***Grocery Store Rant***

[CaliforniaPeggy]

I normally enjoy grocery shopping....

However....

Recently, the machine where I grind my coffee beans has been acting up.......:mad:

I've had to get someone to come and fiddle with the damn thing, so it'll work...

Today was the last straw!

I did get it to work, after a fashion...

But when I was finally done, I had a moment of inspiration!

I dug a pad of paper out of my purse, and I wrote a note...

THIS MACHINE IS UNRELIABLE

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

And I stuck it on the coffee grinder!

:woohoo: :woohoo:


That'll show 'em.....:evilgrin:

[The Straight Story]

1. Was it made in China?

:rofl:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear Straight Story!

I have no idea, sweetie!

Wouldn't surprise me, though......

:rofl:

[Critters2]

2. My dear CalPeggy

I'm thinkin' a little less caffeine might not be a bad thing. Just sayin'.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear mycritters2!

I only drink coffee after breakfast, and one mug at that!

I've just had it with those people!

After several visits with the same outcome, I guarantee you that you would be pissed off too....

:hi:

[Clintonista2]

4. that reminds me of

the vending machine at my works break room. It constantly takes your money, and it has about 100 sticky notes on it saying "This machine owes so-and-so 1$"

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear Lirwin2!

I've heard the horror stories about vending machines.....:scared:

[Mz Pip]

5. I do that

to parking meters all the time. :evilgrin:

Mz Pip
:dem:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. My dear Mz Pip!

Good for you, sweetie!

*high five!*

:evilgrin:

[DS1]

7. Heh, I went searching in the archives for a rant I'd written about grocery shopping

I couldn't find it, but I did find this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2661007


That was a trip

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear DS1!

Oh, great thread!

Thanks for sharing it tonight.......:toast:

[PeaceNikki]

15. I think I dated the guy referenced in your story.

:shudder:

[The Straight Story]

9. I wrote a note like that once and placed it on my X

:rofl:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. My dear Straight Story!

You didn't!

No wonder she's your X!

:rofl:

[The Straight Story]

21. I can't help but joke about her :) She passed on twp years ago July 4th

And at times, to her credit, she had just as sick and twisted sense of humor as I do :)

Lord knows what notes she would have stuck on me! She has a head start though, when I pass through those pearly gates I fully expect to have to wade through sticky notes she has waiting on me! :rofl:

[lost-in-nj]

11. I really hate the fact

I have to grind my own friggin coffee grinds.....

just sell me my coffee!!!!!!!

:hug: to Peggy


lost

[CaliforniaPeggy]

18. My dear lost...

I actually enjoy doing the beans myself....

They smell good!

And then I take the coffee home, and put it in the freezer...

And we use it as needed...

Thanks for the hug, sweetie......Here's one for you::hug:

[some guy]

31. mmmm

fresh-ground, frozen coffee beans. :rofl:



It strikes me that whatever freshness is gained by grinding your own beans is lost in the freezing process.

(Sorry, I'm not laughing at you, just struck me as funny - we're a weird society.)

:hide:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

32. Actually, freezing the ground coffee is a reliable way

to preserve the freshness indefinitely! Or nearly indefinitely!

We keep a small tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator to use daily...

It works!

Honest!

:pals:

[liberaltrucker]

13. Give 'em hell, Peggy!

:applause:

:loveya:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

20. My dear liberaltrucker!

Ah, you know I am!

My husband says I'm just getting more and more radical as I get older!

:woohoo: :woohoo:

:loveya:

[Generic Brad]

16. Market that on a sticker

You may actually make money on it. I would love to post that at every self check out station at the stores I frequent.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. My dear Generic Brad!

Now there's another good idea!

I'd make millions!

Hmmm.........

Thanks!

:rofl:

[Left Is Write]

17. I swear I thought I was going to see the F word in there.

:D

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. My dear Left Is Write!

You mean on my note?

Naaah....

I wanted it to stay up a little while anyway!

:rofl:

[Left Is Write]

28. LOL! No, I meant in your post.

[Scooter24]

19. What kills me are those people

that bring huuuuuuuuugh!! baskets full of groceries to the self-checkouts. The other day I went to the store to buy some super glue and went through the self-checkout. Only got one item! I scanned it- BEEEEEEP! The computer prompted for assistance for an age check. No problem, I wait and look over to see the one person assigned to watch the self-checkout area helping a woman bag her groceries. She had two freakin' buggies full. GRRR! :grr: :grr:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. My dear Scooter24...

I haven't used those yet.....

I hear ya, though!

:hug:

[Scooter24]

27. They're pretty handy when you only have a few items

like a few essentials. Most of the time I can scan, bag, and pay a lot faster than some of the cashiers.

:hug:

[LeftyFingerPop]

25. Good job!!

:hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

26. My dear philboy!

Thanks, sweetie!

:hug:

[WCGreen]

29. Those freakin' goll dern contraptions...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

30. I mean, REALLY!

Can't live with them.....and now I can't live without them......:banghead:

[KitchenWitch]

33. Hey, I have a grinder at home!

Love the fresh grind in the morning!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. My dear KitchenWitch!

I've thought (until now, anyway!) that the home machines were less reliable!

Maybe not, hey? :rofl:

[KitchenWitch]

37. I love mine

Here it is:



http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/cgi-bin/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/38/prrfnbr/1295/Custom-Grindandtrade-Coffee-Grinder

[CaliforniaPeggy]

38. Looks cool!

[KitchenWitch]

39. It is, and it comes apart so you can through the grind cup and cover

into the dishwasher - so it can be used to grind spices as well.

[Lionel Mandrake]

42. Do you have hearing loss from it yet?

Or is it so quiet that you have to check to see if you turned it off? ;)

[KitchenWitch]

43. Not quiet but only needs to run for about 30 seconds!

;)

I have hearing loss from all the rock concerts I went to in the 1970s and 1980s!

:headbang:

[Richard Steele]

40. They really make the best coffee, you know!

Fresh ground, 30 seconds before brewing- it's hard to beat!

Mine must be "reliable"; It's waaaay older than KitchenWitch's!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

41. But but but...

If I'd had one of those...

There wouldn't have been a reason for my thread tonight! :cry:

[KitchenWitch]

44. Yeah, my old one somehow did not make the trip out here

it still worked but probably got put in the "goodwill" box and not the kitchen box - thus I had to buy a new one.

[Inchworm]

35. Make em all think :)

"You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick... and can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's restaurant and walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_7C0QGkiVo

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

36. My dear Inchworm...

You got it!

I hope it made someone think.......

Who knows?

And Alice's Restaurant?

Great song!

I love love love Arlo!

Great song, and great movie too....

Thanks for the link, sweetie... :hug:

[Major Hogwash]

45. Hahahaha - you must've been in my store recently!

There were all sorts of notes on machines and shelves all over the local Albertson's here. And they were all written on sticky notepads, all in the same handwriting.

"This machine is out of order." - that was on the water refill dispenser.
"This shelf is too narrow for these boxes." - that was on a shelf for kitty chow.
"These do not belong in the frozen vegetables section." - on a pile of frozen pizzas.

I thought to myself, my gawd, grandma's been here.
She used to do that kind of thing all the time.
Like she was the quality control inspector or something.
What was weird was the store managers appreciated her doing it!!

Glad to see someone else is "on the job."

Ooh-rah!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

46. My dear Major Hogwash!

What a great story!

I love it...

My store is a spiffy newly remodeled Ralphs....No notes anywhere!

Except mine!

Thanks for the kind words......:hug:

[ironflange]

47. You are a wild woman, Peggy

If you're not careful, next thing you know you'll be sitting there at Guantanamo Bay.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

48. My dear ironflange!

Hoo, baby, but you did make me laugh!

I don't think putting notes on defective coffee grinders will get me into Gitmo!

At least, I hope not!:scared:

[Missy Vixen]

49. Just don't leave a note that the coffee grinder

is obviously al Qaida! :woohoo: :scared:

My dear CaliforniaPeggy, I feel your pain. I was at Trader Joe's this afternoon. I want someone to explain to me why they MUST have one entire aisle of chocolate. Isn't this aiding the evildoers or something?

Julie

[blondie58]

50. aw, come on JulieRB- what is wrong with an entire aisle of chocolate?

there are so many decisions to make. Tasty milk or healthy dark? Nuts or raisins? Traditional Swiss or a brand made in the good old U.S.A.

If everyone ate more chocolate, I can see a calmer, more peaceful world. Yep, everyone with their endorphins raised by the chocolate.

I am sorry, but I am a little biased when it comes to chocolate. On my first trip to Europe, I had to buy a new suitcase to bring home all of my chocolate purchases in. Well, that and my Italian shoes!

As for you, Miss Peggy- all that I can say is desperate times call for desperate measures. And at least you didn't take a hammer and hurt that machine. There are many who would have used pure brutal force in such a situation. But you, California Peggy- have class.

[Missy Vixen]

65. There were four women in that aisle for almost half an hour yesterday!

I was one of them ;-). Of course, Trader Joe's has an excellent selection, and I was riveted.

>Yep, everyone with their endorphins raised by the chocolate.<

It would be a beautiful thing, wouldn't it? :rofl:

>And at least you didn't take a hammer and hurt that machine.<

We live 30 miles outside of Seattle. I'm sure none of us can imagine the levels of violence that would be visited on a bean grinder HERE that did not work!

:hug:
Julie

[Bullwinkle925]

51. Miss CP . . .

Hey - since you enjoy freshly ground coffee - check out this website . . .


Best. Damned. Coffee. Ever. They only sell whole beans - grind 'em yourself for each cup/pot of coffee that you want. That's what they do in their kiosk - every cup of coffee is fresly ground! If you get up to SF - make sure you stop by one of their kiosks for a cuppa.

www.bluebottlecoffee.net

[CaliforniaPeggy]

56. My dear Bullwinkle925....

I'll check it out, and thanks!

I've resisted (so far, anyhow) buying any more kitchen gadgets....

We'll see!

:hi:

[Bullwinkle925]

68. Order a bag of beans . . .

a grinder won't take much space!

:evilgrin:

[TommyO]

52. Maybe it's time to get a good burr grinder for use at home

Yes, it's yet another kitchen gadget, but coffee is best ground just before use.



I'm looking at them now, and seriously considering the KitchenAid grinder pictured above, though at $200 it's not an impulse purchase.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

57. My dear TommyO...

It most definitely isn't an impulse purchase!

We've always been happy with the quality of coffee that I grind at the store....

We'll see...

:hi:

[Pierre.Suave]

53. Why not

Just buy a grinder and whole beans, then just grind what you need, when you need it. Best coffee ever.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=725&f=14629

or

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=725&f=2138

this one would be my choice:

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=725&f=7931

[CaliforniaPeggy]

58. My dear jasonc!

Well........that's a thought!

I'll check out your links, and thank you!

:hi:

[Pierre.Suave]

59. you are always welcome

California Peggy

[MrsMatt]

73. We've had the Krups grinder

in your first link for darn near 18 years (the case was originally white, and is now mellowed to a warm yellow) and it still works like a champ for us every single day.

[Pierre.Suave]

76. yeah

my parents have had one for an inordinate amount of time as well. It is a good piece of kit.

[BlueJazz]

54. The next time you go into the store, put a few nuts and bolts....

...in the grinder.
They'll HAVE to fix it then... :evilgrin:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

60. My dear BlueJazz!

Ooooh, now that's wicked!

:evilgrin:

[NashVegas]

55. Buy Your Own for Goodness Sakes!

And then you can grind up your own nuts & spices, too!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

61. My dear Crisco!

Well, I could do that!

But then what could I have ranted about? :shrug:


:hi:

[NashVegas]

62. Having to Clean Nut Oil Out of Your Grinder

When it comes time :)

Hint - I wouldn't try making peanut butter in it.

[skygazer]

63. You know why that is, don't you?

As someone who works in a grocery store, I do.

The coffee grinding machine gets put in the store, along with the photo machine and the gumball machine and the copy machine "for our customer's convenience."

All of them are serviced by different companies, none of whom come out to service them when they're supposed to. We are not allowed to use any other company to service them and when you call the company and tell them to get their butts in and service the machine, they tell you, "We're not scheduled to service your machine until September 3, 2025."

You then have to send a Form B475 to the Vending Machine Coordinator's office at corporate headquarters requesting early servicing of your coffee grinding machine. They in turn will reply 18 months later and inform you that Form B475 is not longer the correct form and you now have to submit a Form H722 to cancel the B475 as well as a Form P839 which will clear your file of the error. You also have to file a Form RW628 in triplicate which is the new correct form, a T838 which expedites processing of all forms and a CX733 which no one knows the purpose of. If all these forms are correctly filled out, you will hear back from us in approximately 12 years with a determination on your case.

And that's why the coffee grinder doesn't work. :P

[CaliforniaPeggy]

66. My dear skygazer!

Oh my god.....this is too damn funny!

And I am sure this is not too far from the actual truth!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

:rofl: :rofl:

[Ikonoklast]

75. They also don't work when little old ladies try to

Grind up a one pound bar of chocolate in it. Clogged the machine right up.
When asked why she did it, she said that the chips for baking were too expensive.

You should try working in a grocery store someday. The insanity is never-ending.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

77. My dear Ikonoklast!

Oh. My. God.

I believe you!

I'll pass on working in one, thank you!

:wtf:

[rug]

64. Time to go back to your anger management class.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

67. My dear rug...

*sigh*

I guess you're right...

Damn right! :grr:

[mulsh]

69. we no longer have in store coffee grinders here

in Oakland. I guess they just don't trust us with sharp implements.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

71. My dear mulsh...

That is too bad...

They probably don't!

:hug:

[UrbScotty]

70. You tell 'em, my dear CaliforniaPeggy!

Sometimes you got to shame people into doing the right thing, be it grocery store management or elected officials!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

72. My dear ih8thegop!

Well, I told them...

But I doubt that it took!

You never know, though...I can always hope...

I'd hate to have to buy my coffee anywhere else...

It is so damn convenient!

:hi:

[MissMillie]

74. I hate grocery shopping.... everything about it

most especially that other people don't seem to realize that they're not the only people in the store. They'll pull up along side another shopper blocking the aisle off completely. Or you could be standing to the side looking across the aisle at something and they'll pull up next to you and stand right in front of what it is you're looking at.

I do my best to stay out of people's way. I can't be the only person in the store who has any self-awareness whatsoever.

oh, and who the hell teaches people how to bag groceries?

And why is it that the international aisle has pre-packaged soups w/ rice noodles, but no packages of just rice noodles?

and how come the bean sprouts always look anemic?

If you can get hot dogs at the deli and you can just buy one or two, why can't you just buy one or two hot dog rolls at the bakery?

And how come when I park so far away from everyone else I always come out of the store to find a shopping cart up against my car?

I hate grocery shopping

[CaliforniaPeggy]

78. My dear MissMillie...

I am so sorry....

I can tell you hate it...

I would too, if all those things happened to me...

:hug: