A while ago I sent Hubby to the grocery store. You know where this is going. Hubby has ADHD, which means he has difficulty planning, organizing, directing, and selecting his attention. Imagine him in a grocery store. Impulse items galore, can’t find the product (and didn’t ask anyone where it is), poor budgeting, huge box of something you’ll never use (the food banks thank us), and forgetting half the stuff he went in for.
Why on earth do I send him grocery shopping, you ask. I send him grocery shopping because lifting groceries and pushing the cart (never mind unloading it) hurts my back. It’s the lesser of two evils, really.
So, I wrote out the list. I actually re-copied it neatly following the store layout so it’s easier for him to follow. Seriously, otherwise half the list gets forgotten ignored, so it’s easier for me to re-write it than send him back for the stuff he left behind.
Hubby’s mission was to pick up about $100 worth of groceries, a few of our pantry staples and some fresh produce. Nothing big.
I get a phone call from him about an hour after he left.
“I’m at Canadian Tire,” he starts.
FYI – Canadian Tire is an automotive, household goods, and outdoor living retailer. They sell things like camping stuff, coolers, gardening supplies, hockey gear, bikes, tools, fishing gear, hunting stuff, and car stuff. You can sometimes get a decent coffee maker or waffle iron there on sale. However, they do not sell food.
I do not ask why he’s at Canadian Tire. It does not matter. He has ADHD – honestly, he could be anywhere with my bankcard and grocery list, either buying or not buying food.
I was hungry. I wanted food. (I had a late lunch as was ready for a serious snack/light meal.)
“Did you buy groceries?” I ask hopefully.
“Not yet, they have this roof top cargo bag on sale, it’ll fit right on top of the van.”
I do not ask what he’s doing in the automotive section of Canadian Tire when he’s supposed to be in the dairy section of the grocery store. Canadian Tire is not anywhere near the grocery store; in fact, Hubby had to drive past the grocery store to get to Canadian Tire.
“How much is it?” I ask, resignedly. We had talked about getting a cargo bag earlier, I just didn’t expect him to act on it. Or forget that we had no food at home while he’s shopping for a cargo bag.
He mentioned a price that seemed reasonable to me. I am the chief financial officer (see budgeting problems with ADHD). I ok’d the purchase, assuming that it would speed up him getting home (preferably with food) because he’d be excited about his new purchase.
In the meantime I found some old crackers and a can of tuna in the back of the pantry and managed to stave off hunger for a while longer.
THREE HOURS LATER, Hubby returned home. He brought in his new cargo bag. And a chocolate cheesecake.
Sometimes impulse purchases aren’t so bad after all.
Great build up to a great ending. So we hang tough for a bit for a deliscious sweet desert and all are happy. I do hope you got the groceries the next day or soon…..but definately thinking the cheesecake was great ending to the wait.