To Market...To Market

I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the market. Von's or Albertson's, but mostly I like Albertson's. Oh yeah!

Mom pulls into a parking space and turns off the car. She says, "Are you ready, Mary-Margaret?", and I give her a big grin and lift my arms up so she can pick me up. She carries me to where the carts are but she doesn't let me sit down until she's lined my seat with newspaper. She says that there's no way to tell what kind of kid sat there before and she doesn't want me to get any germs.

First we go into the door by the Deli. Some of my very good friends in the Deli say hello to me and, if it's pretty quiet, they come over and give me a taste of something good, like roast beef or turkey or chicken.

Next, we go by the bakery. That's the place Mom buys my birthday cakes and they know me very well. They give me a piece of a cookie which I take, remembering to say "Thank you!". Then when we're wheeling down the cheese aisle I spit it out. Between you and me, I don't care much for cookies. Except maybe I like chocolate chip without the chocolate part. Mom says pups are allergic to chocolate and I don't want to test that theory.

At the butchers counter, if there's sample of something, the butcherette (she's a lady) will give me one. I have to remind her to make it into tiny pieces for me. Otherwise, I hork the whole thing up and Mom has to break it up, all gooey from horking, so I can properly enjoy it. She always has to go wash her hands or the butcher will give her a paper towel. I don't mind the goo, but I'm a dog. We LIVE for gooey stuff.

Up and down the aisles we go. I just sit in my seat very quietly the whole time. People stop and tell me how good I am. They seem everly so amazed that I don't hop up and down and make noises, but I am very well brought up and would NEVER do that.

When we get into the check out aisle I start looking for Janet. Janet is my oldest and most favorite friend of all. I've known her since I was only nine weeks old. We have a special bond. Anyway, I turn around in my seat so that I am facing the Customer Service counter. My rear end hangs a bit over through the leg hole, leaving plenty of room for me to "wag". I'm so excited but I keep very quiet until Janet spies me. Then we both go crazy for each other, hugging and licking and petting and....well, suffice to say we've been told to "get a room".

I do so love my other friends too. There's Betsy, and Rosie and Brent (he's the manager), and ...gosh, I can't remember all their names off-paw, but there's lots of them. I know that I'm not allowed to stand up in the cart because (I'm told) I "might fall out on my head". I do the next best thing and sit up like a "big girl", which means...how can I explain...sort of like a meercat or prairie dog. You know? Upright? With my fingerettes holding onto the back of the kid seat?

We go to the market maybe every two or three days. It's almost as exciting as going to the bank and seeing my personal banker, Gina, who gives me duck jerky. Mom tells me that, for a pup, I have quite a social circle. I guess I do, but I absolutely love people. Yup! That's a fact!

Have a great weekend.

Love and kisses....

Mary-Margaret