Conspicuous Consumption

In Mexico I was so very frustrated with not being able to buy stuff. Simple stuff. Stuff like 3-way light bulbs, Sitka’s old dog food, printer cartridges (or refilling the cartridges,) weather stripping, Grape Nuts cereal, Swiss cheese, canned chili, decent Brussels sprouts – well, maybe these things were available somewhere in Guaymas, but I couldn’t find them.

So imagine my delight in now living in a city with Home Depot (2), Safeway (at least 2), Fred Meyer, Costco, Office Depot (2), Macy’s and more!

Now I am not a big clothes or shoes shopper. In fact, I only go shopping for those things when I need them. And I have made a few purchases in Salem for business clothes – I sold/gave away all my suits, jackets and skirts when we moved to Mexico. (And I do need a job to wear my new clothes if anyone has any leads for paralegal or compliance specialist positions…)

But I think I have lost all control at grocery stores. I am almost obsessed with buying food. Our landlords, Betty and Ron, took us to Costco on Friday and I went into culture shock. To see all the rows and stacks of stuff was overwhelming, especially when I think back about Guaymas stores with empty spaces on shelves or maybe just 1 jar of peanut butter instead of row after row.

Luckily our freezer is now almost packed (oh yeah, I missed quality ice cream in Guaymas.) And while our kitchen cupboard space is perfect for the 2 of us I have now just about maxed it out with dry goods. The fridge still has some space, but the variety and quality of the food is wonderful.

I had to laugh when I read Steve Cotton’s post earlier this month about people shopping in Salem. I don’t have a job (yet,) Mike’s got medical issues, our 401(k)s are shrinking, but I need one more can of chili to feel good…please indulge me for just a little while longer…