Brerah

Costco

I have been to Costco and Lowes and Home Depot more than is good for my soul in recent months. We figured a few things when we bought a house and moved to Charlotte. Thing #1) if Costco gas is on average $.06 cheaper per gallon than the cheapest gas station in Charlotte. On average if we fill up both of our cars once every 2 weeks (which it is usually about 1.5 times per 2 weeks), so because of that last parentheses, we will figure 1.5 times per 2 weeks, that makes 36 gallons x 1.5 times per 2 weeks x 26 2-week periods in the year= 1,404 gallons per year, and at $.06 savings per gallon, that equals $84.24, which covers the $50 membership fee. So we win right? Right. Because one of our favorite things to do is stop in at the Costco on the way home from church and hit the samples pretty hard. You get numerous types of goodness, and Sundays are the best. Today, we had almonds, black pepper pecan mix, strawberry jelly on toast, pretzels, vegetable medley, sausage, bourbon chicken, healthy choice popsicles, chicken potstickers, brie cheese, another kind of cheese that was gross, clearly canadian-esque water (do yall remember that stuff?), and oh yes, the lobster spread.

The lobster spread deserves its own paragraph. This station is a Sunday staple. The rest of the stations rotate bi-weekly or so, but not the Lobster spread. It is as predictable as a wife beaters and beer at a Nascar race. It's just there. And so the Corbins love to be there as well. You take the first rectangle club cracker with the delectable spread and give the usual head-nod and acknowledgement of its good taste to the server as you walk past, already beginning to plot your second trip. On the second trip, sometimes I will engage the server and maybe ask a question or 2 about the ingredients or how to optimally prepare the offering (lobster spread= 70% Maine lobster, and the remainder is Mayo and spices), and the optimal serving would be on anything as the server suggests, but crackers work just fine for us. Today Sarah brought another 2nd cracker trick to the table. I watched from behind the server as Sarah went back for #2 and actually went and picked up the pint sized tub of lobster spread and engaged the servers as she turned the container, pretending to be reading, and of course eating #2. After another compliment to the server and perhaps asking where the product is in the refrigerators (though not a good idea with the lobster spread since it is right in front of the server, hence, them knowing if you place it in the cart or not), you walk off. #3 is a bit less tricky, and much less engaging. Usually if you have committed to #3, you are already planning an exit for how to get past the server without ever making eye contact, with no plans of continued shopping in fears of the Costco police coming to get you for taking too many samples. You simply walk past the station, grabbing a cracker in stride and vector your cart for the front of the store.

But my theory is that you can never buy the spread. It will ruin the auora(sp?) around it. Its like moving to Colorado to enjoy the mountains. For some reason, when you can have something that you really look forward to every day, then it just changes. So, even though Sarah does not know this, I would have an ethical dilemma with buying the lobster spread. I just couldn't do it. Sorry Costco, we will continue to eat your wonderfully enticing lobster spread, but its on your dime, not ours.

posted by corbs @ 8:17 PM