"Excuse Me, You Just Put MY Groceries in Your Car!?"

We have a great neighborhood grocery store called Grand Mart. They have produce for much less then most stores but there are a few draw backs.

The draw back I faced today is that you cannot take a cart past the front walk.

I typically just load up my arms and drag all my newly purchased items to the car. Today I had Peter in tow and decided to do like all the other customers; leave the cart on the front walk and drive the car around to load it up. This isn't an option that I usually go for because, well, I'm afraid someone is going to swipe my hard found stuff.

I get Peter in the car, drive around to the loading zone, all of which took no more then 2 minutes, and whaalaa! My groceries are gone! I look around and locate a likely suspect. She's just loaded her car and is starting her engine. I run to her car and wouldn't you know I freak her out. She doesn't speak English and I can't get her to understand that she just took my groceries. I take her to her still fully loaded cart and still she's not getting it. So, I decide the time for being polite is over and I start going through her trunk. In my defense, she had opened it. I found one of my bags and opened it for her to see. I see the light go on and she finally understands what I'm trying to do.

We're now both smiling and laughing. All is well. I have my groceries and she doesn't feel so threatened by the weird American.

I think to myself on the way home that next time I'm going to leave a blonde haired, blue eyed, kid in the cart, that would set it apart. Preferable the curly headed one. He'd yell if someone tried something. The straight haired kid would just grunt. Can't hear grunting in the parking lot!