urban quirks

I live in an apartment building. The kind where, if you close your apartment door behind you, it is automatically locked and you don't have to turn the bolt with your key (unless you are paranoid enough to insist on bolt-locking). The kind where, if you are in a hurry and rush out without your keys, you are automatically locked out of your apartment.

Today must have been the 10th time I have locked myself out since I've lived here. Twice in the last three days.

That got me thinking. If I lived in a house in the suburbs, I would never lock myself out. I'd have to bike or drive to get anywhere, say for example the grocery store. My house keys would be attached to my bike lock or car keys. Besides, I'd have to actually do the locking every time I left anyway. Yet another reason why I am getting sick of living in the city. I really need a change of scenery.

Speaking of the grocery store. I was standing in the produce aisle today, bagging my bananas, when a woman walks up with an empty shopping cart. She hauled a 5-lb bag of carrots off the shelf into her cart. That's a lot of carrots. What a health nut, I thought. Then, she proceeded to haul the remaining four 5-lb bags of carrots into her cart. Along with three more 2-lb bags of carrots. And six packages of bean sprouts. I think I stopped staring right around this time, but I'm pretty sure she went straight to the checkout counters after getting the sprouts. And her 31 pounds of carrots.

My first thought: she must own a horse. Second thought: or a horde of rabbits. Third thought: good luck on your carrot juice diet, but don't forget it'll make you yellow...