All,
Thought I'd share with you the amusing adventure of grocery shopping on
December 30th, 1999. While reading this, it is entertaining to note that
things will be 10x worse tomorrow.
DISCLAIMER: My hubby and I were *NOT* shopping specifically for Y2K. We
were shopping because it was grocery day, and since we both wanted steak
and garlic bread for dinner, we had to go out and get it.
Ok, so we drive up to the grocery store and park WAY far away from everyone
else. This is a common habit, as most people do not understand a
fundamental law of physics: Two objects cannot occupy the same space at the
same time (this does apply to car doors, contrary to popular belief.)
We walk into the grocery store. No bagels. Well, no problem, they
probably ran out. It was 3 hours before closing time anyway.
Off to the bakery wall. Picture this: Rows of shelves, piled 10 feet high,
spanning across a long wall, approximately 20 feet long. NO WHITE BREAD.
I nearly got flattened by a store employee, pushing a dolly with
approximately 20 empty plastic bread-holders. Dang ! It was either settle
for some 6-million-multi-grain, crackle-in-the-toaster stuff, or come back
a week later. We decided to return next week for bread. We still have 1/2
a loaf left in the breadbox.
As we walked down the carpet cleaner/air freshener/etc aisle, we noticed a
frenzied man manoevering his shopping cart between people's carts, barely
missing at least two backsides on his way. We figured he was trying to be
the first one to the exit if the whole place blew up. I wondered if he
worked in the computer industry.
We made our way up and down the aisles, noting that the store wasn't quite
as busy as it was on Christmas eve. As we passed the shelves with the
Scarios, Chef Boyardee and other such canned pasta delights, we were faced
with an unprecedented sight: the shelves were almost completely empty !!!
In normal circumstances, not many people eat this stuff, because to be
honest, it sucks ass. But people had bought it by the case. Only a few
straggling cans remained. I pitied the poor kids that will have to eat
this stuff for the entire month of January.
What else was almost completely gone from all the shelves ? The best
cookies, and almost all the tuna. The brand-new Y2K AND BEYOND GOURMET
MEAL - Scarios, cookies, and tuna. Bring it on !!!
There was an ample supply of Pepto Bismol and Tums in the pharmacy section.
Something tells me people will need to stock up on THOSE, too.
Enjoy,
Andrea.
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Andrea Abrahamsen (nee Di Lecce) (416) 935-6485
SMC Platform Specialist, Network Operations
Rogers Cablesystems Inc.
1 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, M4Y 2Y5
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