The dad doesn’t often get the chance to wonder the aisles and browse all the fun things that Trader Joe’s has to offer. The majority of his visits are with his son (whom is 10-years-old), and it’s a quick 5 minutes for a grab n go! But, yesterday, the dad had a solo excursion in the world, and Trader Joe’s was just one part of his not so incredible journey. His wife, and from prior experiences, where she has sent him for groceries (with a list), he fails to get everything on the list. He blames it on other people, claiming they flirt and bother him at the chip aisle! So, with that, Nina, gave him a very small list. Little did Nina know that when he was about to enter Trader Joe’s, he realized he left that list in the car. He thought for a minute, should I go in or go back to the car? Well, he turned around, and good thing he did!
An hour before, he was in Sierra Trading Post, looking for thin t-shirts. He touched a few, but nothing appealed to him. He quickly glanced at the bicycles, and as he was walking out (with nothing), he thought to himself, wow, they have kayaks!
The dad needed food, and he had his eyes and mouth set on Panda Express, but he did review the menu for a place called Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill which was next door to Panda Express. The dad is not adventurous, so Naf Naf wasn’t something he wanted to add to his boring food repertoire. Panda Express is easy and simple, and even though the restaurant worker couldn’t understand what the dad asked for, the dad was in no mood to correct him and took what was given, which was Chow Mein noodles with Honey Walnut Shrimp and Original Orange Chicken (he didn’t want the chicken). The dad ate in silence and observed the comings and goings of people. He ate everything, and in the back of his mind, he hoped his fortune would come true: a significant salary increase is in your future!
The final stop for the dad was Trader Joe’s. He had the list, and was ready to go.
First stop was wine for cooking, but the dad needed help from the staff to locate the correct wine. In Minnesota, the wine section is separate, so after buying three bottles of wine, the dad took a deep breath and headed into the store with a paper list from his wife and a few extra things texted from his son. The dad knows what everyone likes, and proceeded to get everything and a few extra things. He only had to glance at the lists a few times.
When the dad arrived home, his wife was pleased that everything on the list was accounted for. Score one for the dad! The dad looked at his wife and son and was glad he didn’t have to blame any missed goods on his extraordinary flirting skills!
That evening, two food requests were submitted to the dad from his son. Dumplings and a grilled cheese sandwich as the dad brought those items from Trader Joe, and fortunately, frying them is in the dad’s repertoire. The dad doesn’t have a dishwasher, so after the cooking and plating was done (Gordon Ramsey would’ve been appalled at the plating, but the dad is simple and knows that whatever he uses, for his son is perfectly sufficient for a 10-year-old), the dad cleaned everything up and there is no proof of anything of that cooking nature in the kitchen. The dad did panic briefly as he saw his son opening a can of not Trader Joe’s tomato sauce, not realizing that his son was planning on dunking his sandwich in it.
For the dad’s dinner, he made himself fried rice, of course from Trader Joe’s, in the microwave. It actually comes out good, and also, it’s easy to put away for leftovers and just one utensil is used.
