but I hadn't. I just didn't know what might have happened to it, and even paperbacks are expensive enough these days that I didn't feel kindly disposed to having to replace it. I let Paul and my dad know why I was upset, and started unpacking what I had brought in. Finally finished with all that, plus putting away the stuff Paul brought in for me, it was finally time for my supper. After 8:00, I'd put off eating because tonight's supper was a Wendy's apple-chicken-pecan salad, and it takes actually sitting down to finish the prep and eat it. Not a meal for driving! But oh, so yummy, and I hadn't treated myself to one for weeks. Opening the bag, there was my missing book, right where I'd apparently thoughtfully packed it for convenience in carrying it into the house after all my other errands were run.

Blaming the detour? Well, the Broadway bridge is out for replacement in Forest Lake, and Wendy's is opposite that bridge from Walmart, my next stop. Not my usual route. Blame the other things on my list? Maybe. But what really sidetracked me last night is my outrage at the stupidity of the Walmart employee who ran the checkout counter I went through.

My basket was already full of heavy things, like bottles of juice for my dad, cottage cheese and meats, and gardening stuff. The last thing on my list was fresh fruits, and there was a deal on blueberries. I carefully selected through the little plastic containers they were in, since often squished or over-ripe fruits show through the bottom of the plastic. The plastic itself is flimsey, not much protection from accidents. I found two I was satisfied with. Any more, and they spoil before they get eaten anyway.

At the checkout, I handed them to her last, asking politely if she'd mind putting them in a separate bag so they wouldn't get squished. She cheerfully obliged. While I was paying with my card, she "helped" by putting everything in my cart for me. I didn't see the blueberries. Where were they? She lifted off one of the heavier bags to show me the blueberries where she'd carefully put them, in their separate bag, on the bottom!

I admit I got quite sarcastic with her at that point: "Oh, that's really helpful." Apparently she didn't catch the tone, because she accepted it as a compliment. I'm not sure she got it even after I added, "Not!" just slightly louder.

So I left, thinking I could possibly feel a bit better for my own stupidities, knowing I'm not alone in them. But I'd rather have the blueberries.