A Quick Life Update from Madison, New Hampshire: A Trip to Market Basket on 2023’s Last Friday

Afternoon, Friday, December 29, 2023, Madison, New Hampshire

It’s now afternoon – somewhere between early and mid-afternoon – here in my corner of New England on the last Friday of 2023. The weather outside, while not frightful, is…naturally, gray and wintry without being oppressively cold or rainy. As I write this at 2:38 PM EST, the temperature outside is 40°F/4°C under cloudy conditions. The feels-like temperature is 45°F/7°C, which for me is on the chilly side, but I’m indoors, the heater is running, and I’m still doing the “layers” thing, so I’m not freezing my ass off.

My friend, next-door neighbor, and fellow blogger Patti came by at 11 AM to take me grocery shopping so I could stock up on food for at least a week or so. I rely on SNAP benefits due to my disability – you know, that annoyance that I loathe to write about much – and low income, so I didn’t use all the balance on my EBT card. I still have enough in my account to get one more run to Market Basket if I need to.

I bought mostly frozen/refrigerated prepared food cos I don’t feel confident enough in the kitchen yet to cook a meal from scratch. I have not cooked anything more complicated than scrambled eggs since 2016, and I have a hard time finding where some things – such as flat baking sheets – are in a still new-to-me kitchen. I must, eventually, start cooking small meals, but right now I’m not ready to do so, y’know?

Anyway, I didn’t have a hard time with the “food shop.” Market Basket isn’t terribly different from the Winn-Dixie store in Miami where I used to get groceries between June 2010 and April 2016, and I knew what I wanted to buy – the only divergence was when I saw Patti buy a box of White Castle “sliders.” I have not had those since my mom died in July of 2015, and I just could not resist the temptation!

(Also, the last time I had a hamburger was on Monday, December 11, the eve of my departure from Florida, I guess I was craving burgers, so….)

The one difference I noticed in Market Basket – at least as far as the staff is concerned – from the Florida supermarkets I have shopped at is…people up here are nicer. Sure, the folks here all look like they’re straight from Central Casting for a movie based on a Stephen King story, but they at least seem to like their jobs and are happy to help customers.

Anyway, I made sure I got some fruit-based items and juices with Vitamin C, and this time I made sure I bought a gallon of milk rather than a half-gallon. I don’t drink as much “moo juice” as a calf, but I do like to eat cereal with milk, plus I bought some Hershey’s Caramel Syrup so I can try caramel milk instead of chocolate milk.

I also bought some Cool Blue Gatorade, partly because I like Gatorade to keep hydrated, and partly because it looks like Star Trek’s Romulan ale. Ah, if only I had a replica of a prop bottle from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan….

Since the forecast for the rest of the afternoon and tonight calls for intermittent light rain and even a few snow showers, I won’t be traipsing outside today. As I said, it’s not raining now, but it’s gray, gloomy, and not very inviting outside. So, I’m just going to hang out in my office and try to do something constructive online till it’s time to think about dinner.

Musical Aside: I’m currently listening to Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27.  

On that note, then, I’ll close this post. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and count your blessings.