First of the month and clearly I need to treat it as a No-Spend-July. Last month with the air conditioner crash it was very expensive. I'll let the sticker shock sink in as I find ways to use things I already have here. And list eBay stuff. It has been a no-alcohol month since about February so I'm already realizing a savings from not buying wine or Scotch or beer.
I have friends who will run errands for me, but yesterday I though I'd save them a trip and get groceries using Instacart. The shopper leaves the bags on my front porch and I usually give them a couple of minutes to leave before I open the door so the dogs don't startle anyone. My phone chimed a text telling me it had been delivered, but there was nothing on the porch! I wondered where they were, if I was going to have to walk over to the neighbors and see if the order was there, or maybe in the next block at the house that sometimes gets my mail. As I walked over to look at the front of the next door house I glanced up my driveway and saw something by the side door step.
I went back into the house and over to the side door, to find all of my groceries on the ground, nothing bagged or in a box. And on a 100o day, the butter and cheese and cottage cheese were on the pavement at the bottom of other stuff. I retrieved a laundry basket bring it all in, and I am afraid I laid into that delivery person in my rating on the app. I have a photo. I didn't ask for a refund, but I did halve the tip, and supposedly a supervisor will contact me. I'll ask that they please train that person how to properly handle groceries. He had them for a couple of hours before they were delivered and the app assured me they were in a "temperature controlled environment" until delivery. I doubt it - one of the cottage cheese containers was so puffed up it was ready to burst.
I don't want anyone to lose their job in this environment, but he needs some guidance if he's going to continue doing this work. Other than that, his produce selections were fine. Some of the past deliveries weren't so great (one woman brought a bag of yellow onions that I realized the next day were all but spoiled and I had to throw almost all of them away.)
Ms Cookie turned up with a shallow gash in her side this morning, missing some hair and some bleeding but not deep. I pulled out my veterinary first aid kit and washed with chlorhexidine and finished with a dab of antibiotic ointment. I rolled her around and didn't find any other injuries. The guy I do contract work for described his dog tangling with a young bobcat last week - she was a lot worse off. We have them here, but hopefully they know to stay outside the yard fence.
Clearly there is plenty of drama here this summer. My ex will be retired after today so I expect to have more frequent visits as he learns how to be retired.