In Spite Of The Rain

Elkmont, Alabama

Weather: low 36 degrees, high 40 degrees, rain all day, cloudy skies

The rain started about 0700 hours this morning, so it made us think about what we were going to do for the day. Nothing was scheduled with any doctors or anyone else, and we had planned to take a little road trip so we could shake some of the holiday dust off. So, did the rain keep us at home? Why, no. It made us think a little more about where we would go and what we would do when we got there, but we've never been people who let a little rain stop us from doing most of what we want to do.

Our original plan for the day was to go back to the Florence area to do some exploring. The rain caused us to scale the plan back a little. We still went to Florence, but didn't do any exploring. Instead, we decided we would go to Olive Garden for a nice lunch, and then to the mall to see what being in one of those things was like nowadays.

We got to Florence shortly after 1100 hours, and found the Olive Garden located next to the mall. It has been almost a year since we had been to an Olive Garden, and we really enjoyed the experience at that time. We were hopeful that this experience would be just as good. Well, we didn't think this particular restaurant of the chain was a good as what we have come to expect. Oh, the salad was still excellent, the service was very good, but the entree we ordered (chicken parmigiana) was not memorable. There seemed to be something missing, including the portions being much smaller than we remembered. We also ordered an appetizer of bischotti, which wasn't as good as expected. We brought home what we didn't eat and had it for supper.

When we got in to the mall, two things stood out to us. The mall seemed like it was empty, and sales were going on in every store. I guess shoppers are still suffering a hangover from the holidays.

We managed to find a few things that we were looking for, including some stuff Carolyn wanted at Bath and Body Works. By the time we meandered all the way from one end to the other of the mall, Carolyn's vertigo had kicked in, and it was time for us to get out of there. This visit reminded us of why we don't like to go to malls. Too much stuff that we don't need or care about, at prices that are generally too high. Finding the things we bought at a decent price today was an exception to the rule.

By the time we made it back home, it was time to settle in and rest. Carolyn prepared the leftover food from Olive Garden for supper. She did some seasoning on everything to help the taste, which was what was needed. Of course, that still didn't help the small portions. Oh, well. Not every place can be like Texas.

More later, be safe.

Today's Town - Bozeman, Montana: Bozangeles

Not all who wander are lost.