The Grey Army

Since I now work from home 3 days a week, life is quite different. I get to sleep in til pretty much whenever I want, I get a nice breakfast every morning, and every now and then I catch a little Price is Right (like this morning). Anyway, although I have work it isn't enough to keep me busy all day long. And because I'm not a very structured person, I mix a lot of random other things into my day. Today however was the first time I have been to the grocery store in the middle of the day. Usually I tend to go after work at night, which sucks, because that's what everybody else does too. And that's exactly what I intended to avoid.

I was surprised as soon as I got there, so many cars for 11am. Once inside I realized day shopping at the local Kroger is a completely different experience. I was definitely the youngest person in there. I was swimming in a sea of crests. Everyone there had white hair. There were motorized scooters blazing all over the place. I paused for a moment to reach out and grab a box of delicious blueberry cereal bars off the shelf when my arm was almost torn off by a low-riding battle scarred scooter as it whipped around the corner of the aisle, it's driver wearing an evil grin. Scary stuff really. Most of them don't even look like they know where they're going, adding a George A. Romero element to the experience.

I did finally see someone of my own peer group. He could have been an older version of myself (sporting a beard and infant in the cart). We exchanged nods as if to say "when this crap goes down and these oldies start biting heads I got yer back." It was a good feeling... then I got some frozen pizzas and beer.

Disclaimer: I love old people. My shopping experience today was actually better than usual.