Everyone was so crabby in the grocery store today

[marbel]

Well, almost everyone. 

But there we all were, preparing for a big holiday dinner, and nearly everyone's grumpy.  People pushing past each other in the aisles, not giving people time to choose their apples or sweet potatoes, glaring at anyone who stops to check their list.  Now, there was one thing that made me a little annoyed (though I did not glare at anyone): a woman whose kid was pushing the little mini cart behind her. I love the mini-carts for kids but not on a day when the store is packed, aisles are crowded, and everyone is in a bad mood.  

I had some nice (brief!) exchanges with stockers who were maneuvering through the crowds trying to keep the shelves full of things people want to buy. They were in good moods - or feigning them at least.  (I work in customer service, so I know how to fake it too.) People were bitching that they were in the way too.  OK, how do you think that cranberry sauce gets on that shelf?!

Really, I wonder, why bother then?  Why paw angrily through the frozen turkeys if you don't really want one?  Or why wait if you needed a specific size?  Just skip it and eat pizza! 

Not a JAWM, just feeling a little unsettled after seeing so much anger in the store today as we (US folks) prepare for a day set aside for giving thanks.

[Kassia]

I had a woman try to pick a fight with me while I was in line at Walmart the other day.  Unbelievable.  

[Annie G]

I shop early on Friday mornings and I was probably the crabby one yesterday. The stockers had their carts blocking stuff I needed to get and didn’t offer to move when they saw me struggling to reach something. And then there were a TON of people who were chatting with friends and blocking the aisle in both directions. And ignoring me when I said ‘excuse me’.  And then a lady and a man on the motorized carts rammed me from behind. I was stopped on the right side of an aisle to pick up a box of cereal and the woman didn’t stop so she rammed the guy who then rammed me. Not a word of apology. So yeah, I fess up- I was pretty crabby by the time I hit the checkout. I got in the line for my favorite cashier who is fast and packs groceries well. And she went on break after she finished the person in front of me and I got the chatty trainee (who did fine, but sheesh). 

But I agree- it’s holiday time and people should be grateful for how blessed we are. Me included. 

[Liz CA]

I have been thinking about this in general. Holidays are now typically categorized as stressful. This used to be a time of year people were looking forward to. When I was a kid (must have been a long time ago) people seemed more relaxed and happier during the holiday season.

But now, everything seems stressful. Relationships with extended family can be stressful, getting the food, preparing and cooking the food is work. The constant push by media for the perfect holiday table, the perfect family, the perfect body (lose weight before the holidays), get the perfect gift for everyone (and overspend) and who knows what else, appears to be making us tired and crabby. I am on a quest to find ways to cut out the background noise and just do everything a day at a time.

I suppose seeing people near me who just lost everything in a raging fire and are camping at a Walmart parking lot puts things a little in perspective for me. Sometimes I mull too much. ?

[Bluegoat]

9 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

I have been thinking about this in general. Holidays are now typically categorized as stressful. This used to be a time of year people were looking forward to. When I was a kid (must have been a long time ago) people seemed more relaxed and happier during the holiday season.

But now, everything seems stressful. Relationships with extended family can be stressful, getting the food, preparing and cooking the food is work. The constant push by media for the perfect holiday table, the perfect family, the perfect body (lose weight before the holidays), get the perfect gift for everyone (and overspend) and who knows what else, appears to be making us tired and crabby. I am on a quest to find ways to cut out the background noise and just do everything a day at a time.

I suppose seeing people near me who just lost everything in a raging fire and are camping at a Walmart parking lot puts things a little in perspective for me. Sometimes I mull too much. ?

 

I think maybe there was always some of the stress around getting a dinner out and extended family shenanigans.  But I do wonder about the whole "make a perfect holiday" thing with decorations and amazing food etc.

I also wonder, in the US, if it might be in part that people at Thanksgiving are starting to feel Christmas stress?  Thinking about costs related, getting shopping done, and all that.  Since our Thanksgiving is a little earlier, people aren't quite in that zone yet, and it's usually a pretty low-key holiday.  I think the stress around CHristmas has really increased over the years.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Bluegoat

[Arcadia]

2 minutes ago, Liz CA said:

I have been thinking about this in general. Holidays are now typically categorized as stressful. This used to be a time of year people were looking forward to. When I was a kid (must have been a long time ago) people seemed more relaxed and happier during the holiday season.

 

When I was a kid in the 70s, relatives crowd the kitchen to cook for everyone during family gatherings. My aunts and aunts-in-laws despite their differences gets along very well in the kitchen. One of my uncles has a big outdoor/backyard and indoor kitchen in his home so plenty of space to cook.

Now kitchens are smaller and my cousins choose to cater for family gatherings to minimize the stress even though they are very good cooks. Pagers, cellphones and emails was when work creep into family gatherings for my age peer group. Bosses might call for my parents generation but that’s strictly work emergency calls. Emails make work 24/7/365 in a way and smartphones make it easier to stay connected to emails. Before smartphones, my boss would page me on my alphanumeric pager to check my email if it’s urgent. I had two bosses who would talk about work during Christmas and New Year, it was exhausting.

As a kid, my area was mainly light industries like Texas Instruments, Seagate, Micron and these factories shut down from Christmas to New Year. By the time I graduated from college in the 90s, factory shutdown for Christmas break was rare. It no longer was an automatic no pay leave for Christmas break but people have to apply for leave if they want to drive long distance home to extended family. One of my boss would say that those local try not to apply leave so that those employees whose families are six hours drive away can go back home.

[freesia]

I think everyone is on edge in general in the US right now.  Politics is producing a lot of anger from both sides (and I say this as someone whose extended family has always gotten in huge political arguments--now we all pretty much agree-wonder of wonders--but the general country-no.) Put downs and attacks are common place everywhere.

Then we've had the fires and hurricanes. These can bring us together and put things in perspective, but they are also stressful to live through and to watch.

And that's not even touching the mass shootings.

So, it doesn't surprise me at all that there is less patience and more rudeness in the stores.  People are already on edge. Someone taking 3 seconds too long to choose an apple is enough to send people over.

[Mbelle]

I was at the grocery last week and a woman was coming down the wrong side of the aisle, blasting at everyone.  I just moved out of the way too because it's stupid argument to pick but I really felt like ramming her buggy!! LOL

Yes, Thanksgiving used to be my absolute favorite holiday.  Love it so much.  

Now we need to keep anything remotely to do with politics out of the conversation.   Also my bro is bringing his new woman and  probably gonna be wife #3.  I only met her once and she started talking abou the "correct" baby sleep methods that are controversial and that we never practiced in our home. LOL  We decided we are going with no comments about anything except football, the weather and shopping. 

[scholastica]

You make me glad I decided to go after dinner tonight. I know it will be less crowded then. I was thinking about this the other day. The whole notion of the holiday season being something to survive. The local news was touting their morning newscast's "Holiday Survival Guide". It makes me sad. 

 

[Tanaqui]

Quote

I have been thinking about this in general. Holidays are now typically categorized as stressful. This used to be a time of year people were looking forward to. When I was a kid (must have been a long time ago) people seemed more relaxed and happier during the holiday season.

 

I bet if we went and asked your kids now, they'd say that they're looking forward to the holidays and everybody is so happy, it's so much fun to see everybody and get gifts and eat a big meal.

Because they're kids. They're not the ones cleaning the house, buying these groceries, planning this meal (possibly with lots of emails back and forth about who brings what and whether or not alcohol is okay and what time to have it and at whose house), cooking the food, managing the relatives who both insist on coming but hate each other's guts, budgeting for the gifts, getting judged by Grandma, and doing all this on top of a full day's work.

Their job is just to sit back, relax, and make handprint turkeys.

Everything was great when I was a kid! My biggest worry on Thanksgiving was how many slices of pie I was allowed and whether or not I could politely decline my dad's famous stuffing. And you can bet my parents worked hard to make sure that we didn't have any adult worries creeping in.

[Liz CA]

19 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

 

I bet if we went and asked your kids now, they'd say that they're looking forward to the holidays and everybody is so happy, it's so much fun to see everybody and get gifts and eat a big meal.

Because they're kids. They're not the ones cleaning the house, buying these groceries, planning this meal (possibly with lots of emails back and forth about who brings what and whether or not alcohol is okay and what time to have it and at whose house), cooking the food, managing the relatives who both insist on coming but hate each other's guts, budgeting for the gifts, getting judged by Grandma, and doing all this on top of a full day's work.

Their job is just to sit back, relax, and make handprint turkeys.

Everything was great when I was a kid! My biggest worry on Thanksgiving was how many slices of pie I was allowed and whether or not I could politely decline my dad's famous stuffing. And you can bet my parents worked hard to make sure that we didn't have any adult worries creeping in.

 

This is likely part of the perspective, however, 20 years ago I was already an adult with kid and home and I don't remember feeling so frazzled and other adults seemed more relaxed as well. I suppose I just like to blame the media onslaught of suggestions of how things ought to be. 

[73349]

Hmm. DH went and gave blood today and said the donation center was unusually empty. I bet a lot of the people in a jammed grocery store would feel better if they had an hour when they could sit down and do something generous.

I did find the holidays stressful as a kid, and try to keep them low-key now. Maybe DS will grow up into someone who will try to make Christmas the Most Magical Thing Ever in response.

[lavender's green]

When I was a teen I had a job in a grocery store. I usually worked Wednesday evenings, and that particular year had Christmas and New Years on Thursday, so I had to work on the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. Yikes, were people crabby.

 

[SamanthaCarter]

I’m sure it’s the perfectionism. 

However, I went to Walmart and Kroger at about noon today and while busy, people were genial and understanding of each other. I might have seen crabby to some because my 9 year old came along, insisted on pushing the cart and slowly browsing the store. I was having some trouble being patient. 

[fairfarmhand]

2 hours ago, Liz CA said:

I have been thinking about this in general. Holidays are now typically categorized as stressful. This used to be a time of year people were looking forward to. When I was a kid (must have been a long time ago) people seemed more relaxed and happier during the holiday season.

But now, everything seems stressful. Relationships with extended family can be stressful, getting the food, preparing and cooking the food is work. The constant push by media for the perfect holiday table, the perfect family, the perfect body (lose weight before the holidays), get the perfect gift for everyone (and overspend) and who knows what else, appears to be making us tired and crabby. I am on a quest to find ways to cut out the background noise and just do everything a day at a time.

I suppose seeing people near me who just lost everything in a raging fire and are camping at a Walmart parking lot puts things a little in perspective for me. Sometimes I mull too much. ?

ME TOO!

[Ali in OR]

I went to 3 grocery stores today with my wheelchair kid in tow. It was busy but friendly everywhere. Got into friendly chats with clerks, stockers, and a fellow shopper trying to also find a 14 lb turkey in a bin of 12 pounders. And no one complained when I blocked access to stuff with a wheelchair in front of me and a cart behind. But Oregon's a pretty friendly place.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Ali in OR

[Guest]

I think this was me today, though. I wasn’t happy to be at Costco and I would not have needed to go there today if the last time I had attempted to go (before Halloween), the store had not been patently preposterous. It was pretty preposterous today, even, but even so, I heard the free sample lady telling a customer it will be worse, much worse, the whole next week. 

Also, I was not able to get canned cherries at any of three stores, so I might have to make an alternative pie and ruin my SIL’s entire world. Also - incongruently - I couldn’t find canned bean sprouts and water chestnuts, either. Do a lot of people make mediocre Chinese food right before Thanksgiving? Lol. 

[hjffkj]

I always make it a point to smile a lot more when I'm at the grocery store around the holidays.  All the negativity can easily suck you into it as well even if you were in a great mood prior to stepping foot in the store.  So, I smile and chat with anyone who starts a conversation.  Since implementing this, it has made shopping much more enjoyable.  Although, dh is doing the shopping right now for our Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow.  He chose it over cleaning.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, peacelovehomeschooling said:

I know nothing about this (i do not like pie), but could you use frozen cherries in the pie?  Maybe let them thaw first?  Just a thought in case it may work?

? I don’t know. I might be afraid to try that; I am exceptionally picky about the cherries and use only one brand. I was leaning towards making Pecan Pie instead. I just usually dont because I dont like it and find it too sweet. But it is one of dh’s favorites. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Heartwood said:

OP, sorry you had a bad experience. 

Now here's my plug for small town grocers :).

I went to our local grocery store late yesterday afternoon to pick up items for Thanksgiving and every day eating. I barely stepped in before I ran into a friend that I hadn't seen for a long time. We chatted it up for quite awhile (we positioned ourselves so people could still get carts and move around us) and then drifted apart to do our shopping. Shoppers seemed pleasant enough to me as well as the owner, cashiers, and sackers. People know each other. I also think it's harder to be rude in small towns when the likelihood of crossing paths with that person again is pretty high. 

Our grocery stores also have the sackers carry your bags to your car. I love it. 

I have been considering quitting Costco for a couple of years now. Today really had me considering it heavily. It’s such a mob-ville. And it makes me think of how excessive we are as a society. 

[Tree Frog]

15 minutes ago, Quill said:

I think this was me today, though. I wasn’t happy to be at Costco and I would not have needed to go there today if the last time I had attempted to go (before Halloween), the store had not been patently preposterous. It was pretty preposterous today, even, but even so, I heard the free sample lady telling a customer it will be worse, much worse, the whole next week. 

Also, I was not able to get canned cherries at any of three stores, so I might have to make an alternative pie and ruin my SIL’s entire world. Also - incongruently - I couldn’t find canned bean sprouts and water chestnuts, either. Do a lot of people make mediocre Chinese food right before Thanksgiving? Lol. 

As an aside, I've looked for cherry pie recipes that use something other than canned cherry pie filling and haven't really found anything. Cherry is DH's favorite pie. Would you share your recipe (and the kind of cherries you use?)

[Kanin]

I always bring something to read just in case I'm stuck in a long line somewhere. It helps to make me less crabby, especially at the post office ? 

[Annie G]

7 minutes ago, wilrunner said:

As an aside, I've looked for cherry pie recipes that use something other than canned cherry pie filling and haven't really found anything. Cherry is DH's favorite pie. Would you share your recipe (and the kind of cherries you use?)

I use tart cherries - we can get them locally grown. But if you buy them, they are usually frozen or canned/jarred packed in water.  I add sugar, water, corn starch.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, wilrunner said:

As an aside, I've looked for cherry pie recipes that use something other than canned cherry pie filling and haven't really found anything. Cherry is DH's favorite pie. Would you share your recipe (and the kind of cherries you use?)

Sure. This is basically the recipe I use from my Reader’s Digest Downhome Cooking cookbook. I don’t do my crust the way this recipe says; I use a bottom crust and a top. Sometimes for holidays, I do a lattice top crust. I use three cans of Oregon Dark Sweet Cherries. I drain them but reserve the juice; sometimes it is a little too dry and I want the cornstarch to make a cherry “sauce”. 

True confession: when I was pregnant with #2, I would sometimes make this cherry filling and would stand there in the kitchen, eating the filling out of the saucepan! 

[MrsMommy]

5 hours ago, marbel said:

Well, almost everyone. 

But there we all were, preparing for a big holiday dinner, and nearly everyone's grumpy.  People pushing past each other in the aisles, not giving people time to choose their apples or sweet potatoes, glaring at anyone who stops to check their list.  Now, there was one thing that made me a little annoyed (though I did not glare at anyone): a woman whose kid was pushing the little mini cart behind her. I love the mini-carts for kids but not on a day when the store is packed, aisles are crowded, and everyone is in a bad mood.  

I had some nice (brief!) exchanges with stockers who were maneuvering through the crowds trying to keep the shelves full of things people want to buy. They were in good moods - or feigning them at least.  (I work in customer service, so I know how to fake it too.) People were bitching that they were in the way too.  OK, how do you think that cranberry sauce gets on that shelf?!

Really, I wonder, why bother then?  Why paw angrily through the frozen turkeys if you don't really want one?  Or why wait if you needed a specific size?  Just skip it and eat pizza! 

Not a JAWM, just feeling a little unsettled after seeing so much anger in the store today as we (US folks) prepare for a day set aside for giving thanks.

Were you shopping at my store this morning? Because the bolded could have been me. We were at Walmart, and I was searching through all of the turkeys, trying to find one bigger than 16 pounds (usually, I try to find a 23-24 pound bird, because we LOVE leftovers). And I did get agitated at one point, because I couldn't believe that there was literally nothing bigger than 16. I didn't go shopping earlier, though, because I broke my ankle two weeks ago, and today is the first day I really feel human again. The only angry people I saw were the ones who didn't think I was moving fast enough on my knee scooter, but I did my best. But I'm not giving up one of our favorite holidays and making pizza just because I did something clumsy!

In general, I think most shoppers were fairly pleasant when I was out today. There was a bit of a to-do in the stuffing aisle, because they were out of everything but cornbread stuffing, and multiple shoppers were confused, and certain there must have been more somewhere else in the store (there wasn't). But all in all, it was one of the more efficient Thanksgiving shopping trips I can remember!

[marbel]

32 minutes ago, MrsMommy said:

Were you shopping at my store this morning? Because the bolded could have been me. We were at Walmart, and I was searching through all of the turkeys, trying to find one bigger than 16 pounds (usually, I try to find a 23-24 pound bird, because we LOVE leftovers).

<snip>

Ha! Clearly not, because I had a hard time finding anything less than 22#. I was looking for a 12-16 pounder myself.  I saw someone reject one that appeared to be the right size and I asked the woman if we could switch sides so I could get that one, and she just sighed heavily and sort of flung it at me.  Not really flung, you know, a bit of hyperbole, but she obviously didn't want that one and I did but she also didn't want to give up  her spot at the turkeys. I figured I was doing her a favor by getting out of the way!

Mine is 13.82#, just right for my family to have a token amount on the day and use the rest for sandwiches, enchiladas, and broth.

And, no, I don't think you are the kind of person I am thinking of. I don't expect you were pushy, and glaring at people, and sighing heavily and in a passive-aggressive manner when someone took an extra minute to locate the item they wanted.  There is a difference between general frustration at a situation, and specific frustration at people for being... people, kwim?

[Kassia]

56 minutes ago, Mainer said:

I always bring something to read just in case I'm stuck in a long line somewhere. It helps to make me less crabby, especially at the post office ? 

 

This is pretty much what caused the woman to pick a fight with me at Walmart.  She was behind me in a long line to check out and I was trying to fix my phone, which somehow got all locked up.  She was irritated that I was on my phone and told me I should "check my phone AFTER" I check out.  I was stunned because I wasn't holding anyone up.  The cashier was slow and the person ahead of me hadn't even started checking out yet.

 

[HollyDay]

There was nearly a fight in the hardware store today.  Yelling and name calling.  Dd and I quickly went in the opposite direction. 

Last year was the first year I noticed consistant rudeness in stores.  The odd grumpy person always shows up no matter the time of year.  But, last year was different.  And this year is more so.  I'm going back to online shopping

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, HollyDay said:

There was nearly a fight in the hardware store today.  Yelling and name calling.  Dd and I quickly went in the opposite direction. 

Last year was the first year I noticed consistant rudeness in stores.  The odd grumpy person always shows up no matter the time of year.  But, last year was different.  And this year is more so.  I'm going back to online shopping

? I wonder if online shopping is why we (society) are getting to be like this in the first place. 

[Annie G]

4 minutes ago, Kassia said:

 

This is pretty much what caused the woman to pick a fight with me at Walmart.  She was behind me in a long line to check out and I was trying to fix my phone, which somehow got all locked up.  She was irritated that I was on my phone and told me I should "check my phone AFTER" I check out.  I was stunned because I wasn't holding anyone up.  The cashier was slow and the person ahead of me hadn't even started checking out yet.

 

That kind of thing is so annoying. I’ve had people say things like that before.  So irritating. 

[MrsMommy]

15 minutes ago, marbel said:

Ha! Clearly not, because I had a hard time finding anything less than 22#. I was looking for a 12-16 pounder myself.  I saw someone reject one that appeared to be the right size and I asked the woman if we could switch sides so I could get that one, and she just sighed heavily and sort of flung it at me.  Not really flung, you know, a bit of hyperbole, but she obviously didn't want that one and I did but she also didn't want to give up  her spot at the turkeys. I figured I was doing her a favor by getting out of the way!

Mine is 13.82#, just right for my family to have a token amount on the day and use the rest for sandwiches, enchiladas, and broth.

And, no, I don't think you are the kind of person I am thinking of. I don't expect you were pushy, and glaring at people, and sighing heavily and in a passive-aggressive manner when someone took an extra minute to locate the item they wanted.  There is a difference between general frustration at a situation, and specific frustration at people for being... people, kwim?

No, the bolded definitely wasn't me. I did almost start crying in Walmart, though, because I realized that I would have to go to another store if I was going to find an adequate bird. Walmart was out of enough stuff that I also had to pick up at the other store that at least the trip was worth it, though! ?

[itsheresomewhere]

2 hours ago, Kassia said:

 

This is pretty much what caused the woman to pick a fight with me at Walmart.  She was behind me in a long line to check out and I was trying to fix my phone, which somehow got all locked up.  She was irritated that I was on my phone and told me I should "check my phone AFTER" I check out.  I was stunned because I wasn't holding anyone up.  The cashier was slow and the person ahead of me hadn't even started checking out yet.

 

I must have met her earlier this week.  We were on vacation and waiting in line.  Lady starts demanding that I move out of the line and let her go first as she has a child.  I guess my kids with me don’t count.Thank goodness I live with teen and tweens so I used my ignore hearing.  Then the lady left the line to complain to her DH about me not moving.  It was funny. 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by itsheresomewhere

[hjffkj]

Dh came home from the grocery store and forgot pie crusts and eggs.  Poor man had to go back in that mess. Meanwhile, I'm cleaning like crazy. This is the first time we've ever hosted Thanksgiving.

[Junie]

I ordered groceries online and sent dh to the store to pick them up.  ?

My arthritis is really acting up today.  I've been grumpy without going to any stores.  

 

On the topic of cherry pie:

I don't make pie because of a wheat allergy and arthritis.  It just isn't worth the effort.  I just buy pies at the store and occasionally dh will make me a gluten-free pie. 

However, cherry pies are difficult/impossible to buy because two of my girls are allergic to red food coloring, which is found in almost all cherry pie filling.

A few years ago, my father-in-law caught wind of the fact that the girls wanted cherry pie and he made a pie from scratch, using fresh cherries.

I nearly cried for joy.  It was such a beautiful gift.

[KungFuPanda]

I just left Trader Joe's and it was crowded, but not Thanksgiving Weekend Crowded. Nobody seemed grumpy or hostile.  Maybe the procrastinator/night owls are a more relaxed shopping crowd? Maybe we were all just influenced by the chill Hawaiian shirts? 

[alisoncooks]

I ordered groceries online tonight, and I'll pick them up on the way home from church tomorrow. Fingers crossed they have everything in stock, so I don't have to actually go in a store. *shudder* ;)

[Selkie]

I went to Natural Grocers and everyone there seemed to be in a good mood. It was great. I have to pick up a few things at Walmart, though and that is always a nightmare. I'm thinking of going super-early Monday morning to avoid the humanity.

[Faith-manor]

We reached a crisis point when family dinners became too much stress to host. When we were a young married couple, it seemed like the extended family was more well mannered, polite, kept the crazy to themselves. Everyone pitched in to put them on and then clean them up. Over time this became more and more my job along with my mother, and no one would help. It was an endless litany of how their lives were way more busy than mine, and how they deserved to have someone put on the holiday for them, but they couldn't contribute or help clean up or donate money- feeding a huge meal to twenty+  is expensive - etc. They'd sit around after the meal and yuck it up, while dh, myself, my kids, and I cleaned up after everyone. ON top of that, my brother's five kids and their spouses stopped getting along at some point and began being quite difficult to be around as a group. Then three years ago when we were going through the colossal horror with my father figure and mother, despite the fact that it was obvious I had more on my plate than I could possibly handle, they all wanted to know what kind of Thanksgiving  I was hosting for all of them. I snapped. I realized that Norman Rockwell is a dream from the past, that too many people are too selfish, to narcissistic to care about others enough to have an enjoyable, family event. So we ended them. The extended family is very angry with us. But, honestly, it just doesn't matter any more.

We are doing small, lovely little affairs with just my mother in law, our boys, dd and her hubby, and our grandson. That's it. My mom is going to my brother's house where she will listen to my sister in law whine and complain about how she should be waited on and not be cooking. But that's her choice. We offered to have her with us, but she felt since she eats every Sunday meal with us, that she should go there. That's fine.

I think that people need to let go of the Norman Rockwell thing, and also the "make everything just so" thing. Seriously, throw a turkey or ham in the oven, make a few sides, and tell everyone to bring their own table service which they will wash themselves. Keep it simple, serve it buffet style, and make a special proclamation that politics and religion are off limits. Anyone who brings up such a topic will be asked to leave. Those two things right there will make it go better. And I think it's very okay to tell the mean, selfish relatives that they aren't welcome to come.

OP, I get it. I had to go out and get a few things, and though it was an errand to only one store, I ended up coming home thinking, "How can I avoid being around the other humans in this community?"

[Ali in OR]

I'll have to do one more little trip Wednesday (hopefully early morning) for ice, spinach, grapes, a small pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and make another attempt at getting kosher salt for the turkey brine (they were out today). I'm making several other pies and trying a chocolate mousse cake so I'm saving a little work by buying the pumpkin pie that only my bil and I eat and the cheesecake that bil's family prefers to pie.

[Catwoman]

4 hours ago, Quill said:

I think this was me today, though. I wasn’t happy to be at Costco and I would not have needed to go there today if the last time I had attempted to go (before Halloween), the store had not been patently preposterous. It was pretty preposterous today, even, but even so, I heard the free sample lady telling a customer it will be worse, much worse, the whole next week. 

Also, I was not able to get canned cherries at any of three stores, so I might have to make an alternative pie and ruin my SIL’s entire world.

 

So basically, you’re saying that every cloud has a silver lining, right? ?

 

 

Edited November 18, 2018 by Catwoman
The quote posted weirdly! Fixed it!

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

 

So basically, you’re saying that every cloud has a silver lining, right? ?

 

 

If I really wanted to throw her into a tailspin, I could bring Pumpkin Pie, since she went out of her way to instruct me NOT to bring pumpkin. 

I could always say, “Reallly?! I thought you said to bring Pumpkin Pie.” 

[Catwoman]

5 minutes ago, Quill said:

If I really wanted to throw her into a tailspin, I could bring Pumpkin Pie, since she went out of her way to instruct me NOT to bring pumpkin. 

I could always say, “Reallly?! I thought you said to bring Pumpkin Pie.” 

 

DO IT!!!!!!!!!

[Arcadia]

8 minutes ago, Quill said:

If I really wanted to throw her into a tailspin, I could bring Pumpkin Pie, since she went out of her way to instruct me NOT to bring pumpkin. 

 

DS13 just bought pumpkin cheesecake from Trader Joe’s because it’s cheaper than buying at Whole Foods. 

Trader Joe’s was okay when we were there at 5:30pm. People were leisurely shopping.  Lots of turkey on the shelves too. There was a long car line at the Costco end of the same mall and the cars had difficulty getting out of the mall at the Costco exit.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Arcadia said:

 

DS13 just bought pumpkin cheesecake from Trader Joe’s because it’s cheaper than buying at Whole Foods. 

Trader Joe’s was okay when we were there at 5:30pm. People were leisurely shopping.  Lots of turkey on the shelves too. There was a long car line at the Costco end of the same mall and the cars had difficulty getting out of the mall at the Costco exit.

Mmm. That sounds yummy. If I both disobeyed instructions by bringing pumpkin and brought a purchased, non-homemade dessert, I think SIL’s face would melt off. ?

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Danae said:

 

That would be for the yucky version of green bean casserole, which people make for Thanksgiving.

Oooohhhh...*food snobbery alert* 

 

eww. 

[lulalu]

We are out of town this weekend. I am just hoping there is still stuff to buy by Tuesday! I have a lot to get! 

[lulalu]

4 hours ago, Quill said:

 Also - incongruently - I couldn’t find canned bean sprouts and water chestnuts, either. Do a lot of people make mediocre Chinese food right before Thanksgiving? Lol. 

My grandma did all the time! We are not an Asian family. Grandma the day before made mediocre Chinese food for as long as I knew her! Before Christmas too. She was never adventurous with food, that was about as far from meat and potatoes as she got. 

[Arcadia]

4 hours ago, Quill said:

 Also - incongruently - I couldn’t find canned bean sprouts and water chestnuts, either. Do a lot of people make mediocre Chinese food right before Thanksgiving? Lol. 

 

Canned cherries I could usually get at Smart & Final but I usually get the morello cherries in a jar (https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Morello-Cherries-Light-Syrup/dp/B00IC5PNXY) at Trader Joe’s for baking.

Water Chestnuts can be gotten at chinese or Vietnamese supermarkets. They are used for stir fry. I think Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken pack use them. Only my husband eats bean sprouts but we can usually find them at Grocery Outlet and other supermarkets.

I think people who don’t want to cook everything for Thanksgiving and want Chinese food would have ordered Panda Express catering or 99Ranch Thanksgiving package (https://www.99ranch.com/blog/2018/10/thanksgiving-meal-combos-2018) ?

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, lulalu said:

My grandma did all the time! We are not an Asian family. Grandma the day before made mediocre Chinese food for as long as I knew her! Before Christmas too. She was never adventurous with food, that was about as far from meat and potatoes as she got. 

I have this feeling, at the edges of my memory, that my mom did this, too. It seems like I remember getting those sad LaChoy fake chop soy type meals just before Thanksgiving and Christmas because she was already committed to cooking a lot of “real” food, so she wasn’t making some complicated dinner too. 

 

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Arcadia said:

 

Canned cherries I could usually get at Smart & Final but I usually get the morello cherries in a jar (https://www.amazon.com/Trader-Morello-Cherries-Light-Syrup/dp/B00IC5PNXY) at Trader Joe’s for baking.

Water Chestnuts can be gotten at chinese or Vietnamese supermarkets. They are used for stir fry. I think Trader Joe’s Kung Pao Chicken pack use them. Only my husband eats bean sprouts but we can usually find them at Grocery Outlet and other supermarkets.

I think people who don’t want to cook everything for Thanksgiving and want Chinese food would have ordered Panda Express catering or 99Ranch Thanksgiving package (https://www.99ranch.com/blog/2018/10/thanksgiving-meal-combos-2018) ?

DH wanted me to get them because he wanted to make Kung Pao chicken tonight. (Which he did make; it just didn’t have water chestnuts.)