The unfortunate timing of the closure and strike that left Squamish a one-grocery-store town (no offence intended to the smaller food sellers) has led to the recommendation from Save-on Food management that it might be smart to do your grocery shopping there between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. from Tuesdays to Thursdays.
Such a comment inspires the fleeting thought of the line-ups being already too long by 6.30 a.m. on Mondays and Fridays. At any rate, it might be a smart move to hold off from shopping for food after the kids' soccer games are finished on Saturdays.
There are also other options, including driving 40 minutes to Park Royal, rushing north to Whistler, or shopping at the smaller stores in town. And, of course, Wal-mart opens next week, with a small grocery section.
Wherever you decide to shop in order to fill your fridges and cupboards, please don't lay blame on the cashiers, shelf stackers and managers who will be in the front line serving you.
Things are going to move slowly until Nester's opens, Extra Foods solves its labour issues, and other stores ramp up their stockpiles in order to accommodate us.
Anyone who has worked in the service sector, even in a badly paying part-time job as a cashier at the age of 17, will know that it's a grinding way to make a living - one that can put in front of you unhappy customers who may blame you for policies and price decisions made in head offices in Toronto or New York.
So, however you feel about the Extra Foods strike, or about the new Nester's, or about the small sea of humanity that will likely stand between you and the checkout in the coming days, please exercise your patience.
After all, there is a possible positive outcome from all this queuing.
Through no fault of your own you'll be forced to stand and think, which is as rare as a white rhino these days. Take the time to review the day, remember what needs doing, relax.
Or talk to your neighbours, find out how they got through the flooding, ask them what they think of the Cougar's chances of reaching the top of the World Hockey Association table.
You never know, this kind of slow-paced living might even be a good thing.
