The shopping saga

[kazaera]

Just went shopping on my way home and halfway through realised that this made an amusing anecdote that also illustrated quite nicely what it is I mean by "distractibility" and "ADHD-like symptoms" re: parts of executive dysfunction, so I thought I'd share

Comments

[furius]

They purposefully design grocery stores to be that way though and that's why they put the dairy section in the back...

Being distracted in grocery stores is what you're suppose to be.

[kazaera]

I'm a good customer for them, I'd get distracted no matter how they built it. As can be seen by my overshooting various places and ending up somewhere for no reason whatsoever in this odyssey. *g* (Also, my store's actually got the dairy section near the entrance! Drinks and frozen food are at the back.)

[persephone_kore]

People have suggested I buy apple juice, fizzy water and mix them; sadly because of the way my brain works this would amount to a truly Herculean effort on my part and cost way too many spoons to be worthwhile but I've never really felt like explaining this to people.

I do realize this is wildly off the main point, but... wouldn't that also lead to watered-down fizzy apple juice?

[kazaera]

It technically would be, but I often find juice too concentrated for my taste and needing to be watered down a bit so half and half can be just right. And I think that might be how it's actually made in Germany?

[persephone_kore]

Ahh. I suppose if it is normally made that way, that might account for your finding other options too concentrated, too.

[lyorn]

wouldn't that also lead to watered-down fizzy apple juice?

That's the idea. Pure apple juice is a lot too sweet and solid to be drunk when thirsty, it's more a sweet than a drink.

[zoeiona]

Ouch. Would shopping lists help - only concentrating on the things on the list?

[kazaera]

That works if I force it, but it makes me feel pretty uncomfortable and rushed. (Also, producing a shopping list takes a lot of effort, as is taking it with me and then actually looking at it in the store.) It's sort of, I don't actually mind this if I'm feeling well, it's kind of relaxing even! I just have to make sure to watch how I'm feeling and avoid shops that don't work for me because if I'm /not/ feeling well it can end badly, but if I'm not feeling well I probably couldn't follow a shopping list either.

[aiffe]

lol, I shop kinda like this too, people have commented about me wandering off in the wrong direction, and crossing the whole store like eight times until I'm satisfied. A trick I learned from my mom: look at refrigerated things next to last, and frozen things last, because otherwise they'll spoil while you're wandering around. XDD

I'm really cheap, though, so I more just look at things, say, "I'm not paying that," and walk off in a huff to look at more things I won't buy

[elenbarathi]

"My mum always manages to make mince taste really lovely, I wish I knew how she did it."

Do you sear the meat in a pan of hot oil before you put it in the sauce? That seals in the flavor, so it doesn't get soggy.

... as for your shopping, I don't see anything wrong with doing it that way; a great many people shop by rambling, backtracking, suddenly remembering that they need to buy dish soap, being tempted by the strawberries, reading half of a magazine in front of the rack, not being able to find the yogurt, etcetera. The stores encourage this by constantly moving things around, so people have to view a lot more of the stock than they would if they could just walk straight to what they came for. The employees aren't going to think anything about the way you shop, because they see people shopping all the time, and you're Just Another Customer, doing what customers do.