That seems to be the common theme for TJ parking lots! There are many memes and cartoons devoted to the madness! 
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The one closest to me shares the lot with a large medical clinic and a pet supply. Then the lot owners (presumably) put in Tesla charging stations at the back, further reducing capacity. Pretty much a nightmare all around.
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When we were on a test drive of a car, we stopped at TJ in Boulder CO. It was a “worst`case” test for parking. Definitely showed the value of the camera systems.
In California (when I lived there), it was a huge parking lot- Ralph’s (Kroger), CVS, two long commercial strips with nail places, Karate places, a (good) Italian restaurant, some clothing stores… but the TJ was way in the corner, up a hill, with very few parking spaces up the hill and hard to get in and out of. You had to be committed to go to TJ’s or in very good shape to climb that hill if you had to park down below.
If you just wanted bananas, you went to Ralphs. If you wanted liquor, you could go to 6 other places that were easier in/outs.
Sort of the same for me now. I have to be committed to go to TJ’s because of the parking issue.
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This is one of my favorite parodies of TJ lots:
“They can coordinate…”
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This is a video about the Trader Joe’s canvas bag fad across the pond
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Tried last week the Trader Joes frozen apple blossoms. They were excellent, great crust, don’t need real apple pie with these to heat up and enjoy!
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Yes, they are amazing!
Here is the full segment aired on the Today Show about Trader Joe’s canvas bags in London. Who knew?
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Yes I watched that when it aired. That’s why I went out and bought the bag 
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I visited Europe recently and I saw a lot of people carrying canvas bags more than I see it here in the US. Mostly I think because the European big cities are walkable and there are so many people walking to groceries and or other small stores around town. Maybe in NY you see them too but where I live I only see them in the super market and such and not around town as every one mostly drives to do shopping. Anyway, I also noticed that every country had their own flavor of “fashionable” bags. Notably Finland had the Marimekko bags which were actually hard to source. In general the bags I saw in Europe were thinner and more flimsy than the iconic Trader Joe’s bag which I have and love.
Going back to Trader Joe’s treats. What about the ginger bread ice cream sandwiches?I got them for the holidays but didn’t try them yet. So cute and hopefully tasty.
I just got some of their cranberry ginger soda, and plan to mix it with rum and lime juice for a Thanksgiving cocktail. Haven’t tasted the soda yet, though. Hoping it’s cranberry flavored ginger beer.
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Random, but I tried this TJ spice last trip and LOVE IT. I find myself shaking it on/in everything. It’s like Italian (but not only Italian) leaning with a slight kick.
https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/aglio-olio-seasoning-blend-077636
I lot of their spices are a great price.
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I can confirm that Trader Joe’s totes are ubiquitous in NYC. I’ve traveled frequently to Ireland and the UK recently and was surprised by how often I saw TJ’s totes. The first time I took a picture bc it seemed exotic 
I picked up one of the spring mini bags earlier this year because there was a whole shopping cart full of them by the door (one each color per customer). Perhaps I should start carrying it around? Are they the new Labubus?
Their maple kettle corn is yummy and a good snack to put out pre-Thanksgiving, and the three flavor petit fours might make a nice alternative to pumpkin pie (they last a while in the refrigerator).
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Not an edible product but the new Bergamot & Vetevir multi-purpose cleaner smells intoxicatingly good. Like, I want to bathe in it. They need to make a line of personal care items with that scent!
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You guys - random office drama AND TJs snacks combined, so here I come. Longtime readers perhaps remember that last year, for the office white elephant gift exchange, I put together a gift package of TJs things. I had four different seasonings/spice blends, some peppermint hot chocolate, a big candy cane, a couple of those hot chocolate stirrer spoons, and some kind of cookie or something sweet. I came to check in with you because the person who got the gift was so dismissive and complain-y about it, that I wanted to see if I had given a bad gift or if it was a bad idea and you all assured me that no, not a bad idea. (I mean, I kind of picked my audience, but whatever.) But that woman really made a very public scene about how much she didn’t want the “bad” gift. Anyhoo.
So we’re getting ready for the holiday party again. Yesterday I told two of my coworkers this story - they hadn’t been at the party last year. I told them that sure, it probably wasn’t the most exciting gift, but it sure wasn’t the worst (I think that went to the person who gave a two foot long box filled with twinkies, or possibly the puzzle of underwater sea life). Anyway, they agreed with me, not a bad gift.
So TODAY the person who got my gift last year (which, remember, I “stole” back because dammit, I was tired of hearing the complaints and I actually wanted the spices) happened to be over in my area of the office (I was gone in a meeting) and she starts complaining to one of the two people from yesterday about her “terrible gift” from last year that “looked like someone just went to dollar tree and got some junky spices”.
DOLLAR TREE!
Apparently my colleagues were dying. The one that was alone in her office kept messaging the one that had the complainer in the office about it, and they were cracking each other up listening to the outrage, particularly knowing that I had been the gift giver.
Sigh.
I am not making a nice trader joe’s gift bag for the gift exchange this year. I don’t know what I’m doing, but forget that. Bah.
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sour cream and onion corn puffs–OMG huge bag, yummy and almost calorie-less
Chanukah cards
berry granola
chicken soup dumplings
single bananas now 23cents–up from $.19, perfect for single person household
smallest flower bouquet $3.99 or thereabouts
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You are going to go to Dollar Tree and get some junky spices and stuff. And you’re going to put something Dollar Tree labeled in there (a $5 gift card?). And then you’re going to tell as many co-workers as you trust to gush over the gift if they get it or to compete to steal it back. 
. (replying to @OctoberKate)
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We just had the petit fours earlier this week. They were excellent.
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