Costco Connection - September 2006

DIALOGUEletters
Online Edition Bonus Dialogue
Odds and ends
Got gas?

I read in The Costco Connection about locating those Costco stores that sell gas. Since we planned several long motor-home trips for the summer, I was certainly interested in the possibility of locating the best price for gas. I went to your Web site, printed out the locations for all the states, placed it in a three-ring binder and kept it in the front cab. Each time we were getting low on gas, I pulled out the binder, looked at the cities we were approaching and checked for a Costco. Thanks for the hint. Our Costco gas-station-locator goes with us on each trip and we save money.

Pat Innes, via e-mail

Dog days (and nights)

I enjoy reading The Costco Connection and look forward to each issue. My husband and I are faithful shoppers at the Gilbert, Arizona, store, as well as the Tempe, Arizona, Costco Home Store.

The Kirkland Signature™ Dog Bed has been an affordable lifesaver for our canine family. Our much-loved red rerle Australian shepherd Augie turned 9 this July and has been having difficulty with his back legs ever since he had a seizure a year ago. Our five Aussies sleep in bed with us, and Augie has not been able to make that leap for some time now. We have purchased the two-step stairs, but he is afraid of it. We also bought a half-step ramp so he could walk up to the bed, but no go!

We came across the Kirkland Signature Dog Bed at a very affordable price, and decided to give it a try. At that price, we had nothing to lose!

Not only does Augie enjoy a comfortable, restful night and the ability to easily get up, we purchased three more so the other doggies could enjoy them as well. Thank you so much for including great items for pets at Costco.

Cyndi Cunico
Mesa, Arizona

Vote organic

Just writing to say how much I like your store, products and service. We used the King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, warehouse extensively and now use the one in West Springfield since moving to Massachusetts. My daughter has a little baby and we always pick up extra diapers for her.

I can even pick up organic milk, eggs and juices that you stock. I am glad that Costco has more organic products now. I loved the organic peanut butter but have not seen it in a while. The organic stone-ground crackers were also a huge hit. I would love to see a line of organic coffee. I did get the Green Mountain brand, which is very good.

Keep up the great work with organics. It is the wave of the future, especially for younger parents who are really concerned with all the chemicals and pesticides that enter the food chain. Consumers are becoming very intelligent in their buying habits.

Anne L. Deggendorf
Northampton, Massachusetts

CHRIS RUSNAK

Reader thank you

I just wanted to take a brief moment to let you know how much I enjoy reading The Costco Connection. In the course of my day, a lot of paperwork passes across my desk. I’m always so excited to see your publication come through. The articles are informative and truly cater to my interests. Please keep up the good work!!!

Sarah E. Selke
Bellevue, Washington

ID protection

Your August article about identity theft provided the usual suggestions for protecting your personal information. Unfortunately, others are often not as careful. My wife’s identity (namely, her Social Security number) was stolen four years ago right about the time we

purchased a home. It wasn’t long before we began being contacted by utility companies, furniture stores and finance companies threatening legal action against us. Coincidentally, all of the debts originated near the city where our mortgage papers resided. Since then it has been a nearly constant ordeal proving our innocence and getting our credit reports cleaned up.

It is, as a friend who has been dealing with it for many years told us, “the crime that keeps on giving” and never goes away. We spend a lot of time doing damage control. While we continue to guard our personal information the best we can, the truth is that information is only as secure as the least honest or least careful person at your bank, credit union, mortgage company, doctor’s office, etc.

Jim Brown
Prineville, Oregon

Angel (left) and Zeus (below) demonstrate dog-gone comfort the Costco way.

CYNDI CUNICO

Healthy response

I'm frequently dismayed by the number of unhealthy ingredients in supposedly “healthy” foods. I was disappointed to discover that most national brands of 100 percent whole-grain bread have high-fructose corn syrup listed as the second or third ingredient. On my last trip to Costco, I picked up the Kirkland Signature Multigrain Bread and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it doesn’t have any high-fructose corn syrup. Thanks for doing your part to keep us healthier.