WEDNESDAY 18 JULY 2007 - SEND IN THE CLOWNS

Despite a 'big shop' a couple of days ago I've been sent back again for some more healthy foodstuffs - lettuce, yogurt, you know the kind of thing. On the way there was a traffic jam caused by ... a Sainsbury's lorry! I have to say I thought that big lorries were banned from towns during the day so quite why this one was on the loose at 4 o'clock in the afternoon I'm not sure. Anyway, its driver was adept at weaving his way through very tight spaces and in view of my (unhealthy) interest in Sainsbury's I was quite content to sit and watch him do his stuff (unlike the other drivers) leaving only inches to spare. Anyway, on to my shopping experience. Having bought the greenery on my list I passed the meat counter and noticed a bizarre sign which read 'Mey Selections'. I asked whether this was a spelling mistake for 2 month old meat only to be told that Mey is in Scotland and that this was an advert for the 'Sourced in Scotland' meat. Well, I've never heard of Mey, but on checking I find that it is indeed in Scotland between Thurso and John o'Groats, in other words in the middle of nowhere. I don't think there is much there apart from a castle, so it seems a bit odd for Sainsbury's to be including it in its advertising, although full marks for being absolutely honest about where the Scottish meat in fact is coming from (unlike the 'British' meat I had a go about last time). At the checkout the man in front of me had his face painted like a clown's and I was very tempted to ask him why but I'm afraid that I was wary of doing this just in case he was a little challenged in the brain department (you can't be too careful these days!). So I asked the cashier instead after he'd gone, which gave me an excuse to engage in conversation with the cashier which I said I would try and do from now on. Anyway, it turned out that he had a good reason for looking like he did (other than lunacy) - his daughter's party or something like that. Whilst in the queue I noticed a small child under the Coinstar machine! I presume he was looking for coins that had broken loose but I heard no whooping or cheering so I assume he was unlucky. On the way up the escalator without steps (I think this is called a travelator) I saw an old friend, an acquaintance really, coming down and we started a conversation that got louder and louder as we got further and further apart. She's the first person I've seen that I've known on my JS trips for ages - perhaps there will be more in the weeks to come on the buses principle that you wait ages for one to come along and then three come together. We will see!

Items bought 10

Cost £14.26

Cost per item £1.42 (didn't need a calculator this time!)

Checkout no 7

Nectar points 2377 (including 10 extra, not had these before ... )