Dating at the grocery store, part 1.

Brian and I went on a date to the grocery store last night.  Let me indulge you with a few explanations:

1) We didn’t get much face time this weekend, so whatever needed to be done last night needed to be done together.

2) We met at WalMart.  Sometimes walking grocery aisles takes us back.  (Cannot wait to blog that story.  Stay tuned.)

3) I can take him with me now without the fear that we might file for separation once we’re home.

You see, Brian has become a thrifty and responsible adult.  Grocery shopping seven years ago, however, looked a lot different.  You’d have thought that we had children just by glancing at our pantry.  We were loaded up on Captain Crunch, potato chips, Oreos, candy bars and enough soda for an average birthday party.  He was completely opposed to any nudge of mine toward a healthier lifestyle.  Half of the frustration was that I was constantly surrounded by temptation; the other half was that we paid full price for said temptation!

I remember the very breakfast that cracked open a glimpse of hope for me.  I was making sweet potato waffles (think bread with filling that’s been pressed/grilled like a pizza pocket).  I prepared his breakfast using all of his favorites: white bread, fake maple syrup, real bacon.  Then I prepared my breakfast using my favorites: whole wheat bread, real maple syrup, turkey bacon.  It obviously took twice as long, but it looked pretty much the same.

Me, “Brian, it took me a lot longer to make two different kinds of the same breakfast this morning.  Would you mind taking a bite of yours and a bite of mine to see if it’s a big enough difference for me to go through all that again the next time?”

He humored me.  And you know what?  It really isn’t that much different!  (Okay, except for turkey bacon.  He understands why I like it and he can eat it; but I certainly wouldn’t banish regular bacon from our house when he likes it that much.)

So our date at the grocery store was smooth sailing last night.  There were no aisle-6-disagreements and no aisle-10-hurt-feelings.  You would have thought we’ve been grocery shopping together our entire lives.  Yes, everything went according to plan…  Until check out, that is…

To be continued…