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I set foot in a Trader Joe’s yesterday for the first time in 11 years. We stopped at the Brentwood location, and the place was packed. According to employees, it was even more crowded the day before, which was the first day they were open. The store was much bigger than the location where I used to shop when I lived in California. I’m not sure if they are all this size now, but I’m guessing this is probably a pretty typical store. I was just overjoyed to find that they still stock my favorite black bean dip!

We heard quite a few people talking about being from California and missing Trader Joe’s, so I’m not the only one who felt this way. Of course, with locations around the country now, you don’t have to be a former Californian to be a fan of Trader Joe’s.

Even though I live in St. Louis, I’m rooting for the Red Sox to win the World Series. It isn’t that I hope the Cardinals lose. I just think it would be great for the Red Sox to finally win a World Series, declare the Bambino’s Curse broken, and move on. Plus, I still haven’t forgiven the Cardinals for beating the Brewers in 1982.

The logo for the new Doctor Who series has been unveiled. Definitely an improvement over what was used in the later years of the original series. Take a look over at the BBC’s Doctor Who site.

As I write this, I was supposed to be driving with my dad to Omaha for the weekend, but instead I’m home sick. When my dad was in the Air Force, he was in Strategic Air Command (SAC), so for his birthday this year, I gave him a weekend in Omaha to go see the Strategic Air & Space Museum (formerly the SAC Museum). But last week Kristin caught a cold, and then I picked it up a few days ago. So instead we’ve rescheduled the trip in a couple weeks.

The worst part about being sick is taking a sick day from work. At WashU, you get five “unverified” sick days each year. If you’re sick more than five days, you either need to take vacation days or get a note from your doctor to prove that you were sick. Of course this requires that I go to my doctor, which is a waste of my time and his time. First, how often are you able to get in to see your doctor the same day you call? And even if you do, you will have to pay your co-pay and waste the doctor’s time so he can look at you and tell you what you already know.

Plus, if you’re close to your max number of sick days, there is a disincentive to stay home when you’re sick. You would think employers would want their employees to stay home when they’re sick so as not to spread the cold (or whatever the illness is) to co-workers. Instead people come in coughing and hacking all over everything.

A better policy is one I had at a previous employer. If you’re sick stay home. Don’t worry about how many days you’re sick. If someone has an above-average amount of sick days or there is pattern that indicates abuse, the problem is addressed individually.

While running errands yesterday, I drove by the Brentwood Trader Joe’s. The sign on the window now saw that the grand opening will be October 29, two weeks later than originally announced. All of the fixtures are in place, and there appears to be some product on shelves. Coolers and freezers all appeared empty. There several people inside, with others going in and out. Some had the tropical shirt that is their uniform, so they must be interviewing and/or training people.

I’ve waited this long, so I suppose I can wait an additional two weeks.