Every year I make myself the same promise. Here is the promise I make myself - I will have nothing further to do with the whole shopping experience once we pass the 20th December. Every year for one reason or another I break this promise to myself. This year I was fully prepared to have nothing at all to do with the shops whatsoever in the last two weeks before Christmas. What with internet shopping and all, and the joy that is buying groceries online. Sadly my plan fell short. I left it too late to book the delivery slot for grocery shopping (nothing available until 27th December... so it was fine for the following weeks shopping!). So... my nearly-mother-in-law and I decided we were to brave Asda for our Christmas food. In the end we decided to go late in the evening on Wednesday. The whole experience wasn't too terrible - apart from the irritation that our visit appeared to coincide with the supermarket starting their shelf stacking, which meant that most shelves were blocked by enormous trolley which had to be circumnavigated in order to reach any products! I also dropped by Sainsbury's to spend my Nectar points (note: these are loyalty points which you collect at the till every time you shop in the store or at selected online partners). This year I had managed to accrue £35 worth which bought the festive season alcohol collection!
Even worse than having to go food shopping was the fact that I managed to forget to buy some items. This necessitated a trip out on Saturday morning. Sheer madness. I have come to the conclusion that there should be 'peak' periods during the year during which you require a special licence to drive a car (or any vehicle). Some of the bad behaviour on the roads was beyond belief... overtaking and undertaking at inappropriate moments... getting cut up all over the place, double parking in the car parks. Lunacy. My brief trip to Asda (twice in a week!) was only improved by the fact that everyone was shopping for huge amounts and the 'basket only' queue was virtually deserted. Seriously. The supermarket is closed for ONE day... it is open again on 26th... not like when I was a kid and they did close for the best part of a week. One day!
Despite all of this I still decided to go out again this morning. On the bus this time. Because I went early it seemed everyone else was still in bed (or maybe gone to work). Not at all a bad trip... I visited about five stores and was still home within the hour. At lunchtime I walked to the Village to go to the Chippy. On my way I saw buses headed towards Woolwich... and in the forty minutes it took me to get there and back I saw five 486s... three 422s... two 54s... and only one 53. Remarkable only because the 53 is supposed to be the most frequent of all the routes. Go figure!
So. Here we are all ready for Christmas. Presents are wrapped... the house is tidy, and the lights are increasing our carbon footprint exponentially!!! Beautiful. Our living room is delightfully like Santa's Grotto (just how it should be).
Even worse than having to go food shopping was the fact that I managed to forget to buy some items. This necessitated a trip out on Saturday morning. Sheer madness. I have come to the conclusion that there should be 'peak' periods during the year during which you require a special licence to drive a car (or any vehicle). Some of the bad behaviour on the roads was beyond belief... overtaking and undertaking at inappropriate moments... getting cut up all over the place, double parking in the car parks. Lunacy. My brief trip to Asda (twice in a week!) was only improved by the fact that everyone was shopping for huge amounts and the 'basket only' queue was virtually deserted. Seriously. The supermarket is closed for ONE day... it is open again on 26th... not like when I was a kid and they did close for the best part of a week. One day!
Despite all of this I still decided to go out again this morning. On the bus this time. Because I went early it seemed everyone else was still in bed (or maybe gone to work). Not at all a bad trip... I visited about five stores and was still home within the hour. At lunchtime I walked to the Village to go to the Chippy. On my way I saw buses headed towards Woolwich... and in the forty minutes it took me to get there and back I saw five 486s... three 422s... two 54s... and only one 53. Remarkable only because the 53 is supposed to be the most frequent of all the routes. Go figure!
So. Here we are all ready for Christmas. Presents are wrapped... the house is tidy, and the lights are increasing our carbon footprint exponentially!!! Beautiful. Our living room is delightfully like Santa's Grotto (just how it should be).