We might not be as normal as we thought....

My daughter tries to encourage us to "Think Green". I will have to admit that it easier to think it than to actually do anything about it. But we try to do two things regularly, occasionally, okay, when we remember. We use our Big Blue tub that the city provides to recycle plastic, paper and aluminum, and we try to use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic. That's it, that's about the amount of effort I ashamedly put forth.

The big trick to the reusable shopping bags is two fold (besides actually folding them)--remembering to put them into the car after the last use and remembering to get them out of the car and into the store.

Well...last night we went to do the grocery shopping for the big girls weekend. We picked a good time, it was about 8:30 pm and the store was relatively quiet and they hadn't started unpacking the stocking crates yet. I felt encouraged that we could accomplish our task in a timely fashion. That's what I get for having a positive attitude.

We finished gathering what seems like enough stuff for an army and head to the check out. We walked right up with one person finishing up ahead of us. Now... I try to be pleasant to the clerk I appreciate the job he/she does but I also try to respect the time of those behind me in line. But my respecting their time is irrelevant if the clerk seems oblivious. She was totally telling me her life story and at the same time was determined to stuff every reusable bag to a weight so heavy that I would need Hulk Hogan to get me out of the store. Really... I have plenty of bags, I remembered to put them in the car and I remembered to bring them in the store, I'm prepared.

We finally get everything bagged and paid for and the person behind me is totally taken back by our use of the reusable bags...really?...So now the clerk remarks how wonderful she thinks they are and how much stuff she can get into them...yea we noticed. And the shopper wants to know how we thought to do that...really? I mutter my standard line "The trick is remembering to bring them in the store"...laugh... polite dismissal. Moving on...

Believe it or not two more people, before we get out the door, mention what a great idea those bags are. Where did you get? How much do they cost?...really? Are these that much of a novelty? I guess since Jenna is so into the "Think Green" that we just think of these bags as normal ...but now that I think of it maybe we have a few more than normal...