A Rookie Mistake

You know what a rookie mistake is? 

Buying too many groceries to fit in your basket when you're 3km from home.

Damn it.

We have a teeny-tiny, little grocery store in our 'hood, and it's become my habit to swing by there almost every other day. I'll plan out a meal or two, pick up some snacks, call it good. The store basically stocks fish, meat, rice, and veggies, with the occasional dairy item thrown in. It's super basic, and I really love it.

There were always a couple items that I couldn't seem to quite find at this store: mustard, vanilla extract, non-instant coffee. Today was beautiful outside, so I decided to bike to the nearest "big" grocery store, called Aeon, but everyone here insists on pronouncing it E-On. (Come on, Japan!)

It might be a very good thing for our waistlines that I don't make it to Aeon very often. I not only picked up the mustard and vanilla, but also got sucked in by the frozen pizzas (they are Amos' favorite), the yogurt, the fig jam, the English muffins, the tart crusts, the candles that say 'Happy Birthday' in hiragana (it is Amos' birthday this weekend. Hey Oh!).

Only once I left the store, with my very full bag, did I take a look at Lily's front basket size. Eeeps. It was a little... small. I tried to place my bag in the basket. It didn't go well.

Seriously. At this point, I stopped to take a photo, which I sure made me look even more ridiculous.  I then wiggled the bag in on it's side, smooshed what I could in the basket, tied the handles across the opening, and biked ever. so. slowly. back to our home.

Lucky for me (and the pedestrians on the sidewalk), all the groceries stayed wedged in the bag. I wish I could say we made it entirely unscathed, but there was one little casualty. WAH, WAH. Sumimasen, chiisai tomago!

Now I know: measure the basket area first, buy groceries second, and skip the eggs when the basket is nearly full. Happy Friday.