That's so funny, now I'm smiling. And I'm on my way to the store, chances are I won't find anyone as charming as you there.

I did have a brief encounter with a man a little older in produce a few weeks ago. We spent several minutes together trying to get the darned plastic produce bags to open (the kind that come folded off a roll) so we could put our purchases inside, and neither one of us was doing any better than the other with those flimsy plastic bags. I think his patience was actually exceeding mine.

It's nice to put a smile on someone's face, where there was none, before.

You do that at the KT a lot, Joyful.

Hee-hee! Thanks for the funny, OJ.

NOT checking an ear of corn is like buying a pig in a poke. I sometimes see some guy shopping from his wife's list. He grabs a bag and stuffs in a dozen ears of (uninspected) corn.

Does anyone else encounter the careful shopper who blocks access while she selects half a pound of green beans, one by one?

Hi morz8,

When you find the place where they're supposed to open ...

... blow on 'em!

o j ... sometimes accused of being a "blow-hard"

I'm going to try OJ's bag trick. I rub the sides together briskly. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

You're a hoot, OJ. :) As for the bag, I dip my fingers in a wet spot that received a produce sprinkle, then rub the bag open. Or blow on it, though that doesn't always work. It is a good feeling to make someone smile, isn't it?

Ya know...if you grow your own corn, you take what is there. You don't get to peek and put it back. That's why I never do a look-see, unlike the missus who needs to look at every one. Yet, I never have seen her put any back! She's a city girl and I'm a rural guy.

You just put a smile on my face.

I'm like Jim, I seldom peel the husks back to look at the corn. Unless there are a bunch of half-naked ears of corn in the bin, with not-so good looking corn.

Oh Chisue, just the other day I encountered that very thing. Blocked the whole bin of green bins and painfully picking out beans one by one! That just irks me to high heaven.
I got in beside her and grabbed a bunch, looked at them and put them in my bag. She could see that one doesn't need to inspect each damn bean.

I just squeeze an ear, if it feels fat and full I buy it. On my bucket list: Goosing a total stranger in the store and then running like mad !

I always pull back a few inches, looking for full kernels and worms or worm ick. I put those back. I can not stand the people who think they have the right to shuck all their corn there dropping it all over the place and then tossing the husks and stuff right on top of the corn that we are trying to get to. It is extremely rude and disrespectful to the store employees that have to clean up after the people who were apparently raised in a barn, and to those of us who are intelligent, respectful customers. If it was allowed there would be a trash bin there labeled for the husks but it's not.

Besides they are missing out on the best ways to cook the corn in the husks.

Oj that was a good one! :û)

Our stores have barrels or bins for the husks.

Using both microwave, and the grill, I like the husks on the corn!

LOL. Ole joyfueled does it again!

I don't bother at all with husks... just go for size over looks...heard a long time ago removing the husks until cooking time could start the sugar process starting and make for less quality corn...btw the microwave method is awesome...

I've seen people lick their fingers to facilitate opening the plastic baggies, and then handle the produce, yuck. Yet another reason to thoroughly wash fruit and veggies before consumption.

Have to do a grocery run today and hope to encounter fellow shoppers as charming as Joyful. :o)

I don't think it's possible to make those plastic produce bags any thinner. Like Sjerin, I find some moisture from the sprayers, wet a finger, open the bag.

Chicago just passed a ban on plastic bagging in all stores at the checkout, but I guess we'll keep these thin guys for items sold by the pound. Maui banned plastic at checkout couple years ago. Hawaii has one more island to go to be plastic free statewide.

Hi ravencajun,

I've heard of double chins (and maybe the idea's closer to top of mind due to a member's "jowl" story here in the last couple of days) ...

... but I haven't heard of double noses, as appears to be the situation in your icon.

Or ... is that a nose ... plus mous-tache?

o j