I have a confession to make. I've always been a people watcher. Not like a stalker or anything.(well there was that one time ... but I digress.) I just find it entertaining to watch folks sometimes. It might stem from my days waiting on tables. Actually it probably DOES come from those years. If you are going to be a good food server it's pretty much a prerequisite. You have to be able to anticipate your customers needs. Everything from filling drinks to clearing plates and everything in between. The better you are the more money you will make. Contrary to popular belief most servers across the United States work for $2.15 an hour. That hasn't changed in over twenty years either. So a server literally works for their tips. If you are good at it and good at watching people you can make an ok living. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to be able to shoot the bull either. *wink*
Why am I sharing all this with you? OH, now I remember! People watching. I've been known to sit in a parking lot just watching folks do their thing. WalMart parking lots are especially entertaining. Parking lot People Watching isn't really all that uncommon. I've met lots of folks who do the same thing. You would be amazed at what all goes on in parking lots.
Here's where my having a confession to make comes into play. I watch folks in the grocery stores too. Not just the people themselves but I watch what they have in their grocery carts. I don't know if many folks do this too but I find it fascinating to watch what they are filling up their carts with.
I see the harried business guy/gal tired from working the daily grind with what who looks like picking a few things up after a day sitting behind a desk somewhere. There are what looks like fresh organic vegetables some 2%milk, orange juice, a bouquet flowers and grass fed beef in their cart.
Conclusion: They are watching what they eat and trying to eat healthy as well. Except for that carton of ice cream. Gotta have a snack now and then right? These are the folks that get snowed in and panic because they only have a day or two's worth of food in the pantry.
Then there's the little old lady with her small careful choices. A couple of banana's, maybe a small package of chicken breasts that have been marked down, one of those small loaves of bread, half a gallon of milk and maybe some lettuce or a little package of cheese,two or three cans of cat food and a couple of small yogurt cups.
Conclusion: She probably lives alone with her cats. and buys small portions of her groceries at a time. Not only to be frugal but it gives her an excuse to get out of the house if only for a little while. She's probably got food at home but likes to get out of the house and actually talk to someone, even if it's just the brief conversation with the cashier.
There's the 18-19 something guy who loads up on chips, Fruit Loops, and frozen burrito's. He's probably never even lit a stove.
There's the pregnant woman who can't be more than 22-23 with three small screaming ill mannered children running amuck and picking up everything in their line of sight, and running down the aisle. They scream at the top of their lungs running into folks like they were bowling pins and trying to make a strike. All the while the mother sweetly repeats over and over "No Johnny stop running, Ronnie what did I tell you about using your "indoor" voice" yet they still run wild. Her basket is filled with frozen pizza's, sweet sugary cereals, 2 liter bottles of soda, hot dogs, chips and all manner of boxed "meals" (think Hamburger/Tuna Helper) and other processed foods. I'm quite sure she has no idea that her screaming children's actions are not just a matter of bad parenting but the awful foods she feeds them regularly paid with her food stamp card.
There's the older widowed gentleman who has some milk, butter, and a half dozen eggs. I assume he know how to make breakfast but apparently that's the extent of his cooking his own food because he has a pile of TV dinners, frozen pizza and some pot pies. Maybe he never learned to cook because his late wife always took care of the meals.
There's the 30ish lady with a fist full of coupons and a list. Unfortunately her basket is full of processed foods cookies and diet sodas, because it's on sale and she has a coupon for it. I didn't mention she is obese? She stands defiantly in front of the cashier making darn sure that not only does the cashier ring up the sale price but also the corresponding coupon.
I've often wondered if grocery store clerks do the same sort of thing. I'd imagine that their focus would probably be on getting everyone in their line out of it as soon as possible. If it were me though, after hours of standing on my feet swiping item after item across the scanner I'd probably be cart watching. I bet they have all sorts of horror stories about the people that come through their lane though.
Maybe because no matter what line I choose to check out from something is bound to happen to make my wait longer. It gives me time to shopping cart spy, eh? The cashier needs change or runs out of paper, someone presents a hand full of WIC vouchers, ( I didn't mention this shopper on purpose) something has been rung up at the wrong price, a manager has to do a code override, someone forgets "one little thing and I'll be right back" or it's shift change and another cashier has to tag in and take the others place. I've got a friend who I used to go shopping with that refuses to let me pick which lane to check out from. If I pick a lane, she'll just look at me and say "Seriously?" It's like that!
So I guess my question is ... Are you a people watcher? A shopping cart spy? Maybe a bit of both?
It seems that we are all getting pretty tired of winter. I know I am. I'm tired of limited water, breaking ice out of the critters water bowl several times a day and layering my clothes until I feel like Ralphie's little brother. (A Christmas Story)
Heck I don't know why I'm telling you this.... I'm sure it's the same all over. I do know my attitude is getting worse as the grey and gloomy days go by. I'm a sun person by nature. These sunless days are starting to get to me. Heck I seem to loose all my "want to" after awhile. You would think that as much as I love reading all your blogs and messing around on the net that I would be doing more "puter time". I don't even feel like lifting the lid on the laptop most days. Which is really weird. I haven't even been to "the ultimate suck my brains out slowly all day long" site called FaceBook. This must be what they call the Winter Time Blues. Whatever you call it I want to call it OVER!
It seems none of the seeds I was trying to start did anything. I need to replant them all and try again. It's been pretty hard to keep the greenhouse at a decent temperature. There's still work that needs to be done on it. That and these grey gloomy days. I can't blame them for not wanting to sprout up into this weather!
They are promising temps actually above freezing for the weekend. I should be able to turn the water on long enough to do up the dishes, mop the floor and re-fill all the jugs. Then start all over again with another front on Monday that's supposed to bring some snow.
This has been a brutal winter for many folks. Heck even MMPaints hasn't tried to start seeds yet! If you're a regular reader of hers you KNOW it must be cold if she's not got something started by now. Speaking of MMPaints,.....Hop over to Self Sufficient Living and check out the cool raffle she's holding. Better hurry though, It'll be over soon!
It's hard to believe it's already been close to a week since I last posted. I wish I could say it was because I've been so dang busy I haven't had the time. Truth is? I've been kicked back most of the week. Other than the daily chores that have to be done 365 days a year I've done exactly squat! We've been holed up in the RV most of the week. There were a couple of days that were pretty warm and the sun actually came out. But even then the wind was blowing hard enough to keep me inside and unenthused about getting much done. We've been under a "fire warning" most of the week. Between the wind and it being so dry there's always a chance of fire. Just another one of the things that seems to come naturally to Oklahoma. Of course, I don't have much to base that thought on. It seems that since we moved here a little over 3 years ago the weather just keeps breaking some sort of record every season. So I'm kind of unsure about what "normal" weather is here.
It's snowing right now. I never had any idea how hard it is to capture snow falling in a picture! Picure? Did I say picture? Yes sir! My mom and dad sent me the most awesome birthday present I think I've ever received. A Canon EOS Rebel, complete with zoom lens, filters, and all the goodies. Top of the line. Pretty darn awesome. I almost cried when I opened the box and saw it. I've been messing around with it for a couple of weeks and now have NO excuse for not taking pictures. Now that it's snowing I'll actually have something to take pictures of besides naked trees!
It seems that none of the seed I planted came up. Which means I'll have to start over again. I think it might be due to not having consistent heat in the greenhouse. That's something that still needs to be worked on. It doesn't help that we've only had a few days of sunshine the past couple of weeks. Our "vacation" time should be over soon as spring is right around the corner. Sorta....
Since I don't have (or want) a TV I don't know if the extreme drought in California has been covered by the main stream media. I know it's not being covered on the radio. If it isn't then I will assume that most people don't know just exactly how bad this impacts the entire country's food supply.
The rising cost of groceries is starting to become alarming. I know we are feeling it here. Things are getting really tight. Our grocery money is buying less and less. I'm struggling to admit it to myself but it won't be long before I'm going to have to budget more towards the grocery bill. Even with growing our own vegetables and having the chickens and the rabbits there are staples that have to be bought. Things we aren't able to produce here on the homeplace Things like coffee, tea, sugar, flour, butter and cooking oil are some of them. I'm sure you are feeling it too.
And that brings us to what is happening in California. Just the other day Gov. Brown declared the state in an extreme drought. My mom was telling me there has been hardly any snow where they are up in the northern part of the state either. Not to mention the ongoing water right feuds.This is the worst drought that California has ever seen.
Here's a partial list of the percentage of our fruits and vegetables that come from California. Click here for a full list
Artichokes 99%
Broccoli 94%
Carrots 69%
Cauliflower 80%
Celery 95%
Garlic 95%
Head Lettuce 70%
Leaf Lettuce 85%
Romaine 79%
Spinach 73%
Avocados 90%
Lemons 86%
Peaches 84%
Strawberries 88%
Plums 97%
They also grow a healthy amount of melons. Did you know they produce half of the bell peppers in the US. One third of the fresh tomatoes and 95% of the processed ones come from the state.
If those numbers don't tell you what we are in for in the coming year then I just don't know what to say. If you think things are expensive now just give it a bit. Add to that the price of meat. Beef hit a 61 year low. That will push the beef prices even higher than they are now.
If there is any way that you can stock your pantry deep you'll be ahead of the game (for awhile at least) Heck consider it an investment . What you acquire today will most assuredly be worth more in the coming months. Hedge your bets and hold onto your hat's folks. It's going to be a wild ride.
