The Perfect Storm

This is a story about how I set out to follow a simple routine and it turned into a whole ordeal.

I submitted my Shipt order around 1:45PM for pickup between 3PM and 4PM. I took a little nap and woke up at 2:30 hoping I didn’t miss any messages from the shopper. I hadn’t received any messages and I didn’t think anything of it. It was a relatively small order, I figured it would only take about 15 minutes to gather the items.

Usually, when I submit a Shipt order for Meijer, I get some Popeyes, which is across the parking lot, wait in “my spot”, and eat my chicken while I listen to an audiobook. I get to Popeyes and realize I don’t have my wallet. I waited to get to the window, so that I could tell them I would be right back. They were so grateful that I didn’t just drive off. I go home and if I knew then what I know now, I would've stayed there. But anyway I go to the speaker and tell them I placed an order but left my wallet. The speaker lady tells me to go to the window. I got to the window and the window lady tells me to go repeat my order at the speaker. I drove out of the parking lot, super annoyed. Then I was like no, I want my chicken!!! Then, as she’s handing me the chicken, I notice the girl boxing up chicken doesn’t have a mask on. I didn’t think much of it...until I got to “my spot”. I asked Siri to remind me to call about that the next day.

I’m sitting there, listening to my book and staring at this box of chicken I don’t want to touch until it’s been heated in my oven, waiting for my shopper to contact me. I started getting concerned when it got to be 3:59 and my order that I should’ve been picking up at that point hadn't even been started. I called Shipt and they called the driver. They said she was on her way to the store and she was about to contact me. I’m like...hmmm. This routine pickup isn’t going very well. Then I looked up at the sky.

​My initial thought was “wow, look how pretty” then, as I realized I was sitting in a car...MY car, I started internally freaking out. The clouds were rolling in the sky. 

I started seeing scattered droplets on my windshield and that’s when my Shipt shopper finally texted me and I couldn’t believe what she said. I had been very upset that this was taking so long, as I had plans for how I wanted my Sunday to go. 

When I saw what happened to her, I felt empathy. Things happen. The last thing on her mind was completing a Shipt order. ​While I empathized, I still felt annoyed by the whole situation. My own assumption was the reason I was sitting in this storm in the first place. I should've just waited for the confirmation from Shipt before heading out. I really thought the delay was due to the small order. I couldn’t believe I had so many small inconveniences for something I do regularly. I ended up waiting about an hour and a half for my groceries.

It took so long, that I drove home in very little rain. The storm passed. When I got home I was so...exhausted. That experience was surprisingly draining. I immediately preheated the oven and put the chicken in and I wiped everything down. I made the best smores and the best margarita. I was over it by the time I took my first sip. Ignore my little mess of cords back there LOL

As always, thanks for reading! And look for the recipe to the margarita on my instagram page!