They had a conveyor belt that took your groceries outside that was pretty neat.

We used to have that, too! Still have Star, no longer have the conveyor belt. Some of the Stars are now Shaw's and I'm not sure why.

ION, everyone has to read this best-ever work advice column. [link]

Guys, how are so many people just unaware of basic facts??? HOW??? We're not in some sort of crisis of violence against the police, FFS.

We're not in the middle of a massive epidemic of violent crime.

AND A FUCKING NATION IS NOT A MOTHERFUCKING BUSINESS YOU IGNORANT FUCKWITS.

Ahem.

Venting here so as to keep it off Facebook, but I seriously want to cry.

I hope you are on the mend soon, sarameg.

The last couple years I have found it more convenient to go to one family's farm stand just outside of town for fresh produce, rather than the farmers' market which is located two blocks from here, but is not on days when I have much time to spare. The fact that the farm stand is open every day, takes checks, and is across the way from the orchard we like to go to, makes it much more do-able. For not-grown-in-Minnesota needs, there are Aldi and Fareway. Since Fareway price-matches other stores' ads (i.e. they do the leg-work and fix their own prices to match without me taking competitors's sale papers in with me), not to mention the very well-run meat counter (you should see how well they wrap their meats, leakage is rare and it unwraps so easily that I seldom have to touch the meat with bare hands when I place it in the pot), we don't go to Hy-Vee much any more.

Plei - not sure if that is from the discussion I am trying to have on my FB or not. It is so hard to keep it to a open/constructive conversation when I want to say - WTF PEOPLE. But I have some friends who I otherwise consider to be intelligent who are supporting Trump and I just don't get it. I'm trying to be as open minded as possible in graciously discussing their comments.

Most of my shopping is done at sprouts or safeway with occasional trips to Trader joes or whole foods. I try to get most of my produce from the farmer's market.

It is, Suzi, and I admire your restraint and grace there!

I really kind of want this skirt.

[link]

I may not agree with the responses I've been getting but so far, other than two cousins with opposite comments, everyone has been very restrained. I have thought about making this post for a few weeks and after the debate I had to do it. I mean, I TOTALLY don't get it. But I respect the people who have been responding and want to maintain that respect.

Not sure if I mentioned it here, but I went to a watch party at a neighbor's place - someone I've never met but got connected with by our local Hillary organizer. There were about 8 of us there - no one knew each other. I just wanted to watch with like minded people. If I had watched alone at home, I probably would have gone nuts.

Yesterday morning I was walking to my office and heard a man walking behind me tell a friend that he had to be sure he didn't go to a Republican bar to watch the debate because he wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut and didn't want to be arrested.