First... some pictures of the drive to Jackson, Mississippi. Even with the construction and the fact that it is all-interstate (400 miles on I-20 West), the drive is quite lovely. The leaves turned in Alabama (just east of Birmingham) more colorfully(?) than any other place I've been this fall.

Moving on. This is the real reason you wanted to check out these pictures...


After an installation delay (non-Radiant), I determined that I will not be on-site enough to get enough material for an automobile of the week. Instead, I have a "Best-Of-The-Best" email...


Best Winn-Dixie store associate name tag:
[no story, just the name of the store manager] "Sherbet Jones" (female). Arguably as good as 'Velvet' from Sprint Foods in Thomson, GA.

Best Nose Job:
So I was hanging out, doing some prelive work at a store in the nicer area of Jackson, MS (a far cry from the other site, where I got most of the material). As an older gentleman walked up to the kiosk window, I could tell something was going on with his schnoz. It looked like he had a slice of deli turkey on it. When he got closer, I could tell that he had what appeared to be the breathable parts of numerous band aids (with the pad removed) covering the entirety of his nose. It looked like he was trying to perfect an Autorhinoplasty procedure. I tried not to stare.

Best in-store signage:
"WE NO LONGER ACCEPT NO CHECKS."

#11 Best Restaurant in Jackcson, MS:
Serioulsly, check CitySearch.com for Jackson, MS… The #11 restaurant (all cuisines/styles) is Chuck E. Cheese's. As a point of reference, the #19 overall restaurant is Mc Donalds. It is not like there are only19 restaurants, either. There are 738 restaurants. Point of reference: Atlanta has 9168 listed restaurants. (This might be slightly better than Lexington, KY. Four of Lexington's top 13-rated Steakhouses are different locations of Golden Corral.)

Best I-thought-no-one-was-looking move:
As I walked outside the training room for some fresh air, I witnessed a Winn-Dixie employee (looked like a guy who works the meat section, based on his long coat and gray pony tail) - while walking at a brisk pace and not breaking stride at all - blow a snot rocket on the tile floor and continue into the store. MMMmmmm... tasty...

Best fake tourist trap:

Ellis Isle - the shopping center where the first Jackson site is located. Can you imagine the immigrants, so excited to finally reach solace and asylum, then seeing THIS sign?

Best ethnic restaurant name:

Ding How (Chinese)

Best electronic store:

Cowboy Maloneys Electric City

Best furniture store:

Big Lots Designer Furniture

Best city name between Atlanta and Jackson:

Chunky, MS. (a favorite of Joe Galko, as well).

Honorable mention: Eutaw, AL.