Dearest Bodegona,
You are my one and only. No other grocery store can offer me quite what you can. Your sale prices are unbeatable and your tiny aisles help me to cuddle with the other locals in town. You offer me fresh-squeezed orange juice you matter how busy you are and you are always so helpful to remind me when holidays are approaching. You always provide shelter from the storm as long as I watch where I'm walking. You have always helped me to be efficient with my space by providing the tiny baskets so as not to add fluff such as yummy chips or ice-cold soda.
However, you tease me sometimes. You will have shelves and shelves of my favorite products one day and then never again. Why are you so fickle, Oh Bodegona? What have I done to make you take the eggs out of your selection? Was I giving the skim milk more attention than I should have? Is that why you've rid yourself of such a thing? I fear that you fancy my husband more than I or you wouldn't have taken Quaker Oat Squares from me and filled your endcaps with Mucho Nachos.
Bodey, you make me laugh more than any other grocery store has before. Your "ofertas" are my weakness. The way you can combine items in your endless stock rooms with packing tape and sell them as a pair gets me every time. I have always loved the classic of a 54oz Soda with Ramen Noodles but you out-did yourself last week with the jelly taped to the box of crayons. Not to mention my personal favorite that you chose to offer at Mother's Day: the can of Raid taped to fabric softener. How do you know the way to my heart?
Oh, Bodey-gon-gon, I will miss you when I depart. As I'm gliding seamlessly through aisle-ways of my old love, Schnucks, gathering products that are faithfully there each and every time, I will miss the adventure you provided in my life. Please know you are cherished for always but I will move on. Thanks for the good times,
Katie and Eliot
I wonder if these are the same grocery stores they have in the Dominican Republic. My sister used to tell nearly similar stories about her experiences there.
ReplyDeleteOh Katie, I love it that I can relate so often and that you can KNOW a bit of how I live here. My weakness is TWO cereal boxes taped together because cereal is usually so expensive. Soak it up!!!
ReplyDeleteWAAAAA ha ha ha ha!!!! I am hysterical...because I too have noticed these odd, hilarious combos! I did miss the crayons combo...but look forward to the next amazing pairings.
ReplyDeleteSO glad you'll be meandering down the Schnucks aisles soon.
even though i know exactly what you're talking about (and am getting stressed out by even reading about shopping there), when i read this i still can't help but think that you're smoking crack.
ReplyDeletep.s. i know we usually shop at deirberg's, but fyi: jefe works at the schnucks in brentwood for the summer...
i learn about my family's on-goings and summer plans from blog messages and through people knowing before me in northern ireland! this is hilarious! jeff's at schnucks? awesome!
ReplyDeleteThere's a Schnucks in Brentwood? Where!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Allie
you guys are high class...Dierbergs?? Lance and I strayed away from that store the whole time we were in St. Louis b/c we were told it was the "expensive" store. One night we went there for "date night" just to walk the aisles. Lance stood in the ice cream section with his jaw hung open for like 10 minutes b/c he couldn't believe the selection. Compared to Shop N Save and Aldis, Dierbergs was paradise. I'm so glad we're out of seminary! :)
ReplyDeleteok.. that is histerical.
ReplyDeleteyou are quite the writer katie :-)
Becca
Oh, Katie honey, you truly are ready to go home! I loved your ballad and it brought back many memories of our visits to the La Bodegona and the one who carried the diapers home on her head like a true Guatemalan!
ReplyDeleteI love it. It brings back my own wonderful memories. Getting into a tug-o-war match with one of the bag boys over the extra cardboard box I wanted to take home as he said "no es possible". Watching the meat man stand on top of the raw side of beef laying on the floor in the morning. Last but not least, listening to all that wonderful rock and roll in front and upstairs by the electronics.
ReplyDeleteAs they say. Priceless.
Paul, Shelly and Ana
Just last week, my husband and I were trying to remember the name of "that store" we frequented during our stay in Antigua over seven years ago. Thank you for such a hilarious reminder of the frustrations of shopping in Guatemala! We are now continually using your phrase, "Bodey-gon-gon" :)
ReplyDelete