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Where we speak of brains, groceries and memories that make us cry.

26 Comments

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It never ceases to amaze me what’s currently popular on Amazon.

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Is there really a plethora of suburban housewives eager to present a Jello brain at their next dinner party? I have my doubts, but whatever.

Being retired military, my husband and I try to take advantage of all the benefits that provides. For years we bought cheaper, tax free groceries at the commissary…. until George W. Bush closed our local base. There was a huge outcry from retirees in our area and talk of shuttering the base but keeping the commissary open. Sadly that didn’t happen, and now the nearest base is over two hours away. A four and a half hour round trip for groceries seems extreme but with the prices of everything going sky high, we decided to take a day and check it out.

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Perdue boneless skinless chicken breasts for under $3.00? I’ve been paying close to $9.00! Needless to say I filled a cart and then some. Even using half a tank of gas I still saved mucho dinero. Looks like we’ll have to make a monthly pilgrimage from now on.

If you’re on Facebook you’re familiar with the “memories” that pop up on your feed. I don’t normally pay much attention… ten years ago today I posted a picture of a woodchuck? Shocking! Please alert the press. But the other day this picture gave me pause..

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Not because we were younger and thinner.. although, damn. I really do miss thin… but because when I took a closer look, I realized four of the 13 family members pictured have passed. My husband’s brother, brother in law, mother, and aunt. Being an only child of an only child, my list of relatives is ridiculously small. I’ve lost both parents so I’m pretty much done. But the husband is one of nine from one of six, so the chances of someone missing from his side of the family photos increases exponentially.

😰

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26 thoughts on “Where we speak of brains, groceries and memories that make us cry.”

  1. Wow, you really hit the jackpot with going to shop the commissary. I mean that’s a pretty good price for chicken. I don’t have Facebook but you have pictures to remind you. My family is scattered to the wind, and mostly due to my mom. So no recent pictures of anyone, or even old pictures. My mom would throw away boxes of pictures because “they were taking up space” but never bothered to ask anyone of we’d like them.

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    1. My biggest regret is storing 50 photo albums in my mil’s attic when we moved to NC. They contained my childhood and misspent adolescence, so some real gems. I only meant to leave them there 6 months, but an undiscovered roof leak right over the boxes ruined that plan. I cried. Still do if I think about it because I never kept the negatives.
      😰

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  2. I have not really found the commissary to be the deal maker it used to be. I pass by lots of less expensive options on my trip there, so I can honestly say it is not our go to place. Neither is the PX. Oh…and I have noticed that Amazon likes to hype stuff that is taking up way too much warehouse space and not selling so hot. I suspect or brain jello-mode fits that category. Either that or they have a HUGE fraternity customer base.

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    1. It depends on the base. Every installation holds a rank and the commissary/exchange prices are reflective of that pay grade. The one we’re driving to in Bangor is Air National Guard and very small, hence the low prices. I’ve been to some that are Captain rated and Wal Mart is much cheaper.

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  3. I guess it’s some kind of reward for service, but “ranking” grocery stores seems so military. The poor enlisted men who live near the “Genaral’s Store” probably cannot make use of it.

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    1. It’s like real estate. Location, location, location. The bigger base in a metro area? Higher prices. Small base in the back of beyond? Cheap chicken.
      😉

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  5. We would have all starved if not for the commissary. I don’t think any of us were ready for the price of groceries when we moved from Charleston to Georgia. There was cheap food to be had but that’s just what it was, cheap.
    Cathy’s the only child of two only children, so she’s down to two since her father passed away in 2005. I’m part of a tribe, or I was until it became clear that my uppity ass wife wasn’t going to receive an invitation to become a member. Yay for Barbara, my big sister, for accepting us, and for Carol, my younger sister, for never making any pretenses about her feelings.
    I’m good with it all, though. I’m happier with Cathy than I could ever be with anyone else, and my life is more comfortable since they just leave me alone.

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    1. The commissary usually affords a 25-30 percent discount over local grocery stores. Some less, some more. This little one doesn’t have a huge selection, but what they do have is a significant savings. I bought a bottle of Tide laundry detergent for almost 40% less. Can’t argue with that.
      As for family, it can be challenging. We’ve had our ups and downs with my husband’s huge tribe and there are still some we don’t speak with. Such is life.
      🥴

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  7. Jello brains. Nope. Not gonna do that.

    Do you have a Costco nearby? I purchase all of our meat there and they have great prices.

    Those memories really do tug at your heart. I don’t have a lot of family left either and at times I feel like an orphan. That being said, there is zero drama; big families tend to have more issues.

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  10. What you paid for a package of chicken doesn’t mean a thing—it is the price per pound—compare that $2.74 a pound to what it costs locally per pound.
    To me that is THE hard part of growing/being old–loss of friends (not so much relatives but I have lost a lot of those!)

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