For the past couple of months my local Safeway has been undergoing some major renovations. They have kept the store open throughout the process. But I have sometimes wondered if it wouldn't have made more sense to shut down for a few days and just work hard without having to work around employees, shoppers, and delivery people. This whole working and being open thing has made for some very annoying shopping outings.

Today I was there again and I actually saw signs of progress. Places that had been blocked off for work were now re-opened with shiny new counters and layout. And floor tile that had been ripped up was now replaced making the whole place seem brighter.

The biggest bummer of the trip was having to double back several times because much of the inventory has been moved around and the signage is only moderately helpful. When I finally found all that I had come to buy, I made my way to the checkout area. I was happy to discover that I had fewer than 15 items allowing me to go through the express lane.

As I made my way to that end, I noticed something new - six new self-checkout stands! I totally went that route. Besides having to wait for the employee assigned to trouble shoot this area to reset the machine that seemed to have crashed, the experience was very easy and quick.

Those are not terms I would typically use of my checkout experience at this Safeway. Hooray for technological advancements!

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Today on my way home from work I was listening to the afternoon offering on NPR of the program "All Things Considered." For the year or so that I was not a regular commuter I really missed having my daily dose of "Morning Edition" and "ATC." Since my commute is only 35-45 minutes long, I never get to hear the whole program. That's okay with me. I still get to enjoy hearing the top headlines and a few in-depth stories.