You have it delivered

When I first moved up to NJ for grad school, I dated a guy who lived in Manhattan.  Through him, I got glimpses of what it is like to live in NYC.  One day, I asked him about grocery shopping.  After all, he didn’t have a car.  Corner markets are fine for brief errands, but what if you bought a case of soda or beer?  Or a pumpkin? (it was Halloween when I asked)  He looked at me as if I were a little slow and said “You have it delivered.”  Well, duh. 

I chalked it up to one of those New York things and went happily about my life.  Now that I’m back here in Tyson’s Corner, I don’t have easy access to a grocery store.  I have to go to McLean, Vienna, or Falls Church to get to anything more than a 7-11; and while none of those places are far in terms of mileage, the traffic patterns make it a chore.  There will be a Harris Teeter within walking distance of me in about 3 years, but until then, grocery shopping is something I put off until I have to order a pizza for dinner because there’s nothing to eat in the house.   This past week, I was fast approaching that point again, and the threat of bad weather only increased my reluctance to brave the grocery stores.  Then, help arrived in the form of a flyer.  I’d seen the Peapod trucks around (I love that their trucks say “Drivers carry no cash. Only cashews.”), and here was a coupon offering me $20 off my first order. Clearly, a sign. Yesterday, I logged on to their site, and filled a ‘cart’ for delivery today. They have a good selection of natural and organic items, which makes me happy, although their overall selection doesn’t quite match a brick & mortar store. My delivery window was 7am-1pm today, but since I need to be home doing chores anyway, a six hour window was fine. It was hard to delve into really involved tasks knowing that I could hear a knock on the door at anytime, but otherwise, OK. As deliverymen are wont to do, this one didn’t reach my house till the window was closing, but now I have groceries for the week! And I didn’t have to bundle up against the cold, face the icy rain, play chicken in the parking lots, or battle the lines. I am pleased. And it’s time for lunch.