Man...I Miss Harmons

 

We've enjoyed our new home, new neighborhood, new town. The air is clean, the people are friendly almost to a fault, and the pace is slower. It's been a little slice of heaven, but yesterday I had to go to our old grocery store where we used to live because we just couldn't find Horseradish root...

Man, I miss Harmons.

There are, of course, things I don't miss about the store...mostly the prices. We didn't buy everything from there, but there are certain things in that store we couldn't find other places, or if we did, they were much farther away from where we lived.

I found the horseradish root and just looked around, took everything in. It's such a nice place to shop. We have stores in our little town, two grocery stores in fact. They are okay and possess a certain charm. If fact, my son works at one of them. But, they can't justify stocking the things we'd find at Harmons--few stores can. We just don't have the people. It's as simple as that.

There are many things we miss, the people, the mountain, the memories that return when I would walk down a city street or visit the same buildings I visited as a child. We're making new memories now and I suppose that's what life is all about--adapting to change, accepting it, embracing it.

Of course, if Harmons decided to build a store up north, I would not complain.

To Me, It Was Just An Unusual Thing To See...

 There I was, just strolling down one of the aisles at our local grocery store, and I spotted something sitting atop some beverage cans.

And I couldn't believe what I thought it was.

I snapped a couple of pictures and used one as my Pic Of The Day a few days back.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought it was a peculiar. 

At first, I thought it was a big bug, or some sort of larva, but the thought of something like that finding its way into a store and on top of cans was farfetched at best. So, my logical mind couldn't come to grips with what I thought I was seeing.

Then, when looking on it again, I knew it was a root of some kind. When I posted the picture on social media, those wiser than me identified it right away.

Turmeric.

It was just a simple photograph, a big ugly bug larva invading a bunch of cans. Just like many things in life, things aren't always as they seem.

Getting Ready For "The Big Game," And I'm Not Talking About Football...

Last night I had to pick up a few things for dinner. I hopped in the van, drove a mile or so to the grocery store, parked, then walked in. I was immediately hit with sights and smells letting me know something big was coming, something the store was prepared for, a shopping rush that required the entire entrance to be shuffled about and re-organized.

No, it wasn't in preparation for the big football game--that happened ten days ago. It was all to prepare for Valentine's Day.

You'd think every single person needed to buy something in that store the way it was laid out.

And, considering they know their store and its customers better than I do, they're probably right.

I can't remember if I disliked Valentine's Day more when I was single or after I got married, and since I've been married for more than a quarter century, it's hard to remember. I've softened on the "holiday" since--kind of an anti-"get out of my yard" attitude. I hated Valentine's Day because it was completely made up to sell stuff. It's like a worldwide holiday the same way The Bachelor is a reality TV show (don't get me started on The Bachelor--that's a whole other issue...). I hated the way they wanted people to buy stuff to show their love for others when people should be showing that love all the other days that aren't February 14 as well. Of course, we can't all buy stuff everyday, and that was my point. You shouldn't have to buy stuff to show someone how you feel.

In the past couple of years, I've had a change of heart (in keeping with the day's theme...). We don't buy presents or do too much for the day so it wasn't a matter of having to get something. I guess having a day set aside to let the most important people in your life know how you feel about them isn't bad. 

Still, the way the store was decked-out. You'd think you were in Denmark if the Danes ever played in the World Cup Finals (okay--nothing this country could come up with could top that...). 

Is it a "big game?" For some, perhaps. I picked up my bread and chips and didn't even think about buying any of the flowers, stuff animals, chocolates, or inflated balloons. If it's a game, I choose not to play. Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I mean, if you do that sort of thing.

Interesting Place To Put A Skeleton...

My wife and I were walking through our local grocery store last week when I spotted a skeleton near the entrance. It was one of many they had set up for the Halloween season. Whoever set it up, placed the boney figure next to the newspaper stand.

That struck me as funny.

But at the same time, not really.

There was a time when I seriously considered pursuing a career in journalism. My first degree's in Communications and, back in the late 1980s, the printed page was where a majority of people got their news. I even worked as a reporter for a local newspaper twice, once in the mid-1990s, and again a few years later. I was a sports reporter for the Davis County Clipper and I loved it. I covered Woods Cross High School football and basketball, as well as Viewmont High School volleyball, soccer, and baseball. I was paid practically nothing--not that the small paper could pay that much--but I didn't mind. It was fun and, to the parents of the high school players, important.

Boy, have times changed.

One thing I remembered about the Davis County Clipper was its size--it was always so much smaller than the larger Salt Lake Tribune or Deseret News. Now, those two papers--the biggest papers in my state--are smaller today than what the Clipper was back then. I have friends who work, and have worked, as reporters. Some of them still do, most do not.

It's been a brutal time for print journalism.

And I don't know if it's going to get any better.

The skeleton extending its arm to the few remaining copies of the daily news represented to me what has happened to the industry in the past thirty years. I haven't studied the matter; I don't have facts and figures to back up my opinion, and I have no idea what's going to happen. Will papers disappear all together? Will people pay for news content on-line that they've always gotten for free? I'd hate for the skeleton to become prophetic as it cast a shadow of doom over the papers, but I'm not seeing a lot of options.

I suppose time will tell.

Used An Electric Cart To Shop For The First Time And My Question Is...Why Have I Been Walking For 50 Years?

Yesterday my wife and I found ourselves facing a decision. We needed to pick up something for dinner and we planned on barbecuing. It was Independence Day, after all. The decision that faced us was this: do we go into the store just after returning from Instacare and with my wife in a walking boot just after injuring her calf?

Or, do we go home and figure out something else for dinner.

"I could just go in and get everything?" I suggested. I could tell she wanted to go in too, instead of sitting in a car in 90º temperatures with no shade did not sound fun.

"Yeah," she said. Then we both had the same idea--we can used on of their three Amigo shopping carts. I think we even laughed at the idea, but we also both wanted to do it. Truth be told, I've seen more people use the carts at our local Wal-Mart than at the Harmons store that's near our house. Still, you can't say you haven't been at least a bit curious at what it would be like to zip around on one of those things.

And so we did, or my wife rode--I made sure the pathways were clear. We purchased deli salad, meat to grill, some eggs (because we were low...), and ice cream. We scored on the ice cream--buy one, get one free! We would have bought more, but a couple of gallons was sufficient.

Luckily, we had parked close so my wife zipped across the parking lot ("zipped" may not be the most accurate word to describe the Amigo's speed...) and loaded up the van with our goods. I don't even know if we're supposed to take those things into the parking lot, being first-timers, and all. My wife got in the van and I returned the electric conveyance back to the store. I experienced first had the thrill of piloting an electric cart and I think I could have crawled faster back to the store. I felt like a dork.

My wife and I had a blast in the store. We even joked about not using one of those things earlier. I mean, we'd been wasting all that time and energy walking when we could have ridden in style. Still, of all the pluses associates with the Amigos my wife and I would hate to have to use one. I guess the answer to my question of, why have we been walking instead of riding all these years, is this:

Because we were able to walk.

Almond Coconut Dark Chocolate Bread...Pretty Darn Good

Okay, I admit it--I'm a sucker for chocolate. And apparently I'm a sucker for free samples at the grocery store when chocolate is involved. However, when I think of foods with chocolate in them, I usually don't think of bread.

Maybe I'd better re-think that.

Last week while doing some grocery shopping, I had to pick up a loaf of bread and the friendly baker offered me a sample. In the past, I've had good luck with bread samples. It's even better when they have tasty toppings to sample as well.

"Sure," I said and the baker took out a slice after filling my bread order.

"It's our Dark Chocolate Almond Coconut bread and it's new this month."

What is this sorcery of which you speak, I thought to myself. Dark chocolate, almonds, coconut? My mouth started to water at just the thought of it. I watched as he took out a knife and dipped it into a whiteish spread and handed it over.

And it was good!

As I stated earlier, I am a sucker for free stuff. However, when it comes to paying for stuff, I'm not so enthusiastic. I had to pick up some things the next aisle over. Soon, though, I found myself once again standing in front of Mr. Baker.

He asked me one question.

"How long did it take you to decide?"

He didn't know I had decided to buy some of that yummy bread--he must have seen it on my face. I ended up bringing home half a loaf. It's available for this month only. I don't know if I'll buy more, but I did this time.

Night-Before-Thanksgiving-Shopping...

"So, can our oldest son do the shopping tonight instead of me?"

"Sure," my wife said. "You want to make the stuffing?"

I guess I knew all along I'd be going, and that's fine. I would have liked to just say home, but that would mean going tomorrow morning and, even though the store is open tomorrow morning, I'd rather not have to go in. One less person they have to help.

I grabbed the list my wife prepared and headed out to the store. And since I needed a blog topic for today, you too can experience the joy of shopping the night before Thanksgiving.

On the list:

Onion powder

Distilled water

Onions (I guess you can't have enough...)

Coconut water

And, ice cream.

"Getting everything we need tonight so we don't have to come back on Thanksgiving Day," I said to the cashier during those awkward pauses that always happen.

"Everyone says that, but it never happens. They always forget something," she said.

One of us is right. Time will tell who.

Hanging At The Harmons...

Last night I needed to do a late night store run. Thanks to our fine city planners a few years back, they approved the building of a supermarket about a mile or so from our house. There's another store farther away to the north. We don't really go there as much.

It's a nice store, where I went last night. If you're familiar with our area, you'll recognize the name, Harmons. The store is across the street from a huge outdoor mall--there because of even more approvals form the city council. Shopping centers attract teenagers like moths to a flame. It's no different for our little town. I have noticed the kids hanging out at Harmons were young, probably under sixteen-years old. My guess is, once they get their driver's license, they can go wherever they want--probably not necessarily the local grocery store.

I know the older generation (of which I am now a member...) never understands the younger generation. The same holds true for me. I DO understand hanging out with your friends. We would go to a park or ride out bikes, or find something else to do.

But what I don't understand is why the Harmons? Just across the way there are stores, restaurants, and even a little park complete with fountains and lights and lots of stuff to do.

I guess, if I had gone over to the mall last night, I probably would have seen scores of teenagers just hanging out, talking to their friends, and wishing they had more of their parent's money to spend on stuff. Maybe the teenagers that hang out at the grocery store are a different breed, those that don't care to be at the "hippest" place.

And maybe that's where we would have hung out if we had a nice, shinny, relative-new grocery store back in our day.

A Saturday In Farmington...

A Saturday In Farmington

I think because of this blog, I've been noticing the trees of spring. During this time of year, I usually just cursed the pollen exploding from their pretty little colorful puffs of arboreal fireworks attached to the ends of branches. Maybe the extra rain/snow we received this spring have made the trees especially amazing, or maybe I've just ignored nature's spring fashion show most of my life.

Speaking of amazing, if you're in the area, either heading east or west, if you drive by Farmington, get off either I-15, Highway 89 (otherwise known as the Jim Hansen Highway), or Legacy Parkway, exit from any direction and stop off at Harmons, Your Neighborhood Grocer. When they built that store, they did it right.

If you click on the above picture, the rather dressed up couple at the left of the picture is the same dressed up couple just right of center. Just a little trivia there...