Using a shopping list

For ages now I have been using a phone app in place of a written scrap of a shopping list. I find that when I run out of something if I just add it to the digital shopping list then I’ll see it when next I shop. This is an excellent system except when I don’t update straight away.

There are times, for instance, when I’m in the middle of cooking and run out of an essential spice. I make a mental note to add it to the list as soon as I have a free hand. Sometimes I manage to remember.

Other times my phone may not be with me. While unusual, this can happen. I then instantly forget about it and only realise I need something the next time I reach for it.

Thirdly, I just don’t add things to the list. No rhyme; no reason.

Such a day was today.

I went shopping first thing, my gout having sufficiently dissipated, and bought food for dinner and checked off a few things on my list. I then went for my first Starbucks in weeks because the place was almost empty.

As I said to Vivienne a little later when quizzed about being there in the morning, I had managed to find that elusive spot between the going to school and the coming back from school crowds. It was completely accidental.

It did mean missing a bus back but what the hell? I walked back.

It was shortly after walking into the house that I realised I’d forgotten a few things. I announced to a still poorly Mirinda that I’d be going back up to town after lunch. Which I did. Bus both ways though.

The benefits of this were that I discovered that our dry cleaners, the one we’ve been using for the last decade, has closed down. The signage remains but that’s about it.

The white paper note on the door is a notice saying they have gone. There’s nothing about moving to other premises. They have just gone.

While mentioning moving business premises, I also noticed that Colony, in Lion and Lamb Yard is moving. The signs don’t indicate where. I reckon it’s because they changed the name of the store from India Jane, which, I reckon, is a fabulous name. Colony reminds me of the Chinese restaurant that used to be in Castle Street.

As I waited for the return bus, across the road from the Borough bus stop, a small group of shepherds were preparing to play something Christmassy. I think it was dad, daughter and son. Dad was going to play a cornet, daughter a recorder and son a big yellow trombone.

Sadly, I didn’t get to hear them but they were being given money from the windows of passing cars while they set themselves up so, maybe, my fellow Farnhamites knew in advance what to expect.

They started up just as the bus pulled away and, apart from a couple of brassy notes, I didn’t hear anything. Sadly. It would have made a nice backdrop to waiting for the bus.

Then, back at home and at about 5pm, Mirinda asked for a Redbush Tea. I happily trotted to the cupboard and reached into the Redbush Tea Tin only to find a single, solitary bag. This made me swear.

At some stage I’d used most of the bags and had not entered the need for replacement on my shopping list.

If this had been an ordinary Wednesday, it would have been fine because I could have just bought some more in the morning when I went shopping. But this wasn’t an ordinary Wednesday. Or, rather, not an ordinary Thursday.

Tomorrow I have an Alton Talking Newspaper followed by a trip up to the flat in order to meet the builder to give him the keys. This means I’m not going shopping in the morning. Which, consequently means, there’ll be no Redbush Teabags until Friday afternoon.

I could have suddenly dashed out of the house to what used to be the Londis on the off-chance that it may stock them but I’d promised the girls a walk.

I could have followed the walk with a trip to what used to be the Londis on the same off-chance but, by the time we returned I was knackered and needed a sit down for a bit. By the time I’d recovered it was raining again.

(I should mention here that, prone as I am to doing myself damage, I bashed my right knee yesterday, a pain which is rapidly replacing the gout.)

And the moral of this not very interesting story? Always update your shopping list. Either that or go through your entire supplies before every shopping expedition, noting the stock levels. Or both. I think I’ll do both.