Today: Grocery haul, and hauling boxes.
A little PSA before we get down to brass tacks: It’s hot in Boston. Really hot. Please be careful, look in on loved ones, check up on elderly neighbors, and — if you can — carry an extra bottle or two of water with you today to share with people who are outside and need relief. It’s important to take care of one another.
I’ve been doing a lot of “Oh, crap… we are out of lettuce” and “Maaaaan, I forgot the spicy mustard” lately. I’ve been doing almost no meal planning, nor list making, nor organized grocery shopping. I knew things had gotten out of hand when I made three separate trips to the store last week (and um… asked Nick to pick up thirteen other things on his way home).
I had the good fortune (mostly, if you disregard what I did earlier in the day… and yes, I will tell you about that momentarily) to get out of work early on Wednesday, giving me ample time for a leisurely (and more importantly, productive) mid-day shop at my favorite Whole Foods Market.
Whole Foods grocery haul
Produce:
- Basil (and a few lingering Frenchie paws at the top of the photo)
- Heirloom cherry tomatoes
- 4 heirloom mega-tomatoes
- Strawberries
- Snap peas
- 2 cucumbers
- 2 carrots (one for me, one for the dog)
- 3 Granny Smith apples
- 1 box of Olivia’s Organics Spring Mix with Herbs (my absolute favorite)
- 1 box of Olivia’s Organics Spinach
- 2 orange bell peppers
- 1 bag of red grapes
- 1 bag of Clementines
- 2 lemons
- 6 smallish bananas
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 2 boxes of Driscoll’s organic raspberries
Dairy:
- 2 cartons of Stonyfield organic lemon yogurt
- 2 cartons of Stonyfield organic vanilla yogurt
Random, delicious things:
- Whole Foods guacamole (or as I like to call it, Heaven in a Container)
- 1 package of gluten free brown rice paper wraps (for a fun Nasoya recipe I’ll share next week)
- Amy’s organic vegetarian re-fried black beans with green chilies
- Green Mountain Gringo tortilla strips
- GoGo Squeez organic apple sauce on the go (because I am an adult who often eats like a small child, and can’t be bothered to pack a spoon)
Meanwhile, earlier in the day…
My office has had used several storage facilities during my time. When one closed unexpectedly, we signed a lease (in a panic) at the facility closest to my office. While convenient, it is also the most terrifying hell hole on the planet. You may be thinking, It can’t be that bad. I get it. I love a good exaggeration as much as the next lady, but trust me. I have seen things at that storage unit that I will never be able to un-see. Things that would make grown men and women weep. I have enough stories (including this one about possibly naked people) to write a book about this place, but I will not. For the following reasons:
- Most people write zero books during their lifetime. In the event that I am fortunate/talented/patient/focused enough to write one book during my lifetime, I would hate for it to be about a storage unit. I don’t want that to be my legacy.
- It would be sort of depressing. And kind of gross. Especially if I include the part about the poop we encountered this week.
- Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Needless to say, it was time — to quote the King of Pop — to make a change, for once in my life. After a bit of research, we found a slightly less convenient (but infinitely more safe and clean) facility nearby, and manual labored our way from one place to the other in the span of 24 hours and 9 trips back and forth. During a heat wave. Nothing says I run an international organization quite like an inordinate amount of neck sweat. My heart goes out to those working outside in this weather all the time (I am usually holed up in air conditioning set to “arctic tundra”). By the time we finished our last load up the stairs at 3:30, it was time to throw in the proverbial sweat towel.
I promise, I (mostly) cleaned up before heading to Whole Foods.
Also On Tap for Today:
- Taking the Frenchie for a swim
- 10 ways to cool down in Boston
- Great ideas for homemade popsicles
When do you get your grocery shopping done?
