OZ- Where shopping is not a pleasure

If you are lucky enough to get to shop at Publix, you know their tagline and you know it is true. What I wouldn't do for a Publix! Anyway, a grocery shop loomed large so I headed out to the Warringah Mall today to accomplish two goals, hit up my local Big W to look for some warm weather jammies for CH and get the grocery shop done in as little time as possible. The scene at Big W was calm and quiet until you get to the merchandise and then it is like a size 12 rump in a size 6 skirt, stuff is everywhere and it is bursting at the seams. It is such a hot mess there was a poor grandpa trying to dress his granddaughter from the boy section. The only warm weather jammies look like they are made for a Lothario apprenticeship. Picture it, good night stories and kisses with your precious little angel, you tuck him for sweet dreams in his mini wife beater and silky lightening McQueen boxer-ish bottoms. Yes, I am certain these were for children, and yes I am certain they were a silky ish poly gross blend, and yes I bought everyone a pair, Happy Birthday. Who did the liscensce deal for this at Disney? Larry Dallas (Jack Tripper's wingman 3's Company)? That kind of outfit is the gate opener to navel buttoned shirts and gold chain accessorizing and this family is not going there. Instead of getting size appropriate jammies for CH I pay an extortionate fee for Crayola crayons and give up hopes of ever buying anything more than groceries here in OZ. Speaking of groceries, I move on to Woolies where it is uneventful until the cart is so full and heavy that I need an OSHA approved back aid to push it (4 wheel drive carts). Once I maneuver to the check out line the universe goes topsy turvy when my raspberries don't have a bar code. The checker asks me the price, I tell her $6.99. She tries to manually enter it but ends up charging me $33 for 8 bags of frozen raspberries. She tries to void it, that doesn't work, she rings her little bell(little silver old school, bang on top of the bell ala small country inn, no one comes, she rings it more aggressively, no one comes, she rings it a bit more aggressively, no one comes, she is pushed to her breaking point, everyone has one, she grabs the grocery separator bar and beats the tar out of that impotent little bell. Finally someone comes. I get my raspberries for free for having to witness such a blatant display of emotion or maybe just to avoid having to pay a workman's comp for the checkers arm/mental health. That will be the only apology to me or acknowledgement of me as the customer waiting 10 minutes and getting over charged $33 and having to watch the violent scene of the checker going LAPD vs. Rodney King on the bell. Ironically, Woolies slogan right now is a PRICE KNOCKDOWN, complete with boxing glove logo!
Clues I am acclimated: 1. $6.99/small clamshell of raspberries is not the most I have ever paid for raspberries, in fact it is $4.00 cheaper than the most 2. It did not occur to me that anyone would acknowledge me or apologize to me 3. I was SHOCKED I got the berries for free 4. Going to a big grocery store/mall is a big event and blog worthy.

The boys modeling age appropriate jammies