I woke up this morning and opened one eye to look at the clock. It was 8:55am, which made me laugh, because the alarm was going to go off in exactly 5 minutes so I could call Eric. I held the phone in my hand until 9:00am, turned off the alarm, and called him. We had a nice talk and then I started my day.
I had a packet of instant oatmeal for breakfast (which I still had from Robin’s visit last month). I had recorded another marathon of ANTM which I had never seen, so I started watching it as I packed. I ended up packing for about 5 hours and finally showered, dressed, and left the apartment at around 3:30pm. I wanted to go to COSTCO because I was low on gas and wanted to pick up a few things, too.
I filled up my tank (11.036 gallons at $2.059 per gallon = $22.72) and then parked and went inside. I got a double box of CHEERIOS, which is just $1 more than a single box of my SPECIAL K CHOCOLATELY DELIGHT at KEIL’S. I like the Special K better, but I figure the double box will last me the month and with my chocolate soy milk (of which I still have a lot) it will taste great anyway. I also bought a package of sushi, which I love because I got 2 surimi rolls for just $5.69. Since it was so late, there was nobody giving free samples, but I had just eaten lunch before I left anyway, so it was no big deal.
I bought a big box of MINUTE RICE. That used to be a staple for me when I was a “starving actress” back in the 70s/80s. I would mix it with tomato sauce and called it “Spanish Rice,” but it was really just like pasta, but rice instead. It’s so easy and fast to make and so cheap. It’s as cheap and economical as the MAC & CHEESE. I also bought three bottles (it came in a three-pack) of pasta sauce, so I’d be able to have my old stand-by – rice and sauce!
I bought two boxes of SHRIMP WONTON SOUP, for which I had a "$2.25 off each" coupon. They were originally $9.99, so I spent $15.50 for 12 servings of soup! As you can see, I’m really trying to be economical.
I have so little food left in the apartment, but I don’t really want to start stocking up again. I’m actually trying to eat every last thing in the apartment, so I’m just buying what I know I can finish in the next month. Right now, the only food left in the entire apartment (other than what I purchased today) is a few packets of MAC & CHEESE, some frozen veggie burgers, one can of tuna, and some condiments!
When I got to the register at COSTCO, the guy told me that my card had expired and he couldn’t ring me up without paying the $50 to renew my membership for another year. I quickly realized that it was ridiculous to pay $50 when I’m leaving in a month, so I asked if I could just renew it next time I came. I didn’t explain my reason, but I figured it would be no big deal.
He told me he had to ask a manager and called this guy over. The guy said he couldn’t do it. Instead of telling the truth, because I was afraid he wouldn’t care that I was moving, I just said that I didn’t have enough money in my bank account for the extra $50 (I have to use a debit card at COSTCO, because they only take AMERICAN EXPRESS and I don’t use that card).
He was REALLY nasty and said I couldn’t buy anything without paying the $50. I told him that I really needed this food and he smirked at me and said, “Sorry, it’s not happening unless you renew.” He said that I couldn’t purchase the food “unless I was a member.” I said, “I AM a member!” He said, “Your membership expired on February 28th.” So, I said, “So, for TWO WEEKS you’re not going to let me buy a few items and then I’ll pay the $50 when I come back next time?” He said “no” and he was smirking so meanly that I said, “I’d like to slap that smile right off your face. I want to see your supervisor right now, so why don’t you go and get him – or her – right now."
He said he would and walked away. Meanwhile, the whole time this was happening, the guy who worked the register was just standing there, a line was forming behind me, and his “assistant” (a young girl who stacks the groceries in the cart) was just standing there, too. The guy who worked the register started telling the people behind me to go to another register. A few minutes later a woman came out. I couldn’t believe his supervisor WAS a woman! She came over to me and I decided I was going to “lay it on thick” and get this guy in trouble.
I started to tell her that it was humiliating enough to not be able to afford to pay the $50 renewal fee, but he was so mean to me and seemed to get great pleasure in refusing to let me buy the few simple groceries I needed to “feed my family.” She could see I was buying Cheerios, Minute Rice, tomato sauce, soup, and sushi, and had only spent about $40. I told her I just didn’t have the $50 in my bank account for the renewal. I started to cry – not because I’m really in that dire a situation, but because I COULD cry (hey, I'm an actress!) and I wanted her to feel bad for me and let me buy the groceries -- and I also wanted that guy to get in trouble.
She explained to me that I must have received the renewal form 2 months ago, and that they’re really not allowed to let me purchase things without renewing, but she felt so bad about the way I was treated by this idiot that she pulled some strings (I don’t know what she told the guy behind the register, but he was able to put the sale through without my card). I thanked her profusely, wiped away my tears and paid for my groceries. I didn’t feel guilty about “laying it on so thick” because there are a lot of people who COULD be in my situation and that guy should be reprimanded and taught that he can’t treat people like that.
I explained to her that if he had felt bad about it – if he had said something like, “I’d really like to help you, and I understand your situation, but I simply can’t do anything about it,” I probably wouldn’t have said anything, but it was how condescending he was, how much pleasure he was getting from saying no to me, and how he was smirking. I just couldn’t stand the way he was smirking!
So, I got my way, and got my groceries without renewing, and if that episode was filmed I'd probably get some kind of an award, too!
I’m never going back, not because I’m so mad or anything, but because I definitely won’t be able to get away with that again! I’m leaving in 26 days anyway, so I’ll just have to purchase the rest of my groceries at KEIL’S.
After that I drove through STARBUCKS and used the card Miguel and Joe gave me. My darling friends! Joe and Miguel also gave me two free passes for the movies. They had passes for GRAN TORINO, too. I don’t know where they got them from, but they were so sweet to give me two to use with a friend here, or go twice by myself!
When I got back to the apartment, I put everything away, picked up my mail, and then started packing again! I got three wardrobe boxes packed for storage. Tomorrow I will pack the other two wardrobe boxes with clothes I’ll bring to the apartment. It’s going very well and my closet and the shelves in the bedroom are looking VERY empty!
I finished the ANTM Marathon, then watched MEDIUM. Tomorrow I’ll watch DANCING WITH THE STARS and HEROES, which I recorded tonight, and do some more packing. I feel like I’m accomplishing a lot!