One of the things that helped me get through the long Lockdown in the UK was my trolley. Before the long Lockdown I would go shopping every day but then, when the plague forced things to change, I changed with it, shopping on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Shopping in this new style meant I had to buy more stuff each trip, especially on a Friday. This meant I needed more than just a reusable shopping bag. The trusty old wicker basket was dragged out, polished up and used every trip.
Since moving to Sweden, we have been shopping every Sunday. We go to the island café, then, on the way home, stop off at the ICA where I do a week’s shop and Mirinda sits and studies her Swedish language lessons from inside the car.
I’m the first to admit I’m not very good at shopping weekly. Also, the way the check-outs work in Sweden isn’t conducive to big shopping on your own. It was obvious I had to start getting back into the three days a week routine.
Today was the first step towards that routine. Today, in Clas Ohlson, I bought a trolley.
Okay, it’s not as cool as the wicker basket, but it does have the advantage of being easy to lug on and off buses as well as being water-resistant and having a lid. It’s also Italian.
I bought it at Tyresö Centrum and was suddenly aware of hundreds of other shoppers with trolleys. You couldn’t move for trolleys.
The chap in the shop asked if I’d like it unwrapped and set up. Obviously, I felt the need to compete with the other trolley pullers. I was very thankful and soon joined the wheeling hordes.
I had a few things to buy (obviously I had to pop into my favourite shop, the System) and happily wheeled around the centre, ending up at the Espresso House where I had a saffron bun with my latte.
I realise it wasn’t Friday so the wrong day for fika but yesterday, when I didn’t go to Norrby’s because of the mingle that wasn’t, Mirinda went alone and had fika on her own. I was appalled at this disregard for tradition and said that I would have fika Thursday then.
Then, as per the plan we’d made when Mirinda offered to drive me into the shops – she was picking up her second pair of glasses – I hopped on the bus for home. As the bus turned the first corner I had a text from Mirinda saying she was finished and desperate to go home. Was I ready to go?
Clearly, the plan we’d made was misunderstood by one of us. I explained the situation and, as I walked up from the bus stop towards the house, she drove passed me.
Late in the day, Mirinda attended an awards ceremony on Zoom. It was part of her company’s way of pointing up the achievements of various employees throughout 2020. It happens every year but, because it’s usually ‘live’, I’ve never even heard of it, let alone watched the fun. I sat out of camera shot this year and actually attended.
And what fun it was. Three people, in particular, showed what great sports they are by performing rather embarrassing tasks in a series of short videos. And the best Christmas costume was won by a woman wearing a turkey. Her comment on winning the prize was that it was “…very smelly in here!“
Emma, though, wasn’t quite as keen.
The secret of a happy marriage – misunderstanding