Source: free-picture.net
One sweet clueless guy – I was checking out at a local grocery store. I usually weigh and tag my own produce so it can be scanned quickly. I bought a sweet potato (or maybe a yam, never sure) and there was no code on the display so I couldn’t print out a price tag. I usually do self-check-out as I’m fast (often faster than the real cashiers) but there was one young guy (with soft fuzzy facial hair trying to look older) without any customers, so I went in his checkout. First, he asked if my sweet/yam was a white potato. What? It’s orange and huge. How could it be a white potato? I explained what it was and we moved on. Last up I had a bag with a single donut – not overly big or extraordinary. (No judgment please!) It was a cinnamon swirl donut but definitely a donut. He told me that sticky bun was not on the price list. There was no way you could mix it up with a sticky bun. It was much smaller and without the “sticky” on top. He said he would ring it up as a bagel. (Good grief!) I told him it was a donut. He corrected himself then let me know that it was the same price as a bagel. I wished him a good day (and wondered what the rest of it would look like). Obviously, his mama never took him grocery shopping.
Love my bleachy litter boxes.
You learn something new every day! – I’ve had cats for over 50 years. All different kinds with different preferences and different behaviors. I noticed a few months ago that Gus liked surfaces that had just been cleaned with a bleach cleaner. He acted like it was catnip. Yesterday I did a deep clean of the litter boxes with the bleach cleaner. Afterward I thought he was having an orgasm. He was rolling around and rubbing against them. I checked with google and yes, cats can be attracted to bleach. It is similar to pheromones which can produce a catnip-like reaction. Fortunately, He rolls in areas that are dry so there is no health issue, but I will be careful going forward.
This is the side planting 4 years ago. Everything has grown big and some things have been removed.
With nice weather comes the work – We are still experiencing yo-yo weather. It’s warm, then cold, then windy interspersed with 10 minutes of truly nice weather. This week there was enough “nice” stuff to scope out what we need to do this spring for cleanup. We have a long, planted border with our neighbor that needs to be mulched. It’s on a steep decline. This is a big job that I will have our local yard guy do. Gone are the days when the beloved husband and I would haul tons of mulch. (My back aches just thinking about that!) There are some dead shrubs that need to be removed and replaced. Overall, the yard did okay even with the unusually frigid temperatures.
Spring in general – Even though cleaning and opening the deck and yard is much more work than closing it up in the fall, there is an exhilaration about it. It’s fun and I get the old “daydreams” of serving margaritas dressed in a flowing caftan on the deck. (Trust me that will never happen, at least the flowing caftan part!) Maybe it’s a renewal of dreams.
The flowy caftan that resides in my dreams.
Road trips – Yesterday a neighbor took me on a tour of old-time stores in the country. I was amazed that they still exist and the prices were so reasonable (by grocery store standards). I bought strawberries (that didn’t have white unripe shoulders) and potatoes (without black spots in the center). I call that a win-win. They also carried a collection of grains that I would have loved to work with back in the day (when I enjoyed cooking more than I do today). They had all the weird ones but also carried semolina flour which is hard to find. I love it in breads, but it is an all-purpose flour. Overall, it was a fun day.
So how was your week?
Views and Mews by Coffee Kat 
Oh, the checker guy, he may be clueless but be patient with him and watch, he’ll be plugged in and doing very well quickly. It takes all of us time to learn new things. Oh, and there’s never judgment about a donut, we all need that bit of sweet sometimes.
By the way, it’s most likely a sweet potato. Even though the term is used interchangeably with yams, yams are very pale and very poor nutritionally compared to the usual sweet potatoes we find in most stores.
Bleach? Wow, I had no idea. We use plenty of bleach in the laundry at the cat shelter, I wonder if the cats are affected by it.
Hooray for spring, even if it is some work. I’m glad you can pay a yard person to do it.
Your trip to the country sounds delightful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The trip was delightful. The bleach was a surprise. I love all orange vegetables! The poor guy was very young, probably just out of school. Maybe he is working his way through college.
LikeLike
Shopping for groceries in smaller markets is such a wonderful experience for peeps our age. I love the nostalgia, not to mention the better prices over national stores. And those young cashier clerks…clearly a mom took care of the shopping in that household! This is why hovercraft parents don’t do their kids any favors.
LikeLike
Your grocery store story did make me chuckle but then I was thinking about how people can’t make change anymore unless the computer/register tells them. Changing times. Good luck with your spring outdoor plans, and your outing sounded like a lot of fun and included good eating.
LikeLike
My week was fairly slow, but has speeded (sped?) up since reading what you said about bleach!
It explains why, whenever I’ve sprayed bleach in the shower or on the floor, our cat Mrs Kittow (last seen 10 seconds before, sound asleep in her donut) is suddenly THERE, wide awake, forcing her way into the shower or trying to lick the floor! I couldn’t figure-out the mystery, but now I know. Brilliant!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a surprise to me too!
LikeLike
Serving margaritas in a caftan doesn’t seem quite right to me but I’ll take one. Your side planting looks good. It must have done well. Have a good week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s grown together like a hedge. I had to pull some shrubs out as they overplanted.
LikeLike
Barney had a thing for wallpaper paste. so when we redid the wall, added a few drops of tabasco to deter him. When Maya took a shine to a bit of plastic in the back of the citroen, we used the same trick. Disaster………. she liked the taste!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dogs! My cats wouldn’t like that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We had a male cat that had a thing for bleach. It was back in the 80s and it took me a while to put two and two together. His name was Sleepy—he was a cuddly goof.
A cinnamon swirl donut… Mmmm.
We don’t have to do much to get it togther in the spring because all our stuff stays out all year. Wears out faster too.
Sweet photo of Gus. He has the sweetest baby face.
Our week was peaceful and we had good food 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good food always makes a week better! It took me a while to get it too. When I cleaned the litter boxes (which I do frequently but he’s not usually there) he went crazy. Mr. Google was helpful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your house is so beautiful Kate. I’m looking forward to those photos you always treat us to. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
i had a cat, Honey Sunshine, who loved the smell of bleach when i would clean the bathroom i wood haz to close the door cuz she would roll around, and stick her paws unner the door.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds a lot like Gus! I never had a cat like that before.
LikeLike
I think that’s cool that Gus is a fan of your spray cleaner…..some cats get UPSET when anything other than “their” smell is on their EVERYTHING. Gus gets points for being flexible. Haven’t been in an old-fashioned grocery store BUT there is ONE PLACE which is close to us and they have a SMALL selection of their own home grown veggies for sale in the shop. The place is sort of an old timey variety store…..some fresh veggies, they make sandwiches and serve beer/soft drinks, have a little ice cream “corner” in the store and a line of allegedly homemade (!) baked goods. Anyway, the owner are elderly and I love talking to “her” at checkout. She calls everyone “Honey” I love it.
Hugs, Pam
LikeLiked by 1 person
These were Mennonite run. The cashier wore the typical print dress and a white bonnet but she was very young. At one they had a “sandwich corner.” There were baked goods and all sorts of stuff I haven’t seen in decades.
LikeLike
Love that kind of store…..a “department store” with old-fashioned flavor.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve had cats that go nuts over swim gear. Pretty sure it’s the chlorine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like that’s right. It would smell similar.
LikeLike
Spring cleaning is forward looking . . . Winterizing is the end of all those dreams!
We had a good week. Visited friends in PBC for the first time since we moved out 16 months ago ~ walked on the beach, ate seafood, played Bridge, attended a water aerobics class, ate more seafood, played more Bridge, etc. Nice time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like a vacation!
LikeLike
That’s exactly what it felt like!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Never heard of a cat that loved bleach! I never use it because it smells so awful. (Big fan of Rescue disinfectant.) Always something new to learn.
LikeLike
I don’t use bleach because it can be damaging. I have one spray cleaner that has bleach in it and I only use it for cleaning things I want sterilized like litter pans and toilets. Gus is a fan.
LikeLike