Tuesday evening shopping

Well- we're unpacked and our temporary household is set up. Deb has rested all afternoon. I just fed her supper. I rode the hotel bus to Kroger and bought our shopping list. When you get checked out, you call the hotel who puts you in line to be picked up as the shuttle bus makes its rounds. (Kroger and restaurants are in opposite directions from the health care locations.) When the shuttle van finally got to Kroger, the food items go into a large plastic tub in the rear of the van exterior (un-airconditioned). With meat and frozen goods including Deb's coveted popsicles, I expected a quick ride back the hotel: wrong!!!! Onto the freeway and further away we went to take another passenger to the Walmart in West Little Rock. I imagined the melted frozen goods dripping as they melted in the 100+ degree heat. Further insult: rush hour and stop and go traffic. Oh well, she needs to go to Walmart.

When she was dropped off, the driver began to circle the parking lot. He asked if I minded waiting on her to shop since he didn't think any of my stuff was frozen, or was it? I replied that much of it had been frozen, so he left her to shop and headed back toward the hotel in the heavy traffic. Finally I was able to get the plastic tub full of grub on a roller and up the elevator to the room so it could be put away. It was frustrating and very time consuming.  New driver Jerry: he'll learn.

Deb was still in her recliner napping.

As I took the roller and tub back downstairs I heard a cheery voice singing happily: who did I see but the little Eliana I met and mentioned on our last visit (Look in the right hand column and see if you can find her picture). She is a sunny child who of course reminded me of our own new granddaughter Eliana back home in Atlanta. So, the frustration of shopping was washed away with an encounter with a happy child and her fortunate father.

Another takeaway from today's shopping experience and others I have had out here: life without a car is tough and very inconvenient. One becomes dependent on the whims and actions of others. Most of the world's population lives that way-we have it so good with multiple cars and choices of places to go on our schedule.

Count your blessings! We do!

Vern