Who's late night shopping?

Hello

I'm having one of those days where all the little things that go wrong appear like a huge mountain in front of me. Not being able to see the top, it seems almost impossible to think I have to climb it. 

On days like this I often revert to a need to buy something bad for me that I can't afford. Junk food, dvd's, maybe some beers. Which is how I ended up in the supermarket. 

Supermarkets are weird places, there probably the only time to see a complete cross section of society. There one of the places we so commonly find ourselves in, surounded by people but ultimately alone, annonymous. I swear in supermarkets these days you could drop dead and no one would notice. Especially the staff. I'm sure zombie films are made by people who used to work in a supermarket. 

But there's something quite reasuring about late not shopping when you're not feeling to good. You can be around others that are in exactly the same mood. First stop in the store is the DVD's. The isle's odly now been moved to the back of the store, so you have to walk past the stationary, home and garden products of all description and all manor of things on your way. The DVD aisle is always quite busy. Late nights especially, always middle aged guys with vacant looks. They don't pick up any of the DVD's, they never seem to buy them either. But they are always there. Occasionally moving along the aisle a bit when they think it starts to look a bit odd that they aren't moving along. Shoulder's slumped forward as if they have just lost all hope.

I managed to get 'Burn after reading' I've been waiting for it to come out on DVD for ages and I'm confident it will put a good dent in my mood and I move on round the store. 

I've forgotten what else I wanted, so wander aimlessly, passing aisle after aisle. Past the special Mothers Day section where I suddenly realise most people in the store are foraging for anything Mothers Day related. (Luckily this I sorted mine pressie ages ago.) Half of them carrying a bunch of flowers (which are starting to look like they've had their best days already). The other areas of the store are quite quiet. The odd couple, odd odd couples as well. They too have a vacant look in their eyes when they're looking at the shelves which the quickly hide when they start to talk to their partner "Shall we get 2 of these, or do you think one is enough?" or "Oh, this one's got mushrooms!" There's only so much fake excitement you can put into your voice when you're trying to sell the line "Oh, this one's got mushrooms!". Instead of solving their problem it is like a big sign appears over their head saying "Ahh, you're annoying me. Where did we go wrong?"

I get some milk and beer and head for frozen foods. Today's a day where Ben and Jerry's is certainly called for. Preferably Cookie Dough, half way through contemplating how big a tub I need I turn the corner to find a young girl staring at the Ben and Jerry's, her boyfriend spooning her from behind. He's trying to sound really interested in the conversation she's having about the merits of the differant types of Ben and Jerry's. Nibbling the back of her neck. Damn.... I really need Ben and Jerry's... I'll need to go a circuit of the shop and come back. 

Past the crisps aisle and the beer again, this time busy with a group of kids trying to work out which one of them looked the oldest, so they could by beer. Another suggesting that they try and get away with 'self scan'. I carry on, past the cleaning products and it suddenly jumps into my head. I need sink unblocker. Not really the reason I went to the store, but as I'm thier. Why not. 

Right, they must have finished in the ice-cream aisle by now, so I head back. They haven't. But they have moved on from the Ben and Jerry's section so I swoop the last big tub of Cookie Dough and make for the check outs. 

I just get beaten to a really good check out because one of the zombie's has managed to get thier trolley to block half the aisle and their ass to fill the rest. A brilliant skill which happens so often in the supermarket you'd think they were training people to do it. But, I'm getting distracted, where was I.

I make it to a check out which is facing the self scan. The spooning couple from earlier walking rather quickly past with a 2Litre tub of strawberry icecream, a big tub of Ben and Jerry's, huge bag of chocolate and crisps. They can't possibly be planning on eating all of that, so I'm guessing he couldn't wait any longer to get home and just grabbed anything in sight. 

I get served and asked for ID for the beer, which considering I'm 27 and you can drink here at 18 is a bit harsh. Normally this would be quite a complement, but the check out guy make it clear that he thought I was definitly over 25, but the computer randomly selected me for a check. (Yeah.. thanks for that. Like I wasn't feeling down enough before.) 

I pick up my bags and catch out of the corner of my eye the kids from the beer aisle just leaving the store with big grins on their faces...I'm guessing they weren't randomly selected for an ID check. 

With a flash back to the days when I used to attempt things like that... seeming soo long ago now. I leave the store feeling not only down but old as well. 

Oh well. Now I'm going to watch the film and devour my ice-cream. Hopefully that'll put me in a better mood. 

Night!