Way Station

After spending a lovely 30 days in Florida that seemed (like it always does) to go by faster than it should, we now find ourselves in D.C..

I'm not complaining, mind you. This is an extended stay in the U.S. for training before we head off to the new post. If it were a tour here, I would probably be complaining because D.C. isn't cheap. But we're not, so hooray for that. So far we've had the chance to spend time with friends from other posts since arriving, and visit the museums. As both kids enjoy walking, we are taking advantage of that fact because it is easy to walk wherever you need to go. And if it's too far to walk, there's the metro. Which the kids love to take because 'TRAIN'!

The only thing which has been a bit troublesome is grocery shopping. In the before times, I used to look at grocery shopping as something easily completed in one trip, at one store. Now, after a number of years shopping for groceries on the local economy overseas, I have come to the realization that maybe (just maybe) that memory of one-stop shopping was wrong. Because since we arrived I have visited a number of stores (and ordered online) to get everything we were looking for. Also, and this might be in part due to age and lack of a car, I have no desire to make multiple trips lugging my groceries (while wrangling two very active children) on foot from the nearest grocer to our apartment. Now before you say, "You can rent a Zipcar!" or other similar service- I know. I have an account with Zipcar. But the cost of renting a car by the hour (where the hourly cost begins as soon as you rent it):

finding said rented car
installing the car seats
getting the kids in
getting to the store
shopping
getting out with everything (including kids!)
getting back to the apartment
hauling it up to the apartment
getting the car seats out
driving the car back

is greater than what it would cost to just buy your large order of groceries online and have them deliver it to you for a fee significantly cheaper than the total cost of the rental. Which is about ten bucks (at most, before tip from Peapod), in case you were wondering.

So that's what I did. I know, I'm lazy. First world problems. But then I realized something once I got that order. Not everything should be ordered online. Like fruit. Or deli meats. OR ICE CREAM*. Learn from my mistakes people!

*Pro tip: You might want to buy your Ben & Jerry's (or for that matter ANY ice cream) in person, because it's going to arrive in liquid format if you order it online with your groceries. Just saying.

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