How do you pick a parking spot?

Different people have different ways of selecting their parking spots.  Many people like to try to park close to the building so they don't have to walk very much.  They're the kind of people who circle parking lots like vultures.  Other people park far away so they can walk farther and be buff.  Some people take the first spot they can find and call it good.

When I was growing up, my Mom would search for a spot near the entrance and call it "Grandma's Way" when it worked ... something along the lines of "Grandma always found a close parking spot!"  I used to look down the aisles to see if there was a close parking spot that was easy to get to.  A friend pointed out that when looking for parking, don't look at the cars - look to see if there's a shadow under the parking spot.  That way, you can spot small cars parked in a space before you actually see them.  (Have you ever had that experience where you thought there was an open spot, but it turns out it was just a little car parked between two huge ones?  So embarrassing/annoying!)

Since Carmen was born, though, I discovered my definition of a "good" parking spot has changed.  It's not due to the space's proximity to the store entrance.  It's the space's proximity to the cart return.

Just think about it - you've got an infant in a car seat that you have to drag around (yes, babywearing is awesome, but it's STILL not super-easy to push around a shopping cart with your babe wrapped on you.  They have to be in a car seat anyway, so why not leave 'em in there when you go shopping?) ... and then when you get back to the car, you've got two options - put your child in the car and take the shopping cart back, or take the shopping cart back and carry your child back to the car.

(I remember the story from a few years ago about the mom who was practically arrested for leaving her baby in the car for a minute while she watched her older child give money to one of those Salvation Army Santas outside a Wal-Mart.  I was paranoid that if I left my child anything beyond arm's length for more than 30 seconds, something horrible would happen.  Post-partum depression is insanity.)

ANYWAY.  I don't care how far away I am from the entrance to the store.  I take the first parking spot I find that is within a few spaces of the cart return.  That way, when I'm done shopping I can easily unload all of my loot and return the cart and either put Carmen in the car or carry her back with me, depending on how clingy she's feeling at that particular moment.  I figure it takes all the stress out of trying to hunt down a close parking spot and fight all the other people waiting for the cars that are backing out of their parking spaces.

Have you ever been to Costco when it's busy?  Forget about ever finding a parking spot.  You're out in the boonies, period, unless you want to drive around for 5 minutes and muscle your way into a parking spot as it opens up.  (You know, when you have to turn your blinker on and everything to let the other cars know I WAS HERE FIRST AND YOU ARE A #*%^! IF YOU TAKE THIS SPOT FROM ME.)  My stress levels are significantly lower when I decide, "Hey, I'll park way out here just as long as I'm near a cart return."

Often times, when I go grocery shopping I grab a cart out of the return and stick Carmen in it.  That way I don't have to A) carry her into the store or B) walk slowly as she toddles through the parking lot with me.  She's actually a really good walker.  She's good with keeping up with me and likes to hold my hand and rarely throws tantrums and doesn't try to get herself run over.  I love hanging out with her! <3  We'll see how things go in the future with sheep-herding a bunch of little kids through a parking lot without getting anybody killed.  Hahaha.