A couple of days ago, when we first started hearing of shortages, my husband and I went to Costco and continued stocking up. This is an ongoing thing with us for food storage. We asked Costco at the time about shortages and we were told there were none and they had heard of none.

Two days later – today – we went back to Costco and what do you know… Big ole’ signs saying ‘limit of 5 bags per customer.’ All the white rice and long-grained brown rice were gone. All that was left were a very few bags of brown, organic rice and we grabbed five of them. Let’s just say those shoppers around us were not very friendly and were quite resentful that we took five. Nuff’ said there…

Remember the scenes in the movie ‘Independence Day’ where aliens are invading but every time the alcoholic pilot talks about being kidnapped by aliens, everyone rolls their eyes and treats him like he’s one brick short of a load? Well, eerily it felt that way at Costco today. As we’re checking out, the checker is commenting on everyone buying rice and the bagger says she thinks that it’s not for real. The inspector on the way out said the same thing. Our friend two towns over said the same thing… Well, folks – does it matter whether this is contrived or not? There’s still no rice on the shelves, food and gas prices are skyrocketing and panic is setting in. Just like gravity, you don’t have to believe in it for it to believe in you…

We then went to our local store and rice was sold out there too. Better safe than sorry folks – you should put a little away just in case – and while you are at it, get some flour and oil. We now return you to your normal programming…