Walmart...A necessary evil?

So with Easter this past weekend, then the end of the quarter at the hospital this week, and the boyfriend coming home on Friday I have been up to a lot of cooking. That necessitates grocery shopping. Now in Rochester, there are many an option...HyVee (3 of them), Super Walmart (2 of them), Super Target (just one), plus a few small town stores like SilverLake Foods, Rochester Produce, etc. When I first moved out here I went to Econofoods but they have since gone under. So my normal routine is to hit HyVee Barlow Plaza location when I just need groceries for me. They have a great meat and seafood collection, if you watch the sales they have good deals. But...like I said, i have had to do a LOT of cooking this week. Therefore, I bit the bullet and heading to Wally World.

The first adventure was Saturday around 12:30 pm. The list was short....5 lb bag of potatoes, frozen bread dough, canned corn, and diet coke. With the pre-Easter chaos that little list took two of us about 45 minutes. People swarming everywhere. After running a few more errands, we realized we needed vanilla ice cream to go with the apple pie we had picked up. I was NOT going back in the day light. So instead I went to Easter Vigil and hit Walmart around 10:15 pm. Much smoother visit but tons of "easter bunny wanna-be's" purchasing last minute gigantic baskets of goodies for little one's tucked into bed (who was watching their children at this hour?). The most recent voyage was Monday night after I had gone to the gym, so it was around 7:30 pm. The list was much larger this time...I needed groceries to make chili for 20 people (it has become tradition) plus a few things for the half of a plan I have for Friday night, plus some regular groceries so I wouldn't be starving at home. Took me about 45 minutes to get what I needed but another 20 minutes to check out!

So my point is this...yes, when doing cooking for large quantities of people Walmart by far has the best deals. But man, what does a trip to Walmart do to one's psyche? The place is literally swarming during daylight hours. The parking lot resembles a medieval gauntlet. The checkout line goes on for miles, but how many lights are actually on? Usually less than a dozen! And the general mentality of those swarming...I swear it is borderline for needing special assistance. Are people really that stupid or does Walmart just bring out the worse as one tries to finish a necessary task in an environment of other crazed individuals trying to find the best deal? This doesn't even skim the political problems with Walmart...great prices, horrible employee benefits. Should we support a company that tries to avoid paying for benefits for it's employees but at the same time how can one on my budget justify going to another lesser known grocery store and spending more on the same items I know I can get at Walmart for cheaper?

So, it is two days before the boyfriend comes home, I have half of dinner planned but don't really know what I'm doing for the main course. What does that mean? I will probably be roaming Walmart yet again tomorrow night for last minute items. The key to not being completely insane by the time you check out and weave your way to your car...go as early in the day as possible (predawn) or as late as night as possible (here...that means after 8 pm).

Music Trivia

1. Total amount of music files on your computer
462 when I do a file search for .mp3 but it doesn't look like it picks up all the cds I have copied to my media libray in my Media Player so at least 462. All genres--classical, rock, jazz, country.

2. The last CD purchased
"You Do Your Thing" - Montgomery Gentry

3. The last song listened to before reading this post
Had the radio on in the car on the way home from the gym but don't remember what was playing...the last song I heard at the gym was "Another One Bites the Dust"

4. 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you

"I Will Survive": Just always seems to pull a girl through, no matter what the reason she feels like she needs pulled through

"The River" by Garth Brooks: It was a song that we sang at gifted camp when I was graduating, we all drifted our separate ways but had camp to hold us together, just like the song. A dream is like a river, ever changing as it flows...the dreamer, just a vessel, must follow where it goes

"Holes in the Floor of Heaven": Always reminds me that Grandpa is watching. When I got married it sprinkled just as I was getting ready to walk down the aisle. I knew grandpa was there. The day Wes left, it poured...knew grandpa was there then too.

"Walkin on Sunshine": A leftover from the 7 Search soundtracks I haven't listened to in a while. Always brings back memories of Carroll and lots of laughs and smiles.

"Something to Believe In": Mom threw a fit when I bought this one as a single. The tatoo on the cover of it was "bad". I listened to that over and over and over again. I was in junior high. If you really listen to the words, it is a sad but very true song.

Just keeps coming

First..I'm having problems with blogger and posting pictures so you will just have to bear with the technical difficulties while you oggle at the huge amts of snow we are getting. It is 10:30 on Friday night, still snowing, cars stuck in snow drifts everywhere, including a little dodge pick-up at the bottle of my hill that I had to fanaggle around to get up the hill in my little Saturn. I made it, got into my garage (barely, without going over the edge and into the daycare below). There are 15 inches or more on the ground and they have now extended the warning until 3 pm tomorrow. This is just crazy amounts of snow. Big fat heavy stuff. I have to shovel the front steps as seen in the picture so that we can have Tammy's taco potluck tomorrow. Good thing we hadn't planned to go to LaCrosse. I think just coming for dinner is going to be an adventure enough. I just hope I can make it to my massage in the morning :(

My Front Door at 10:30 March 18th...over a foot of snow and still snowing!

March 18th, 1:30 pm: Total Whiteout

March Madness

March 18th, 1:30 pm: Total Whiteout

I've been home from work since noon. Half our patients either no showed or rescheduled. They have closed the interstate, there are cars and buses in the ditch all over, and the above is the few from my front deck. Can't even see across the street. We have at least 10 inches and it is still coming down fast and hard. It took me 6 attempts to back out of my parking spot in the employee lot. I would pull forward, put it in reverse, hit the gas and got about a foot and then pull forward again, put it in reverse, slam on the gas. Eventually made it through the drift that was up over my rear license plate. Granted...everything is very very pretty outside in its wintery white covering but it sure makes getting things done difficult. We have planned for a PA social tonight and I'm not sure I want to even attempt to get there. Low car, high drifts, nothing but white. I should just stay home and watch girl movies :( Hopefully I can get out for my massage in the morning. I need it! For now, I'm going to nurse this stupid cold I can't shake, watch the snow fall and catch some Z's.

A vacation from vacation!

Show off!

So I just got back from sunny San Diego. I would like to say it was a relaxing trip but with everything that was going on back home with my mom and grandma, it was hard to just kick back and have a great time. I had fun though, saw the sights, laughed at stupid sea lions...talk about wanting attention! i'm home now and have made it through my first day back at work. I hate the first day back to work after vacation. no matter how busy or how slow the day is, it takes everything out of you. Like you haven't worked in weeks when in fact it has only been a week of sleeping in and your sleep pattern isn't really all that screwed up. I am a strong proponent for a day of vacation from vacation for any trip one makes. or even a half day back to work before returning to the same mundane activities of one's everyday tasks. So I survived the day and hopefully will have my full energy back and into the groove by tomorrow. Isn't life in the real world just a blast?

Nothing better to do

FAVORITE COLOR: Orange.
FAVORITE FOOD: This week??? Seafood, just got back from San Diego.
FAVORITE RELATIVE: grandpa
FAVORITE PLACE:Glacier National Park
FAVORITE BOOK: The Alienist by Caleb Carr...had to sleep with my lights on for three nights
FAVORITE MOVIE: Silence of the Lambs and Lady and the Tramp
FAVORITE NAMES: keith, kathryn grace
FAVORITE SMELL: Rain in Glacier
FAVORITE BAND: Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Clintons
FAVORITE MUSICIAN (ROCK): Uhmm??? Not a big rocker
FAVORITE MUSICIAN (OTHER): Martina McBride
FAVORITE DOG: Smutter
FAVORITE BEER: Kokanee, Beltian White, Firetower (Vigilante)
FAVORITE THING ABOUT ME: Inspite of constant chaos, I still have my head on mostly straight
FAVORITE CITIES: Helena, Washington DC, and now San Diego
FAVORITE ACTRESS: Julia Roberts
FAVORITE PASTIME: Sleeping.
FAVORITE PIERCING: The bellybutton that I will get after a few more months at the gym
FAVORITE SPORT: Bronco's Football...duh.
FAVORITE GRADE: Junior year at carroll
FAVORITE STATE: Montana.
FAVORITE CAR: Would love an Avalanche...but really like the old 1920's mobster packers
FAVORITE TV SHOW: All the Law and Order's (SVU is my favorite of the 4), CSI, Scrubs, According to Jim
FAVORITE SEASON: Fall
I'D RATHER BE: A fighter pilot