Stoker purchases almost everything from Amazon. So much so that the trucks are creating ruts in our gravel driveway. We occasionally have multiple deliveries in a single day. On one memorable occasion, there were two Amazon trucks in our driveway at the same time! Traffic is normally light on Brumby Road (cherry season excepted) but Stoker’s deliveries are changing that.
Stoker also gets her prescriptions delivered, and pays extra for the service. She even includes a nice gratuity, so the drivers leave happy. But I still head for CVS and stand in line for my drugs. While I’m there, I may purchase some needed OTC meds or toiletries. This used to be a simply matter, just grab stuff off the shelves, pay and go.
But shoplifting has become such a problem that many items are in locked cases. You have to ring a bell and wait for a clerk to unlock the case so you can choose your shampoo or razor blades or shaving cream. At one store in Stockton, the clerk wouldn’t even let me put my Head and Shoulders in my shopping basket; he had to walk it up to the cashier, and put it behind the plexiglass screen for me until I reached the checkout.
So far the Raley’s I shop at has all the goods undefended with the exception of some high end liquor items. But that may have to change:
Roseville police have arrested a woman they say is responsible for stealing vodka and bacon from two grocery stores in Placer County.
Two of my favorite items, although I consume vodka a lot more often than bacon. But certainly a conundrum of a combination. Maybe she was pilfering pasta ingredients and got ‘penne ala vodka’ and spaghetti carbonara mixed up.
Authorities said 39-year-old Shanae Watkins stole six bottles of vodka and 14 packages of thick-cut bacon from a Bel Air store on June 4. According to police, store employees tried to stop her, but she left with the items in her bag.
That would have to be one big, big bag. Or perhaps the police report was hastily written, or the reporter was lazy. And I’m kind of surprised the employees tried to get involved; I thought most big chain stores have a ‘hands off’ policy for shoplifting.
Police said Watkins then targeted a Safeway store, where employees recognized her from prior incidents and called authorities.
Officers said they arrested Watkins with six bottles of Tito’s vodka, five packages of bacon, and six reusable bags in her possession.
Tito’s is distilled from 100% yellow corn, so it can proudly claim is is ‘gluten free’. That is true if you are thinking about wheat gluten. Corn has gluten in it too, but no one is accusing corn gluten of causing health problems. Stoker and I find Tito’s a little too smooth and we prefer the somewhat sharper mouth feel of Stolichnaya. Perhaps Ms. Watkins’ preference is due to health concerns.
BTW, Stoli makes a gluten free version, and charges extra for it. All that means is that whatever is fermented for the distillation feedstock hasn’t got any wheat in it. I have my doubts that regular, non-gluten free Stoli actually has noticeable levels of gluten either. Boiling turns the alcohol into a gas, and since alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, all the other liquid and grain residue is left in the pot and not in the bottle.
It is almost time for some non-gluten free vodka from Latvia. We aren’t planning BLT’s for dinner though.
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