By Kent Rhodes, Editor—

    My wife and I just finished our regular Saturday afternoon trip to the local Goosebury Costco. We are sometimes ashamed to admit that this is our favorite weekend activity.

   We didn’t realize how addicted we were to this regular Saturday event until this morning.    

   Our budget is stretched a little thin so we had decided that we needed to watch our money and only spend on the bare necessities. This would mean grocery shopping at Wal-Mart again.

   After this visit to WM there was silence for few moments, then the comment was made, I won’t say by whom, “But this doesn’t mean we have to skip COSTCO today does it?” Heavens no, where would anyone get that notion? After all, we may be stretched to the limits, but who could deny oneself a trip to the “event center” of Goosebury. 

   I know that we are not alone in our feelings for the big “C”. We have been regular Saturday service attendees at COSTCO “worship services” in towns all over the U.S. and Mexico. Oh, yeah, during our trip to Cancun a few years ago we found that they also had a COSTCO. Amazing! 

   A few years back, we found ourselves in Niagara Falls, New York. We decided to go to the Canadian side of the falls and while there we began to wonder what a Canadian COSTCO is like?  And off we went.  Yes, prices were a little different because of the Canadian dollar, and there were different items for sale. But the biggest find was the food court. They had fries with gravy, chicken, chocolate yogurt, and a host of things that made us consider moving to Canada. But I digress.

   COSTCO often makes changes to the food court menu without asking us. They have ditched almond bars dipped in chocolate and nuts, chocolate yogurt, and other favorite items while adding acai bowls and other menu items that only Washington state folks struggle to get down. If they ever discontinue the hot dog and drink for $1.50 I may rebel and I think they know that. Some things are sacred. 

   And the samples…now because of COVID, they show you under glass some delicious looking products that at one time you got to try eating.  We will know when this blasted plague is over when they remove the plexiglass and start handing out samples. 

   But, even without the free samples, we still go to COSTCO.  And when we go, we meet people we haven’t seen for years, people that live in neighboring towns, or states and who somehow end up at our COSTCO! Wherever they hail from, and wherever they are they will all come to a COSTCO worship service, many on a Saturday, but apparently some do worship during the week.

   When you always seem to visit COSTCO on Saturday it seems almost sacrilegious to go again on another day, it’s like going to church in the middle of the week. 

   One day, while on my own, I made a sly mid-week stop at the local “C” and had just finished up a vanilla yogurt and hurried out the exit. What I didn’t know was that my wife and her friends were already in the store beginning to graze (pre COVID). We didn’t discover this until that evening when, through guilt, we both admitted to the breaking of our normal once a week tradition.

  Most people have their favorite things to purchase that COSTCO. I often feel that I really should not leave without a WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN FOR $5! You can hardly buy an uncooked chicken for that much, let alone one that has been broiled and seasoned and cooked to the point that makes you want to stop the car on the way home and tear off a wing or two.

   If you have read this far you may think that I am the COSTCO public relations director. Not true. I just admire business success and great big muffins. 

   The Goosebury County Fair is being held today, but my wife and I chose COSTCO instead. We’re hooked and my hat is off to the folks at the big “C” for showing us what can happen in America when you give people what they want. I’m sure the fair was nice, but we have other reporters to cover that. As for me and my house, we’re eating chicken tonight, even if it somehow lost its wings on the way home today. 

   I welcome your COSTCO experiences, good or bad. Comment below and let me know that I am not alone!