Ode to Publix

Last night was a great night. I was dreading it when I left work, because I had a headache and needed to run errands, but it turned out to be very nice. I'd started the crock pot before leaving for work that morning, so when we got home, there was pot roast ready. I cooked some broccoli & cheese, butter beans, and mac & cheese to go with it, and we ate dinner (on time – not after the gym!) Then we headed out to the local cigar shop to pick out some special cigars for my baby brother's birthday. OK, so he's not a baby anymore (as evidenced by the cigars) but he'll always be my baby brother, and today's his birthday. After that, we needed to go grocery shopping, and I just happened to remember that Prattvegas has a brand-spanking-new Publix and that yesterday was the grand opening!

I already love Publix – huge selection, exceptionally clean stores, friendly staff, what more could you ask for – but a brand new one? I was psyched. The brand new Best Buy next door (it's a newly built shopping center with brand new stores everywhere. There's also a JC Penney and Belk that just opened.) was calling our name first, so we ducked in to check out their refrigerators, but their salespeople were a tad too pushy, so we left pretty quickly.

We walked over to Publix where they had really rolled out the red carpet. There were samples everywhere, chances to win prizes, etc. The place was packed of course, but I felt like I was in heaven. Their produce section alone is larger than life, and it just got better from there. It was wonderful because there were lots of buy-one-get-one-free specials and to top it off, they always take your groceries to your car. Yep, I'm sold. I'm one of those people that really love grocery shopping, but I get stressed out doing it. You see, when I shop, I'm thinking about what I'm going to cook and when I'm going to use the items. For instance, when Christmas is coming up and I have to go buy stick margarine, that's not just a boring grocery item because I think about the macaroni and cheese that I take to Granny's house for Christmas. And the Cheerios are not just cereal; they're going into Mama's recipe for Chex Mix that I'm making this year. Grocery shopping is emotional for me, and if I can do that in a beautiful environment, that's even better.

I have a connection with Publix anyway. Let me explain: I sometimes grab a few groceries here and there while I'm at Wal-Mart buying something else (I'm cheap – what can I say?), but when I am purely grocery shopping, I used to be a Food World girl (that was our best grocery store where I grew up). In college, there was a time when my sister had moved to town, and Z was already off at law school. My sister spent a lot of time together, and when it came time for Thanksgiving, my college graduation (December), and Christmas, I did lots of shopping/cooking with her. She shopped at Publix in Alabaster, and we always had lots of fun buying ingredients to go make something. Then, after I got married and was living in Tuscaloosa, I discovered a Publix just past my office. That fall/winter/spring (the relatively cold parts) I only did my grocery shopping at Publix. Picture it: It's cold outside. You rush indoors to escape the wind and are met with complimentary coffee or hot chocolate. Their bakery is working overtime for the holidays, so it's smelling great. The oversized aisles (really – they're huge!) are filled to the brim with wonderful basics as well as the hard-to-find stuff. Everyone smiles at you and asks how you're doing. When you check out, they are friendly and load your car for you. Then when you get home, your husband has the fireplace roaring. I don't care how much you might not like shopping – that's perfect. Anyway, we moved in mid-May, and Prattvegas didn't have a Publix then (hello, it just opened, keep up). So I had to shop at a run-down Food World staffed by bored teenagers. It was OK, but it wasn't "a pleasure," if you will (sorry – I had to). Now that Publix is open, I think I feel more at home down here. The seasons are changing, Publix feels comfortable and familiar, we're about to move out of our cramped apartment that was just a stop-gap for us. It feels like all is right with the world. (If you think that's stupid, then you quit your job and leave your friends and uproot your life and move away from your family and start a new job you hate. Then come talk to me about the little comforts in life. I'll take what I can get.)