Crap, it’s cold out there!
Yesterday was frigid, with a wind that was relentless. It pounded on my car as I drove to do some shopping. It nearly knocked me off my feet as I tried to navigate the shopping cart and put the bags in the trunk of the car. As I said on IG, I thought I might turn into an icicle.
After I unloaded all the bags from the car, trooped across the parking lot, and brought them up to the apartment, I made myself French Toast for lunch.
Because I deserved it.
And it was good!
More unbelievably inexpensive flowers from Trader Joe’s, in a vase I found in the cupboard over the refrigerator. Actors’ apartments usually accumulate a number of vases, as they are often sent flowers for opening night and don’t want or need to take the vase home with them. (I found another one, as well.)
From what I’ve read and/or heard directly from the employees, working for Trader Joe’s is a good thing. Everyone always seems happy to be there and I think the benefits and pay are good enough to keep employees working there for a long time. Heck, if there was one nearer to my home, I’d apply. I also like that they hire workers of all ages.
I won’t go into what I feel about Walmart, on the other hand, except to say I will not shop there.
How did these get in my bag?
You have to love Trader Joe’s packaging and graphics. How could I not bring these home with me?
I do have a complaint. TJ’s sells basmati rice. They sell jasmine rice. They sell wild rice. They do not sell brown rice, except in re-heatable form, which is dreadful and tasteless and soggy. Neither, apparently, does Target. The Target I go to here is much larger than the one I frequent back home and it has an extensive grocery section. No brown rice. Jasmine rice? Yes. Basmati rice? Yes. White rice? Yes. NO BROWN RICE. (Except for Minute Rice and I don’t want to go there.) I just want brown rice that I can cook for 45 minutes in a big old pot.
What the heck?
The Laundry Story: This apartment building has a washer and dryer on every floor. Every floor, that is, except for the one where my apartment is. We are given a laundry card when we arrive and there’s a machine on the 7th floor where we can add money to the card in order to operate the machines.
I wanted to do laundry on Sunday night, but I only had singles and the machine takes only 5, 10, or 20 dollar bills.
So yesterday, I got some cash and after all the shopping, decided to do my laundry. I went up a floor and put a load in the washer. Then I went up two floors and put my other load in the washer there.
I figured I’d combine both loads in one dryer. Since the dryer on the floor above me wasn’t working, I grabbed that load when it was finished and walked it up two floors to where the other load was just finishing. Both loads went in that dryer.
After the 60 minutes or so allotted to drying, I went up there to take the load out of the dryer.
It wasn’t dry. (This has happened to me before when staying here.) I inserted the card (more money, of course) to get more drying time. The dryer stopped working. It took the money, but nothing happened. At this point, another tenant came in with a load to wash and she tried to get it to work, but couldn’t.
I gathered everything up, went up two more floors to the ninth floor and stuck everything in that dryer. More money.
After sixty minutes, I went up there only to discover that one of my t-shirts had caught on something and the dryer door had opened and nothing had dried.
Insert many curses here. Many.
More money, as I fixed the t-shirt problem and re-inserted the card for another 60 minutes of drying.
What should have taken about 90 minutes, took three hours.
I did get a lot of exercise out of it.
Reward: Hot chocolate.
I was watching the local news last night and, much to my horror, the weather guy talked about a Nor’easter that might come in this weekend.
This weekend, as in the time I would like to go home for a visit.
I quickly grabbed my phone and checked out the weather app and what they are predicting isn’t pretty: 5-8 inches of snow during the day Saturday, with another 5 inches later that night. And more the next day.
Maybe they’re wrong? Maybe it will track further out to sea and we’ll be fine?
All I know is that our previously mild winter has taken a turn for the worse. It’s definitely January, my friends.
Sad, very sad, about the untimely death of Glenn Frey. Too young. I am a big Eagles fan and it’s impossible to imagine them without him. What a talent he was!
Too many losses in January.
I have one-on-one coaching sessions this afternoon. It’s still windy out there, in fact, there’s a wind advisory throughout the day. I’ll be bundled up as I make my way to the rehearsal studio.
Courtesy of Shelf Awareness, a quote from the late, great David Bowie on books and reading – on today’s Just Let Me Finish This Page.
Happy Monday.
Oh my, I wish we had a Trader Joes close to here. Those marshmallows look yummy and you deserved a treat after the whole dryer affair. What a pain! I’m hoping for good weather for you so you can make your trip home next weekend. Fingers crossed!
Keep them crossed, Leslie! Thanks!
I had to smile about your washer-dryer blues. This summer, for the first time in years, I needed to wash and dry clothes at the laundry room in the beach community where we have a family cottage. (usually it’s just the husband and me, but we had our 2 grandchildren with us for the week and the laundry basket was overflowing) I went with a roll of quarters and several baskets of dirty laundry. Imagine my surprise that one needed to put cash on a card to use the washer and dryer and that I needed to get that card from the community office which is located 1/2 mile away from the laundry room.
Hope the weekend weather doesn’t mess up your plans.
Oh, those rules can screw up our laundry plans, Pat!
That was quite the laundry fiasco! I really hope you get to go home this weekend…I could have sworn, “they” said we were going to have a mild winter. Well…”they” were mistaken! We’ve had frigid temps here…sounds like you have too! Enough….I need Spring! And, some of those marshmallow eggs from TJ’s! ;)
It’s not very mild at the moment, is it, Donnamae? I’m definitely ready for Spring!
Sorry about your laundry mess. When we lived in an apartment I had the same sort of issues. It was so good to move into a house with our own washer/dryer. Beautiful flowers. We’re supposed to have a Trader Joes opening near us soon I hope. It was supposed to be last fall but nothing yet. We’re getting rain and warmer temps right now as compared to December. Still lots of snow on the ground though. Be safe this weekend.
Blessings,
Betsy
It sure makes me miss my washer and dryer back home, Betsy.
If the weather looks at all iffy, I’ll stay here, Betsy.
Laundry woes! I am glad you could get some ‘exercise’ at least. TJ’s is a favorite of mine. Such great products and their packaging is the BEST! Their French Roast coffee is my favorite (but I must admit to not having tried your favorite yet, Peet’s but I will). It is cold and windy today but I have to go out to the grocery store as the cupboards are bare. I too will keep my fingers crossed you can go home this coming weekend!!
hugs,
Linda
I hope so, but I’m starting to think it will be a no go….but I’m still crossing my fingers, Linda.
Wow, adventures big and small, good and bad! Hope the next laundry foray is much much smoother (and faster!). I love TJs…my two favorites are the seasonal chocolate-covered peppermint JoJos (I have three cartons hoarded in my cabinet) and the TJ Takes Flight dark chocolate tasting set…7 differently flavored dark chocolate bars. The latter was given to me by my younger daughter for Christmas….I have been good and eat just one or two squares every day. At this rate, the bars should last me about month and a half. Squeezing my eyes really hard to wish for good weather for you to go home for a visit.
You are very disciplined, my friend! I wish I was as disciplined!
Hi Claudia, We’ve been doing snow prep today, groceries, shovels at hand, plenty of cat food and treats, and the main thing, BIRD food! We are expecting to get hammered by this storm, and I think you will be too. Better to burrow in to the apartment and wait it out. Joe and Scout miss you but they won’t want to know that you are travelling in the teeth of the storm. On another note, TJ’s is always fun, and I’m quite sorry to know about Glenn Frey too. I was late getting out to the office because I had to listen to Smugglers Blues. Love his music.
Oh no! It sounds like you know more about it at this point than I do, but I just got home from rehearsal.
I think I need to listen to Hotel California…
Claudia,
I question the Walmart comment? I have known people who work at Walmart that would not say a word in complaint about the way they are treated, their wage, etc. Do you actually know something specific about them, that isn’t true for Trader Joe’s or Target etc.? I have always admired that Walmart hires lots of disadvantaged people from all races, ages, Veterans and challenged physically and mentally….so, was really wondering why you specifically targeted Walmart? In my opinion, they do much good in our small communities.
They also drive mom and pop stores out of business and have deliberately done so for years. They will not let their employees even consider unionizing, and harass them if they try to. My father was union member. My husband belongs to three unions, and I do not agree with the current thinking on the part of some governors and politicians that unions are bad. They aren’t. One only has to look at the history of what unions have done for employees: no more child labor, no more long hours without overtime pay, the improvement of workplace conditions and safety as well as the payment of a living wage and benefits. At least half Walmart’s employees work part-time so they are not entitled to benefits of any kind and Walmart’s benefits for full-time employees are nothing to write home about. If a business or in this case, a conglomerate, provides the benefits and protections on their own that a union would guarantee, then there’s no need for a union. But they don’t and clearly, many employees feel they should.
Yes, it’s wonderful that they hire the disadvantaged and disabled. That is a good thing. You won’t get any argument from me on that. But the good they do for small communities is on the back of mom and pop businesses that are run out of business because they simply can’t compete.
I can’t speak to Target’s practices simply because there haven’t been any complaints or coverage on them that I’ve seen. Trader Joe’s and Costco are low-cost retailers that see their employees as assets, and start them at a much higher wage. They’ve found that it pays off in employee retention and productivity. They are role models in that kind of low-cost business and they show that a successful business model can be implemented which provides more than a living wage.
I realize that not everyone feels this way. I’m glad you have friends and acquaintances who are happy working there. That’s a good thing. But I have a long history of feeling this way about the company and I’ve basically stayed true to my beliefs on this one. I also know that no big retailer is without problems and that an examination of them would probably reveal things I didn’t know and wouldn’t like. But the documentation about Walmart is everywhere on the web and in documentaries. It’s been well documented for years.
I hope I’ve respectfully explained my thinking on this, Terri. Thank you for asking. xo
Claudia, You always answer my questions respectfully which is why I continue reading your blog….even though I don’t always agree with you:) My opinion would agree that you would probably uncover something on any company that you actually researched. Walmart is the biggest so obviously under the most scrutiny. Many companies hire people part time, because with the health care laws in place, that is all they can do. That is not just a Walmart practice.
I would also agree that probably when your Dad was in a union they were excellent…I do not believe that to be true these days. Just my opinion, for lots of reasons.
I am thankful for Trader Joe’s and I love Whole Foods (even though they have had their own problems). I am glad they are a bright spot for you.
Thanks again…no disrespect intended from me either…hope you didn’t take it that there was.
Terri
I’ll just add that Walmart has always done that with part-time employees, long before the health care laws took effect. And the unions my husband belongs to are as strong as ever. Thanks so much for the healthy discussion, Terri. You’re a gem.
We have a Trader Joe’s opening here soon. I have never been in one so am looking forward to it. Hope the weather clears up so you can go home.
Judy
I think you’ll like it, Judy. The weather forecast doesn’t look very promising….
TJ’s is the best! Love their dark chocolate peanut butter cups and their Meyer lemon cookies.
I am not looking forward to this weekend based on the weather reports. Hoping the whole mess goes out to sea and leaves us be. I am beginning to believe that is wishful thinking though.
Have a good rest of your week and that the wind settles down for all!
I’ve had those Meyer lemon cookies! They’re really good!
It’s so friggin’ windy here that I thought my face would freeze as I walked home tonight. It’s insane!
Agree with you 1000% about WalMart. Haven’t set foot in one for close to 20 years – probably for the same reasons as you – and damned proud of it too. Woe, it seems inconceivable that TJ’s & Target do not carry brown rice. Such a basic, ordinary item – it’s like not selling milk! Or eggs! Brown rice is all I’ve ever used, until very recently when I tried [and liked] basmati rice as well. I just think brown rice has MUCH better flavor than white, and of course a lot more fiber and nutrition. If the Hartford region has a WEGMANS store in the area, try there for brown rice. That’s where I get mine and have for many years. They have a great “Nature’s Marketplace” section in each store – lots of healthy and organic varieties. And enjoy those marshmallows too. I confess to having a bit of a yen for them myself right now. Yum.
I know – I love brown rice! No Wegmans here, unfortunately. I shopped at Wegmans when I was in Chautauqua and I loved that store! I so wish we had them in my neck of the woods. Wegmans is the best!
Oh, those marshmallows – they were the culprits that convinced me to break my 2016 resolution – to eat healthier- but boy it was so worth it. Trader Joes is a very dangerous place for me to shop, especially in the frozen dessert aisle! My son will be moving to downtown Hartford very soon, and I was wondering where you do your shopping because he said there aren’t any supermarkets downtown.
Aren’t they great? And evil, at the same time? Also, the Chocolate Decadence cake (I think that’s the name) is to die for. I didn’t buy it, but I was tempted!
There are no supermarkets hers and it drives me nuts. But it you drive to West Hartford which is just a few miles west off of I-84, there are a couple of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s as well as Target. There is also a Super Stop and Shop closer to downtown, maybe 5 minutes away.
I got quite a chuckle out of the Laundry story. I wish we had a Trader Joe’s here in Timbuktu. I just saw the weather and it doesn’t look good for what is supposedly headed your way….yikes!
I always enjoy it when I have to go out of town and can partake in the wonder of TJ’s being very close by. Or Target. Or Whole Foods. The nearest Trader Joe’s to us back home is over an hour away. The nearest Whole Foods? At last two hours away! I miss Whole Foods!
Oh, the damage that I can do at TJ’s!! Our daughter bought us a TJ shopping bag full of different popcorn flavors, a big box of an assortment of the Jo-Jo’s, the tiny peanut butter cups, and 2 pkgs of my favorite Ginger Snaps, a can of their Free Trade Hot Cocoa mix, along with a couple of other treats. I am trying to cut back on sugar, so I only have had 2 cups of the regular popcorn so far. ? They do treat their employees very well. Costco is another good employer with great benefits and salary schedule. And both of those stores are ALWAYS crowded!!
I have heard about the winter storm heading your way. ugh. And it is simply stupid cold outside. There was no school here yesterday due to the -26 wind chill (yes, WI schools do not partake in the MLK holiday ~ except for the larger schools like Madison, Milwaukee, and a few others).
You will certainly appreciate your W&D when you get home!!!! Stay warm!!
Costco’s CEO is amazing. I wish there was one near my house so I could support that company.