Cider Press Hill

The Things I See

After the lad’s track meet yesterday afternoon, we stopped at the supermarket for a couple of items. He ran in to do the buying while I waited in the parking lot. I didn’t have to wait for more than five or six minutes. But, in that time, there was plenty to watch.

Mostly what I observed was a stream of people walking out of the store with cell phones glued to their ears. It is a delicate juggling act to talk on the cell phone while pushing a cart and then trying to load the car while still carrying on a conversation. I lost count of the number of grocery items that ended up in the slush.

Then there was the woman walking along the side of the parking lot lane carrying her baby in a carry cradle. Around the corner came a car practically on two wheels. The driver had a cell phone stuck up to her ear and she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. To say that she missed hitting the woman and her baby by more than a foot is generous. Her reaction to her near miss was chilling. To me, at least. Her mouth formed the word “oops” and she continued roaring down the lane still yakking on her phone. The woman carrying the baby was more than a little shaken up.

But on a lighter side, a mid-20ish man came out of the store with his cell phone glued to his ear. He approached his car, right across from mine, pushing his cart and talking a mile a minute. While still talking, he fumbled with his keys and dropped them a couple of times before he was able to fit his key into the back of his Scout. The door popped open and he started putting his items in the car. Still talking.

His huge bag of Doritos fell into the slush. He bent over to pick it up and some items fell out of his pocket into the slush. Still talking on his phone. He retrieved his pocket items and managed to deposit the Doritos in the back of his car. Then he grabbed the case of beer and slung it up to the car. The cardboard box ripped and cans of beer rolled all over the place. Still talking on his phone. He crouched down to pick up the cans of beer with one hand. It wasn’t until he tried retrieving a can that had rolled under his car that he decided to end the phone call so that he could use both hands. It’s hard to crawl on one’s hands and knees with only one free arm.

After he’d retrieved the last errant can of beer, he took the last two remaining items out of his cart. Two large packages of toilet paper. Two different brands for a total count of 48 rolls.

For some reason, that just struck me funny. Doritos, beer, and enough TP to provide for a small army. At least the TP didn’t end up in the slush.

It would have been worthwhile to capture all the cell phone escapades on video. I wonder if people realize how much of their brain is devoted to cell phone talking and how much extra effort they expend in the process of trying to talk and function in another realm at the same time. Or, in the case of the driver and the mother with the baby—how close they can come to absolute disaster.

Posted on 01/29/05 at 11:32 AM
 




cyn

You wrote, Doritos, beer, and enough TP to provide for a small army.

Check out the piece I posted this morning on melting an avalanche...maybe he read the same article and is going to try it...doritos for something else to do at the same time and tp in case the doritos and beer cause other problems!! ;)

United States   Posted by cyn on 01/29/05  at  12:22 PM





Linkmeister

See, if you had a cellphone w/ camera you could have caught all this on...film? pixel?...what? and then posted it for all of us to see.  wink

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 01/29/05  at  12:42 PM





Jennifer AKA Me

Ah, It’s good to be back.... on the Internet anyway. Dang, it’s cold out. I would be afraid the phone would stick to my ear lol. My teeth have still not stopped chattering since I left the comfort of your wood stove!

United States   Posted by Jennifer AKA Me on 01/29/05  at  10:26 PM





The Lad

Hey everyone. I believe this is the first time that I’ve talked on my Mom’s blog. Yup, it’s the lad, the only “round the clock” witness to my Mom’s...interesting quirks and escapades.  Just wanted to tell everyone out there in TV land that its that special time of the year again. Yep, my Moms is one year older, making her #% years old, is it? (If I dared specify an age, this would be my first and last entry.) So, to all those who read, re-read, and write on Ciderpress Hill, it’s PARTY TIME!!! Let’s jump, jive, and wail, trip the light fantastic and whatever cool, hip things you can think of. Well, Adios to everyone, see ya sometime. Remember, keep dancing. 
monkey dance
P.S. - Love ya Mom

United States   Posted by The Lad on 01/30/05  at  08:45 PM





Dave

First, Happy Birthday, and many more.  grin

Second, when my wife and I were visiting family in NYC a few years back, we played ‘count the open cell phones’ as we walked around the city.  Basically, the rules were, it had to be an active conversation, and the person had to be trying to do something else… not just talking.  Stationary conversations didn’t count.  We were in Manhattan for only a few hours.  I quit counting after 100.  That was about an hour into the visit.

I sometimes wonder if it’s an attempt to not feel lonely while you’re doing something solitary.  You know how some people leave the TV on at home all day for background?  How much better would an interactive conversation be?  Or, is it just a matter of being seen as being so important, that you have to be on the phone with someone even while doing such ordinary tasks as grocery shopping.  Then I wonder if I should reactivate my cell phone. 

The scene of the man dropping everything in sight must have been hilarious.  The funniest part to me was, I have done the exact same thing on several occasions.  Without the benefit of cell phone as an excuse, of course… grin

Again, Happy Birthday, and take care.
-D.

United States   Posted by Dave on 01/31/05  at  07:13 AM





Kate

First, thank you stealth poster. I wondered what you were up to when I knocked on your door and there was a sudden scurry to close windows on your computer. You made it a very special day for your aged Mom. ;) I love you, too, sweetie.

And thank you, Dave. I’m not counting b-days anymore. But I sure do enjoy them anyway.

I wonder, when I see all these people on their cell phones, who they are talking to. Maybe to the kids on the way home from the grocery store. Or what? I mean, it’s not just business people who drive around yakking on their cell phones or cruise the supermarket aisles with the cell phone stuck up to their ear. Is there anyone I’d want to talk to every time I walk out of the house? Probably not. Maybe that’s just me, but when I’m in the car, it’s my quiet time. Just me and my thoughts. Alone. Same at the store.

It’s kind of interesting to watch, though.

United States   Posted by Kate on 01/31/05  at  08:28 AM





Dave

Admittedly, I have used the cell phone in the grocery store on several occasions myself. ..

“Honey, they don’t have sliced tomatos with garlic and onion.  They have DICED tomatos with garlic and onion, and SLICED tomatoes with basil and oregano.  Which one do I get?”

Believe me, this is more important than any support call I’ve ever received.

United States   Posted by Dave on 01/31/05  at  11:18 AM





Linkmeister

Happy B-day!  I see that “the lad” continues honing his diplomacy.  Wise, wise. wink

United States   Posted by Linkmeister on 01/31/05  at  08:47 PM





Daisy

Did I miss your birthday? I’m sorry. What a sweet thing for the lad to do. And I love the dancing monkey.

So belated birthday wishes, hope you had a great celebration :-0)

United Kingdom   Posted by Daisy on 02/03/05  at  01:15 PM





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