COSTCO'S HERE!!!!!!

What a great day for me! Three friends and I went to The Grape Adventure and did some wine tasting and had hors d'ourves for lunch. I met a new lady that I really liked right off the bat. She had a great sense of humor and was lots of fun. It was a really nice time...wonderful place for tasting and enjoying.

But then tonight two of us went to the pre-opening, invitation-only party for our new Costco. I felt so lucky to be invited by "someone who knew someone". This was not publicized...it was for employees and their families and friends. Well, we approached the store, expecting to see maybe 30 cars in the lot...ha! Dream on...the entire parking lot was FULL!

We joined the hoardes and headed for the door, which is at the corner of the building, making almost every parking spot a good spot! I love that design and was hoping that's what they'd do. Inside were more people in one store than I've ever seen. You could barely crash and bump and " 'scuse me" your way through the aisles. We quickly discovered they were giving away free food. Everywhere! All the deli stuff, drinks, cooked food, not just samples...BUFFETS...in aisles all over the store. They had roast beef and baked chicken, rolls, salads, breads, cheeses, desserts, sodas, fish, egg rolls, nachos, and I think we didn't even see everything. But, trust me, we saw enough...we waddled out of there after doing our best to sample as much as we could hold.

It was fun and it was a really nice experience. I have a Costco shopping list that is way long and was planning on being brave and going opening day, but I think I may wait till mid-week and let the crowds thin down. If these herds of people were just relatives, that place will be a zoo this weekend when it's finally open to the public.

We have waited a long time for this store. When they were turning the early shovels full of dirt, I drove Warren to chemo, past the Costco site. He made the statement, "I just hope I live long enough to see it finished." He didn't make it. I think of that every time I drive by now. I'm sure he's enjoying much better rewards than shopping at Costco, but it's still bittersweet.