Some people love it, others loathe it. Grocery shopping.
Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend time with my sister and her husband who is a chef for a company in the Columbus area. After talking and getting lunch, they asked me if I would want to go to Costco with them so he could pick some stuff up for the upcoming week. I said yes not knowing what was truly in store for me.
If you have never been to Costco before, let me tell you, it is QUITE different from other places. It is very similar to Sam's Club, in that you have to have a membership to enter, and they sell everything in bulk. Example: if you need only one pack of butter, think again, they sell it in packs of four. So essentially, one trip to Costco will last you a while. The upside to this is that they are able to sell a lot of things cheaper because it is in bulk.
Where I went wrong was not thinking about the fact that it was Sunday, and Sunday at Costco means one thing: FREE SAMPLE DAY.
If you can just picture that, a bunch of bargain shoppers shopping for food in bulk, and then throw free food on top of all that... I'll just let your minds wander for a little bit.
When I say that I witnessed humans in the state of nature, I mean that I feel like I witnessed the true human savagery that takes place at a feeding or watering hole. I witnessed a woman hiding around the corner of an isle so that as soon as those fresh turkey burger samples were placed on the tray, she could sprint to the front of the line and ensure her spot for a sample. Oh, and if you need to get through a main isle, you can count on two soccer moms to take up the entire isle while they talk, and then give you a dirty look when you sigh and try to get around.
While in Costco I actually had a man in a power scooter (the ones for those who are handicap) push me out of the way so he could get the last key lime pie sample. He didn't even stop to look at me, just voop, scooted right in. I'm just lucky I had the sheer athleticism to move my cart, and most importantly, my toes in time.
When in Costco on sample day, you will see humans completely disregard politeness, courtesy, and human morals for the sake of free samples. That's not to say that I don't like Costco, because it truly is a great place to shop and buy things in bulk. I mean, I saw a man with a pull cart measuring almost 7 feet in length (think Lowes pull carts) FULL of beer and wine. We are talking upwards of 8 cases of beer, several Bailey's Irish Cream, and several cases of wine.
So if you are ever in the market for an ENTIRE frozen lamb, Costco is your place to go. And yes, they do sell entire frozen lamb, three are hanging in their freezers as we speak. Or if you just want to do some serious bargain shopping, its your place, but please, I urge you, do NOT go on sample day unless your wear some loose, comfortable clothes, running shoes, and shoulder pads, because lord knows you'll need them.
