Grocery Excursion Part 2

Yesterday I acquired a bicycle from the next door neighbors who have been generous in every respect, and now in one that is very crucial to a positive grocery store experience. When I last went to the supermarket, I walked and found that the walk back was the longest Ive ever experienced in my life - I had back pain for at least four days. I vowed never to walk it again, and now this nice bike with a basket and everything is mine to use. I decided that I would only get enough this time to fill the basket and a bag on either handle bar, and so I proceeded. I arrived at the supermarket in record time and parked the bike in one of those bike racks. As I was leaving to get a basket, a little old Italian lady (also a cyclist) asked me in very fast Italian if I would help her with loading her huge 6 bottle water case onto the bike to take home (ALONG WITH all of her other groceries...she has obviously been doing this for a while). Of course, as is true when most Italians speak to me without at least a few minutes of warning for me to perk my ears up to the different language, I was completely lost and needed to follow her hand signals. I did finally succeed and, I think, its even possible that she doesnt know Im a foreigner. Im really getting better at Charades. So, I went inside and got all of the things I wanted that I wasnt prepared to buy at the corner market. Some things are harder to find, like good pudding (that has been properly refrigerated), a variety of cereals (I like special K with berries), popsicles and other frozen things, etc. I went through check out, always a stressful time in an Italian grocery store, and managed to get out alive with everything in my possession. In Italy, when you check out at a supermarket, there is no one to help you bag and the checkers are incredibly quick (there are scanners on all sides of their machine) so its very stressful because you have to manage to bag everything faster than she can scan it and pay but if you dont, everyone behind you waits while you finish red-faced and shaking from the shot nerves. Fortunately for me, Ive been through this with the Gherardi's and twice on my own so Ive become accustomed to the stares and it puts me in less of a panic than other tourists Ive seen. Anyhow, I got out and put my basket back and managed to find spots for everything on the bike. What I didnt realize before I left was that actually steering such a contraption so heavily loaded down would be quite difficult. If you can imagine, me...riding down the side of the road (at the part where theres a small shoulder for bikes) with a bag on each side and one in front, with two boxes of cereal under the latch in the back...I am sure there were many laughs had on my behalf. No matter, I strolled on only managing to almost ram into about 12 cars on my way back. However, half way there, I heard this really loud sound like a popped tire and started cursing the grocery store, my bicycle, the groceries, and heck, even Italy when I realized that one of my bags had sort of lodged itself in the spokes of one of the wheels. I managed to pull it free and watch for it the rest of the ride home, making it safe and sound. Even with all of the drama of the tight-rope-like balancing act, it was still 100 times better than carrying everything home in a backpack and by hand. I plan to make a well-organized plan of action for my next time out so that I can start on the road to professional-dom that the water-lady I met has already completed. I aspire to such greatness.