3rd Floor Walk-up

Early this morning, I went out to do my bi-monthly grocery shop at Fairway. Up until recently, I've been a faithful food co-op member, but I have found that as my schedule changes, I need to consider how to spend my time more wisely. Shopping at the co-op involves working two work slots of about 3 hours in length. I work my husband's shift too. There's no question that the co-op offers the best food around (especially produce), but it comes with it's own set of circumstances -- no parking lot, for example. I always take a car service home with the groceries, and I've been kidding myself if I think that it's worth it. The $7 fare negates the savings I gain at the co-op. Fairway offers a bit more choice and convenience, although it's more expensive. My favorite Fairway experience is to grab a cup of coffie and step out onto the patio for an excellent view of the southern part of New York harbor. The Statue of Liberty is so close that you can see details!

When I got home, the fun began. I parked the car in front of a fire hydrant, which is directly in front of the house (risking getting a huge ticket!), unloaded the car, and then moved the car. Luckily there was a spot just a few cars down. Up the 2 flights of stairs and the stoop, I carried 14 bags of groceries, a huge container of laundry detergent, 2 cartons of juice drinks, 1 carton of milk boxes and a large tub of OxyClean.

And then I put all of the groceries away, squeezing them into any spot I could find. I really think that I buy too much sometimes. It was a relatively painless process, except for the minor muscle fatigue, sweat and thirst. However, everyone else in the family was out doing other things, and there were no distractions. Imagine what this was like a few years ago when the kids were little!