"You've got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in Seven-Eleven, ok?" (--Dennis Miller)

Surely I'm not the only person who glances furtively at other peoples' grocery carts in the checkout line, right?

I tend to be one of those people who really does "shop the perimeter aisles of the store," meaning that I buy fresh food and produce, and limit my purchases in those inside lanes that cater to packaged, processed foods with tons of additives that have a shelf life of 100 years, because they're mostly chemicals anyway. I like to purchase certain things in certain stores: Fresh Market gets my vote for gourmet items, but Lowe's is fine with me for paper products. The Farmer's market is the best for local, fresh produce.

And ok... I sometimes like to buy pretty fresh flowers, or try those orange/ginger flavored almonds I saw at Whole Foods. (I admit it, sometimes I'm an impulse buyer.)

Joe likes to race into a grocery store on a mission, with specific items in mind. (He loves it if I give him a list.) No browsing; he snaps things up at the speed of light, scopes out the shortest checkout lane, and checks out as fast as possible, already planning where he'll stop off for a cuppa' on the way home. He doesn't read labels, he never reads what the fat content is in any item, and he likes to know where items are so he can head right to them. He'd much rather dash home and tune in to the latest international soccer game on TV. Cracks me up.

Not me: I like to investigate what new foods are there, and think of new things to try in the kitchen. I like to get to know the fishmonger, the bakery folks, the butcher, who can tell me what to do with certain cuts of meat. I think nothing of asking for a sample at the deli counter--what do they have those little tiny spoons for, anyway?

But finally, most of all, I find it extremely entertaining to watch people throughout the store, and especially at the checkout counter: I like to try to figure out what meals they might fix with the things they have overflowing in their grocery carts. Sometimes, I'll get good ideas for my own future purchases, watching what things they've selected...

...and sometimes, I can't imagine what they'll put together from what they have in those carts. The other day, a woman in front of me had a cart filled with: Cocoa Puffs, Krispy Kreme donuts, french-fried onion rings, bacon, Wonder bread, and a gallon of milk.

"Many doctors pay their grocery bills with the money of folks who have eaten too much." (--Unknown)