Retired and Loathing in Palm Coast

For reasons that now escape me, I allowed Ray to accompany me to Target. I split my grocery shopping between Target and Publix because Kroger does not have stores within a bazillion miles of me.

I really miss Kroger. I had two within a three miles from me in Southaven. And a huge Target in between them. I was so spoiled. I had no idea how much I would miss Kroger with it's cool app, and points that went toward my gas, and my favorite brands. They have Kroger delivery here that you have to use an app to order but no stores. And I love Kroger stores.

But I digress. I am writing about allowing Ray to accompany me to Target.

I wanted to get out of the house early in time for TJ Maxx to open because I have two items to return, and a receipt for only one of them. I'm hoping to get a sales clerk in a good mood to just give me store credit for the item without a receipt. It still has the TJ Maxx sticker on the back, so I should be good.

 But I couldn't get out of the house early because Ray wanted to go with me (he's struggling with what to do with his time outside of golfing, and he wore puppy dog eyes so I agreed to take him along) but first he needed to meet a buyer for a sea urchin tchotchke he had sold on Facebook Marketplace in the parking lot across from our neighborhood. She wasn't able to meet until 11 a.m. so Ray asked me to wait to go to the store. I agreed because... married a long time.

By the time we got to Target it was practically noon, and I skipped TJ Maxx because I knew the store would be overflowing with chaos, and like I said, I didn't have that receipt.

So why am I even writing about this? I know you're wondering... does this have anything to do with cats?

No. 

Although I will add a couple cat photos because I hate to disappoint.

It has to do with being Retired and Married for a Loooong time.

In the past I've written my grocery list in two columns: 

Kim list, which is practically everything.

And Ray list, which are items that Ray will recognize with minimal direction, and hopefully will be able to locate within the store walls without calling me several times. 

Yes, there are occasions when I get home to find items from Ray's list missing because he couldn't find them and therefore didn't put in the cart. Nor did he tell me while we were at the store so I could find them myself.

What kind of things? No, I'm not going to answer that because if he reads this, it may start a DISCUSSION at home that will end with the Wonderpurr Gang running for cover.

I did not write a Ray list this time because my intention was to go solo. However with him tagging along, I gave him a job. Go to Starbucks and buy three gift cards at $10 each.

He repeated the request backwards. Ten gift cards at $3 each.

I no longer laugh because I've been married a long time and laughter only encourages him.

I grab a cart and leave him behind in a cloud of huff.

I'm halfway down aisle number two when I get a text. Do you want a drink?

Me: Ok. Black tall.

Ray: Black tall coffee?

Me being mature by resisting the temptation to write "duh": Yes.

A short time later he arrives and hands me my drink. I notice he does not have a drink.

Where's yours, I ask. He says he would have split one of the those frozen drinks with the mocha and whipped cream, but I wanted black... which Ray does not drink. Ray is not much of a coffee drinker, and since I gave up sugar and milk, there has formed a noticeable chasm in our marriage.

Ray has always been of the nature that we cannot order the same meal at a restaurant because he likes to split the dishes so he gets to taste two dinners. But what if I want the eggplant parm too? No! If I release the rebel in me and order whatever he ordered first, he will tell the waitress to change his order to something else.

So now that I no longer drink candy coffee, we have lost practically 30% of what we had in common.

In the past, knowing Ray does not like black coffee, but he wants to split, I will order his mocha latte and take only a couple sips. But I'm heading full steam toward another birthday plus another New Year and frankly I need to drop some pounds. I don't digest milk well, and sugar in my coffee doesn't do anything for me other than bloat me with self-loathing.

So I happily enjoyed my Black Tall while Ray tagged along behind me through the rest of my shopping trip. And I did not feel guilty. Although I did bring it up in the car, asking why he did not buy himself his own coffee.

Because, he said, he wanted to split it.

Too bad, so sad.

If you are open to celebrating Pete Cusack's life on his birthday January 31st, be sure to pick out your favorite post from his blog, Tomcat Commentary by Tim, and post on your blog on that date.

Until Next Time...