Standing at the Trailhead of Winter

After Friday's all-day rain and more rain right up til about noon yesterday, when a break came, I took it. I needed to get out, even if just for a quick trip to Target. I could tell by the traffic at the entrance to the mall area that lots of other people had the same idea. And the store parking lot was the proverbial zoo, with people waiting for parking spaces and drivers getting testy with one another. I thought about turning around and heading home, but I like having a candle lit when I meditate, and my candle had burned all the way down to nearly nothing. In and out , I promised myself. Since the bike rack is close to the store entrance, I didn't have to try and find a place to lock up my bike like I have to do at a lot of stores. Points to Target for at least having a proper bike rack for those of us who ride our bikes to go shopping. Inside the store was way worse than the parking lot. People people everywhere with lots of dodging having to happen just to get to the...

An important lesson I've learned about grocery shopping -- I spend nearly five times more money on food when I have a car to carry my groceries home for me. Seriously. Five times! Panniers can only carry so much, so I have to be very careful about what I buy. And since I don't want to have to make more than two or three trips to the store during the week, I plan out my meals and buy just the items to prepare what I've planned. A car makes it possible to buy much more. A ridiculous amount that sets me up for spending way more than I want,. A lot of the food then sits in the fridge or on the counter and spoils. And all my meal planning flies right out the window.  So, while it was nice of Lovely Beautiful Daughter to loan me her car for a few hours, I think I'll stick with using the bike and panniers for grocery shopping. I about fainted when I saw the total for my groceries (and granted $40 of the total went to the new 3 quart pot I had to buy since I bur...