Grocery Bags

So, there is supposedly this nationwide push to end the usage of plastic bags in grocery stores, etc. (Before I get too far, I have to wonder what on EARTH people are going to use to line their little garbage cans if this happens! Heaven help us all!) I'm pretty sure that anyone who is still breathing on their own has heard about this.

I guess that means that the checkers I always get are being mechanically ventilated.

Today I went to Wal-Mart (my favorite place to blog about). I got: 2-4 packs of the weird Dew flavors, a box of rice cereal, four tiny jars of baby food, a Windex-type spray bottle, a gallon can of paint, and a bag of marshmallows.

She used three bags, and that doesn't include the paint.

One contained the spray bottle.
One contained the marshmallows, baby food, and rice cereal.
One contained the eight cans of soda.
The paint can was placed on top of the triangular spinny thing.

So as Steve was paying, I calmly circled the bagging thingy and placed everything into one bag. And it wasn't even heavy. Saved two bags. Only got one look from the checker-chick.

While we're on the topic, why do they bag things that have their own handle: gallons of milk, half-gallons of milk, pails of ice cream; or things that take up one bag on their own and would have to be carried individually anyway: watermelon, kids play balls, a large boxed lamp.

Any ideas, people?? Am I the only one who things the bagging thing is becoming excessive, especially in light of the nationwide hype with reusable bags?

By the way, the reason I was using plastic grocery bags in the first places is because I forgot my reusable ones at home. I'm killing trees, I tell ya, killing trees.