As you can imagine, we get a lot of parking lot gawkers and a few unsolicited advisers during this lengthy exercise. I have always been a big Costco fan. Back in my train operation days, our rail product was one of the first to be featured by Costco's newly formed travel department, and I spent a lot of time at their corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Wash. I was always impressed by their friendly Northwest culture, the generous pay provided to their employees and, indeed, their local support with Costco gift cards for my many nonprofit fundraising endeavors. I'm not the only Costco devotee. My friend Marlene, who resides in Missoula, has a small room in her home devoted entirely to Costco products. Years ago, I traveled on the train with the late-Pat Volchok, columnist for The Costco Connection and editor of Entertaining the Costco Way. While stopping for our overnight stay in Missoula, I told her about Marlene, and we hatched a plan. Later that night, Pat knocked on Marlene's door as I hid in the bushes.