Shopping

I can spend hours in a grocery store. I get so excited when I see food, I go crazy. I spend hours arranging my baskets so that everything fits in and nothing gets squashed. I'm really anal about it, actually. 

~ Cameron Diaz 

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I miss my friend Ryan.  He used to call and leave me messages like this, "Abox of eggo waffles, two 1 lb packages of meat - ground pork and ground lamb respectively and a package of goldfish crackers.  Oh and a small bag - very, very small bag of baby heirloom tomatoes and a lemon.  How many brown paper bags with handles would these groceries need?  Particularly, if I stressed to the bagger, 'Please use as FEW brown paper bags with handles as possible.'?"

I could usually come up with an answer that both satisfied him and contradicted what the bagger had actually done.  

I miss hearing about his shopping lists.  And his bagging stress.  I suppose the bagging is all "perfect" and "wonderful" in Texas.  Maybe so.  But the stories are not the same.

"Hey, Michelle.  This is Ryan.  I just wanted to let you know I went to the store and they bagged my groceries perfectly."

See?  Not the same at all.