# Went to Costco This Morning. Was a Little Bit Scary. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [March 11, 2020, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294 "2020-03-11T18:58:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/441 "2020-05-22T11:57:36Z")
No hotdog buns the Thursday before Memorial weekend? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/442 "2020-05-22T13:41:29Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > …There is also an issue with garlic, in that China supplies most of it to the world and shipping anything from China is a bit problematic. There was a considerable supply in the pipeline when everything shut down but we may be nearing the end of that. That might or might not have anything to do with the lack of it in your area… Ooh, bad news. There was plenty at my market, and I picked up a head just because we use a lot of garlic. Hmm, I actually harvested a lot of garlic last fall, but it seems to have shriveled up while in storage I wonder why. On the other hand, I see that the basil I harvested dried nicely, and is quite fragrant. I guess I should remove the stems and crumple the leaves into something today. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/443 "2020-05-22T18:39:30Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Hmm, I actually harvested a lot of garlic last fall, but it seems to have shriveled up while in storage I wonder why. How did you store it, and what variety was it? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/444 "2020-05-22T19:02:17Z")
I started fermenting garlic honey (or is that honey garlic?). The store is 9 heads poorer now, but there were plenty to go around. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/445 "2020-05-22T19:19:39Z")
Yikes, wanted to grill some burgers last night. I’m usually lazy and get the pre-formed ones the butcher shop at the store packages. $9/lb! Regular ground beef was $8/lb. Fortunately, I have several pounds of ground venison and beef in my freezer. Might be a while before we eat beef from the store around here again. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/446 "2020-05-22T20:07:55Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > How did you store it, and what variety was it? I left it hanging in my attic. I hung it by tying string to the leaves in two bunches, and then throwing the tring over a pole in the attic. It gets cold there in the winter, but doesn’t actually freeze. It doesn’t get as hot in the summer as it did before we made the roof white, but it does get warm there on sunny days. It’s some hard neck garlic that I’ve grown for years, and I’ve had it keep before. But maybe I took it out of the attic earlier in the spring? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/447 "2020-05-23T00:19:16Z")
Huh. Yes, that sounds like it should have stored all right. Was it harvested in wet weather? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/448 "2020-05-23T01:52:34Z")
Thanks, Broomstick. We figure as much, that’s why we wanted the response to be educational. I stressed that we didn’t want anyone to get in trouble, but that this was important information. Both my lovely wife and I have quite a few risk factors, so we’re scrupulous. Also, since the story about transmission keeps shifting, including at times shifts due to political pressure, we will continue to be conservative about possible exposure. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/449 "2020-05-23T02:20:11Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > I guess the shortage is bleach for laundry, which I’ve not gotten in six weeks now, ground pork (Kroger never really has it anyway), and Black Box Pinot Noir (three weeks now, and, hey, it’s convenient when ordering online). And tonic water for some reason – I suspect people are confusing quinine for whatever it is that Trump was spouting. I’ve got nearly five liters of Bombay Sapphire now, with nothing to drink it with. What, no dry vermouth? 🙂 > [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > What are you guys finding is still perpetually out-of-stock? I haven’t been able to find dried chick peas in months, and the canned variety are hit-or-miss. Yeast. I know that’s hard to find anywhere. My local grocer has been out of yeast every time I’ve gone since March. Last week the cashier said they’d got some in that morning, but it sold out immediately. I suspect there are a lot of neo-doomsdayers who bought up the stuff in case they couldn’t get bread. Imagine their surprise on the distant day when they actually want to use some, and it’s expired. :rolleyes: Since it’s in short supply, people who DO use yeast occasionally buy it up as soon as it comes out, just in case. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/450 "2020-05-23T04:34:38Z")
Yes, I couldn’t find yeast. And we’ve been making bread much more than we used to, because we don’t want to pop out to buy a loaf these days. So we dusted off the bread machine… A friend’s neighborhood restaurant is selling restaurant supplies to locals. That includes 50 lb sacks of flour, and 1lb boxes of yeast. I’ve asked him to buy those for me next time he’s “shopping” there. That should keep us in bread for a few months. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/451 "2020-05-23T05:04:00Z")
So is it just me who is saying fuck the price, I found it, I want it?? On dumb things like brand name TP or paper towel?? Bleach, wipes or vinegar?? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/452 "2020-05-23T05:07:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Huh. Yes, that sounds like it should have stored all right. > > Was it harvested in wet weather? I don’t recall. Maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/453 "2020-05-23T06:48:49Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > So is it just me who is saying fuck the price, I found it, I want it?? On dumb things like brand name TP or paper towel?? Bleach, wipes or vinegar?? I’m still working (call center contracted to a major bank) and my husband’s on worker’s comp right now anyway, so my finances are about like normal (not that that’s so great), but I’ve always been pretty price-sensitive, and my shopping standards haven’t shifted that much. I can’t really afford to. On most things, I really don’t care about brand. There are a few items where there really is a noticeable (to me) difference that makes buying a more expensive version of an item worth it, but disposable items like paper goods aren’t on that list for me. I do have a tendency to have some reserve supplies on hand, and am not opposed to DIY on things like wipes. Haven’t had the best luck with making hand sanitizer, though (keeps coming out very liquid, can’t get a gel for anything). 🙂 Also, I have a major hostility for the price-gouging hoarder locusts who swept shelves bare so they could extort exorbitant prices for necessities from their neighbors. I flatly refuse to reward such behavior with my money. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/454 "2020-05-23T07:17:21Z")
> [@susan](#): > > transmission keeps shifting This choice of wording was on purpose, right? ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/455 "2020-05-23T08:34:26Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > Also, I have a major hostility for the price-gouging hoarder locusts who swept shelves bare so they could extort exorbitant prices for necessities from their neighbors. I flatly refuse to reward such behavior with my money. This is the part that would bother me. I just wanted to add a thanks to people posting in this thread about what they’re finding when they go to the stores. It helps me to decide if items are going back on the shelf so I don’t have to check. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/456 "2020-05-23T11:27:54Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > This choice of wording was on purpose, right? If I had pearls, I’d clutch them. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/457 "2020-05-23T11:33:20Z")
> [@susan](#): > > If I had pearls, I’d clutch them. Just had to double down, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/458 "2020-05-23T11:52:51Z")
Found hand sanitizer. At my local Walgreens. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/459 "2020-05-23T15:40:08Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I don’t recall. Maybe? Garlic harvested in wet weather sometimes doesn’t keep as well; maybe due to fungus infections on the bulbs, not necessarily obvious at harvest. Other than that – which doesn’t always seem to work that way – I’ve got no idea. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294/460 "2020-05-23T18:49:53Z")
On the plus side, I remembered to harvest the basil before it was killed by frost last fall, and it dried beautifully over the winter. (sitting next to garlic.) I just removed the leaves from the stems, and crumpled about half of it into my spice bottle (leaving the rest as whole leaves in a ziplock bag) and it smells wonderful. Not as vibrant and wonderful as fresh, of course, but much better than what I can buy. And the fresh won’t be large enough to pluck leaves from for another couple of weeks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/went-to-costco-this-morning-was-a-little-bit-scary/849294.md?page=24)