Most of our summer has been spent elsewhere, Europe or the shore. As a consequence, our pantry and cupboards are shockingly bare. Of late, I have been making daily shopping trips and haven't replenished any dry food goods and other staples. With all of the panic and hoopla surrounding the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene, I decided to make an emergency trip to Shoprite, a place I have managed to avoid for the better part of the past year.
I went there with the intent of picking up water, batteries, cleaning supplies and some canned goods. I assumed others there would be doing the same. What I found however, were shelves empty of gallon water jugs and shoppers piling their carts with all manner of junk food. An acquaintance, whose cart contained the spray cheese of my youth (oh so delectable on a Ritz cracker during those summer camp days of yore), and all sorts of other goods out of my realm, tried to persuade me to throw out my foodie/organic convictions and just stock up. After all, this was about survival. I explained that I didn't just want to buy food that I wouldn't eventually use. Her rationale (and a good one at that), was that if we didn't end up using the food, we could just donate it. Yet I looked around and saw the carts stuffed with all manner of processed foods and couldn't exactly follow suit. In my own fashion, I did shop with abandon, as I purchased some things that would not ordinarily find their way into my cart.
With Izzy at my side, we carted home the following: 13 bottles of fizzy water, a lone bottle of Fiji water, hearts of palm, water chestnuts, olives, chickpeas, cannellini beans, olive oil, canned pink salmon, coconut water, organic granola, blueberry pomegranate juice, organic rice milk, coconut milk and whatever else you seen in the picture. I marveled at the spread and how it differed from what I saw in the carts of my neighbors. I knew that come what may, would we still manage to eat healthfully.
Not only did we shop for groceries, we also managed to snag the last light stick at Sears, get a bag of ice from the bodega and stop at the bank. Yet my efforts were for naught. I have been tracking the storm and reading the dire predictions, wondering if we needed to evacuate or not. This morning, A. insisted that Izzy and I leave Jersey City.
After much agonizing, I have left my stocked pantry and made the decision to leave my kitties and house behind. A. has remained home, guarding the house and the kitties. We chose to go stay with my brother since Flemington is merely a tropical storm zone instead of a category 1 hurricane site. Though the rain is falling steadily around us, inside my brother's kitchen feels like a pretty safe place to be.
May everyone left on 8th Street and elsewhere stay safe and dry. My thoughts are with all of you.
p.s. Thank J. for sharing your bedroom with us!
