All the information out there about "going green" and ways to reduce your carbon footprint on the world can be overwhelming. Which, if you were me and residing in my head as of late, would mean that it was just too much to think about and lets just go back to bed. But I do want to help and do something, so I have tried to make small, tiny adjustments like making an effort to turn off lights, using cloth napkins at dinner a few times a week, and buying reusable grocery store bags. I mean, if you shop at Trader Joe's its almost embarrassing now walking out with their paper bags in your cart. But notice I said that they were bought, not used..That's because I keep forgetting them at home or in the trunk of my car. Brilliant, I know.
So today I knew that I needed to make a pitt-stop at TJ's. I made sure the bags were in my trunk and even better, remembered to pull them out and put them in the basket. All while wearing the little on in the Baby Bjorn and making sure the older one doesn't run out into the massive traffic nightmare that is ALL TRADER JOE'S PARKING LOTS. (wth is that? I have NEVER been in a TJ's parking lot that wasn't pure insanity at all times. For those of you full time worker bees who think that it's just because you are forced to go on Saturdays or at 6:00 on Thursday night take heart. 12:00 on Wednesdays is just as bad. A gold mine that place is, a gold mine with massive parking dysfunctions). So no one was run over by the entitled Encinitas hippy folk, and I appeared to have my shit together and organized, so it was a good day.
We head through the store no problem. I remember to buy vanilla extract because we've been out of it for the past 4 months or so and they have my new favorite $3.99 wine and neither Lucas or Zoe have cried once since entering the store. Once again, good day.
We get to the check out and I decide to splurge (they are .99 cents) and buy 2 more of the reusable bags. The 20 something year old behind the counter, rings them up and puts them aside - distracted by Lucas' batman shirt, which I think he secretly wishes came in adult sizes. He started talking Batman to Lucas, then turned to me and asked me if I was going to take him to see the new Batman movie coming out this summer. I politely responded that I think it may be a little to scary for a 4 year old, and made the mistake of commenting on how scary Heath Ledger looks as the Joker. MISTAKE because the guy launches into a 5 minute dork-fest conversation with me, with topics ranging from the history of the Batman comic books and the animated series to an excited explanation about the monsters in the new Cloverfield movie. Thankfully, I listen to Jason go on and on about this stuff just enough that I could add something here and there and feign some interest.
The ironic part of this whole story is that during this diatribe, he starts packing up my groceries..in paper bags.
Monday, January 28, 2008 at 11:43AM 
