***Costco Sample Update for February 19th, 2010***

And for today's sample starting line-up!!!

At forward, from Georgetown... Asparagus and cheese cannelloni in pesto sauce
At guard, from UCLA...  Organic lentil soup
At center, from the Borough of Manhattan Community College... Bourgogne cheese on bagette
At forward, from Michigan... Chex Mix
And at guard, from the University of North Carolina.... #23...  LOBSTER RAVIOLI IN PESTO SAUCE!!!!!

(On the bench: Zipfizz energy drink, , vita-mix smoothies and soups, Lysol sanitizing wipes, sweet chili rice chips, raw almonds, kashi granola bars)

My overall rating is 5.9/10.  The regular season is beginning to heat up.  March Madness is just around the corner and the sample competition will be intensifying as samples will be making a push for the tourney.  Today's line-up will have to step up their game if they want to make it past the first round.  They cannot rely soley on Lobster Ravioli to carry them to the finals...

FIELD REPORT!!!

I have been away from the Orem Costco and my Samplesaurus partners, and decided that I should continue our sampling reviews from the field.  Missoula is a wonderful place and is known for it's natural beauty, but the samples left a lot to be desired.  Today we had:  Clam Chowder, Yogurt Triple Berry Fruit Smoothie (sample of the day), Flax and Pumpkin Seed Granola, Lite Ranch Dressing with Celery.

My overall rating was a 3/10.  The smoothie and he granola were great and there were no wait times or else we would be looking at a lower score.  People in Montana live in constant fear of grizzly, cougar and moose attack and you generally only leave the house when necessary, so crowds are at a minimum in Costco.

  My heart resides in the quirky city of Missoula and while I have had a great time at home, something needs to be done about the sample situation here.  My friend who accompanied me claimed that this was a pretty normal day for samples and she was actually pleased with the selection.  I had to count to ten slowly or I probably would have slapped her.  PLEASED?!  I could have eaten ten of each of the samples and still would not have been full.  This is the first time I have missed anything about Utah while in Montana and it chills me to my very bones.  Amy needs to come to Missoula and whip these ladies into shape.

***Costco Sample Update for February 18th, 2010***

Not too much going on today: Cheddar (aged 24 months), Greek salad dip w/cucumber, Vita-mix: smoothies, soups, etc..., cream puffs, yoplait yogurt, prego pasta sauce w/pasta imported from Italy, all natural fruit bars.

My overall rating is 4.1/10.  The only good thing about today was Neil finding a new outfit for his next date (hopefully with a girl).  I know, pretty sweet outfit, and once he tells his date that he is a writer for Samplesaurus she will fall in love.

Sike... she is probably going to dump Neil either way...

***Costco Sample Update For February 12, 2010***

Originality was the name of the game today and we saw a lot of new samples that we have not seen before.  Here is what was on the tables today:  Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese and Baguette Bread, 8 Grain Toasted Bread, VITA-MAX Smoothies and Soups, Biscotti, Angus Choice Cheeseburger Sliders, Chicken and Cheese Burritos, Garlic Chicken, Ghiradelli Triple Fudge, La Panzanella Croccatini with Swiss Cheese, Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle, NeilMed Sinus Relief Fluid, Vitamin Juice.

My Overall Rating: 5.3/10.  There must have been a sale on diapers today at Costco because most of the shoppers seemed to either be infants or senior citizens.  The young and old can be very deceptive samplers though, and they tend to be much swifter and more aggressive than you would think.  While waiting in line for the chicken burrito, a mob of latino youngsters muscled my Samplesaurus comrades out of line and they missed out.  Not to mention, while I was waiting for the La Panzanella Crocacatini with some swiss cheese (sample of the day) an old lady with an oxygen tank swept in and took the last sample, forcing me to wait another 30 seconds.

A big surprise today was discovering that Neil actually has a pharmaceutical company that seems to be using his name and his uncanny reputation for having clear nasal passages.

The VITA-MAX blender seems to be the last appliance that you would ever need to buy when it comes to preparing food.  Neil has composed an in-depth review on this wonder of the modern age.

These ladies broke into a celebratory dance after finishing off the smoked salmon today

***Costco Sample Update for February 11th, 2010***

The sample ladies were rollin' deep 'n dirty today: Beef tacquitos with mango salsa, hummus on a multigrain chip, chicken ravioli, egg rolls, cashew chicken, tillamook quesadillas, angus beef burger on whole wheat thin bread, Belgian chocolates, chicken potstickers, low sodium rice, multigrain crackers, rice crackers, veggie straws, superfood power drink.


My overall rating is 6.9/10.  We are finally gaining some street cred within the Costco gang.  The guy that checks your receipt on the way out gave us a mean yet respectful glare and said, "everyday."

To which I replied, "and tomorrow too... sucka."  I didn't even need to flash the heat I was packing...

Samplesaurus will soon be runnin' that joint.  Our goal is to be featured on Gangland.

***Costco Sample Update For February 10, 2010***

Love is in the air and the samples today really reflected it, here is what the ladies were dishing out today:  Feta Cheese and Salad, Great Northern Paper Towels, Sugar and Gluten Free Belgian Chocolates, Cashew Chicken, Garden Burger (chipotle bean and regular), Biscotti, Mushroom Chicken Ravioli, French Onion Soup, Quesadilla With Tillamook Cheddar, Odwalla Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Jumbalaya Rice, Dried Mangos, Hot and Spicy Chicken Noodles, D3 Chewable Vitamins.

Overall rating 6.2/10.  The last week or so has been real hectic at Costco and today was a welcome change.  The crowds were at a minimum and the sample ladies (and lads) seemed to be on their best behavior.  Amy, the sample queen and moderator, runs a real tight ship and she was making her rounds today ensuring that everyone stayed well stocked and fresh.  We appreciate all the hard work that she does, and it was nice to see her in action today.  Odwalla orange juice is just about the best orange juice I have ever had west of the Mississippi,  and I am going to go ahead and award it the sample of the day.  One big disappointment today was the sugar and gluten "free" chocolate.  Lets go ahead a put a big hypothetical asterisk by both of those claims as this stuff seems to include both sugar and gluten.  Neil seems to take extreme personal offense to any kind of false advertising and after squeezing the truth out of the frankly terrified sample lady, he quietly swore jihad under his breath against the company behind the chocolates and possibly the whole country of Belgium.   Neil will not be trifled with.

Here is a picture of young Neil after he stabbed a classmate that informed him that the juice he was drinking did not actually contain any actual fruit juice.  

***Costco Sample Update for February 9th, 2010***

Black forest ham (sample of the day), mini baby bel cheese, pita chips & hummus, mushroom ravioli, turkey burgers, turkey bacon, shrimp wanton soup, reduced sodium rice mix.

My overall rating is 6.1/10.  A small but substantial sample menu today; it was enough to get by on today.  Speaking of small but substantial, how about a haiku about samples? This is what came to mind while I was pondering on life and chewing on a turkey burger.

He who eats samples

Lives a long and happy life

Costco Karate!