A better grocery shopping experience.

Firstly - thank youse all for your replies on my last post, or texts. As I might have said before, I am better at putting things in writing rather than talking about them.

Also, I think talking/writing about the things you are worried about takes their power away. As Heidi said, any IVF will be a "blip" in the scheme of things, when it turns out to be successful, as most of them do. As my other friend says, "make an appointment to see the IVF specialist. Most people get pregnant then".

And I am feeling back to my normal self, now. For that day or 2 every 28, I go a bit loopy. Perhaps I need to schedule in some time in a padded cell with chocolate?

I've had a good weekend- crossfitting, catching up with a fabulous friend, catching up with my mum. I did a bit of mall shopping - I enjoy a wander around a big shopping centre when it is not too feral and crowded.

Today I did my usual shopping run. I usually go to my local Coles. I live in a suburb that has been very rough about the edges but has been gentrified for about 15 years, with house prices going up like all inner suburbs. Unfortunately the local shopping mall has not gotten the memo. It has two Coles stores (one of them was a Bi-Lo) and and Aldi, but no Woolies, and no good stores where you think "yes, I love coming here". It is dark and depressing.

Grocery shopping is a bit of a pain. It's can be hard to find a parking spot. Both Coles are small and crowded, with a crap range, and many fresh items have run out by the time Sunday arvo comes along. Hence I made the executive decision to shop at the Coles a couple of suburbs away; a ten minute drive as opposed to a three or four minute drive. I often go there to pick up a few bits and bobs on the way home from one of my workplaces, but never done my whole shop there

This suburb is much more "old money", and the supermarket and fresh food shops in the centre are top notch, as somebody who is old money would expect as their birthright.

I am a convert. I shall be doing my shopping there again. I left happy rather than angry. Here is why

• No rage in parking, just ample parks close to the entrance.
• I was fumbling with my wallet to get out my dollar for Trolley hire but guess what? The management at that Coles trust us adults to treat the trolleys with respect, and return them to the appropriate location rather than, say, wheeling them down to the local creek and throwing them in.
• The aisles are wide! Enough for two trolleys to pass comfortably.
• Being a wealthy suburb, I bumped into one of my wealthy doctor friends. We stood in the aisle with our trolleys and had a chat, and people could pass! Pleasant on all counts.
• The range is excellent. The fresh food looks fresh, and there is plenty of it there. There was a guy shovelling ice chips onto the greens! No ice chips in the other Coles!
• They have a good range of organic/grass fed/privately schooled meats.
• They even have lesser known vegetables.... sourcing Okra, should one feel the need, is not an issue. The small veg are put in nice little wicker baskets rather than left to their own devices in cheap black tubs.
• Sweet baby cheeses! They have a selection of Roquefort,  D'Affinois and other fancy France-y cheeses. 
• The music is good, and people actually appreciate it. Some of them sing along. Happy people, not angry people.
• There are ample checkouts, and one is not left waiting for long at all to check out.

I regaled the nice teen girl at he register with my superior shopping experience. She told me that lots of people in the market to work at Coles want to work at that particular Branch. Happiness all round.

Ideally, I would shun the supermarket duopoly, however I want to be prepared with good healthy food at the beginning of the week, and there isn't a lot of time to do it. Hence the attraction to getting all the things under the one roof, rather than the butcher, the baker and the greengrocer.

Friends, I think I am onto a winner.