Ode to Stop & Shop from the VIP of Hummus

Surprising and remarkable things always seem to happen to me while patronizing my local, less-than-perfect grocery store.

Oh, I've written about this black sheep of the Stop & Shop family before, a store I continue to visit almost daily despite its shortcomings. You've all read ad nausea about how I "take it where I can get it" from my bagger lady friend. Believe me, her "You look pretty" compliments - regardless of how haphazardly or infrequently dispensed to one and all - keep me lining up with my basket of expired dairy products and wilted broccoli rabe, hoping that maybe, just maybe, today will be the day.

Or maybe, today will be the day that some random person does or says something so nice, so beautiful, it stops me dead in my tracks.

Or maybe, today I will discover that my very favorite brand of hummus is now being carried by the store - the same hummus I publicly declared my love for many moons ago...the only hummus I will eat while watching Marat Safin play tennis (satisfying on so many levels).

Well, friends, today was the day.

While deciding which delicious flavor of Sabra Hummus to buy, I happened to notice a woman with a clipboard checking food product inventory nearby. I started rambling at her immediately.

"I just want you to know how THRILLED I was to see that you are now carrying Sabra Hummus. I LOVE this hummus. I used to drive fifteen minutes down the road simply to buy this hummus from your competitor, but now that you're carrying it I don't have to do that. It's just so creamy and delicious and I am very very very happy. So thank you!"

The poor woman probably thought I was completely nuts, but she was gracious and even shared with me some insider hummus information.

"We'll be carrying the Luscious Lemon flavor soon, too."

I may have drooled as I thanked her again and wandered off.

About 30-minutes later, after I had unloaded my grocery bags into the car, I looked up and noticed that someone was walking straight toward me at a fast pace.

It was the woman with the insider hummus information.

She handed me this.


It turns out that she really was a Hummus Insider. She represented the company and wanted to give me a VIP coupon that she had in her car. What luck! Such fortune! Who knew???

Call me Ruth Dynamite, VIP of Hummus.

You know, I've been very excited about my town's plans to demolish this little Stop & Shop and build a brand new, bigger version in its place. And as I write, construction of the new building is moving along full speed ahead.

Which leaves me with a lump in my throat. (Or is that an unidentifiable clump from that yogurt I just bought?)

I'm going to miss this stinky little store...where I always feel "pretty" and I never know what I'm going to get (whether it's a kind compliment, a VIP coupon for my favorite food, or a big tub of mold).

Cross-posted at New England Mamas.