Monday, January 30, 2017

Meijer and the nirvana sick day

just one of the multitudinous joys of parenthood is the sick day. 

this is the day when your kid has to 1) go to the doctor's office, then 2) go get a prescription.

as any professional mom will tell you, items 1) and 2) listed above take ALL DAY LONG. heaven help you if you should have any other errands/to-dos on your list, even if you get the first 9am slot/appointment, you can't accomplish anything else. 

can. not.

even though the entire pediatric office visit was a long, waiting nightmare of shifting blocks of time between the waiting room and the exam room, the final outcome question, "where would you like me to send in that prescription?" made it all worth it.

"Meijer. the supersized, superstore, please." (teehee)

as those words lyrically flowed from my lips, it hit me. that one split-decision, that one insignificant choice between Rite-Aid, CVS and the superstore, just nudged me into the nirvana of sick days, the veritable cosmic alignment, nexus, balance of doctor/prescription/errands, and I made it all revolve around Meijer.

I couldn't get out of the doctor's office fast enough, anxious to verify my errand list in the car that everything could be done at Meijer... 🤞

*post office, mail package ✔
*redbox return ✔
*groceries ✔
*gas for car ✔
*gift card ✔

I grabbed a pen and wrote the final errand...

*prescription(!) ✔
  
*serenity whisper chants, om...*⃔ (Sanskrit, thx google!)

the newly remodeled glass doors whooshed open, I bolted for the pharmacy--I had a plan. 

since I was the adult, and keeper of all adult pieces of plastic (insurance card/debit card) I would slowly age stand in line at the pharmacy queue, then send my son out to the wide world of Meijer to take care of the rest of the errands. 

"ok, we need these groceries..." son looks over the 5 item list.

"what and where is bucatini?"

I turn around to point my son in the right direction, when it hit me... remodel!

I haven't yet memorized the aisle numbers in this supersized superstore! I mentally chided myself, "aisle numbers?! you don't even know where the blankety-blank redbox is anymore!" 

between my mind's chastisement, and my frantic mental map search of the superstore's redbox location, I peripherally hear my son's voice, asking more questions/directions about the 5 item grocery list.

I feel the inner peace dissipate from my soul as the nirvana sick day slips away.

despite the supersized superstore's shredding of my plan, I am a believer in silver linings. I regrouped, then spent the next 1.5 hours chatting with my son while we waited in line at:

*Meijer pharmacy
*Meijer u-scan
*Meijer redbox
*Meijer postal services/customer service
*Meijer gas station

when we finally pulled into our garage, 

"thanks, mom. I had fun with you."

nirvana.