Sunday, April 5, 2009

Oil, Shiny Coats, and The End of a Friendship

Help! Why is my horse glowing?

My Boy is has been on Canola oil since the vet was out to look at his sarcoid. The vet said the omega fatty acids were good for him, in particular when used in conjunction with the Xxterra medication. She attested to them often working together to help the horse's immune system fight the sarcoid.

Thank goodness for Costco! I bought two large jugs of oil for around for a total of $18.0o. Or was it $18 each jug? Now I can't remember! At a half a cup a day, I'm hardly into my first jug.

We are truly "down home" efficient around here. Twigs from the yard make great grain and oil stir sticks! I got that idea from Paint Girl. For a while, they kept ending up missing. I think the dogs were stealing them.

I do think the oil has helped My Boy have an extra shine to his coat. And I'll get the scoop on the sarcoid tomorrow on My Boy's Big Day- yes, shots and teeth, oh my! Please send warm thoughts my way, there will most likely be needles and drama.

Now, let me talk about Costco for a minute. The creme-de-la creme of warehouse shopping. I hadn't been there in years. In fact, it'd been so long I wondered if my membership card was even any good (it was.) Quick history lesson. Around 13 years ago, I "nannied" for two young teenage girls. I also helped them with homework, cleaned house, did laundry, and ran family errands. I was a regular Girl Friday. Once a week I had to do the dreaded Costco trip. I say dreaded because one could never find parking remotely close to that place, and if it was raining, that made the whole venture especially joyous. Also, the list was always loooooong, with heavy things like entire cases of wine and bottled fizzy water, so the cart would be so loaded I could barely maneuver it around the isle corners or get it to the check out lane. Not to mention, the two young girls kept trying to throw additional items into the cart that were not on the list! No sirree, Costco and I do not have good memories.

So back to the other day. I went in with the intent of just getting the canola oil for My Boy. Right. I not only walked out with the two big jugs of oil, I also acquired wrinkle serum, a double pack of mascara, a cute children's' book called Ladybug Girl, the second book in the Twilight series, and a sweater. Not to mention, a large pepperoni pizza which I took back to the Painted Creek farm for dinner. I felt guilty about all these random splurges. The only thing I really needed, besides the oil, was the mascara. I haven't even finished the first Twilight book yet.

This past week, however, a revelation occurred. The potential was there for Costco and I to become friends again. You see, I was happy to find that Costco not only carried something I had been coveting for months, but for the best price I had seen it at. However, it was only available on their fabulous website. Lack of parking, rain, long lists, and heavy carts would not slow me down this time! Sun beams came down from the sky. Birds began chirping. I could see it now. We'd cry. We'd make-up. They would taketh. They would taketh a lot. But I would geteth. And I would be a very happy pony girl.

Then. The unthinkable. Yesterday I clicked over to Costco.com. I found my treasured item, on it's gleaming pedestal. And.....wait. why wasn't there that "add to cart" linky boxie thing next to the item? The one with the price and item number? HUH? My heart began to pound. This wasn't good. Perhaps it was a computer glitch? Nope. Other items were fine. I grabbed my Blackberry and dialed the customer service number.

My heart sank. No longer available? Might be more at a later date? But it was there. It was there TWO DAYS AGO! How can this be? Costco! Really! We need to stop disagreeing this way!

I am not good at plan B's. But when one warehouse door closes, sometimes another one opens. I actually found what I wanted someplace else, and it is even better than what I thought I wanted. Meaning- well, never mind. You'll find out soon enough.

I will shareth with you when she arrives.



29 comments:

  1. Funny! I LOVE Costco--hate Walmart-and get dizzy at Home Depot for some reason. (I think I'm allergic). I'll have to try adding oil again--I used to do it--but got lazy. I need one of those Costco jugs! I would like to improve the shine in their coats.

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  2. We don't have a Costco in the area but a Super Walmart. I love to hate them!!

    Good luck with your boy tomorrow. I know how stressful it can be. Thought you might like to read about my guy and his tumor. I can attest that this stuff really, really works and no...I don't work for them..LOL!

    http://www.forloveofthehorse.com/success_boyle.php

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  3. I hate the way I always spend so much money at Sam's Club and Costco. And everything is extra large sized and HEAVY. I will go buy a few items, cat litter, dogfood, Tillamook cheese, etc., but I really have to limit myself. It's too easy to spend my retirement in one shopping trip!

    Can't wait to hear what you got!!?!

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  4. I hate Costco! The people are rude and it's crowded with them all the time. And what is it about all the people lining up at the free samples like cows at a trough? They always look at you like you're in their way. So frustrating! Then again, maybe it's just California?
    Too bad we have to get our dog food from there, or else I'd never step foot inside again.
    *Whew* I feel much better now, thank you very much! :)

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  5. When we got Zora she was somewhat underweight. The vet said to put oil in her feed every day. We do not have a Costco or Sam's Club near us, but we do have a store named "Aldi" -- they sell at rock bottom prices. So I got the oil there for a great price. Your Costco feelings made me laugh -- I feel the same way about those kind of places -- too crowded, too difficult to navigate, too damn much trouble!!! So you shouldn't feel bad about the Twilight and pizza purchase...that is just your "reward" for putting up with the whole experience!!! You deserved it...

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  6. Costco is kind of one of those places you love to hate. Huge, noisy, sometimes even a little scary , and yet wo do they have som cool stuff!!!

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  7. We don't have Costco here but we have Sam's Club. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I used to be able to get in early with my business card but now everyone can get in early so there is no missing the crowds. They do have some cool things though and I always buy more then what I went in for......I just can't get by the book isle.

    Hope all went well with My Boy's appointment. Our guys did so well with their vet appointment this year. I'm proud of them.

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  8. I love costco, I buy two oil jugs at a time. Best thing, that and the bags of carrots. The oil is the only way I get psylium down them. I too love the way it makes them shine.

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  9. I'm very intrigued by your buy! We don't have a Costco but do have a Sams. I go on a rare occasion but always come out with more than what I planned. The evils of warehouse shoppin'!

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  10. Ahhh yes....Costco.....
    I am the only one in our house who is allowed to shop there, because my husband cannot control himself there. LOL!!!

    I let my card expire and haven't felt the need to spend $55 to renew it, so I guess that Costco and I are on the outs too! :)

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  11. I think I will give the oil a try. Good luck with the spotted pill tomorrow!

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  12. I know what you mean about those Costco shopping carts getting heavy, it happens so quickly too. Do you think the canola would give your mane a healthy shine? Hee Hee! See you this week!

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  13. Good luck with the boy tomorrow. I am sure you are ready for this issue with his sarcoid to be healed and all gone, bye bye! Teeth....ugh!

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  14. Costco and I don't EVER see each other with out my husband along and a strick list. We still can not get out of there for under $400 at the very least. We do buy their lamb chops...they are the best ever, booze and wine, claening supplies. but we need a costco buddy to split everything up, it's just to much food to store/use before it goes bad! Did you get a new Camera??? and what is my prize if I'm right!!! I know, a week off from grandbabies!

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  15. Thanks for the giggles!! I will keep you both in my thoughts tomorrow for the big day..

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  16. Your shopping trip sounds a lot like mine. I go to the store intending to by "X" and end up leaving with "Y" and "Z" too.

    Perhaps it is fortunate I don't have a Costco nearby!

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  17. Haha. Looks like you had an interesting day!

    Lydia

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  18. Your boy really is glowing! good luck with the shots....and yes, I regularly come out of warehouse stores with all kinds of unexpected stuff because IT WAS SUH A GOOD DEAL!

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  19. Costco. A necessary evil? I can't love that place either. But the deals!

    Your boy looks great. Good luck w/ the float and shots today. Mine got his float about 3 weeks ago but I still need to get his shots. Working on that!

    Hope the news is all good about the sarcoid. (Crossing fingers and sending good thoughts!)

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  20. We don't have a Costco. Thank goodness. I don't need to spend all that money...

    But I did buy the Bullfighter's daughter "Ladybug Girl". She also goes by LuLu! =]

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  21. Hey, another Appy owner and Sarcoid fighter here... How long have you been using the Xxterra? My vet has tried freezing but that was worthless, and he has had luck in the past using formaline dabbed onto the sarcoid daily. So, post updates please.

    By the way, before we had it biopsied and knew what kind it was I didn't have a "name" for his tumor, so I named it Stan.

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  22. I keep debating the Costco idea. I have a Sam's membership? Is that enough? I do have friends who have memberships to both because one has something the other doesn't and vice versa.

    You're too cute. I love the "eth" stuff. Good times. Sounds like that family was really lucky to have you doing EVERYTHING for them.

    I found it funny when you commented about how often is was rainy when you ventured out. That's not a problem we have here in NM very often.

    Hope that cute boy of yours is great.

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  23. I love Costco! But my problem is like yours. We go, we spend and boy do we spend! We always say we are only going to get a couple things and we come out a few hundred dollars less than we had.

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  24. Hi Pony Girl,

    I've not been around for a while, but want to wish Boy good luck with the vet.

    Kim x

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  25. We have both Sam's and Costco, I try to go only during the middle of the week, early in the morning...it doesn't seem to help, I still spend too much money there.

    This was a very intriguing post for me, thanks for the info! Hoping all goes well~hugs to the both of you! Mwah!

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  26. Hey Pony Girl! Thanks for introducing us to your sister's blog - it is so cool to have an entire family that's into horsemanship and blogging combined!! As for oil, our choice is easy over here: locally made peanut-nut oil! Both horses and dogs love it! :-)

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  27. {Esther}~ I'm glad I was able to connect you! It has been fun for my family to keep in touch and share our horse adventures with each other as well as all of the great friends we've made in bloggerland.

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  28. I was told when we got our older quarter horse (she was 17 when we got her and now is 22 and still just as spry as a 10 yr old to this day), to get corn oil and give her 1/4 to 1/2 cup wach night with her feed and it will help her keep her weight on and keep her skin from getting dry and give a nice shiny coat. It does work and it is not harmful to the horse. I don't give it to her every single night anymore, more like once a week because we now give her equine senior a little each day.
    As for Costco.... I cannot never go there and get just the thing I am needing.. hate it!

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