Shop Till You Drop

The other day I found out that some grocery stores deliver. And, some will actually deliver for FREE if you spend at least 10,000 Yen (about $100). Spending this amount of money at the grocery store is not a problem: I am raising three growing boys, one who's nickname is Big Country; and I currently live in a country where prices are double and serving sizes are halved, so a box of cereal here lasts about, let's see, about two seconds. Just one second more than a liter of milk. Although carrying two bags of groceries home from the store every afternoon is exercising arm muscles I didn't even know I had (Oh my goodness! Is that a tricep?), I am here for an adventure and decided to give delivery a try.

In my USA life, the shopping routine went like this: drive up to the curb of the supermarket on Sunday afternoon and basically fill up the back of my minivan with every item from aisles 2-10. Eat well until Thursday. Go out to dinner Friday night. Pick through peanut butter, leftover pot roast and pie crusts on Saturday. Repeat on Sunday.

This time, I rode two trains; carried 25,000 Yen cash (about $250-just in case); walked past the Russian Embassy; and strolled down a few blocks to the 2-story grocery store. Inside, I found bratwursts, Doritos, ginger ale, big packages of meat, plus aisles and aisles of great local food with English signs, so I was able to write English on the label so I knew what I was bringing home. So, that's cream cheese! Look! Microwave popcorn!

And, that's when the adventure began. I didn't realize that once you purchase your groceries, it gets bagged, boxed, dri-iced, and delivered. Basically, I didn't realized that I had to beat the delivery van home. So, he had to fight Tokyo traffic and find limited parking space, but I had to travel back on two trains wearing Comfort Mocs and a puffy periwinkle winter coat. This was not a fair race. I wished I hadn't skipped breakfast.

I tried to remember the running skills my friend Ming has tried to teach me over the years. I paid with my left hand, while pumping up my right arm and turning my feet to the door. Eyes on the prize! Go!

I ran across the street and up two blocks. I ran past the security at the Russion Embassy. I ran down the flights of stairs. I put my tickets through the wicket. I caught the train and my breath. I caught the second train and a break--a seat. When I got to my stop, my grocery-carrying-toned-triceps helped propel me down the street into my apartment building, up the stairs and into my apartment. I made it. And, I definitely earned my Haagan Daaz Green Tea Ice Cream treat.

Ding! Dong!

I deliberately greeted the delivery man with an overly polite graceful bow, so he wouldn't notice how sweaty, grimy and out of shape I was. But just in case he did, I've decided to avoid the store for a week or so. No worries, I've got plenty of microwave popcorn.