Prices at the grocery store

Ok, bear with me while I pull my tinfoil hat a little lower over my ears... that's better. (for the record I don't know who the guy in the picture is... he's on the Wikipedia "Tinfoil Hat" article and it's a public domain photo...)

I think the grocery store is screwing with us again. About three weeks ago I was in there and the price of everything had gone up significantly (in many cases the price doubled).

This I can understand. Between falling dollars (yes, the Canadian dollar is doing very well against the US dollar, that just means it's not being devalued quite as fast (more on this one later...)), high commodity prices (partially due to falling dollars) and high energy costs (again, falling dollars are a major factor here as well) I expected prices to go up.

When I went in last week I noticed that almost everything in the packaged food sections had stickers advertising lower prices. I thought, "that's nice to see," and went on with my business.

This week I actually took a closer look, while scouring my memory to see if I could remember what the price had been.

From what I can tell (based on faulty memory), the price of everything went up a lot three weeks or so ago then came down a little. For example, something they're advertising for sale at $1.99 (reduced from $2.19) was $1.39 a month ago. Big increase, small decrease. Leave the price high(er) for a week so they can legititely say that the price has been reduced. Get people mad then show how you're helping them. Since most people don't pay that much attention, all they see is the card in front of them saying that this product is $0.20 less than they say it was before.

Also, I notice that this did not happen with fresh foods. Their prices went up and stayed up. A 4-pack of peppers I would have paid $4.99 for a month ago, and $5.99 a week ago is now $7.99. Chicken went from $12.50/kilo to $21/kilo.

Ok... not exactly a conspiracy theory but if you give me a couple weeks I'll find some way to link this to Roswell, JFK, the US Federal Reserve (well, the falling dollar again...), 9/11, DDT and China.

Rail Travel

** This was actually written on Saturday June 14, 2008 **

As I write this I'm on the train between Ottawa and Toronto. It's been a kinda crappy trip. I'm heading home a day early because technical problems kept me from doing the work I was supposed to, which also means that my wallet is coming home lighter than I expected, the weekend billings will cover my travel and not much else. I'm still in a good mood though, reflective but very positive.

I'm sure this is influenced by the fact that I'm traveling first class. That's the kind of thing that always cheers you up (I think it's the free booze). It's not just that though... Rail travel is still kind of magic for me.

My father was a railroader and I've been taking the train since I was a toddler (my mother would tell horror stories about hauling me screaming through Union station because a train had scared me). Once I got over my initial fear though I really came to enjoy it. I've used cars, buses and planes to travel, but rail remains my favorite.

There's just something a little magic about riding on a train, something you don't get using other modes. I like the way the world looks through a train window... especially when I'm sipping cognac after a nice meal. It's not as smooth as air, it's not as convenient as taking your own car but it's still the nicest.

Not just inter-city trips either. I take the GO Train into Toronto at least once per week. Even there, packed in there with all the other commuters going to work it still makes me cheerful. I just like trains.

I like to experience things to their fullest and, for me, the train does that. Take the GO Train for example. You show up at the station in the early morning, and wait on the platform for the train to arrive. You're standing there with various people waiting for the train. The sun is low in the sky, you're right out there in the elements. If it's sunny, I'll be right out there, watching the sky, watching cars and people around me, listening to the sounds, smelling the smells (usually just a cigarette from someone standing near me). Just *BEING* there.

If it's cold, or drizzling or even raining lightly, I'll be out there experiencing that too. I'm not one to hide from a bit of weather. It's there to be experienced. If it's cold I'll dress warmly, if it's raining I'll wear my raincoat and hat. I'm here to experience what life has to offer (ok... if it's raining hard I'll seek shelter, but otherwise I'm out there).

Once on the train I'll exchange some pleasantries with the folks around me (usually nothing more than "good morning") before picking up my book. Again, I shun headphones, preferring to hear the sounds around me. When out I like to *BE* out.

I find the experience to be very different from driving or taking other forms of transit. There's just a romance to rail travel. I can't explain it, but I'll continue to love it.