We came runners up, but I like to think we were the sentimental winners deep down. (at least thats what James Valentine told us at a later event) I mean, first prize was to open for the then reformed 70's band Dragon, I recall. That was never going to be awarded to a uke band singing their own special cover of Soft Cell's Tainted Love. That crowd would have eaten us alive. We gladly raised the runners-up trophy and it was a memorable and proud moment for us all that will blaze brightly in our hearts and minds forever. If you joined us for that show/competition, we love you and are forever connected in a special and unique way.❤️
Almost six years have passed since Exhumed and so much has happened since that time. The Daisy Ukes played several great gigs post the comp but nothing could compare to the glorious and dizzy heights of the Rooty Hill RSL. Our passion therefore, quickly waned and we hung up our ukes and our daisy chain head bands slipping quietly into the background of ABC radio folklore.
So six years on, what has caused me to reboot my blog page you may ask? Only a simple life-changing revelation that will revolutionise the way I shop at #mywoolies forever. Perhaps it will also enlighten others with the same shopping style. Others of course and probably every Aldi lover I know will be nonplussed and unimpressed and if that's you, oh well.🤷🏻♀️
Perhaps reconsider reading any further, just don't come complaining to me any time soon. Ta.
Actually, its not so much about how I shop but how I work the checkout. You see, if you're like most grocery shoppers and if you're like me, you will have a mix of perishables and non perishables in your trolley at the end of your shop as you nervously approach the final stage at the checkout. This may not affect you if your grocery store's dairy, deli and frozen food sections are all in close proximity. However, my weekly shop involves selecting items from the dairy, deli and frozen food across the store as I walk uniformly up and down each aisle. Therefore, my trolley will have these items packed together as much as possible but owing to the nature and layout of my local woolies at Cherrybrook, I tend to collect from deli/butchery, followed by fresh fruit/veg, then meat and dairy followed by non perishable grocery items and ending with more frozen perishable food. So it is impossible to seperate the two to shop the perishable first, followed by non perishable or vice versa without traipsing back and forth around the store. I prefer to walk through each aisle as is naturally laid out. I hope this makes sense. And if this also your experience, what happens next will revolutionise and simplify your checkout experience forever.
So on approaching the checkout I have a full trolley, with a mix of items packed as carefully as I can and as the store layout will allow, but still it's very much a mixed bag from across the wide variety of perishable and non perishable items throughout the store.
Everyone knows that the checkout operator and their scanning and packing skills can make or break checkout success. This method will be effective whether you are being served by your wise, reliable and experienced middle aged checkout operator you know by name or your 14 yr old high schooler who may have never handled a bunch of broccoli before. This process will ensure a smooth and successful completion every time. It will mean once home where the fun of unpacking must begin, you will have less stress and more pleasure, leaving you happier and more accomplished than this weekly chore ever made you feel in the past. So lets see how this can work for you too.
Firstly, on approaching the conveyor belt, imagine dividing the belt into two even sections, top and lower, or perishable and non perishable. Imagine if you will, two conveyor belts divided by an imaginary horizontal line. Something like this.
On the top I place my perishable and on the lower section my non perishable items. You can choose what goes where. Traditionally and for 32 years I have tried to start with perishable items and therefore have to dig around to ensure I get all of these items out first so that they can be processed and packaged together. This is imperative during the summer months as we will all be aware. Last summer was a perfect example of the extreme heat we are often dealing with. Having this imaginary line dividing the conveyor belt allows you to empty any item in any order and placing it in its own queue depending on the type of item. As you come to the end of perishable items (as there are usually less items in this category) the remaining non perishable items can then use the whole area once more. This means as you empty your trolley you do not need to dig out all of any one type first, just grab an item and put it in the appropriate section.You basically have two conveyor belts operating at once and the checkout operator can easily reach all of the perishable items one after the other and with no need for you to quickly add that block of cheese or carton of cream you discover towards the end of the shop hiding under the Tim Tams to the top of the conveyor belt. The only tiny drawback is that the operator may need to pack a perishable bag followed by a non perishable bag in order to keep the belt moving along. There is no perfect process but after using this method for two weeks now I can say its made my grocery shop so much easier and happier.
I have no idea why only just this week I came up with this new way to load groceries onto a conveyor belt. It took me 32 years to make something so often a frustration so much easier. Who knows what great ideas I may come up with in another 32 years time but I can't wait to find out. I really hope this has been helpful and insightful and thanks for sharing my supermarket joy with me. Nic xx❤️
