Technology @ the Tummy Temple

Shower, shave (what’s that?), tie up the wet hair and find the cleanest dirty shirt for my daily adventure to the Tummy Temple. Still chuckling about a FB video of sample shoppers (thanks Trish) I climb on my pony on a beautiful summer day and attempt to exercise to and back again without some life threatening disaster.

What is on the shopping list?

The same everyday: Blueberries (3 or more depending if they are $3 or $6), can of cocktail peanuts, replenishment of seed if needed, hydration medicine and possible meal for the day. Get a small zip cart and wheel around like I own the place while the butcher, baker and the most important stocker is working hard to make a variety of American (and foreign) abundance is available for me to consume.

After a block long walk around in my only air conditioning, I line up at the checkout. Some days, depending on my arrival time, I can walk around, cooling down and noticing changes in signs and placement of items after all the shifting. I can also enjoy the femme fatale behind my dark glasses. Don’t squeeze the Charmin.

So it seems the entire shake and bake of the re-organization of this grocery was to bring in ‘High Tech’.

I don’t know? Buying grocery was never a game; it was a process. Going to the grocery was just another way to waste your time during the day, like getting dressed, walking the dog or taking a poop. There was never any rush that suddenly there would be no tomato sauce or they might run out of corn flakes, so to me, a walk through the aisles pushing a wire cart was like a stroll in the park. The plus was you get to observe humanity interactions without getting involved.

I don’t mind technology. I went from paying for bills with scratch to checks to swiping cards to chips and walked out with my selections in a timely manner. I have used the self-service scan machines, but alcohol has to be verified before walking out the door and sometimes the one helping everyone with their processes takes time before plugging in the code that I’m ancient.

I’m old school enough to know that Larry, Katy, Westly, Victoria, CJ will look at me and know I’z old enough to drink an alcoholic beverage without an ID check since I look like Santa Clause and smell like yesterday’s news. Besides it is my only chance during the day to talk to another human being and the best part leave with a smile. 

If the ultimate goal is to eliminate the checkout personnel, I’ll bid adieu and pick up a scanner, but it does seem more work on the shopper. How many of those scanners will go home even with the warning security systems blaring to return the item immediately. The same when cell phones first came and would trip them on walking in. With all technology, batteries will run out or people will press scan too many times. Emergency call to IT on aisle #9!!

I’ll adjust.

If my entire Temple Tummy friends will be eliminated, I’ll pick up a scanner and beep and pack and follow the instructions (lemming?) only to bring home the blueberries. If it becomes too much of a fuss to wait behind the elderly lying on their carts or driving their bumper cars and needing more attention than the ordinary checkout clerk could do.

Someday, maybe sooner than later, I won’t be able to saddle up but I notice there is delivery.

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