Knitters Greenhouse

Okay, this was a mistake, but I have to relate it. Since we are ordering flowers from Sam's Club, Liz and I wanted to get some samples and practice with the gerbera daisies from the floral dept. A couple of weeks ago, I was in Indy, but it was close to 8:30 p.m., and it was too late. Exactly the following night, Liz and I were both in Indy, and we were there in time to go inside.

At the desk I needed to get a temporary card, and while we were there, I switched some things to get Liz a member's card as well. While we were there at the front desk, I mentioned that I'd been there too late the night before. The attendant said, "Well, you have a business card, so you could have come until 10:00" "Oh, that would have really helped me, but I never knew that before." We continued the conversation about it all, and Liz and I both understood that I could come until 10 at NIGHT.

Last Saturday night Ray and I had dinner with our friend, Greg, and after we finished I told Ray that I needed to stop at Sam's to pick up some of these sample flowers. He said, "Isn't it too late?" and I told him the whole story about having a business card.

We rolled into the parking lot, and we did notice that there were only about 3 cars in the entire lot. "Gee," I thought, "not many take advantage of these later hours." I checked the sign on which were written the instructions for business members to use the EXIT doors during the extended hours.

I parked near those doors and walked up to them. Ray waited in the car. The doors being closed, I just pressed them open and walked inside. Usually there is a door greeter to check your member card, which I was holding in my hand (that temp. card from before that didn't have my photo). No one there. No one anywhere. I walked on to the floral area.

I did pass a few "civilian-looking" folks, and I took them for being customers, and thought I wasn't totally alone. I saw so many interesting things that I wanted to take my time, but with it being late, I figured I'd better hurry. I examined all the flowers, found the right ones, walked around and around the display, and finally picked four bouquets of g. daisies, some fern leaves, and some orange spikey ones for splash. I headed to the registers, and along the way I heard a funny-sounding announcement for "everyone...go home!" I thought it was odd, so I hurried.

hmmm...all the registers said, "CLOSED" - and I began to see people...heading from the employee area. They paid NO ATTENTION to me. I stood there with all these bouquets...and I spoke to someone who looked approachable.

"Ummm...excuse me? Are there any registers open?"

And this lady looked at me and said, "No. We are closed. We closed about an hour ago."

"Well, what should I do with these?"

"Just lay them down..." And then she asked, "How did you get in here?"

"I just opened the Exit doors and walked inside."

And she let me know that Sam's Club ALWAYS closes at 8:30 - ALWAYS. She told all the other employees who were smoking outside that I walked in, thought that I could shop until 10.

Then I looked at the sign, and actually READ what it said. "Business members may shop extended hours until 10 A.M." Something like that.

And that's how I broke in to Sam's Club. I always say that if you act like you know where you are going they won't stop you. I guess it's true.