It's What Dudes Do

So I haven't told you about the other new member of our family.

When Jason saw her on sale at Kmart about a month ago, it was love at first sight. You know how mothers will talk about the instant connection and love they feel for a newborn. Apparently this phenomenon applies to inanimate objects. That barbecue was destined to be ours.

Bright and early the morning of the sale, Jason was at Kmart as the doors opened. And here we are, the proud parents of a truly ginormous, 6 burner barbecue grill. (It has lots of other lovely features Jason could tell you about, but if it doesn't come inside and vacuum or unload the dishwasher, then I'm not all that interested.) But I'm happy for Jason--now he's a true Aussie. Barbecues are like a national religion here. (We don't throw any shrimp on them, though, ok? Plus, it's not "shrimp", it's "prawns". There.)

I can totally get the satisfaction that dudes must feel while barbecuing. There's open flame involved, and machinery. There's skill and marinating, debate over which sauce is the best, and even a beverage or two. I can see why they dig that. Jason is in his element while barbecuing.

He also informed me yesterday that Aldi--our local discount grocery store, is a grocery store for men. (Not that women can't shop there--just that it's appealing to men.) He loves to go there and stock up on stuff for us. If you don't know about Aldi, here's the deal. It's a no-frills type of place. Small, a few aisles, weekly specials and cheaper stuff. You go in, fill your cart, and bag your own stuff. The checkout people are so fast, stuff goes shooting off the conveyor belt and you better be ready to load it up or you get the stinkeye. None of this, "How are you? Did you find what you needed?"

I'm a little intimidated by it all, to be honest. I feel like I used to do trying to play sports in school. The ball is always hitting me in the head and I'm never in the right place at the right time.

However, Jason thrives in these situations. He said to me, "I like it there. I go in, get what we need and get out. I don't have to wander all these aisles and... make decisions." I loved that--grocery shopping for dudes. Me? When I get to go to the grocery store by myself, it's like my own little date night. I know, that is pathetic. I can get a coffee and wander around, see what's new. Dudes don't really do that, do they? Unless power tools or electronics are involved. (I know that's a stereotype--but sometimes stereotypes are created for a reason.)

Anyway, my family and I are enjoying the fruits of Jason's labors. The pantry is overflowing from an Aldi trip, and last night he barbecued enough meat to feed a room full of linebackers. Wanna come over for dinner? We'll force feed you freshly grilled sausage!