Sumpins’ Up at the Tummy Temple

For the pass while I’ve notice on my daily trip to the Tummy Temple there are these new folks standing around. They don’t have carts but they do have nametags and clip boards. They stand out from the normal costumed staff as ‘suits’ or folks from the office area. They intermingle with the staff but not the customers. They point at things and then talk amongst themselves.

Still Toni stocks the blueberries, Brian sweeps up the spills, but Chris tells me these packs of unfamiliar white folks in their button down dress shirts and kakis are from corporate and are taking stock of the workers and workflow.

So after the Memorial Day rush for charcoal, burgers and buns I notice even more new faces. These guys are in a panic clearing shelves.

Is the Tummy Temple closing? Did I not tithe enough? With the closing of two other temples in the area and the increase congregation, are these deacons planning a better, faster, more efficient experience for collecting sustenance?

I’ve stuck with this temple for some time and have seen a few changes. There was a different name and location when I started attending and then it expanded to twice the size but there were still cornflakes and milk. There was no notice that I saw (I may have missed the memo) that the power that be decided to make a change, but them old folks who wander their aisles are not going to like it.

The last time the ‘rearrangement’ was an adventure. Products were moved to new places, new flooring was put down, signage changed and all the while the ebb and flow of existing patrons crammed their wire carts through the spaces that were now the size of an airplane aisles all the while grumbling about not being able to find artichokes. I don’t know where they are either?

I understand every now and then an organization needs to ‘shake things up’ and re-organize, but I’d read nothing in the business news about a takeover or restructuring. Again, maybe I missed the memo?

Today the frozen food section is being reshuffled. The frozen blueberries are moved to where the frozen burritos were and the frozen pizzas are not frozen peas. The calling cards have moved to the seasonal items and the worst part is the beer aisle is not being restocked.

I’ve seen some of the distributers (have I told you I’ve attending this temple for some time?) and they all look confused. I haven’t wandered much recently to other temples to check out the changes but to me, it seems pretty simple. Big truck backs up to a loading dock. The cargo is moved into a storage space. A constant stream of carts and wagons deliver the cargo to the shelves then shot with some sort of magical device that put a price on it then the rest is up to the congregation to come and get it.

Tomorrow I’ll go back and see if the bread has moved or if the walls are the same color. If in your ultimate wisdom decide to move the toilet paper, don’t worry. I’ll find it. If you decide to hitch your prices, I’ll just buy less.

That is the way it is on a hot and muggy day at the end of May restocking my clothing for the heat and storing the winter garb away until the furnace cuts on.