Don’t Be “THAT PERSON” At The Grocery Store

I had to go to the grocery store yesterday.  I say “had to” because we were finally down to the last remaining things in the pantry and fridge.  There was no way I could make a meal out of a can of beets, ketchup, mustard, rice, and eggs.  I put my big girl pants on and made my way to the grocery.

While I was there, I started to notice a few things.  I have never really had the time to stop and pay attention to the other people in the grocery store with me.  Normally, I have my child or husband with me.  They pester me by bringing over boxes and bags of things we should never or would never need.  Or, they disappear into other aisles and I spend a good chunk of time just trying to track them down.  We call that “Grocery Store Hide And Seek.”  But, yesterday I was by myself and in no hurry.  Good thing, too!  I really started to pay attention to the people around me.

Here are the strange things I observed that make me say Don’t Be That Person!

1.  The Grazer

Okay, I’m a fan of free samples.  I enjoy eating the new products.  I get super giddy when there is a demonstration stand out.  My daughter calls them taster stations.  The deli at my grocery store has samples of new products on the counter regularly.  While I was waiting to have my delicious deli meat sliced, I observed a young person walk over and make a bee line for the samples.  She took three of each of the four samples on the counter.  She did not go anywhere to deliver them to a parent or to her friends.  Instead, she started downing them one after the other standing right there in front of the counter.  She then left the toothpicks on the counter, mere inches from the trash bin, and walked out of the store.  RUDE.

This is the person I call “The Grazer.”  You have no intention of buying anything at all and come to the store for a free snack.  Those samples are there for people to try a new product before they buy it.  It is not there for you to have a free-for-all buffet at the grocery.  These are the same people that eat a handful of grapes or cherries in the produce section, take a handful of candy from the bulk bins, and grab a pocketful of crackers from the salad bar with no intention of purchasing a darn thing.  Don’t be a grazer.  It is disgusting and rude.

Things I Learned From A Year Of Long-Term Substitute Teaching

I’ve been missing from WrodPress for a year.  The reason I’ve been missing is because I decided to try a year in the classroom.

It was an interesting year.  I keep trying to figure out if it was the best decision or the worst decision ever.  I go back and forth between the two.  Through it all, I learned some very interesting things that I would never have learned in a university education classroom.  I am passing my knowledge on to you.

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1.  Kids Know When You Are Scared

I am not joking here.  That very first day, I put on a brave face and tried to tell myself that I was making it through the first, scariest day like a pro.  Truth is:  my kids (yes, I call them my kids and not my students) knew I was terrified.  They could smell the fear rolling off of me.  But, they were scared too.  That first day is the one that sets the tone.  No.  Wait.  It’s not just the first day.  I’d say it is the first week.  The first week sets how they will see you for the rest of the year.  Be as much of yourself as you can during that first week.  Be the version of yourself that you want them to see.  I was open with my students.  I let them ask me all sorts of questions to figure me out.  I played getting to know you games so I could learn about them.  After a few days, I was less scared and they were more at ease with me.  It really set the foundation for the tone and nature of the relationships we built that year.

F*****g teeth

I haven’t been writing much this week.  There is a reason.  I’m not just being lazy or trying to level up on Titanfall.  Okay, so maybe I am doing a little too much gaming, but that’s neither here nor there.  The truth is, I have a serious issue with my face.

A couple of weeks ago I was at the ALA Conference here in Las Vegas.  During lunch I decided to visit the on-site food court and scrounge up something that was gluten free.  I found salad and Doritos.  (Yes, Doritos are gluten free.)  As I was enjoying my delicious Nacho Cheese Doritos, I felt an extra crunchy bit rolling around in my mouth that didn’t feel like a piece of my tasty crisp.  No, it was the side of my wisdom tooth that had just been sheared off.  DAMN IT!  I did what I could that day and told myself to just wait it out until I could afford to get to the dentist.  There wasn’t any pain so I figured it was just the outer shell of the tooth that had come off.

Fast forward two weeks…

I WANT TO TAKE A KNIFE TO MY FACE TO STOP THE PAIN.

I haven’t slept in days.

I think that I might be able to rip this thing out with a pair of pliers and any kind of illegal drugs to numb my face.

I have fantasies about wrapping a string around my tooth, tying the other end to the back of my car, and having my husband floor it just so I can get it out of my mouth.

Does anyone know an amateur dentist willing to rip this thing out?