Gas Stations and Auto Parts stores...that seems to be the norm for Park Rapids. There is a new small antique shop in an old flower shop on Hwy 71 South....which I think is more of an Antique Mall where different people have areas. (I wish I dared to go inside.)
There has been talk of this Gas Station for quite some time. There used to be a Gas Station, Beer Joint/Laundromat, Stacy's Pizza Shop, a Tackle Shop/Art Gallery/Auto Parts Store, and another Gas Station on this block...oh and Hazels Beauty Shop behind the Gas Station on the west end...
Now there is a big crane moving huge concrete sections into place. We have been watching the building site with interest...we wondered if the old alley will still be there...so far it looks like it.
Grocery Pickup was an adventure. It took three attempts but they finally got it correct. The first time I was shorted three items and charged for a large peanut butter but got a small one. After I disinfected everything right there in the parking lot I gave them a call and left a message for the online shopping department of the problems with my order....I told them I would wait in the parking lot for someone to straighten it out. After a short wait a fellow came out...he heard my complaint and headed back in the store...he returned with two of my items and Jiff Peanut Butter (not Skippy)... he grabbed all the peanut butter and headed back in the store...a while later he brought out the rest of my order and the correct size Skippy PB. This all took 30 minutes...so frustrating. Of course the fellow was apologetic...they really need a detail orientated person to fill orders. So I give them an F this week for a freaking failure.
By that time it was time to pick up Far Guy from the clinic. The onto the bank Drive Through and the Meat Market for some St Louis Style Ribs. I waited outside the Meat Market for another customer to come out before I went in. The fellows in the Meat Market are real nice...I can also call in my order and they will bring it out to the vehicle for me.
Main Street was real busy...and the outdoor eating areas looked cold and empty. With the colder weather more people are going inside...not us....we are probably better cooks than they are anyways.
Having someone else do my shopping makes me crazy. I'm picky about the things I like and don't like. I'm glad that you are being careful.
ReplyDeleteIt's such a shame... and such a hassle for YOU... that the store can't get your order right! I'm assuming you don't have a local Walmart near you? Or... heaven forbid... this IS a Walmart you're talking about! I place an online order with Walmart every 7-10 days and they always get it right so I can't imagine why yours isn't... but how horrible! Our local Mom & Pop grocery store in-town takes orders by phone and then you pick up your groceries at curbside... and I can picture this same thing happening there, as happened to you. I just can't imagine that their phone ordering system would be very accurate either. Walmart has it down to a science, I believe. Maybe you should chance wearing a mask & going in to the store yourself, using hand sanitizer the minute you get back to your car. Most stores have the sanitizer wipes for the cart handles too. You could get in-and-out fairly quickly, knowing exactly what you want & probably knowing exactly where in the store each item is. *hugs* ~Andrea xoxo
ReplyDeleteYes we finally have a Walmart nearby that has curbside delivery since last month and they are accurate! Our local grocery store is where i shop for fresh fruits and vegetables and for a few other things that they are always messing up. I order online it is the picker that messes up.
DeleteNow I understand. xoxo
DeleteWhat kind of mask do you use Connie?
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DeleteCloth usually although we have some one time use medical ones:)
Sorry about this week's shopping adventure. I am so worried about how much Covid cases are going to rise with the colder weather and everyone going inside. I know we sure won't either but the more cases there are still puts all of us at a higher risk.
ReplyDeleteYes, times have definitely changed. I don't think I'm quite ready to eat inside, but it sure isn't very warm any more for sitting outside. I haven't done grocery pickup, but apparently it's very popular at my local store, since I see all the bags waiting for someone to come get them.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! They really do need someone who can pay close attention to detail! A person shouldn't have to be that persistent just to get s few groceries.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what they are making there in town with the crane. Interesting!
I believe it is a Simonson's Gas Station
DeleteI am very fortunate. We have an Aldi in the next town over and I can order online. Although they are sometimes out of an item, any missing items are because I forgot to order them (or double check they register). I call as we pull in the parking lot and as soon as we are parked, they are at the back of the car to put the groceries in the "way back". There is ONE grocery store where most of the people follow our mandatory mask mandate and my husband tries to get there at 7 am when the people who can follow the rules are there. They are higher priced, but carry more items and cut their own meat.
ReplyDeleteGosh, can you imagine spending an afternoon browsing the antique mall? Maybe someday. Right now I am hoping we might be safe to have a few family members over for Thanksgiving. . . .
Sorry this week's grocery pickup was such an unpleasant adventure. Glad it all got straightened out in the end, though it's a shame you had to go through so much hastle for it to happen.
ReplyDeleteYuck, your grocery pick-up experience was much like the one (and only) time I tried it. That was enough for me.
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay well.
I feel fortunate that the grocery store closest to my house has mostly gotten my orders correct. But this week I got 2 extra items and they were not even in the same bag with each other. I didn't discover it until I was unpacking my bags at home, so I called the store. They double checked to make sure I wasn't charged for the items - gluten free bagels and a jumbo container of coffee creamer. They told me to go ahead and keep them but neither is anything we'll use. I'm checking with friends to see if anyone wants the creamer. I'll put the bagels in the freezer for my daughter.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the new gas station is a Quick Trip. Do you have those in Minnesota? They are gas and quick groceries and snacks and very popular around here. Even our very small town has one now.
ReplyDeleteYou would think the store shopper could at least get the brand right. It's a pain to wait for them to correct the order but that will make sure they hear about the mistakes and hopefully improve.
We ate in restaurants a couple of times this summer for birthday celebrations but I'm not going to this winter at all. Covid is getting so much worse everywhere so we are going back to stricter precautions. We will get take out once in a while but that's it. You two have a nice weekend!
New growth is good. A summer tourist area should help to support it. Years ago my two aunts and uncles with three kids traveled in one car to park rapids every summer. The kids got to be too big and the adults got too old to travel.
ReplyDeleteNo one can trust any of the people around here who fill online orders (not even the walmart). I refuse to even try it. Just go in and get my business done right the way I want it. We haven't eaten at a restaurant for decades so don't even miss it. Guess that's our plus to be homebodies in the first place lol. Here's hoping your "F" trips turn into "A" from here on out!! Blessings to you guys!
ReplyDeleteAt least at the Meat Market you get efficient and friendly service.
ReplyDeleteYou live in a big town! You have traffic lights! We only have stop signs. Sorry about your grocery trouble. That would be a pain.
ReplyDeleteSome good some bad in the grocery shopping. You don't have to do it yourself but have to put up with errors.
ReplyDeleteI was telling Cheryl about situations like this just today. Goodness! Our store has been out of my cat's food for over a month now. I doubt the people there would be able to make a selection for me. (Or the cat! Heck, even I don't know what alternatives there are) Cats are so fussy. Cheryl and I have odd brand loyalty as well. In many cases, we would rather go without than have an alternative. And I want to be the one making the choice...not a picker. (The cats like beef! With lots of gravy. Not seafood, not chicken, not turkey... what else is there?) Hope you have smooth sailing in the future. Or better yet! How about the pandemic end and we get back to normal. ( Herd immunity, vaccine... whatever it takes!) We are wishing you well!
ReplyDeleteThis made me think of the days when going to "town" was a big deal, now nt so much if at all unless we are talking country heading into town.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about the grocery fiasco this week. I'm pretty lucky and although sometimes Walmart doesn't have the things I ordered, they've never just plain gotten it wrong. Sometimes I even get a larger size for the smaller price! That's always a nice surprise.
ReplyDeleteWe eat breakfast at a small restaurant on Saturday mornings with Larry, Nita, Paul and Lori. Only Dennis works away from home and his job has strict cleaning, spacing and masking rules. Paul is working at home, Lori stays home like me and Larry and Nita are retired and rarely go anywhere without us. We wear masks into and out of the restaurant, the "silverware" is all disposable. There is rarely anyone else there and when there is, there have to be 2 tables between us, or about 15 feet. So far we've felt safe but I don't know how long we'll continue if the numbers keep going up. We want to support them so they have jobs but I don't want to take risks either. That's the only eating out we do anymore except sometimes a takeout pizza.
Take care Connie.
Blessings,
Betsy
I feel so blessed that our experiences with pick up and delivery shopping have been good ones. The shoppers are in constant contact with us as they shop and if something is unavailable they ask or suggest a replacement. We have not eaten in a restaurant since the end of February and have no plans to do so anytime soon. We do order fast food once a week through the drive thru... somehow that doesn't seems so bad to me!
ReplyDeleteI guess I could get curbside pick up if I were willing to drive 45 miles one way. Eeks. I went once in the past 3 weeks to the store to pick up fresh stuff and milk..oh and junk food for my husband.
ReplyDeleteThere is a store I'd like to go visit that sells re-purposed cool things. I usually pick up a little something for my indoor decorations each year.
Sadly, I'll miss that too as our infection rate soars here.
Goodness, I hope your grocery shopping experience gets better.
I follow our local store owner on Twitter, and his staff are all amazing. It's a big chain, and they don't always have what the website offers, and they phone me to make sure. I've been pleased with pick ups here.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine what it is like working in those stores. People, customers have been crazy! Lots of stores have signs demanding customers don't attack staff. Just crazy times. Sorry about your experience. Heads should roll!
That sounds really frustrating - I have also heard other good things about our Walmarts new service. I saw the new gas station progress today =
ReplyDeletewhen we first had quarantine, I was post foot surgery one week, and my husband was down for a couple of days with another problem. So I ordered groceries delivered insta-cart. It was perfect. But I only did it one week, so I may have had problems eventually. It was great.
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