highly educated <> competent

I stopped at Sam's Club and bought 12 items, but the sales receipt counted only 10 (it counted my annual renewal as an item, and the 4x2 liter Diet Cokes as one). The Receipt Checker (at the exit) also miscounted, but let me pass without so much as a glance (after commenting on his non-Harvard MBA). I suspect underemployment is common in this economy; we may have evolved into a nation of the best educated receipt checkers in the world. Still, I didn't mind the incompetence, especially if the alternative was a cavity search in a side room.

(back to the time when I was inline, at the cashier:) While checking out, a peculiar question appeared on the display: Is the person over 18? I asked the clerk what prompted that, and he said "the Cascade dishwasher detergent" (which could be used to make methamphetamines). The checker also clued me in to a maximum number of batteries that can be bought each day (which could be ground up to make explosives). I couldn't find anything on the web to validate either claim, so .. they must be true!

I lunched with Eddie and Jill-Bob at Scotty P's Hamburgers in Allen, TX. The unadulterated¹ ambience of this venue is unmistakable, further accentuated by the crayon-coloring contest (photos coming Real Soon Now). Biggest complaint: only 4 colors of crayons with which to work (red, green, blue and orange). Good thing I had excess barbecue sauce.

After that, I moseyed over to Costco where they gave me a pass to look around, but wouldn't let me buy anything if I didn't join. They had a couple things that Sam's Club doesn't carry, but it wasn't enough to make me fork over the cash (not to mention them being inconvenient).

(1) unadulterated = family friendly, according to William-Bob