Part of bus living as you travel to a certain event (read: have to get your lazy hippy ass to a certain place by a certain time, so you are busting balls to get all your stuff done and make it) is like deploying the troops.
Dan pulled the Comet into a parking lot between two small strip malls. Dan grew up in Abbotsford, so he knows all the cool places. There is a delightful wrap place here, and we also need blocks of ice. Some gas stations sell blocks, in addition to cubes, but Safeway usually carries blocks and cubes in abundance. If you are gonna live in a bus, and you decide not to spring for the fridge, cuz you are silly, you will want blocks for your cooler. They last longer.
Dan makes his way to the wraps of Awesomeness, and I head into Safeway. I have my little reusable bag in my hand, and I know exactly what I want. How often does that happen, I ask you? I scan the front wall of the store for the sometimes locked freezer invariably proclaiming ICE in a snow covered decal. Not obviously about, but they don’t get far, now do they? I strode confidently up to a bored looking cashier, smiling.
“Can I get two blocks of ice?” I asked her, making eye contact politely. She stared at me for a moment like I had just asked how much for a night with her sister. One hand reached for the phone next to her till.
“I will call someone for you.” she drawled. I furrowed my brows, and then I remembered all in a rush that Safeway keeps its ice in the freezer aisle, so you can toss them in your cart in the middle of your shopping spree, giving the slacking teenage clean up crew some water droplets to follow. Or to lure you in, I’m not sure which.
“Oh, I forgot. I can…” I lift one hand to forestall her. I am actually capable of getting my own ice. But it is too late.
“Carry out to till three” The disembodied voice crackles over the store speakers.
I try again. “I can go get it, I remember now it’s in the freezer aisle…”
She waves me off, just as a burly woman in a safety vest walks up, and gives me an appraising look. I stand there, holding one hand forestalled and useless in the air. The burly woman raises an eyebrow. I can feel the blush on my cheeks.
“Can you get this girl a couple of ice blocks?” the cashier asks with a certain malicious gleam in her eye.
“Blocks?” Burly Woman asks, looking at me once more. Maybe if I was lucky, she would assume I was injured, and couldn’t lift my own damn ice. Maybe she would just assume I was mentally sideswiped by the challenge of navigating the supermarket aisles.
“Yes.” I replied meekly. Burly Woman strode off, while the cashier turned back to her till in time to see another customer approaching.
“Why don’t you go up to Customer Service to pay.” She shooed me off as a more profitable and less needy person started unloading her purchases onto the conveyer belt.
I slunk up to Customer Service, quietly waiting for my ice to be delivered to me. This cashier was chatting on the phone, and I was just as glad to be ignored. I idly looked at the lighter section, and pondered the nearly magical fact I hadn’t lost the one I carry in my party belt to lend to scattered festival goers who have misplaced theirs.
“…..just hang on a minute.” I heard. And then a little louder: “Can I help you?”
I turned to see the Customer Service cashier leaning over, one hand cupped over the phone.
“Oh, I’m just waiting for my ice..” I stammered.
She spoke over the last bit of my sentence.
“Do you need me to call, or have you paid yet?” Her hand was already hovering over the call button.
“No no!” I nearly yelped. “I have already been helped, I was just told to come pay…” I waved my hand weakly in the direction of the first cashier, and trailed off.
“Ok, well you need to wait until the ice gets here to pay.” She stated, and turned buck to her phone call with a smile. “Look honey, I have some customers now… why don’t you do that? OK, see you later.” Another customer came up to the desk, and I stood aside, wringing my eco-responsible cloth bag.
Burly Woman arrived, in a short time, all considered. She put one block of ice in my bag, and then held the other one up for Customer Service Cashier to scan. I meekly accepted this block, and Burly Woman smiled at me as she walked off, possibly resisting the urge to pat me on the head. Perhaps she assumed my keeper was just outside of the store, seeing if I could carry out simple tasks in a day to day life. Maybe one day I could live among ordinary people again!
Customer Service Cashier swiped my card for me, and held the slip of paper down for me to sign. I got my ice and my reciept, and I got the heck out of there.
Remember, Safeway carries their ice in the big freezers.
Wherever you are, Be There 