Shopping With Bobby

I call my grandmother Bobby. It comes from the word Bubby, but my family transformed it into Bobby. Not sure why. I actually never even thought about it till just now.

Anyway, she asked me to take her grocery shopping today. It turns out she wanted to go to a fruit market I never heard of (on Devon and Western for all you Chicago people). I always dread shopping with her a little because it takes a loooong time. And because she cares about every single penny. Not that it's a bad thing to be a penny pincher. I have plenty of friends who are, but here, let me explain today's hour long vegetable/ fruit shopping experience.

I picked her up at 9:39. She took my Zaidy's (my grandfather) handicapped card because according to her, "invalids don't have to pay the meter." I said, "Bobby, the handicapped card is so people can park closer. They still have to pay." This is all besides the point because there wasn't even a parking lot and there were tons of places to park on the street. She said, "Fine, if you want to waste your quarter, that's up to you." So I wasted my quarter and paid the meter.

Inside there were a million vegetables I never heard of. She took a shopping cart and started loading it up. Cabbage... 25 cents a pound, onions...4lbs for a dollar, lettuce.... 2 for a dollar, potatoes... 10lb bag for $1.49. I actually did buy a few things, but my things were not on sale... of course... but who could turn down fresh mint leaves and peeled garlic....

Then suddenly I felt like I was on Let's Make A Deal. She turns to someone who worked there and said, "why are the jumbo eggs $1.99 a dozen? That is too much. I've seen it elsewhere for $1.59." To which he replied, "Well egg prices change every week. This was last weeks order that was a lot. The next order we get is cheaper so the price will be less when we get it in. "Then my Bobby said, "Well why can't I get the better price today?" So the guy said, "Fine. You can take 1 dozen for $1.59." She turns to me and tells me to put 4 in her cart. Then after picking out grapes for 79 cents a pound, bananas, apples.. 4lbs for $1.99, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes... 99cents.... you get the point, she picked up a bag of baby carrots and walked over to a woman who I guess must be an owner. The woman said, "You look beautiful today." My Bobby said, "Today? I look beautiful everyday... but why are these carrots $1.29? They should be 99 cents." The woman said, "Well since I like you, I will let you have them for 99 cents." Upon which I was told to go get her another bag.

Then the whole egg situation happened. She asked her to tell the check out lady to charge her $1.59 for the eggs. When they rung up as $1.99, the owner said she would give all 4 to her for $1.89. When my Bobby insisted she was told that she was told $1.59, the owner offered her all 4 for $1.79. And finally went down to giving her all 4 for $1.59. I stood there in shock watching all this happen.

Besides the fact that I am a person who would pay more to not make a fuss, I felt like I was suddenly on a game show. I couldn't help but speak up,and what I said was, "I have never seen anything like this in my life. Who knew you could bargain for your groceries at the grocery store!?!" The woman looked at me and said, "Only for her. What can I say, I like her." I was in complete shock over what I had just witnessed. The checkout girls were laughing along with me. My Bobby's total was $34.03 for like 20 bags of groceries. Crazy.