So...the roads cleared up and I decided to bravely head out in the van to the grocery store to pick up a few more things. I'm a Southern girl - haven't spent much time driving on snow - especially like this - so I cautiously headed out. And it really wasn't that bad. Our street was sketchy, but once I really got to a main road, it was pretty good. Slushy towards the middle but good. So...off I go to Fred Meyer (which is the Oregon name for Kroger). I was inside for oh, about 45 minutes, and ended up with a cart full. I check out and head towards the door to find that it's snow pouring again. I'd bet we'd had 2 since I'd entered the store. And as I mentioned streets weren't necessarily great - and parking lots were bad - so I started to push my cart into the parking lot full of slush and 2 more inches of snow on top of that. (Do you really have this mental image - shopping cart wheels heading into slush and snow, about 4-6 inches think...and me pushing the cart? Yeah, you see where this is going)
I get the cart out into the middle of the lanes of traffic that run in front of the store --- and I get stuck. I mean stuck. I'm trying to push and pull my cart - and the more I try to push or pull, the more stuck I get. I mean stuck. I mean really stuck. really really stuck. Ok, enough of that. To make matters worse, there are cars in said parking lot - and they are not wanting to get stuck - instead they have incredibly nutsy drivers who choose to drive past you and around you. Or pull up right next to you and just HONK THEIR HORNS!! Seriously? You can't tell that I'm appalled and embarrassed enough - you have to truly anniliate any semblance of self-esteem I have left to belittle me with honking your horn at me. I look up (literally almost in tears) kind of do the sheepish wave - and move to the front of the cart to pull it through the parking lot (oh - I forgot to mention I'm only 2 parking spaces back in the parking lot - so the end is sooooooo in sight but so far away). I'm going no where. NO WHERE! So here's where the ridiculous becomes absurd. It was 15 minutes before someone finally came alongside me to say - hey, do you need some help! 15 MINUTES!!! Yes, I wrestled with my cart and grocery loot for 15 minutes by myself as car after car passed by, and their drivers honked, glared, sighed, yelled and belittled my very stuck existence and stupidity. Now - once this delightful Good Samaritan helped it only took 2-3 minutes to get my very heavy grocery laden torturous wheeled machine to my van. He pulled the front end while I pushed from the handled side. And most honestly, when it wasn't loaded with groceries it moved much better - and I was able to manuever it to the return cart area much easier than moving it to the van.To make matters that much more embarrassing - I head back towards our house, by way of the Williams' house -because I had dropped off Steve & the kids to sled with them while I went to the store (reasonable enough). Only I assumed that as I entered the house and encountered my beloved spouse and dear friends that I would find compassion, comraderie in pain & suffering, empathy and support. Um....no. As I share my story the more I say the more laughter erupts from the deepest parts of the bellies of Erik & Steve...and Jeanne-Ann wasn't tooooo far behind (but she wasn't as bad as the boys). I wasn't ready to laugh yet. I couldn't believe it. My man - this one who pledged to love me for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in sunshine & snow laughed so hard he was crying. And...when he & Erik are together if one starts to laugh the other laughs harder, causing the first to laugh harder and they can't stop. Um, yeah - I needed the "I'm so sorry that happened to you" "That's terrible" "how dare those mean spiteful people drive passed you and honk at you while you sit and try to move in ultimate misery and embarrassment." Nope. Not from this crew. My humiliation only continued... Sigh...oh well. (By the way - thank you Chele for calling in the midst of my ongoing humiliation and telling me honestly and wholeheartedly the things I needed to hear...)
Someday I'll be able to look back and laugh. I'm almost there now...but still not quite. I'm glad I can fuel my husband & friends' entertainment... Next time I'm in that position --- I'll just leave my cart at the curb and drive my car over and unload into the van from there. I know better now. I learned from my mistake, misfortune & humiliation. Better yet - I'll just send Steve out with the list.
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