2282: We'll Be Here (When You're Gone)
They are apparently having an issue with an entire section of the frozen entrees, apparently, because this is now the second day in a row I've gone in and there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING there, especially not our usual $1 budget meals.
Anyway, I must remark that it's somewhat bizarre that it's not really that much cheaper buying the scratch for a dinner--say, a meatloaf--vs. buying a premade dinner. Perhaps it's simply from being in blue crab country, as opposed to fat beef country, and meat is more expensive all around. This also goes for produce... I'm quite annoyed at discovering I like eating raw, un-guacamoled avocados, then finding they're over $1 each, even at the bulk stores [Sam's/Costco].
Back to the point of the subject line, I have been experiencing increasing visions of being in my parents' place--that is, memories of my childhood, except with Charles and I substituted for my mother and father [...not respectively XD err], and my clock saying, "See, come on... it's your turn now! Get a move on!" :p Exacerbating that effect is Noisy Gentleman constantly putting me in Paper/Diapers 9_9 which... I have to admit, diapers smell nice ^^;
--though, because they're clean :p and I haven't paid for them. No, though, I'm not buying any diapers just for that new-diaper-smell ¬_¬
Point being, though, I am going through feelings of "Mom is trying to form within me," and I am deeply unprepared. I feel a bit concerned about my father dying first, for instance, because I'm not sure that she's very prepared to do things he does for the both of them, taxes being the least of these. Unfortunately, it's likely he will be the first--at least, in terms of natural death.
Not that I like thinking about these things, but at any rate, I've gotten cravings for "Mom's home cooking," and just going through the grocery store fills me with ideas of, "Well, when I turn into my mother, I'll have to..."
*shudder*
I can't remember what food prices were, specifically, back home, but it's something like 3 cents for any fruit/veg, and 5 cents/pound for meat, apparently, because everything looks fucking expensive when I look at the same stuff here. I vomit [mentally] thinking of making the same kinds of dinner my mother made whenever she was home*, particularly considering my existing expenses. Steak every week? How the hell did we do that?? O_O
*Reminder, esp. for the newcomers: my mother's a flight attendant, not an absent mommy :p
I'm prolly not making a fair judgment call on the actual grocery costs, though, since I end up kind of glazing over the cost of things when we buy stuff at Sam's, but I still balk at spending money on FOOD, particularly on a per-item basis.
Um.
So, I decided to placate some of those feelings and make a meatloaf tonight. Mom's would always be onion soup mix, an egg, ground beef, and plenty of ketchup. I decided to try actual meatloaf mix [$2], ground turkey [what the mix suggests as a substitute, $3], and an egg [one of those sitting in the fridge should be okay]. It'll be a slight change from the usual heat-and-eat, at least.
Actually cooking makes me analyze Nag's behaviour, come to think of it. Since she isn't paying rent, there's clearly some deal between her and Shu, being that she does all the Little Wifey stuff, so she's trying to learn how to do all of this crap properly. Problem is, self-teaching means making mistakes and not necessarily realizing what they are... like, why is she so damn impatient about me putting my wash into the dryer so that she can do TWO loads while mine is still drying? [I bet this is why the dryer squeaks so loudly--it's overloaded.] Or, why does she wastefully handwash dishes instead of unloading the clean stuff in the dishwasher? Or, for gad's sake, WHY BAKE AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING.
It's perfectly logical when I dissect the situation in purely scientific/psychological terms. Of course, that doesn't mean I like it any better.
Turkey meatloaf... mmm. Looking forward to tasting the results.
Anyway, I must remark that it's somewhat bizarre that it's not really that much cheaper buying the scratch for a dinner--say, a meatloaf--vs. buying a premade dinner. Perhaps it's simply from being in blue crab country, as opposed to fat beef country, and meat is more expensive all around. This also goes for produce... I'm quite annoyed at discovering I like eating raw, un-guacamoled avocados, then finding they're over $1 each, even at the bulk stores [Sam's/Costco].
Back to the point of the subject line, I have been experiencing increasing visions of being in my parents' place--that is, memories of my childhood, except with Charles and I substituted for my mother and father [...not respectively XD err], and my clock saying, "See, come on... it's your turn now! Get a move on!" :p Exacerbating that effect is Noisy Gentleman constantly putting me in Paper/Diapers 9_9 which... I have to admit, diapers smell nice ^^;
--though, because they're clean :p and I haven't paid for them. No, though, I'm not buying any diapers just for that new-diaper-smell ¬_¬
Point being, though, I am going through feelings of "Mom is trying to form within me," and I am deeply unprepared. I feel a bit concerned about my father dying first, for instance, because I'm not sure that she's very prepared to do things he does for the both of them, taxes being the least of these. Unfortunately, it's likely he will be the first--at least, in terms of natural death.
Not that I like thinking about these things, but at any rate, I've gotten cravings for "Mom's home cooking," and just going through the grocery store fills me with ideas of, "Well, when I turn into my mother, I'll have to..."
*shudder*
I can't remember what food prices were, specifically, back home, but it's something like 3 cents for any fruit/veg, and 5 cents/pound for meat, apparently, because everything looks fucking expensive when I look at the same stuff here. I vomit [mentally] thinking of making the same kinds of dinner my mother made whenever she was home*, particularly considering my existing expenses. Steak every week? How the hell did we do that?? O_O
*Reminder, esp. for the newcomers: my mother's a flight attendant, not an absent mommy :p
I'm prolly not making a fair judgment call on the actual grocery costs, though, since I end up kind of glazing over the cost of things when we buy stuff at Sam's, but I still balk at spending money on FOOD, particularly on a per-item basis.
Um.
So, I decided to placate some of those feelings and make a meatloaf tonight. Mom's would always be onion soup mix, an egg, ground beef, and plenty of ketchup. I decided to try actual meatloaf mix [$2], ground turkey [what the mix suggests as a substitute, $3], and an egg [one of those sitting in the fridge should be okay]. It'll be a slight change from the usual heat-and-eat, at least.
Actually cooking makes me analyze Nag's behaviour, come to think of it. Since she isn't paying rent, there's clearly some deal between her and Shu, being that she does all the Little Wifey stuff, so she's trying to learn how to do all of this crap properly. Problem is, self-teaching means making mistakes and not necessarily realizing what they are... like, why is she so damn impatient about me putting my wash into the dryer so that she can do TWO loads while mine is still drying? [I bet this is why the dryer squeaks so loudly--it's overloaded.] Or, why does she wastefully handwash dishes instead of unloading the clean stuff in the dishwasher? Or, for gad's sake, WHY BAKE AT 3:30 IN THE MORNING.
It's perfectly logical when I dissect the situation in purely scientific/psychological terms. Of course, that doesn't mean I like it any better.
Turkey meatloaf... mmm. Looking forward to tasting the results.