Scattered

• Today at the mall: Excuse me. Do you know if Olga's is this way? Add that to my approachability score.
• Can anyone clue me in to the marketing...or merchandising...or whatever...strategy is at work in Hollister stores with the darkness, over-fragrance, and LOUD music? The live web cam from the pier in California? SO awesome. Why must they wreck it my having the music so loud that any interaction...from their, "Hey. What's up?" to any final transaction at the cash register must be practically shouted. It's like they're forcing their customers to interact in ALL CAPS.
• I wish Oprah was on earlier in the day in our area - it looks like she's having some great interviews during this last season of the Oprah Winfrey Show. She's on during dinner prep time.
• Rob and I ate a The Olive Garden tonight, because that's how we Midwesterners roll sometimes when we're too lazy to venture farther than across the parking lot for dinner. We had a most delightful server who not only encouraged us to pester her serving partner with requests just to liven up their slow evening, she shared with us their new program to cut down on wasted food - which is why they now bring out less salad and bread sticks at a time. They will refill both as needed/requested - and as our server pointed out, it gives you fresh salad and warm bread sticks each time instead of letting the salad wilt and the bread sticks get cold at your table- but, this greatly reduces the amount of un-touched salad and bread sticks they have to throw away...AND the servers get to choose which charity will receive that savings.
• Rob's going to complete the online survey on our receipt and give Server J good marks...and if we win the $1,000 we're going back and leaving her an even bigger tip than we left tonight.
• Last night during Dancing With The Stars Judge CarrieAnn and Professional Dancer Maks had words about the length to time spent dancing during their 'instant dance'. I agree with CarrieAnn - Brandy and Maks should have spent more time dancing.
• I think it's well past time for Bristol Palin to go home. Last week, I was sincerely wanting her to go just because she was so sad over being homesick. But then Rick Fox was eliminated...after Audrina Patridge the previous week...and it's not that I think Rick or Audrina were going to make it to the end...but I DO think they were each better dancers than Bristol.
• Last year our school started a new program of selling poinsettias to student's families - and then using them as decorations for the Holiday concert before sending them home with us at the end of the performance. It's a neat way to get pretty decorations for the concert AND our homes. We got the order forms last weekend...the concert is only about 3 weeks away...it was 75 degrees today. This weather is continually fooling me into thinking the holidays are farther away than they really are.
• I need to start my list of people...teachers, etc...that we need to remember for the holidays.
• Parent/Teacher conferences tomorrow.
• We're celebrating Veteran's Day by attending the local parade (E1 is participating with the school band), and having steak sandwiches for dinner.
• I 'stole' the book E1 borrowed from her friend and I'm reading it before her - it's Ghost Girl by Tonya Hurley. So far it's pretty good.
• ARGH! Bristol didn't get eliminated tonight.