Mona Visa

You know Mona Lisa...the not-so-pretty lady with a smirk on her face saying, "I know something that you don't."  I think she's been staring us in the face since we started this thing.  Keeping all the knowledge to herself, and having a hee-haw-slap-your-knee kind of time watching us, shocker after shocker.  But really, these surprises just keeping coming and it's becoming so ridiculous, it's actually hilarious. And so, here's our latest:

Mel applied for a company Visa card, for a couple of different reasons:

1. To build credit as a company 
2. We still needed money for supplies

Happily, the application was accepted and we were granted a modest credit limit; we were just waiting for it to arrive in the mail.  So, after work yesterday, Mel went home to check the mail.  I can only imagine her opening her mailbox and a bright light and angelic music protruding from it as the envelope lay there, Melinda's face in awe.  She came back to Honey D's immediately and asked if I wanted to go to Sam's Club to pick up some ingredients in order to pass inspection next week and begin the initial baking. (Yes! We're that close!) It was already 6:30pm, but we were both a little giddy about buying other things for the bakery, so I agreed to tag along.  (She would have went without me if I hadn't and I couldn't let that happen.) Mel made the quick call to activate the card and we were out the door.

We walked down aisle after aisle finding a few pretty good deals along the way.  I was impressed at how restrained we were at buying things.  There were several things we would really need in the future, but not for next week, so we didn't get them, or we almost did, but then put them back.  It probably helped that we set a limit for ourselves on the way up there that was well below the credit limit of the card.  After all, we knew there would be more things to purchase as the Opening Date approaches.  We checked out just as they were closing.  We found that it'd been so long since I've been to Sam's Club that my Sam's card didn't even work anymore.  I knew we'd have to renew it or something, so they took care of that.  No problem.  But when it came time to pay, Mel swiped the Visa card and it said: Invalid.  Ok...not to panic.  It's a new card.  Maybe since it's a substantial amount for the first purchase, we'll need to call and get the transaction approved.  But then came the shocking news.

"Oh! You're using a Visa card?" the cashier asks.
"Yeah..."
"We don't accept Visa credit cards.  We'll take debits, but not credits."

Wha?  Complete confusion!  I mean...who doesn't take Visa cards?!  SAM'S CLUB! That's who!!  That was a downer.  I personally thought Visa was the one-world-currency the Bible prophesied for the end times.  You can go to Europe and use the Visa card; it does all the currency exchange for you, but I must be wrong because if you go to Sam's Club?  No way!  Those two families must have a three-generation-old feud going on or something.  To not take Visa....there's got to be a story behind that!

Mel and I just could not wrap our minds around it.  Of course everyone we told usually shops at Sam's Club so they already knew this rule.  We went to a convenient store to pick up a couple of cokes, and the Sam's cashier came in as we were leaving.  She apparently was still feeling bad about the whole scenario.  She said they really needed to put something on the door or the cash registers or something.  I mean, how else were we supposed to know?  Sam's Club doesn't take Visa!  (I still don't get it!)

Needless to say, that was the talk of the night after that, and we had plenty of laughs on the way home.

Tiff