Walk in the Park, Foggy Glasses, and Giant Pick Up

After it snowed last week we tried to walk in the park but didn’t stay very long. I’d rather not break my neck on the ice or slip in the mud. This morning it was so much better, but the mud remained. So we stayed on the more habitable paths. What was curious were tiny little snowbird creatures that someone fashioned. I’m sure there were more but I happened to notice only two. One had a beak and a little hat. There is usually some article of lost clothing. This time was a pair of blue gloves stuck in the branches. I wonder if anyone really ever finds their lost gloves or hats again? Of course there are always dog walkers. Every time I see a pooch I am reminded of our beautiful Borzoi Tatiana and the painting I still need to get done for someone before the end of the week. I’m getting really tired of foggy glasses. It makes it very difficult to focus on taking photos, but also it’s very difficult just to see. While we were out walking we got our email notice that the groceries were ready for curbside pick up at Giant. So the morning was full of activity and there is still the bed making and wash to do. It’s the never ending cycle of staying at home these last nine months. You’d never know it was Christmas week. 

Giant Grocery Curbside Pickup

Grocery shopping for us has changed. I never liked grocery shopping anyway. Since March we have been ordering on line to have our groceries delivered to our door rather than go inside a store. Primarily we use the neighbors Giant, but have also tried Instacart. What I like about ordering through the store is that store employees are processing the order rather than any individual who does the shopping which can be hit and miss. This month we decided to try curbside pick up starting with Safeway, last week Harris Teeter, and yesterday Giant. Each place has its positives and negatives. Harris Teeter had covered parking, my favorite angel food cake, and an app that you can request special items and make comments about specificities on items, but paper bags are used where we prefer plastic to reuse. Safeway has outdoor spaces marked, plastic bags, our favorite bread, but once you complete your order you can’t update it if you forgot something. Giant allows you to update your order, is only three blocks away, has outdoor spaces with signage that says no tipping, and paper bags. We had a snafu with Harris Teeter which delayed pickup for 45 minutes, but the attention we got was extremely professional from Simone to fix it. It’s also the furthest location from us. Safeway was straight forward without any problems. Giant gave us a case of water bottles that we didn’t order and didn’t have cucumbers, but the process was fine. All in all, picking up groceries works quite well and gives us an opportunity to get out of the house aside from our morning walks. It’s nice to know we have so many options. A new Wegman’s will be opening next month. After it’s been open for a while we might give it a try it. It’s rare to get everything on the list from any of the stores, but for the most part it works quite well. 

Safeway Grocery Pickup

Since March we have been getting our groceries delivered. I don’t feel comfortable going in to the store as we are in the “at risk” category. Primarily we use Giant, and have tried Instacart for Harris Teeter, Fresh Market, and Wegman’s. I prefer using the in store options rather than instacart. This week we decided to try a grocery pick up service. After paying for delivery fees and tips, it can get expensive on top of the inflated grocery prices. I’ve got all the apps on my phone now, including Safeway. We used to go to Safeway every Saturday because we love their bread. Since moving to Northern Virginia, Giant is just a couple of blocks away so we haven’t been to Safeway for a while. So I ordered up the groceries and picked a three o’clock pick up time. We received an email and text when it was ready and we drove to the store. Ironically, the Safeway near our house doesn’t have this service. When we arrived we pulled in to one of six spaces that were designated for pick up, called the phone number on the sign, and waited a few minutes. We opened our trunk and the groceries were dutifully placed. Since we can’t tip on line we gave the store personnel cash, which is a disadvantage over on line options. In the end it wasn’t such a bad idea, but if it was inclement weather it could get dicey. Pick up gives us another option for groceries. I’d like to try Harris Teeter because it looks like the only place that has angel food cake, aside from Fresh Market which is very expensive compared to the others. How things have changed since last year. I don’t like any of it.