Costco Takes All My Money

 This was the unwelcome morning sight as I walked out the door with Mr. Cooper.  I counted ... there are ELEVEN of these light fixtures in the patio ceiling.  Good grief .... what were the original owners doing out there??  One by one, they are falling down.  The bad news ... you cannot get the same fixtures any more.  I replaced one not too long ago, and lucky for me, it's still up there.  This means another trip to Home Depot.  But NOT today!

Today we got up extra early to gather myself and program "shopping mode" in my brain.  Unlike in the "old" days when I could just go in and buy what I wanted, NOW I have to check and double check the prices and quantity I'm getting.  It doesn't help that I'm an OH LOOK kind of shopper.  

I was shocked at the line outside by 8:30 when the store doesn't open until 9:00.  I laughed and talked to a sweet lady next to me who said it was the eggs.  It can't be ... there were over 50 people waiting for the doors to raise.  

That's when I found out there are new entry requirements.  You don't have to have any ID to vote, but you can NOT get into Costco now without a current card.  I scanned mine and ran through the door.  She yelled at me that it was not a valid card.  Sure it is ... I use it all the time, though I know the membership needs to be paid.  This comes into play later.

Sure enough ... they RAN into the store (not kidding ... they RAN) up to the door to the EGG department.  I don't know what the price was, but you could get two dozen in a flat.  You were limited to THREE flats.  That's SIX dozen eggs.  I was shocked as I slipped up to the roasted chicken display.  Not a single one of them went for the chicken.  I got two.  I also picked up four packs of batteries at $18.00 each.  YIKES!!

Oh boy ... I never should have gone down THAT aisle.  I was looking for the other chicken ... the raw kind ... when I spotted these.  They jumped into my cart.  

Paper towels?  I needed a pack of four.  I got a pack of twelve because they don't come smaller.  Kleenex?  I needed four boxes.  I got TEN.  

It was time to pay the piper.  The lady in front of me in line had four flats instead of the limit of three.  EIGHT DOZEN eggs.  Can you imagine?  Are you buying for the whole neighborhood?  Reselling them maybe?  She played the "I don't speak English" card and lost.  SURPRISE ... they made her put them back.

When I came along, they said my card expired.  I know ... just add the fee on to the bill please.  Nope ... the card was invalid.  Really?  When did THAT happen?  I showed them my cash-back letter so they knew I had an account.  Turns out my Credit Card is now my Costco membership card.  They refused to give me the old card back.  Well that was fun!  I'm really not too happy about them scanning my CREDIT CARD just to get in the door!!  Too bad our voting system doesn't work like Costco.

My big credit of $400 didn't go very far.  Between the paper goods and the batteries (and of course those OH LOOK items), I came home with a measly $43.00 cash in my pocket.  BUT I won't need Kleenex or paper towels for three years!!

Once home, and after six trips to the house, I settled in for a little treat.  I don't know HOW these got in my cart!!  Definitely worth the trip however ... 59 cents each beats the Walmart drumsticks at $1.25 each.  I can eat twice as much!!!

The next hour was spent rearranging the freezer, followed by cutting up the two chickies.  One for me, one for Cooper.  Jonathan is out of luck.

With that ordeal over ... it took longer to package everything for the freezer than it did to buy it ... I got a rush of energy (it must have been the ice cream) and went to look at the door bell.  I took it apart, cleaned out 29 spiders, their webs and their children, and put it back on the wall.  It makes a clicking sound.

I went to the box, which also makes a clicking sound, but no music would come forth.  I checked both again with absolutely NO results.  It doesn't work and I don't know why.  I guess I can say ... oh gee, sorry I didn't know you were there ... the doorbell doesn't work any more.

This may be the last of the Hello Fresh meals.  Since their ingredients have not been the best, I decided to try their prepared meals instead.  Still enough food for two meals, and the price is the same.  

Let's see what's IN this box.  Good grief ... this stuff can NOT be good for you!!  You've heard of "where's the beef"???  Well where's the pork??  I picked through this entire container, only to find one tiny piece of pork.  It tasted great, but they seriously FORGOT the meat.  

I'm going to try and cancel, but every time I call to complain, they mention THANK YOU FOR BUYING 21 BOXES.  Ummm no I don't remember seeing THAT!!  And so the saga of delivered food continues.  

Today I'm gearing up and donning my armor .... it's time for BINGO!!!!!  And my Lady In Waiting has called in sick!!!